Calling All UM Alums....

Now that Randy Shannon is not pictured--- Miami must make a CRITICAL choice.

Are they going to be a part of major college football or are they not?

It's as simple as that.

Miami needs to hit a home run with their next coaching hire.

This cannot be done on the cheap.

To me, the key is to tap into their NFL alumni base.
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One of the biggest sources of pride for Canes fans--- is how many former Canes are successful in the NFL.

Every Sunday--- we see players proudly throw up the "U" sign during NFL games.

And then--- in the same breath--- we're told that the school doesn't have enough money for facilities--- doesn't have enough money to pay big name coaches.

It's a bunch of bunk.
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If those NFL players are SO proud of their school--- time to put their money where their mouth is.

Take one game-check--- put it in a fund.

Guaranteed--- you'd have enough to go out and get a MONSTER coach.

Is it Jon Gruden?

I don't know.

This decision is on Kirby Hocutt.
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As for Randy, he wasn't a good football coach.

It's that simple.

On gameday, he was consistently outcoached.

His players didn't get better during their time at UM.

We don't know about him as a "recruiter" because--- once the guys got to campus they were never properly instructed.

So how can we know if they reached their ultimate potential?
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To his credit--- Randy ran a clean program.

Players were not arrested and they received their diplomas.

That's great.

But honestly--- what's the point of running a clean program if the whole sport is dirty?

College football is as corrupt as can be.

The work-force---ie the players--- aren't paid.

Meanwhile, the schools make MILLIONS going to bowl games and coaches get fat contracts.

Miami can pretend to take the high moral ground--- or they can get in the mix.

That's the decision now for the school.

Do they want to be a major program or do they want to be mired in mediocrity?

I hope they go big.

7-win seasons don't do much for me.

Maybe Jacory Harris Just Isn't That Good...

I love Jacory Harris (not pictured).

That is, as a person, as an interview, and as a personality.

The only problem is, all of his wonderful qualities don't translate into touchdowns.

As unpopular an idea as this may be, watching the Ohio State game, I was left with the following thought... Maybe Jacory just isn't that good.
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Jacory's yardage figures last year were impressive.

It was in the top 5 ever in school history.

But, you can't argue with the following, his interceptions cost Miami the North Carolina game and Clemson.

17 picks last year were the reason the Canes didn't take as big of a leap as they could have.
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Fast forward to the horseshoe on Saturday.

You can point to several factors.

You can break the game down however you want.

The bottom line is that Terrell Pryor played very well, and Jacory Harris played badly.

Yes, Travis Benjamin bobbled one of his interceptions.

Doesn't matter.

When you are an elite quarterback, you don't throw 4 picks in a big game (unless you're Vinny Testaverde, you throw 5!)
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It's funny, Canes nation WANTS Jacory to be good.

You can feel it.

And who could blame them?

Jacory looks the part of the next great Canes quarterback.

He talks the part of the next great Canes quarterback.

He's from down here.

He never lost a game in high school.

He says he'll wear a pink suit to the Heisman ceremony (slow down)!

Given all of these factors, we're willing to apologize for and explain away poor performances.

Jacory had a bad thumb....

Jacory is young... Wait until he's a Junior.

The sun was in Jacory's eyes...
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If Jacory were an elite college quarterback, Saturday's atmosphere would've helped him thrive.

Instead, we got more touch passes that nearly got his receivers killed.

Instead, we got more bad reads and attempts to throw into places where he shouldn't have.

Instead, we got a drive-killing interception by a defensive lineman.
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Over the last 7 years, Canes fans have been bitching about a bad call.

Saturday was a chance at redemption.

Didn't happen.

You don't need to overthink this one.

It starts and ends with #12.

If Terry Porter were playing quarterback for the U, he couldn't have done worse.

I'm not ready to declare Jacory a bust by any stretch.

But it's worth considering that perhaps we've let liking him cloud our judgement.

Canes Game 1: Observations From My Desk

On Thursday night, the Miami Hurricanes beat up on a team more known for its band (not pictured) than being a football juggernaut.

