Heather Dinich of ESPN.com released her ACC midseason report earlier today and for anyone who follows the blog, it comes as no shock that HD was again off base.
Crazy how at 2-0 the Miami Hurricanes were media darlings, albeit for a mere five minutes. After a loss to Virginia Tech, the love affair was over – even with an upset win over a top ten Oklahoma a week later and two straight wins after that, propelling the Canes to 5-1 and their own No. 8 ranking.
Miami is currently the highest ranked ACC team in the nation and has endured one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, yet Dinich gave the Canes little love in her mid-season progress report. Miami v. Florida State earned her vote for “best game” but even in that, a dig when she implied the potential game-winning Christian Ponder to Jarmon Fortson drop in the waning moments was a “controversial” incomplete call.
A “controversial” incomplete call where the ruling on the field was unanimously incomplete and the the replay clearly showed the ball touching the ground? Nice call, Heather.
Regarding “Biggest Surprise”, Dinich gave the nod to Boston College – a 5-2 team with wins over Northeastern, Kent State, Wake Forest, Florida State and NC State. The two losses, both blowouts at the hands of Clemson and Virginia Tech. She also gave first-year Eagles coach Frank Spaziani the nod as “Best Coach”, citing that the first-year leader “inherited more problems than he did answers”.
Where was that love and learning curve when Randy Shannon took over a Miami program in shambles?
Dinich hypes Spaziani for having BC in contention to win the Atlantic Division – something the Eagles did the past two seasons – yet in the next breath, calls the entire Atlantic Division the “Biggest Disappointment” midway through 2009. All of which begs the question, how impressive BC’s record based on the poor play of division rivals?
How do you hype a 5-2 team that’s beaten virtually nobody this year, giving them kudos for being ‘in contention’ to win a very weak division? Furthermore, how do you do this when Miami is arguably the surprise team midway through the season?
Sitting at 5-1, Miami beat the same Florida State team that Boston College took down and it lost to the same Virginia Tech squad by a lesser margin (Canes fell by 24, Eagles suffered a 34-point loss). That said, the Canes also beat a good Georgia Tech team and upset an eighth-ranked Oklahoma squad.
Many were calling for an 0-4 start in Coral Gables, promoting their fear mongering regarding Shannon’s job status if and when the Canes face planted out the gate. After opening a surprising 3-1, media folk like Dinich still can’t call it like it is.
Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams took home “Offensive MVP” honors, event though Miami quarterback Jacory Harris is a legitimate Heisman candidate.
Williams filled in for the injured Darren Evans, helping the Hokies to a solid start. He’s earned ACC ‘rookie of the week’ honors five times this season, which is misleading being that first-year starter Harris saw some playing time last year, taking him out of the ‘rookie’ debate.
As offensive players, check the numbers Production versus specific competition. Harris has 1,518 passing yards and 11 touchdowns over a six-game run. His quarterback rating is 157.29 and he’s shined on both the big and small stage.
Harris passed for 386 yards and two touchdowns at Florida State; the most yards any Canes quarterback has ever put up against the Noles. A week later, a 20-of-25 outing, 270 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of Georgia Tech.
A rough outing a week later at Virginia Tech, Harris responded with a 19-of-28 performance and three touchdowns against Oklahoma stout defense. (The Sooners were giving up an average of less than a touchdown per game; Harris threw for three.)
Florida A&M and Central Florida followed, where J12 put together good enough performances. A 20-of-26 outing, 293 yards and a touchdown were the result against the Knights, even when spotty line play allowed the sophomore quarterback to be sacked six times.
In Williams defense, he has been a workhorse this season. After a slow start against Alabama (13 carries for 71 yards), he’s responded with 100+ yard games in five of the next six outings. Miami and Georgia Tech the toughest foes, Williams padded his stats a bit in wins over Marshall and Duke.
