ACC crown or Shannon gets the boot?

I’ve been reading some of the comments on the blog here, as well as some other message boards and sites with Canes-themed articles.

The general consensus regarding a successful season? Randy Shannon and his Hurricanes not just getting to the ACC title game, but winning it and reaching a BCS games.

As a long-time Cane, I can appreciate the high expectations, but the ‘all or nothing’ mentality is bogus.

Miami went 9-4 in 2009 and even a 10-2 regular season wouldn’t have gotten the Canes to Tampa for the conference title games. Georgia Tech lost one ACC game last season – to Miami – and with losses to Virginia Tech and Clemson, the Canes were technically out of the conference race by late October.

For all the knocks against the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Coastal Division proved competitive last year, with little margin for error. Should that again be the case in 2010, how can a fanbase run a coach out of town should he improve the program four a third straight season, should he not deliver a conference crown?

In 2008, Virginia Tech made the ACC title game with a 8-4 record (5-3 in conference). There was more margin for error that season, but Shannon’s Canes went 7-6 (4-4 in conference), beating the Hokies in mid-November. A year prior, Miami stumbled to 2-6 in conference (5-7 overall) while Virginia Tech rolled to a 7-1 conference record and ACC championship.

The last two seasons UM knocked off the eventual ACC champ, but stumbled along the way and was out of the race by late November. Little solace at the end of the day, but a step in the right direction.

Even more puzzling than the ‘win or go home’ mentality, where does this sense of entitlement come from regarding just piling up ACC titles left and right?

In their hey day, Florida State racked up eleven ACC titles in thirteen seasons (1992-2003). Over the past six seasons, one title – after a 7-4 regular season and upset of Virginia Tech in the inaugural ACC Championship game.

If the once conference dominant Seminoles have lost ground in the ACC, why is it so hard to accept the fact the Hurricanes don’t have the right to simply “expect” conference titles?

– Georgia Tech won the ACC in 2009, their first conference title since 1998.

– For all the recruiting hype and high preseason rankings over the years, Clemson hasn’t won the ACC since 1991.

– Wake Forest surprised with a conference championship in 2006 – their second in school history and first since 1970.

– Virginia split the 1995 title with Florida State, their first since 1989 and second overall.

– North Carolina hasn’t won the ACC since 1980, even with all the recent Butch Davis hype. NC State hasn’t won since 1979.

– Maryland won it in 2001, their first since 1985. Duke took home the 1989 crown, their first since 1962.

– Virginia Tech is the surprise, bringing home three ACC championships since joining the conference in 2004. Many expected Miami to have the impact Tech has, but as fate would have it the Canes joined their new conference just as the then Coker-led program was beginning to backslide.

Winning the ACC should be Miami’s goal at the beginning of every season. Absolutely. You have to win your conference before you can start thinking about national championships. Year four of the Shannon Era, getting to the ACC title game is a plausible goal. The talent is returning, the conference schedule is favorable (Florida State, Virginia Tech and North Carolina at home) and the ACC has proven it’s fair game the past few seasons.

That being said, it’s not how you measure the progress of a Shannon-led team.

Miami was run off the field by several squads in 2007, Randy’s first season. 51-13 at Oklahoma. The 48-0 beatdown by Virginia in the Orange Bowl finale. Railroaded 44-14 at Virginia Tech a week later. Embarrassing losses where the Canes were outcoached, outtalented, outmotivated and were never in the game.

A year later, no real signature win but the Canes showed more grit, starting with a dogfight at No. 3 Florida which lasted three quarters before UM was taken down. A defensive collapse and stagnant offense did Miami in weeks later in a heartbreaker against North Carolina. A slow start against Florida State was the difference in a 41-39 loss. The Canes strung together five straight wins, with a shot at the ACC, but got worked at Georgia Tech and lost the following week at NC State.

Year three wrapped up 9-4 and many were miffed with the bowl loss to Wisconsin, forgetting about the progress made in 2009. A strong start at Florida State was impressive, no matter where the Noles ended the season. Ten days later a thorough thumping of Georgia Tech. Early October a win over No. 8 Oklahoma, a week after losing at Virginia Tech.

The Canes proved they could bounce back in ’09. Lesser teams would’ve folded after the loss in Blacksburg. Miami circled the wagons and went toe-to-toe with a good, albeit injured, Sooner team.

Turnovers did Miami in against Clemson and North Carolina. You’re not going to win football games with seven interceptions and three pick sixes over eight quarters. Still, the Canes closed strong with November wins over Virginia, Duke and South Florida. 3-1 down the stretch was improvement over a 2-2 final month run in ’08 and 0-4 skid in ’07.

Entering the 2010 season, logic needs to prevail… which is proving difficult as the Canes’ skid is running over half a decade now. The natives are restless – and understandably so. Still, it’s not the 1980s and this entitled mindset or cliche sayings (“we only play for national championships at Miami”, etc.) – it has to go.

Fans need to accept this program for what it is and it’s time you take note of the current landscape in college football – a game with much more parity now than ever. How else do you explain the success of a Boise State, TCU, Utah, Cincinnati or another flavor of the year? Smaller schools have become more competitive and money plays a huge factor.

While other programs continue to upgrade facilities, overpay coaches and put their focus on creating another football factory, the University of Miami – a private institution – continues to have to negotiate a different terrain en route to achieving success.

“UM has long struggled to pay coaches because of limited resources,” said the Sun Sentinel’s Shandel Richardson. Miami’s top brass says they support Shannon, but still haven’t broken open the checkbook. Virginia’s new coach Mike London will reel in $1.7M this coming season and first-year Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher will earn $1.8M.

There’s a ton of talk surrounding Shannon’s 21-7 record – 9-4 in his last thirteen games after going 12-13 years one and two. Whatever the record, it’s still better than 0-0, which is where London and Fisher are combined, yet making more than Shannon. Same to be said for Derek Dooley, the new Tennessee leader who will earn upwards of $2M this coming season. Not only are all three higher paid with less experience, but they’re all believed to be making more than Shannon has even been offered.

Shannon has three years on the job and has improved his record annually. His first two recruiting hauls were impressive, but some have knocked the under-the-radar types that were brought on board year four. Some feel the lack of a contract hurt recruiting efforts down the stretch.

“A lot of times kids will say it’s coaching stability,” Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg said. “I could see how it could become an issue.”

Kirby Hocutt and Donna Shalala, pay the man already as the lack of a signed contract is going to inevitably hurt the program. Don’t ink a Paul Dee-like extension akin to the one Coker received prior to the 2005 season, but do something to send a message to recruits that you believe in your guy. You can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth, verbally supporting Shannon in the media, but being sticklers behind closed doors.

Those of you anti-Randy, what are your thoughts on the contract? Furthermore, defend your “ACC crown or bust” stance should Miami improve to a 10-2 regular season, yet possibly getting snubbed from a shot at a conference title.

Lastly, for those of you ready to run Randy off, enlighten us with your plausible game plan. Who is your replacement? What should he be paid? Why will he be a better fit and how long should it take him to turn it around? Some of you balk at a five-year rebuild for a head coach who inherited a dog of a team. What’s your take on a timetable for Shannon’s replacement?

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