Miami 9-3 (5-3) vs. Wisconsin 9-3 (5-3)

Champs Sports Bowl

Citrus Bowl Stadium

Orlando, FL

I never take solace in the argument of conference superiority. Sure, you could claim that is because the two conference I have been affiliated with fan base wise, the ACC and Big 10, have for the past five years been atrocious. On the contrary, I have always been adamantly opposed to the ‘SEC! SEC!’ chants, or even Clemson players chanting ‘ACC! ACC!’ last night during the waning moments of their win over Kentucky. It is meaningless. Conference superiority is all circular, and everyone regresses back to the mean at some point.

I could not care less about Miami beating Wisconsin so I can say the Big 10 sucks. I don’t care what the rest of the ACC does in their bowl games. All I want is for Miami to win. The ACC can go 1-11 in bowl games, Miami can win the national title, and yes, all the other fans will claim the ACC sucks so it somehow taints the Hurricanes title. Uh, sorry, douchebags from the Slave States. Doesn’t work that way. A title is a title.

You never can tell what happens in a bowl game. Too much time off, motivation of the players can vary on the extremes. Is an upperclassman-loaded team worrying more about their draft stock than winning a meaningless late December exhibition? Does the tired young players just want to get back home for the rest of a long Miami private school winter break? You just never know. What I do know, is that the Hurricanes players have all been giving lip service to the 10 win mantra. I love it. 10 wins this year erases the blowout loss to Virginia Tech, and the two other conference losses to lesser talented teams. Guaranteed top 15 ranking next preseason, most likely top 10. Hopefully this motivation will carry Miami over whatever smash mouth gameplan Wisconsin comes out with.

Enough with this lip service from the Midwest Badgers about their team speed. If Wisconsin had Miami’s speed, they would be the Big 10 champs. Wisconsin is going to come out and run the ball, run it some more, throw play-action passes, and run the ball some more. The only way Wisconsin wins this game is if they take an early three score lead, minimum of 20 points, and Miami does their usual turnover show trying to scrape their way back into it. Even then, Miami only loses if they run out of time. I see Miami grabbing an early 7-0 lead, and no more scoring until the 3rd quarter, when Miami breaks the game open in Big 10 terms, and ends up with a two touchdown win.

Official Prediction: Miami 27, Wisconsin 10

10 wins in year three? AYYYYYYY!!!

When other people do the work for me, it makes an easy post. Part one here, part two here. You want some excitement to build upon before the bowl games goes down? Look no further…

Heather Dinich: Tell me more about what you guys started to do defensively down the stretch.

Randy Shannon: The thing that got us, the beginning of the season, we were lights-out on defense, besides Florida State. Georgia Tech we did a great job, Oklahoma did a great job, and then we started getting these injuries. We lost Ray Ray Armstrong at one point in time, we lost Joe Joseph, Jordan Futch, he was out, that hurt us big time with everything we were doing on special teams. And then we lost Sean Spence, and the defensive line was a rotation. When you keep losing defensive linemen and you’re trying to plug guys in, there’s no continuity. But I think the continuity came around the last four games of the season, it really started coming around. Third down we were getting off the field, maybe 65, 70 percent of the time, and it really started to show. They started to feel each other out a lot more towards the end.

I will always argue injuries are not an excuse. In 10 years the generic fan will not remember Oklahoma was without their Heisman winning QB all year. Injuries may not be an excuse, but they are a reason. They ruin seasons, and Miami’s defense was pretty awesome before all the dominoes went down. If Lovett can get them back to their early season peak for the entire 2010 season, we could all be in for a 2003 treat.

Left tackle Jason Fox, he of 47 career starts, will miss the Champs Sports Bowl after season ending knee surgery. While Fox is not exactly 1st round draft material, he still will be drafted, and if he ends up a respectable starter in The League, perhaps like Chris Meyers, there is nothing wrong with that. This season Fox has graded out admirably.