834 yards on 140 attempts and 10 touchdowns is impressive for a true freshman seven games into the season. Respect. But are these numbers better than Harris’? No. Harris has carried Miami this season and the Canes would be a shell of a team without him behind center.
Harris is to Miami what Tim Tebow is to Florida, whereas Williams is simply another back plugged into a run-happy offense. Evans was named Orange Bowl MVP after last year’s BCS win, yet he was easily replaced by a true freshman a few months later.
Williams is a hell of a back and is deserving of the award, but it sounds like any back worth his weight will thrive in that system. Not the same as quarterback who comes along once-in-a-decade for a program.
Harris’ performance at Florida State was his third career start and his first after learning a completely new offense with Mark Whipple now calling the shots.
A first-year starter behind center at Miami – putting together a banner year against toughest early stretch in college football, mentioned in Heisman chatter – and Harris still isn’t good enough to top an ACC blogger’s poll.
Hardly a shock and par for the course. Miami fans know it all too well, while outsiders ignore the bias and claim Canes are hypersensitive. To each their own.
Regardless, ESPN and Dinich aren’t giving the love, so it’s on UM to stay the course. Keep taking care of business. Continue building a legacy and a name by proving doubters wrong and remaining anti-establishment.
Great piece, bro. I read Heather's piece earlier and commented on her blog. What an absolute joke. No other word than "bias" comes to mind.
Williams or Harris deserved best offensive player, but the Boston College stuff is a joke. From Spaziani to the biggest surprise honors. BC is an average team this year and they're right where they should be against their competition.
UM has absolutely overshot expectations against better talent – and they STILL have a better record than BC, as a one-loss team ranked #8 in the country.
It is what it is. Let the haters keep on hating. Canes just have to keep on winning.
Thanks for pointing this out for those who might've missed it. Miami needs to let junk like this fuel their fire!!
no objectivity at all my man, zero.
i can't stand VT, but williams has seemingly been the truth.. you blast him for "13 carries for 71 yards" yeah, that's 5.4 yards a clip, damn good against bama's solid D.. and his season numbers? 834 yards on 140 carries..that's what? 6 yards a carry?? now j12 does have 1 more td than williams, (12 total, to williams' 11) but he also has 7 INTs.. you know how many fumbles williams has? 0.
that's worth the offensive MVP in my book.only if you don't mind taking off your orange and green glasses for a minute.
Exactly, who cares what HD says. She can write/vote whatever/wherever based on her narrow mind. Yes, she can do all those. But she has ZERO influence in the next game, which is the only thing we are focusing on (at this moment). All this "expert"/junk thoughts are just additional motivation that makes the win a bit more spicy.
I simply believe we going to win out (one game a week, though) and will play and be the winner in Jan.7. Oh, yeah, I have an additional hope, that Florida will be the other team, to make this journey a perfect one. Yes, we know this team has future. But as you said earlier "the future is NOW".
The rest of your schedule looks liks this…
Clemson L
@ Wake W
Virginia W
@ NC L
Duke W
USF L
8-4
Go away little swagger thugs…
WE ARE THE REAL U,
GO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!
All I can say is Heather don't know Dinich. I read her article and said to myself this is no expert analysis. Whoever gave her that job ought to be fired.
My thoughts about the Canes are all about Clemson. They should make a very exciting opponent this week. Cannot wait for game day.
no objectivity at all my man, zero.
…. and your comprehension skills are rather weak. No objectivity at all? I guess you missed this part, Anonymous:
In Williams defense, he has been a workhorse this season. After a slow start against Alabama (13 carries for 71 yards), he's responded with 100+ yard games in five of the next six outings…. 834 yards on 140 attempts and 10 touchdowns is impressive for a true freshman seven games into the season. Respect…. Williams is a hell of a back and is deserving of the award, but it sounds like any back worth his weight will thrive in that system. Not the same as quarterback who comes along once-in-a-decade for a program.
Yeah bro, NO objectivity on my part at all.