But still, FAMU provided the first test of the season, and in many regards, the Canes passed with flying colors.

What follows are some observations from my desk.

I hope this helpful to many of you because the game was not pictured to most (espn3 online? come on)
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Jacory:

Hard to be uber-critical of a guy who threw for 3 touchdowns and no picks in just a half of work.

Happy to see that his thumb wasn't covered and he didn't appear to have any discomfort.

But there was one moment that REALLY scared me.

Miami was up 7-nothing and Jacory wanted to throw a quick screen to Aldarius Johnson.

A blitzing defender jumped the route and SHOULD have had an interception, which would have been a pick 6.

Had it been an Ohio State defender, that would have been disastrous.

Can't happen.

Jacory's ability to clean-up mistakes will dictate how far the Canes will go this season.

No Huddle:

I like it. The Canes played with PACE on Thursday night. The question is, can they maintain it against a team that's AS athletically gifted?

That also becomes a question of conditioning.

Sure, your receivers will be fine.

But can your line maintain that tempo?

SIZE MATTERS:

Look at the size of Miami's offensive line.

What a difference a few years makes.

Remember how bare the talent was when Randy took over?

It's a totally different story.

On both sides of the ball, Miami looked physically imposing.

Again, opponent matters.

I was on the field last year when Wisconsin MANHANDLED the Canes.

Wisconsin is a middle-of-the-road Big 10 team.

Against Ohio State, Miami will get a taste of REAL Big 10 lines.

Will they be up to it?

I'm hopeful but concerned.

Thearon Who?

The Canes don't miss Thearon Collier.

I liked him.

Thought he was a dynamic returner and receiver.

But they have PLENTY of wide receivers.

Leonard Hankerson is the CLEAR number 1 on this team.

I'm really glad he decided to come back.

I think this year will make a difference for him and he will make a difference for the Canes.

Lamar Miller looks explosive in the return game.

Miami can throw Travis Benjamin back there.

I'm excited by the possibilities.

GREAT STORY, NOT READY:

My heart broke for Graig Cooper.

He was on his way to the NFL, when embarrassingly bad turf blew out his knee.

That disgraceful field in Orlando could've cost Coop millions.

To his credit, he battled all the way back.

He's back on the field.

He took contact.

Awesome.

But he's not ready for primetime yet.

The Canes have a STABLE of backs who will and should play ahead of him.

Coop needs to relax and get ready for week 6.

JAWS

Cue the music.

Adawale Ojomo is back and that dude is ANGRY.

He should be.

When a suckerpunch from a walk-on makes you eat through a straw, you play angry.

That's good.

He needs to.

I see plenty of talent from Ojomo, Vernon, and the rest of the D-Line.

BUCKEYES?

Will the Canes go into the horseshoe and beat the Buckeyes?

I have no clue.

It's going to be tough.

I was encouraged by 45-0.

It was a nice start.

Miami was a team with every reason to look ahead, and didn't.

They were focused, intense, efficient.

In a sense, this is truly a Miami team because there's speed everywhere.

I'm just concerned about the physical nature of how Ohio State is going to play.

To win, Jacory needs to play a clean game and NOT make a single, game-changing mistake.

For now, 1-0.

Pryor Notice...

I just attended the University of Miami's annual preseason lunch.

It's a chance to meet with Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt and fellow members of the media (and get a free lunch).

As I ate my burger, all I could think about was Terrelle Pryor (not pictured).
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One month and two days.

That's how long we have to wait for Miami at Ohio State.

Normally, you would say, one game on the schedule, whatever.

And yes, Miami can have a great season without beating the Buckeyes.

Many fans are judging this season based on winning an ACC title or at least getting to the Conference Championship game.

That's all well and good.

I'm focused on Ohio State and Terrelle Pryor.
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Life isn't fair.

Sports can be.

That's one of the reasons I think so many of us gravitate towards watching other people exercise.

There are rules.

There's right and wrong.

What happened to Miami in the 2002 National Championship game was just wrong.