Through 11 games, Fox graded out at 96 percent with 20 pancake blocks and 15 lumberjacks and allowed just one sack on the season. He helped Miami rack up more than 4,500 yards, which is the most since the 2004 season (4,593 yards) as the Miami offense is in line to become just the eighth team in school history to gain 5,000 yards in a season. He graded out at 95 percent or higher in 10 of the 11 games.

The stat that really hit home was this year’s offense has the most yards since the 2004 squad. As in, wait a second, Brock Berlin was the QB that year, wasn’t he horrible? Most Hurricane fans forget, or refuse to acknowledge, that Berlin was actually very good his senior season.

2003 season (Junior): 2,419 yards, 12:17 TD:INT ratio

2004 season (Senior): 2,680 yards, 22:6 TD:INT ratio

As a stand alone year, Berlin’s senior campaign is not earth shattering. Compared to his 2003 debacle, however, and you have to be impressed at his progress. I think we forget how great and efficient Berlin was in 2004 because it was the first year in the ACC, and we all expected Miami to go undefeated in conference play. In reality, it was the beginning of Larry Coker’s inability to recruit and develop players, thereby depleting the depth of the team. You can beat the Big East with no 2nd string quality, but not the ACC. Did Berlin have bad games his senior year? Of course. The de facto ACC title game at home against Va Tech when the offense laid a 10 point egg definitely comes to mind. Nonetheless, three whoosh, whoosh cheers to Brock Berlin for going unrecognized for his high quality senior year play. A halfway decent coach wins 11 games that 2004 season with an offense that played better than this year’s unit.

Randy Shannon cannot be commended enough for building his program the right way. The same week The U Documentary gives the Hurricanes program a two hour recruiting infomercial, showcasing the bad boys of a long gone era, the current Canes have achieved a new standard in the classroom.

In case you missed it, Miami will share with Notre Dame the American Football Coaches’ Association award for academics. Both schools attained 100% graduation rates from their 2002 freshman classes. Looking at past winners, this award is no joke: Duke, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Northwestern. Miami is finally gained recognition as being a top notch academic institution.

Compare that with Urban Meyer’s tenure at Florida, and his spin doctor comments regarding his atrocious arrest record:

“This group of players we have now are by and large a pretty good group. They are 18-to-22 years old and, like most young people, they are trying to find their way.

“It is a continual part of our program to mentor and guide our players and it is not an exact process. Although we have been very successful with most, we are by no means perfect. We are disappointed when we encounter some issues along the way, but we are going to continue to educate and teach our players.”

Really? Sure wish I could have just been “trying to find my way” while throwing snowballs at moving cars back in Michigan. Lets face it–if not for the Tebow Child, who is everything that is right with collegiate athletics (barf), Florida would be getting vilified for their arrest record under Meyer. Tebow hides it all.

Since Meyer has been hired at Gainesville, 24 arrests have occurred under his watch. More spin control from Florida’s athletic department:

●   Only three arrests from the last three recruiting classes (including 2009)
●   At least 14 of the charges were dropped in the 24 cases
●   14 of the 24 player arrests have been from players he did not recruit or were in his first recruiting class
●   The 24 arrests represents 19 different players

So you’re excuse is Urban Meyer didn’t recruit 58% of the players arrested? That’s nice. Randy Shannon has been at Miami two fewer years, meaning he recruited even less of the players on his roster. His arrest record? Two. Ryan Moore (misdemeanor battery) and Robert “Douchebag” Marve (resisting arrest without violence and criminal mischief). We all know Miami will forever be known as “Thug U.” The documentary this past weekend confirmed it. It’s high time Florida starts being recognized as “Trailer Park Trash U” for their transgressions off the field as well.

The hot daughter is in there somewhere.