Exactly, who cares what HD says. She can write/vote whatever/wherever based on her narrow mind. Yes, she can do all those. But she has ZERO influence in the next game, which is the only thing we are focusing on (at this moment). All this "expert"/junk thoughts are just additional motivation that makes the win a bit more spicy.
…. who "cares" what she says? No one. But that's not the point. Her picks were bogus and needed to be called out.
She's an ACC blogger for ESPN and her words have no bearing on Miami. She says what she says to get people fired up. It's business. I get that. Still, the issue deserved to be addressed in a Canes-themed blog.
It's the U against the world…and I wouldn't have it any other way. Something about being doubted by almost everyone makes it exciting, and is something that ties all great hurricane teams together. If i was a gator and every reporter from here to kasakstan was frantic over a win over lowly arkansas at home then I think i would puke. Canes have been and always been the underdogs, the rough and tumble team that takes care of business on the field, not through the press.
Hey little anonymous gator. Your great team is one fair call or made field goal away from dropping below the canes in the polls. your gator nation will be crying at the end of the season when the gators lose to the noles and the the tide. Over rated is an understatement. Your schedule is weak. Your team is weak. and your prediction of 8 and 4 for the Canes is a pipe dream. Go and comment on a gator blog you anonymous hater.
I absolutely love your blogs allcanes. To me, you are one of the main canes fans that really shoots it straight. Keep it up. ESPN will always have favoritism toward somebody. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is. I'll be there for the clemson game so lets shut some more haters up. Hope to see you there my friend.
Dinich is a biased fool.
ESPN is full of it.
Why are loser Gators lurking around here?
The Hokie who said there was no *objectivity* in this piece is doing nothing more than showing his ignorance.
Canes305 delivers again. Great job, CB. Keep it up!
Chris-
I agree with your comment that calling that FSU incomplete "controversial" is a dig at the 'Canes. And I'm with you that Shannon and Jacory both deserve love. And Miami should definitely be the "surprise" of the year and not BC.
All that said, Ryan Williams deserves every bit of praise he gets. He may not be as important to his offense and team as Jacory is to us, but he's incredibly talented and even his "poor" game was the first game he ever played in college against arguably the best team in college football this year. He's consistently been very, very good. I find no fault with that pick whatsoever. Unfortunately, after the VT game and all the interceptions and sacks of late, Jacory showed that all the Heisman talk was perhaps a bit premature – but hopefully only by a year.
Heather Dinich is a cute broad, but what business do cute broads have talking sports on TV?
🙂
and today she picked miami to end up in the orange bowl in her "looking ahead" piece…
HD just predicted us in the Orangebowl. She must think we're doing something right…
She's a blow hard – along with that Gator fan.
Colorado – Dinich wrote for the Baltimore Sun and has come across as a closet Maryland fan. She's also an Indiana grad.
If you look back at her past picks, he was stroking the Terps pretty hard the past few years… when they did nothing to deserve the hype.
She definitely came across as if she was trying to placate her old Baltimore and Maryland fans.
why would a gator comment on this site he/ she should go bother FSU fans or better yet stick to their own team! Anyways i think that HD girl is a bit off in some cases.
I agree allcanes. When the maryland coach (let's call him fatso) lost weight during the off-season, HD continued to talk about his weight loss like he's some big role model now. I got sick of reading it…Maryland's football program is a big joke anyways. How can you lose 2 HUGE in-state high school running backs to WVU? (Steve Slaton & Tavon Austin)
Regarding HD's pick of BC being the biggest surprise, we all know that pick is a joke compared to what Miami has done. I believe HD forgot to put her emotions aside, (with the BC player having cancer and all) instead of choosing the REAL biggest surprise in the U
On a more important matter…I encourage you all to send your condolences to the University of UConn with the loss of Jasper Howard this past weekend. As Hurricane fans we have been through this before. We know how the fans and players feel right now:
http://www.uconnhuskies.com/chat/101809aaa.html
Thanks and GO CANES!!!!