In my history of watching sports (ie my lifetime), it may be the most unfair moment I've ever seen.

You can't take away a national title with a late call that's specious at best and HORRIFIC in all actuality.

But that's what Terry Porter did.

I have friends who are Canes fans who have said things about Terry Porter that would make Louis CK blush.

And I can't say I disagree.

It's not an accident that his initials are TP.
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Which leads me back to the other TP.

If you only watched the Rose Bowl last year, you'd think the Canes are in for a long, long afternoon at the horseshoe.

There is the small matter of the rest of Terrelle's career, that has me feeling hopeful.
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For me, I'm really sick of hearing how great these Canes players are going to be.

Between Sean Spence, Marcus Forston, Aldarius Johnson, and Jacory--- I'm sick of hearing about the promise of the Canes.

And those are only some of the kids from Northwestern High School.

This is the season where they DELIVER.

This is the season where the preseason ranking at 13 is low.

This is the season where that "Jacory for Heisman" facebook thread, isn't just a good natured joke by Canes lovers.

This has to be.

The NCAA is investigating Miami for a text message scandal.

I took that as a good sign.

They don't investigate the Canes, unless they're good.
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But all of that starts with messing Terrelle Pryor up.

They have to brutalize him.

I remember a few years ago, the Canes acquitted themselves pretty well against Tim Tebow at the Swamp (before, ironically enough, the game turned on a horse**it call).

But those Canes weren't ready for the stage, and Tebow was at a level well above Miami.

I hope the shoes is on the other foot this time.

I think Pryor isn't ready for what he's going to face.
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TP isn't the first big-name quarterback the Canes have faced.

During the height of the program, the U LONGED to face these much ballyhooed QB's.

The more the hype, the better to obliterate.

It's time to get back to that.

This isn't just about 2010 Canes.

This is about the 2002 Canes.

This is about what's right and just in this universe.

This is about truth, justice, and the American way.

God help me if the game is decided by a bad call!

Kirby's Choice

Randy Shannon's contract extension puts Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt (not pictured) on the line.

He's saying: Randy's our guy.

I'm not saying it's a bad decision. I'm just saying what *IS* pictured is how I feel about it.
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To be fair to Randy Shannon, there are signs that the program is trending in the right direction.

Three straight years Miami has improved by two wins. That's a fact.

The Canes are performing well in the classroom. That's a fact.

The Canes are staying off the police blotter. That's a fact.

However, excuse me if I don't do cartwheels over a guy whose record at UM is 21-17 and who has exactly zero bowl wins or BCS appearances.

Not exactly a record that Jimmy Johnson or Howard Schnellenberger would envy.
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This is the year for Randy Shannon to prove that he's laying not just a solid foundation at the U, but an elite one.

As I wrote in my previous blog "There's No U In Mediocre," I was looking forward to Shannon having a contract year.

I liked Randy going into this season without a contract.

It showed his belief in his program.

From the school's perspective, either they would have an elite coach, or they would have the freedom to go find one.

Now all that's out the window.
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As a Canes fan, I will say this: Now it's on you Kirby.

You hitched your wagon on Randy Shannon.

In 3 years or so, if Miami's still meandering around 9 wins, you'll be the one who everyone turns to for answers.

Hope you're happy with your selection.

There's No "U" In Mediocre...

Can't get clean.

Scrub as I might, I wash and rewash. I try the bar-soap, I try the hand-soap, I try the liquid gel. I resort to using Pert Plus.

I can't seem to wash the smell off of me.

Did the dog secretly drop a deuce in the bathroom that I can't see?

I couldn't possibly smell that bad.
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The year is, well, about any year between 1984 and 1994.

I've just come from another lopsided Canes victory at the Orange Bowl.

I forced my mother to drive me two-hours early to the game, and wouldn't leave until I saw each touchdown of the absolute obliteration.

Those games were just like watching a Tyson fight.

Just like Tyson had the knockout before the opening bell, the Canes usually knocked out their opponent the second they ran out of the smoke.