The Herald spoke with a bunch of NFL scouts to see where some of this year’s seniors would shake out in next April’s NFL Draft:

• (Jimmy) Graham “is looking at the third or fourth round assuming he runs well and catches well at his pro day.” One team has him ranked 60th among all seniors.
• Two scouts disagreed about whether (Jason) Fox has the body to play left tackle in the NFL. “He’s not a big, thick guy. He might need to move inside,” one said. Said (NFL Draft expert Mike) Mayock: “Limited power, needs to get stronger. Most guys I talk to have him in the fourth, fifth round.”
• Mayock said “a lot of people like Javarris James because he can block” — though one scout said he wouldn’t draft him “because he can’t stay healthy. He doesn’t have the speed to consistently get outside.” . . . Cornerback Sam Shields “will run fast at Pro Day and could be a late draftable kid,” Mayock said. . . . One scout rated tight end Dedrick Epps as a mid-to-late-round prospect because of his receiving skills.
• Scout feedback on the top juniors: Allen Bailey “will be better in the NFL than college; second-rounder if he comes out now, could be top-10 pick if he stays” and improves; Orlando Franklin “could rise to a first- or second-rounder” if he plays well at left tackle for UM in 2010; Graig Cooper is a potential “third-rounder because of speed, versatility, return ability.”

Most fans are wondering if Bailey should leave this year, namely to restart the streak of 1st round picks for the Canes. Look, that streak was incredible, and always will be. To care about a semi-arbitrary record, when Bailey could be greatly needed on next year’s potential run for the national title, is something I will not agree with. Miami alums take care of themselves at the next level. In the NFL, every year is like a contract year if you are not a quarterback¹. I look at that scout’s breakdown of this year’s class and am ecstatic. Miami should have at least five players taken in this year’s draft, a fantastic showing in Randy Shannon’s third year. Bring back as many players as possible, get 11 or 12 wins next year, and then I’ll be happy to see Bailey and Brandon Harris taken in the 1st round, and we can all rejoice at the streak being broken a mere two years.

…

¹With the NFL labor agreement expiring this year, it would be the stupidiest move in the history of contracted labor talks if the players association doesn’t get some form of guaranteed money. Personally, I don’t want what the NBA has. You get 90% of the league playing hard once every five seasons; pretty much whenever they have a contract year or are in trade talks for an extension. I’d like to see something in between. An example 5 year deal: First two years guaranteed, third year 75% guaranteed, and the last two seasons 25% guaranteed, with a salary cap penalty to a team that cuts a player who is not injured.

Randy, please don’t tear down your sand castles. Remember Jimmy, Randy. Remember Jimmy.

As usual with all this fantastic documentary footage, hit to Rak on tur.

What a film! If you were not a Miami Hurricanes fan before seeing that documentary, you at least have to admit some appreciation for everything they did for that entire decade. Miami did things that will never be repeated in college football, whether you want to argue because of scholarship rules, their independent status, or the fact America is going down a very Conservative Right boring ass lane to boringville each and every year.

Did anyone tell Drunk Bernie Kosar® that this is permanent? What is shot on film stays around forever? Maybe take a detox rehab course two weeks prior to filming to at least lose the bloated cheeks for the cameras?

Jimmy once again showing everyone how great he really was. He was the best overall coach to run Miami, and unlike other HCs, he deserved every bit to leave the program for greener pastures. Dennis Erickson knew all along Miami was just a stop gap to the NFL. He saw Jimmy do it, and knew he could live off his success for a few years and do the same. Butch Davis is the one I lament. He never should have left Miami; never should have even considered it. He built the program back up from probation, and could have just finished his 14th season in Coral Gables. Now Randy Shannon will take everything Butch left on the table as his own.

How about Howard Schnellenberger choking up as he talks about leaving Coral Gables?! Nearly brought tears to my eyes. That great man knows what he left behind, and seeing his head bowed in absolute regret, you couldn’t help but feel his sadness. This documentary seemed to bring everything he has probably thought about on a daily basis out into the open. He built the most fascinating, crazy, balls to the wall program in the history of college football, all from nothing. This man built Rome in five years, became their Caesar, and left before the clay was dry on his statue. You know it eats at him every year, every day, every moment, because he has tried to replicate the situation twice. Both at Louisville and now FAU, he has built football programs from the ashes or kindling, but he knows nothing will ever compare to what he had with his State of Miami. My friends, that is about as sad as Ennis Del Mar holding Jack Twist’s blue jean shirt.

Regardless, I’ll be watching it again today, and perhaps again the next day.