I read Heather's blog on ESPN almost every day and I have to disagree with the sentiment that she has some kind of bias against The U. In the preseason she said Miami had more talent top to bottom than any other team in the ACC and that if the Canes could somehow put it all together then they would greatly alter the ACC landscape. Heather also currently has Miami ranked #1 in her weekly ACC rankings. She praises the job Spaziani is doing at BC in the wake of all the negative things they've had to deal with this season and yet that's a problem because she didn't talk up The U enough? I agree with Heather, BC has been a bigger surprise than Miami this year. BC didn't even know who their starting quarterback would be coming into the season and they lost their emotional leader and best player to cancer. What Miami is doing isn't as a big of a surprise. Everyone knew Miami was crazy talented and that eventually that talent would blossom on the field when it mattered most. Sure, the talent blossomed sooner than most experts thought, but it's not like no one saw it coming. I'm a Canes fan, and I'm the first guy to defend the Canes against media jerks who trash The U with weak arguments, but Heather doesn't trash The U.
I love you allcanes but I think you should calm down a bit here. Your past two articles have I think been a bit off base and a bit over board. In Dinich's defense she did pick us to win the ACC and play in the Orange bowl despite those other awards. I buy the Miami bias for sure but if we win out we'll be just where we need to be.
Also that gators fan is such a coward. If you're going to post something like that at least have the guts to use your real name! Anonymous? Yeah, ouch that hurts..
I love you allcanes but I think you should calm down a bit here. Your past two articles have I think been a bit off base and a bit over board.
Carlos, both my articles were timely. I wrote the day the BCS and AP polls were released and commented on some off-base voters. A day later Dinich releases her ACC midseason report and I commented on some issue I had with her choices.
It's not my nature to "report" that Randy Phillips is coming back from injury or other basic info like that. I write editorials and formulate opinions based on what's going on in the college football world – whether it's anti-Miami or pro-Miami.
In Dinich's defense she did pick us to win the ACC and play in the Orange bowl despite those other awards. I buy the Miami bias for sure but if we win out we'll be just where we need to be.
… she picked us to get to the OB because Miami is in the driver's seat right now.
Based on the schedule and how the rest of the season looks to play out, it's rather logical to call for the Canes to make the OB. Heather didn't really go out on a limb.
Many ESPN writers have the Canes pegged into that BCS game… and they'll all change their mind should someone stumble along the way, or have a rough week. Dinich's mind could change ten more times between now and December.
… and as for J.A.T.'s thoughts on the Dinich blog, I still disagree.
HOW many people pegged Miami to go 0-4 out the gate? HOW many people trashed Shannon for not taking a contract extension, as he wanted to roll the dice on those opening four games? HOW many fans were talking about Shannon getting canned and Tommy Tuberville taking over next year?
NO ONE pegged the Canes to start 3-1 against that schedule.
As for BC, who have they played? All this hype about a 5-2 start, but those five wins weren't exactly quality wins: Northeastern, Kent State, Wake Forest, Florida State and NC State?
Northeastern is 0-6… Kent State is 3-4… Clemson is 3-3… Wake Forest is 4-3… Florida State is 2-4… Virginia Tech is 5-2… NC State is 3-4.
BC's five wins are hardly impressive. Outside of knocking off FSU, what have they done?
Clemson smoked them, as did Virginia Tech.
The Eagles play in the weak-ass Atlantic and they have a weak- ass schedule this year. Up next ND, Central Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. Let's see where they go down the stretch.
Credit to Spaziani for holding it together, but he took over a 9-5 team that won back-to-back Atlantic titles.
Shannon took over a dog two years ago, is coming off of 7-6 and had quarterback issues of his own – losing Robert Marve, as well as both back ups. Jacory Harris had promise, but was an unknown with a new OC coming into this year. It wasn't fait accompli that Harris would tear it up as he has.