We wait an hour for the car parked directly in front us. Yeah, our "no blockie" spot FINALLY clears out.

And just like that, we leave Little Havana.

To top it off, I need to hear the locker room show, just so I could listen to the guys revel in their latest annihilation.
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But back to the shower, you could spend hours in there.

You could call in a team of NASA scientists, washing off the smell of the Orange Bowl was a task above anyone's paygrade.

God I miss section U, Row 65. God I miss that smell.
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And that's the perspective from which I'm going to write this particular blog.

I'm going to throw off my "journalist" hat and speak as a fan.

A fan who watched too many consecutive wins at home, a fan who once drank out of the dip-cup of a stranger who was wearing overalls, a fan who listened to loonatics chant "AH-OH" at any female who had the audacity to walk back to her seat, a fan who was thrown into the garbage can by linebackers and taken out by the kicker (thanks Greg Cox).

So yeah, 9 win seasons don't make me happy.
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I love that Randy Shannon (not pictured) doesn't have a contract after this season.

I think it's the best scenerio for Randy and I think it's the best scenerio for the University of Miami.

Right now, Randy Shannon is Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire.

He's betting big on himself.

I like that.

Either he's right about what he's built here and stands for a monster payday.

Or...

He's wrong, and thanks for playing.

You have to respect that.

Randy's got stones and Kirby's smart.
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I know it's early May.

So why am I talking about University of Miami football?

I just feel like it.

During the off-season, fans like to kick around the "we should beat them," "that's going to be a tough one" emails.

I think it's all non-sense.

I have friends who sat with me in section "U," die-hard Canes fans, who are scared of games like Pittsburgh and Clemson.

I refuse to accept that.

If the University of Miami is afraid to play a Wannstedt-coached team, then they're not a real Canes team.

I don't care what the rankings say.
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We've been told for so long that Randy Shannon is an expert recruiter.

Perhaps that's true.

But, we haven't seen it, yet.

Doesn't mean it's untrue.

But we can't say that we've seen it.
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Kick this one around Canes fans.

I asked this to a friend on the phone today.

How many players from last year's team, would have played a SINGLE DOWN on the 2001 National Championship team?

We're talking 10 years ago.

And I'm not talking based on potential.

I'm not talking based on the eye-test (Aldarius Johnson LOOKS like an NFL Pro Bowler).

But based on what they've shown.

A single down.

My answer: 1.

I think Allen Bailey would've found his way onto the field.

That's it.
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If Randy Shannon is going to get a BIG contract offer from Miami, we need to revisit that question in 8 months.

If we don't say at least 5, Randy likely won't be here.

I'm not saying the potential isn't there.

I'm just saying, I want to see it now.
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There are areas to give Randy a LOT of credit for.

He did change the culture at Miami.

I can't remember the last Cane to get into trouble with the law.

The sheriff up in Gainesville must have Urban Meyer on speed-dial.

Two dozen plus arrests in the last few years.

So it's nice to lose the "thug U" reputation. (a reputation that wasn't particularly fair given the way Miami was graduating players back in the day).
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Here's the other beautiful part of Randy's no contract situation.

Let's say Randy is right.

Let's say this turns into a BCS-caliber team.

Let's say Jacory gets invited to New York for the Heisman and the Canes are awesome this year.

Randy can tell the school to shove it.

He can leave and take a big job elsewhere.

If he gets the big payday, who could say he hasn't earned it?
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I know that Sun Life Stadium is an antiseptic building.

It's lovely with its great suites and sightlines.

There's ample parking and the smell is like fresh potpourri.

But just because I can't get that Orange Bowl funk on me, doesn't mean the Canes can't return to greatness.

The first step is to stop accepting mediocre.

There's no doubt that Randy has improved the Canes from 5 wins to 7 to 9.

But the next jump has got to be even bigger.

I refuse to get excited about 4th round draft picks.

I refuse to applaud overtime losses to ACC opponents.

I'm sorry, I'm more afraid of Justin Bieber than I am of Dave Wannstedt.

Canes fans, don't accept average.