One last reminder. Tomorrow night. Somebody vote for Vinny again so he can get more than Tebow.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy. All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

All season and 9 wins makes Anton a dull boy.

Can we get that 10th win please? Thanks.

The very under appreciated columnist Dan Le Batard has unearthed himself from his radio show and PTI backup duties to give us a gem of an article on the public perception state of the Miami program. If you enjoy anything regarding the Hurricanes, it’s worth a read.

I love Le Batard’s work; radio, televsion, and columns. When he fills in for Wilbon and becomes the comedy foil for Kornheiser, I can’t get enough of the “Bam!” There is something to be said for the guy who knows his job is to be made fun of and be hated by the public, yet still nails it every time.

Now onto some new anecdotes of those brash and cocky teams:

• Before a game against Florida State, defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy had to be restrained because he thought it would be funny to punch Renegade, the Seminole horse.
• UM safety Charles Pharms — who wore all black on game days because he was in mourning for the opponent, his T-shirt reading, “Shut up, bitch!” — was so unintimidated by the caged tiger placed outside the UM locker room at a drunk and roaring Louisiana State that he stuck his arm inside the bars and sang “Coochie-coo!” before trampling that tiger’s team by a score of 44-3.
• Notre Dame’s Tim Brown admits now, all these years later, that the only time he was ever terrified playing football was against Miami — not because of the Orange Bowl noise or even the Hurricane talent but because of what he feared Miami’s players might do to him in the parking lot after the game.

Have to say I love the Tim Brown admission the most. It should be noted that Ed Reed and Andre Johnson were not fans of that previous teams’ behavior. No one’s gospel means more than number 2-0.

It’s fun to think about it now, 20 years later, and laugh at all the things these players used to do. But, yeah, I think I would be slightly embarrassed, or at a loss for words, when trying to explain these antics to opposing fans. You can’t. For the record, I don’t care how you win. In college you can use the Spread, Wing-T, or A-11 for all I care. You can be brash, cocky, or throw for a touchdown when your rival tries to antagonize you with a meaningless timeout. That said, it will always be more satisfying to win when you do it without the “antics,” as Randy Shannon called his teams of yesteryear.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama	2
2	Texas
3	TCU	2
4	Cincinnati	1
5	Florida	1
6	Boise State
7	Oregon
8	Georgia Tech
9	Ohio State
10	Virginia Tech	1
11	Pittsburgh	1
12	Iowa
13	LSU
14	Miami (Florida)	2
15	Stanford	1
16	Penn State	1
17	Oklahoma State	2
18	Brigham Young	4
19	Utah	4
20	Southern Cal	5
21	Oregon State	3
22	Clemson	2
23	Central Michigan	2
24	Nebraska
25	Arizona
Last week’s ballot

Dropped Out: Houston (#21).

-What a finish. It’s a shame TCU is not in a BCS conference, because then we could have a real argument about their inclusion in the title game. As the system is set up now, it’s not even worth discussing. TCU’s top 3 wins all match up better than Texas’, but not by much. After that the Longhorns have the decided edge. TCU needed Clemson to win the ACC.

-I stand strong behind my spot for Florida. I know most here will put a one loss Florida ahead of both TCU and Cincinnati, and I feel that is ridiculous. Florida has not beaten one (I repeat, one) good team. Their best win is against LSU, who was a joke this year. The argument that the middle of the SEC is better than any other conference’s middle tier is laughable. Again, this has been my argument against the “SEC is hands down the best conference” since 2006. Granted, the best teams have been from the SEC since 2006. However, when those best teams get a near guaranteed ticket to simply not lose twice (or in LSU’s case, just lose in triple overtime) in conference, then beat their most likely overrated SEC title game opponent (Arkansas ‘06, Alabama ‘08, Florida ‘09) and punch that ticket to the BCS title game, that is when I fault the media and the system. I don’t necessarily want a playoff. It will not be what any of us want, as we all want different playoff formats. If we are talking reality, something that could actually occur, I want to just go back to the pre-Bowl Alliance days. Conferences have tie-ins to specific bowls, and there are at-large teams, and it’s just a free for all to vote on the title game winner. Bowl games will try harder to match up top teams; only the Rose Bowl would still be the idiots not bending their rules. Right now, regardless of match-ups, no one really cares about any BCS game that is not the championship. I am a huge college football fan, and sometimes I even forget to watch the Sugar or Fiesta Bowl, because I know it doesn’t matter outside of wins and losses. Utah beating Alabama last year did nothing for the little guys this year. Don’t try to argue it did. However, if we had the old system, Florida could still destroy their bowl opponent and coupled with an Alabama loss could split the title with Texas. I say bring back the chaos post bowl games.