Now that Miami is 5-1, everyone has this 'ho hum' attitude – as if it was expected. This is a team that went 19-19 over the past three seasons and is now No. 8 in the land after surviving a brutal opening stretch.
It's absolutely ludicrous that BC would be the 'surprise' team when UM was pegged to go 0-4 and instead started 3-1.
Heather Dinich is a moron. She went to Indiana and has clearly forgotten to leave her Big Ten bias behind as she consistently praises that God-awful conference and ranks them above the ACC (thanks for the solidarity, sister).
Oh, and Carl…I don't appreciate the "cute broad" comment. I'm a cute broad, that doesn't automatically make me a complete idiot 🙂 I'll admit, most women in the field are an insult to the fairer sex, but you can't just assume we're all worthless.
Hi Sarah Linn
Hi Sara Linn,
I suppose there could, theoretically, be an exception to the rule. Heather Dinich however, is not the exception. 🙂
Nice to have a cute broad on the allCanes board. 😉
The pragmatics of the manner in which you've addressed any issues relating to Miami tell a story of someone who is a paranoid homer for whatever reason, lately, Allcanes. Someone asks you about the nine season ending injuries and your first thought is,"certainly something for the haters to latch on to." You disregard the part where Heather Dinich predicts Miami will win the ACC Coastal and ACC outright, and wind up in the Orange Bowl, and
instead, you suggest a QB–who has been a surprise, who Dinich credit's as THE factor in Miami's predicted victory this weekend against Clemson–has been as consistently effective in being the star player for the ACC as a whole. While this is a coin toss between Harris and Williams anyway, I think you should seriously re-examine how who you are apparently engulfed by (HATERZ) is affecting your opinion pieces.
Perhaps it's a function of those wish-they-were UCF/USF fans posting on here all the time, but the insecurity with which you've attacked opinions that aren't 100% Miami is amazing this year have been stark. If you do believe Miami is getting back but not quite there, as you say, why not be a little more secure with it? Canes fans aren't hypersensitive , but your blogs as of late do nothing to disconfirm that.
You disregard the part where Heather Dinich predicts Miami will win the ACC Coastal and ACC outright, and wind up in the Orange Bowl, and
instead, you suggest a QB–who has been a surprise, who Dinich credit's as THE factor in Miami's predicted victory this weekend against Clemson–has been as consistently effective in being the star player for the ACC as a whole.
Enlighten me as to where Dinich says that in her ACC midseason report.
She doesn't.
You're mixing apples and oranges, taking predictions from a completely different article of hers. My comments were solely in regards to her midseason report, which came off biased.
I gave Ryan Williams credit in my article – stating that he was a great back and was deserving of the award. It was a toss up and she went with the VT back instead of Jacory Harris. I just find it 'off' as Harris is a Heisman contender and Williams isn't. How can Miami's QB be good enough nationally… but not good enough to be thought of as the best in the ACC?
I think Dinich's praise for BC is off-base. Credit the 5-2 start, but they've played nobody. I'm not impressed. The Atlantic is a joke this year and the Eagles have had their lunch handed to them twice. Most of their five wins came against nobodies.
The media doesn't get it both ways. You can't trash Miami all off-season, predicting an 0-4 start and calling for Shannon's head should he lose those games… yet when Miami goes 3-1 out the gate (and now 5-1), you don't give them the credit and call them the 'surprise story' of the nation — let alone the up and down ACC.
My biggest beef with Dinich's piece was her dig that the Ponder to Fortson pass was 'controversial'. If that isn't reeking of homerism, what is? There was no controversy. Please.
Miami pressured Ponder, he threw a low pass. Fortson took it off the facemask into the dirt, it was called incomplete on the field and confirmed with the review.
Dinich praises Miami when it's the thing to do and they're the flavor of the month. Now that the national media is off the Canes tip, so is everyone's favorite blogger.
