This is the biggest week of Randy Shannon's coaching life at the University of Miami.
If he doesn't figure things out quickly, his job could be in jeopardy (not pictured--- his job that is).
After a debacle against Florida State and an unnecessarily close contest against Duke, Miami welcomes Butch Davis and North Carolina to Sun Life Stadium on Saturday night.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Randy is 0 for Butch so far at Miami.
I remember being on the bus coming home from North Carolina last year, and one of the assistant coaches muttering under his breath 'I can't believe we lost to these guys AGAIN.'
It was a long, quiet flight home from Chapel Hill.
Jacory single-handedly threw that game away with several costly interceptions.
That was the game where he allegedly hurt his thumb.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perception is reality.
It might have been unreasonable for Miami fans to expect to move from the Big East to the ACC and absolutely dominate.
Maybe the standards were too high.
But, that's the way it is.
That was the expectation.
And Miami hasn't even been in the same neighborhood as dominating.
Instead, they haven't even made the ACC Championship game.
The quickest way to get fired in coaching is to fail to live up to high expectations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The path to that Championship game runs through North Carolina.
Both teams are 2-1 in the Coastal division, trailing Virginia Tech.
A loss and Miami likely won't be able to make the ACC Championship game.
The Canes still have Virginia Tech looming.
They play Beamer ball.
It's a style encompasses great special teams and a bad-ass defense.
What is Shannon-ball?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Carolina is a basketball school.
Make no mistake about it.
During my time in the state, the goings on of the Tarheels hoops team dominated the Herald Sun, Raleigh-Durham News and Observer, and 850 the Buzz sports-talk.
No one REALLY cared about football up there.
If Miami can't get past a middle-of-the-road, basketball school in their conference, where is the program at?
This is a hurdle that Randy Shannon simply has to clear.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miami had an expression that they used a LOT last year.
It was sort of a mantra of the players and coach Shannon: No excuses.
Time to live up that mantra.
A loss on Saturday, and it's time to update the resume.
David,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you it is a big game. As a canes fan, I am frustrated with the way the team is playing. But didn't Bill Parcells always say something you are the team that your record is. I hate to say but maybe the days of the Miami winning national championships are gone. We may have to accept being a mid-level program.
As for Randy, I like the guy a lot. He needs to stop being stubborn with quarterbacks. I am a big fan for pro set offenses, but with so many playmakers on the field, they should go to an Oregon spread. I think Jacory is a major problem too, but not everything falls on Shannon.
Eddie,
ReplyDeleteThis is a defining game. IF Randy can bring Miami to a level where they're competing for a BCS bowl, great! I hope he's the man for the job. I want him to be the man for the job.
But, if they're going to fall into a rut of being a middle of the pack ACC team, that's not good enough. You thank Randy for his tremendous contribution to the program, and then try to find someone who can elevate Miami to another level.
This is not a program that has fans who will ulimately accept being mediocre.
Losing to UNC every year and not even winning the coastal division is thoroughly mediocre
You were on a flying bus back from North Carolina?
ReplyDeletehahahha... we were on a bus before getting on an airplane.
ReplyDeleteThanks captain literal