For all his ups and downs, all the lunatic interceptions, the arrogant deep balls, the phone calls of utter frustration to my Canes Consiglieri, Jacory Harris actually had one of the best passing seasons in Hurricane history. Some quick hitters from the UM Sports Information Director post game USF report:

JACORY JOINS ELITE GROUP: With 162 yards passing today, sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris moved into sole possession of fifth place on the school’s all-time single-season passing yards with 3,165.

MORE HARRIS: Jacory Harris also moved up the single-season charts in several other passing categories today.

• With two touchdown passes, he moved into a tie for sixth place for most TD passes in a single season (23).
• With 11 completions, he moved into fourth place for most completions in a single season (226).
• With 21 passing attempts, he moved into sixth place for most passing attempts in a single season (377).

Harris is only behind names like Dorsey, Testaverde, Erickson, and Kosar. And they were all upperclassmen. I think we all forget how great this season really was for Miami’s offense. They did not lose to a lesser talented team, unlike many years prior. All losses but one came down to the last two minutes. If you want to think on the optimistic side, if not for many injuries to the first string on the defense, Miami could have won some of those games, blown out more opponents they should have, like Duke or UCF.

The compass only points North for Harris and Whipple, and the entire Miami offense. Once the defense stops bending and starts breaking the other team, in the form of turnovers and therefore short fields for the offense, then we will start having some fun.

Next Saturday, in a very cush timeslot after the most boring awards show of the year, ESPN will show their best documentary to date. The U, about the rise of Miami Hurricanes football juxtaposed with the rise of the race relations in Miami, already has me excited to the brim. I have been waiting to watch this since first hearing about it last spring.

The interviews will no doubt be top notch, as I believe only Randy Shannon and Paul Dee are the notable names not on the list. For a mid 20’s Canes fan as myself, who really can only read about the notorious 1980s teams, this will finally shine a light on the attitude that permeated the entire program for over a decade.

For more info about the doc, or the main guy behind it, check out Billy Corben’s site Rak on tur’.

All you impatient Randy Shannon haters, take note. Even sub teachers win at Miami.

Robert Bailey: “Having Dennis Erickson as coach was like having a substitute teacher come in. When a substitute teacher comes in, everyone is rowdy.”

Too bad Larry Coker’s teaching degree was for retards.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	TCU
2	Texas
3	Alabama
4	Florida
5	Cincinnati
6	Boise State
7	Oregon	2
8	Georgia Tech	1
9	Ohio State	2
10	Pittsburgh	2
11	Virginia Tech	3
12	Iowa	1
13	LSU	2
14	Stanford	5
15	Southern Cal	5
16	Miami (Florida)	6
17	Penn State
18	Oregon State
19	Oklahoma State	9
20	Clemson	8
21	Houston	2
22	Brigham Young	2
23	Utah	7
24	Nebraska	1
25	Central Michigan
Last week’s ballot

Dropped Out: North Carolina (#21).

-Top six unchanged. Georgia Tech doesn’t drop much after a loss, even to a crap team like Georgia, because their resume is still solid. Same with Pittsburgh. Until you start having to pick these rankings every week, you don’t realize how stupid so many media pollsters are with their “oh they lost drop them minimum eight spots” rule.

-I still think LSU is vastly overrated, and I probably will continue to say as much until Les Miles is fired. Natch!

-What USC did to UCLA at the end of the game was hilarious. Extra spot up for that one.

-Miami finally shows up to play in the first quarter, and it shows in the final score. Great all around game. Win the bowl game and they can finish in the top 15 final polls, a great season for year three in the Randy Shannon era.