Her calling for Miami to reach the OB is the trendy pick right now. A lot of media members are doing it as the odds are in the Canes favor to win out. Percentage-wise Miami has a better shot to get to the OB than VT or GT, so she SHOULD pick them… if she plays the odds.
Between Dinich's midseason piece and some AP voters putting the Canes at No. 12 or No. 14, I've had an opinion on that and chose to write about it. If you disagree, so be it. It's an open forum here and I'll post your comments. Everyone is entitled to an opinion… but I'm as far from a 'thin-skinned' person as you'll ever come across.
I simply disagree with the national media and how they choose to cover Miami… so as a fan and a Canes writer, I choose to get the program's back and lay out the facts as I see them.
Never been a fan of Alfalfa Dinich. I think my post on this site from Monday, August 11 2008 gives proof to that. I'll cut/paste a little excerpt
"I've read an article written by an asinine half-wit female Hoosier grad proving her and once again her "Worldwide Leader" employer's ignorance toward The University of Miami Hurricanes, stating: "Somebody at Miami will win Rookie of the Year, But … somebody else will be ineligible or in trouble." Not to forget her response to a 'Cane fan calling her out about "someone getting in trouble", and she brought up that Zach Kane was not there at Saturday's first practice along with 8 other Frosh … I had no idea Zach Kane was on the Miami Hurricane roster or even within 500 miles of the campus. Maybe she can enlighten all of us to what # he got this year and how he's done so far in the Spring Practices."
Like I said, just an excerpt. When exactly did Zach Kane ever put a helmet on for the "U"? Boss Man Shannon cut ties when he realized that Zach being "likes to fight guy" & "daddy bails me out guy" wasn't worth the headache
Chris nailed it with Alfalfa Dinich, the Canes are the flavor of the month & she's a fixture now on that ice cream bandwagon
To quote Jacory Harris, "The bandwagon is closed". Take heed Dinich & others who were blind/impatient to the efforts & ideas that Shannon & Company had in how to rebuild the program the correct Cane way. Take heed also Cane "fans" who were calling for looking to get a replacement ready for Shannon & so aptly named him the "Black Ron Zook"
Didn't realize Zook EVER had a first 4 game schedule like Shannon did. You know, the one that included 4 teams being ranked with 1 of those teams being the defending ACC Champ & another being 9 months removed from playing in the National Champ Game
3-1 in the 1st 4. I still love that the "Black Ron Zook" can only recruit, right?
The 2 people from the "Worldwide Leader" that come to mind with the patience & belief in the Canes since Shannon took over are Herbstreit & D.Howard. Everyone else in the print/electronic media is dry humping the hell out of the "U" right now. Come correct & don't act like you've backed the Canes forever or the impressive start that you knew was going to happen
I remember being at the ACC Champ game here in Tampa last year, watching BC – not the Canes that had 2 Frosh QBs, an inept OCoordinator & basically the youngest team in the entire country
Did BC lose some people? Yes. Their former DCoordinator is now the head coach & they lost their OCoordinator when he lied, did his gimmick with the Jets & got fired from the Bucs. 4 returning starters on their OLine? Yes. 2 legit RBs in their stable that combined for almost 1,400 yards of their total 2,000 rushing yards last year? Yes. Secondary & Defense that returns 19 lettermen, including the nucleus that led the nation in INTs (26)? Yes.
BC's first 6 games? Northeastern, Kent State, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Virginia Tech. Last years Canes squad beat 2 of those teams, could've beaten FSU if not for the abortion of a 1st half & I'm sure they could've handled Northeastern & Kent State
Enlighten me someone on how BC's wins are impressive by any means over the Canes wins over 3 ranked teams while having a: New OCoordinator, New DCoordinator, everyone learning a new system -and- how many Cane players at skill positions that are only in their 2nd year? Upperclassman that don't have that many starts under their belts? Losing 4 players on the 2 Deep on your OLine, including your starting Center & RTackle?
Come on.