11/21 for 161 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions. I couldn’t ask for more perfect road game stats.

Fantastic season. Here’s to a great bowl game match up to steam roll to 10 wins!

Miami 8-3 (5-3) @ South Florida 7-3 (3-3)

Raymond James Stadium

Tampa, FL

A hunter spots a grizzly bear 1,000 yards away, but he can’t get any closer so he aims his rifle and pulls the trigger.  He can see he’s hit the bear, so he sets off after it.  When he finally catches up to the bear, the bear is clutching his shoulder and says, “Was it you who shot me?”

The hunter says, “Yes.”

The bear says, “You need to be taught a lesson.”  The bear strips off the hunter’s clothes, bends him over, and has his way with him.

Several minutes later the hunter struggles to his feet, pulls himself together, and vows to find that bear.  He searches through the woods, up hill and down, and then he spots it 500 yards away, aims his rifle, pulls the trigger, and sets off after it.  When he catches up to the bear, the bear says, “Did you shoot me again?”

The hunter, trembling, says, “Yes.”

The bear says, “Well, maybe this’ll teach you,” whereupon he grabs the hunter, rips off his already tattered clothing, throws him violently to the ground, and really rips him a new one.

The hunter eventually gets to his feet, naked and dazed, and he decides he’s going after the bear one more time.  He trips through dense underbrush, trudges through soupy swamps, treks across vast valleys, and finally finds the bear only a hundred yards away, across a small opening.  He takes careful aim, holds his breath, and pulls the trigger.

The hunter, already exhausted, sprints up to the bear.

The bear says, “Did you shoot me AGAIN?”

The hunter says, “Yep.”

So the bear says, “You didn’t really come here to hunt, did you?”

Lets all hope Miami continues to be the bear in this in-state burgeoning rivalry.

Official Prediction: Miami 27, South Florida 21

My annual Bad Ass® award will always go out to my favorite Miami Hurricanes player of all time, Sean Taylor. He is who created my love for the Free Safety ball hawking position. Two years later, countless Pro Bowl seasons left on the table.

Hey Florida! I can see your vagina from here!

Hidden beneath all the Florida’s huge vagina talk was Kirby Hocutt stating he doesn’t really want to play USF anymore.

Hocutt said he likes “that your last game is guaranteed in warm weather” and won’t try to escape the contract. But Hocutt also said USF wants to extend the series beyond 2013, and “I’m not convinced it makes total sense for us.” Hocutt said he wants to begin scheduling seven home games some years, beginning in 2011 or 2012.

I’m on record stating I like playing South Florida. Even if the Bulls do the dirty and beat Miami one of these years, I will still support the game. Many fans will chant Miami has nothing to gain, everything to lose. I disagree. Miami can directly put down a burgeoning rival, point to a direct on field result to all these recruits who are considering Tampa. Most importantly, the Canes can use this game as a rebound spring board incase of an early season loss. South Florida is in a BCS conference. Their reputation has already hit a high enough peak to give Miami a considerable jump in the late season polls should they win a four touchdown blowout. Yes, I would concede that years Miami finally starts making the ACC title game, playing USF the week prior might not be in their best interests. However, this year could’ve proven a great example. If Miami hadn’t lost three games already, beating South Florida this weekend would potentially have spring-boarded the Canes up the polls and into a BCS at large bid. Hypotheticals get you nowhere, but you don’t win the national title every year. Miami will always be better served playing these overrated name programs in BCS conferences over FCS schools. Personally, I think Miami should start scheduling home and homes with most of the Big East, mulch up on that “top notch” competition.

Jeremy Foley just found out FIU agreed to extend their deal until 2056

This came as no surprise. Florida has decided they will not be extending their contract to play Miami after the return game in 2013. What really is a shocker to me is Florida will still come to Miami in four years. Jeremy Foley, Florida’s AD, stated his reasoning as based on his desire to schedule seven annual home games. Oh, that’s right, you’re in the SEC. The biggest, baddest conference in the land. If the school doesn’t have a direction in it, and you have to pay them more than $500K to show up, you won’t play. Well, Mr. Foley, I have some Vagisil in aisle seven for you. You know, for your gaping vaginitis attack.

OK, in all truth, Florida can do what it wants. Sure, we can make fun of them, but they will keep winning titles with their obnoxiously bad OoC schedule, no matter the outcry. More power to them. The hilarious part of all this, is the writing is clearly on the wall. Miami is nearly “back,” whatever you want to define that as. They are about to be playing for national titles, intimidating opponents, having more talent on the field than 95% of the country. Jeremy Foley wants nothing of it. He saw what happened last year in Gainesville. Miami stood tall against the best Florida team in school history for three quarters. Yes, Florida showed they were clearly the better team in the 4th. However, being held without a touchdown, against a ridiculously young Miami team, full of freshman starters, Robert Marve at quarterback, and fucking Patrick Nix calling plays? Ha. Florida knows this game at best will be a toss up come 2013 and beyond. No reason to subject themselves to another potential loss.

Still doubt me? The proof is more than in the pudding, it’s already in the cookbook of history. Butch Davis of all coaches put the smack down on Steve Spurrier in the 2001 Sugar Bowl. Miami lost multitudes of first round picks in 2002, yet still demolished a Heisman contender Rex Grossman up in Gainesville. Then in 2003, we took their shitty backup quarterback, spotted them about three touchdowns, and still won the game. Add in the fact we all know Urban Meyer is doubtful to be in Gainesville much longer, let alone for 2013 and beyond, and if you’re Jeremy Foley, you have what I’d call a case of the Zooks.

The only thing the SEC leads in every year

I have always been adamant that the SEC is overrated, nearly every year. Most recently in 2006, when Florida used a two score victory over a lackluster Arkansas team with one great player to ride itself into the BCS title game. After seeing this article in the Sun-Sentinel, it got me thinking to do some quick research on this season, yet another year I believe the SEC is vastly overrated.

Look, I understand the idiot redneck who chants S-E-C!! at every game to feed Gary Danielson’s ego will just point to Florida and Alabama and say “Dat’s dat! Ain’t no mo reason ta tahlk!” Well, that is why they are not making decisions for the country, let alone their respective trailer park. Two teams, no matter how good, does not make a conference.

Lets all stop parading around the top 5 teams in the nation as an indicator of overall conference strength. No one ever claimed the Pac 10 was the best conference when USC was clearly the best team in the nation for the entire decade. The middle of the SEC is just as bad as every other conference, and this year more so. LSU is a complete joke, and if not for their ability to recruit instate defensive studs, they would be a six loss team this year. It has been very gratifying to see Les Miles finally exposed as the horrible coach that he is. All you Michigan fans, if you think Miles would’ve been the answer instead of Rodriguez, well, then have fun losing to Ohio State until 2023. He was bad at Oklahoma State, he is bad at LSU, and will continue to be bad as long as he coaches. He won his title with Saban’s players, he gets to own one of the best states for recruiting unchallenged by another in-state university, and his former school has reached new heights since his departure. Les Miles is guaranteed to get you two losses a year. He simply got lucky and was able to win a national title with said two losses. Case closed. (Les Miles sucks tangent now over).

I would argue the Pac 10 or even the ACC would beat the SEC from #3 on down the line. No one is touching Florida and Alabama, that much is not a question. But when these top SEC teams keep getting all this media bias credit for doing nothing other than barely beating horribly overrated SEC teams, with zero out of conference wins, it sickens me. Lest we all forget, the SEC was not always considered the best conference in the land, year in and year out, like it is today. If you do not have a dog in the BCS title game fight, there should be no reason you are not rooting for the opponent of whomever the inevitable SEC team that makes it in.

Praise be to Jebus. Hankerson has been Miami’s best receiver this season by far, and he has hidden speed. With Jacory “TAINT” Harris back at the helm next year, and us not knowing if he will solve his TAINT problems, we need all the possession/big play/all around receivers we can get.

Of course, if Hankerson can somehow leave early this year for the League and restart the first round draft pick streak, I’m not one to judge. I’ll tell you one thing, it’s fantastic to have a #85 actually producing again.

Howard Schnellenberger, in my mind, is the most underrated coach in the history of college football. Jimmy Johnson is undoubtedly a better overall coach, as he did win both in the NFL and college. However, you cannot overvalue what Schnellenberger did with the Miami program. Bobby Bowden, back when he was still lucid, has said on multiple occasions Schnellenberger would have the all time wins if he had just stayed put in Coral Gables.

Unfortunately for all Hurricane fans, he is just one of those personalities who always are on the move. They establish a goal, and once it is attained, need to start over from zero with a new goal (Louisville), instead of creating new loftier goals within the current framework (staying at Miami for 25 years). In a way, when Schnellenberger left a national title wake at Miami to leave for the USFL, he started the tradition of coaches using Miami as their springboard into the NFL.

Yet another hilarious anecdote was uncovered from all this great documentary talk going round:

Schnellenberger explains how he would intentionally leave his pipe in the home of some recruits so he would have an excuse to come back. Excited, Melvin Bratton took the pipe with him to Miami Northwestern High.

The man always is giving, more than we ever know.

Not only is he the main mastermind behind the documentary set to air on ESPN after the Heisman ceremony, but he even knows the right way to edit a film.

Larry Coker was the most prominent person interviewed who didn’t make the cut. “Originally, we had delusions of grandeur that we would somehow do the 2001-02 championship,” Corben said. “We wound up not going that far.”

Don’t be coy Billy, tell the truth. You cut his ass because even just seeing his face is more embarrassing than the Pell Grant scandal.

Now here is a pissed off athletic director. If there is any game I wish I could watch now, that I could watch live, it would always, always, always be the 1991 Cotton Bowl thumping of Texas. It literally created the 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty.

UM’s controversial on-field behavior receives ample attention. In his interview for the film, then-athletic director Sam Jankovich said Randal Hill’s memorable touchdown celebration in the 46-3 Cotton Bowl rout of Texas on Jan. 1, 1991 — Hill ran down the tunnel and pretended to shoot pistols — was “totally disgusting.”

Jankovich recalled telling Erickson afterward “if you don’t solve this problem, somebody else will solve it for you. You should be ashamed how this team performed.”

Man, that is hilarious. It also underscores the biggest problem with Erickson, and his inability to discipline anyone. If I was an inner-city youth used to running around after midnight causing a ruckus, only to be let off the hook due to a fantastic talent I had that old white men cherished, I don’t think I’d want to play for any other coach than Erickson.

Can’t wait to see the finished product.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	TCU	3
2	Texas	1
3	Alabama	1
4	Florida	1
5	Cincinnati
6	Boise State
7	Georgia Tech
8	Pittsburgh
9	Oregon	2
10	Oklahoma State	3
11	Ohio State	1
12	Clemson	5
13	Iowa	1
14	Virginia Tech	4
15	LSU	6
16	Utah	5
17	Penn State	2
18	Oregon State	5
19	Stanford	9
20	Southern Cal
21	North Carolina
22	Miami (Florida)
23	Houston	1
24	Brigham Young	1
25	Nebraska
Last week’s ballot

Dropped Out: Wisconsin (#16), Arizona (#19).

-TCU deserves to be ranked #1. There, I said it. The three-headed monster of Florida/Alabama/Texas are who should be trying to impress voters for the second BCS title spot. As of this week at least. Once the SEC title is played, it’s hard to argue that team shouldn’t be #1. Luckily for Texas, a 9-3 Nebraska team will roll into the Big 12 title game. But for this week, with Clemson surging, Utah and BYU on the mantle of wins, TCU is the top dog.

-Not too much other unsuspected movement. Some thoughts: Penn State is horrendous, and it’s a shame teams get to pad their records with horrible non-conference schedules. Of course, it is in their benefit. Five years from now, no one will remember Penn State was the worst 9-2 team in the history of college football. They will only remember the 9-2.

-I wanted to rank Temple this week, but then I saw they lost to Penn State. No hypocrites here, my friends.