The beauty of the bye week. You get to watch everybody else, enjoy the upsets and live off your last game – which in Miami’s case is a 37-29 win over arch rival Florida State.
So what went down this weekend in college football? Check it:
Let’s start with the melee above. Georgia goes up on Florida in the early moments of the game and the Dawgs clear the bench and celebrate in unison, doing the ‘jump around’ in the end zone. Georgia rolled on to a 42-30 win and has caught zero grief for the Mark Richt-planned celebration. Dare I say, imagine the reaction had that been Miami.
The Canes would’ve been dubbed “thugs” and out of control, while any other program or coach is seen as being savvy this being a great motivational tactic against a program that’s had their number over the years.
I don’t mind the motivational rant because 1) Richt is a former Cane QB and 2) I hate Florida. Still, treat everyone the same straight across the board. Georgia got a pass that many others wouldn’t have. That ain’t right.
All that aside, the real story here is loss #3 for the defending champs. No repeat performance, Gators. Florida looked one-dimensional offensively and the gimmicky ways of Urban Meyer are showing that outside a miracle season in 2006, the spread offense can expect at least three losses per year. Florida has been hit or miss all season.
Safe to call all your Rutgers pals and let ’em know the Cinderella season hangover is in full effect, as everyone outside Piscataway predicted. Waxed 31-3 hosting West Virginia today, the Scarlet Knights were finally sent back down to earth losing their third of the season.
Great ‘no show’ by South Florida today. Anyone care to still woof about this being the best team in the state and a National Champion contender? Please. Sure, the win at Auburn was nice, as was the upset of West Virginia – but back-to-back losses to Rutgers and now UConn after a big time scare against Florida Atlantic? Come on now.
The Bulls are full of it. Until USF beats Miami, Florida State or Florida head-to-head, let’s can all the speculation and overhyping of this program.
Nice little run this year, but get to a BCS game and win some titles like the Big Three before all this ‘best in the state’ crap. Hell, beat UConn for starters.
I’m no Oregon fan, but I’ll take another USC loss. Living in So Cal, I’ve grown tired of the locals white-knuckling that bandwagon the past five years. San Diegans hate everything L.A. – except for winning sports franchises. Seems everyone and their mother suddenly had a relative who graduated a Trojan and they blindly followed the program, not seeing an end to the gravy train.
The Trojans in 2007 are simply the 2003 version of the Canes. Stellar defense yet an inconsistent offense. You can’t replace a Leinart/Bush/White or a Dorsey/McGahee/Johnson without some sort of drop off. USC is finally seeing that. College football is cyclical. No one stays on top forever.
I love the notion that the Trojans and Gators have pretty much played themselves out of the BCS (barring a miracle) when both programs and fan bases had such lofty expectations.
Now someone just needs to take out Ohio State… which will have to be Michigan or their foe in the National Championship game. Penn State got manhandled at home tonight. Not a pretty sight for Buckeye haters.
In ACC-related news, Miami now has reason to crack a smile. As if Thursday night’s Boston College win over Virginia Tech wasn’t good enough, NC State rose up and knocked off Virginia today. With the Chokies and Cavs both falling, the Canes control their destiny in the ACC Coastal, facing both head-to-head in November. Win out, and Miami will be in Jacksonville.
Odds aren’t in the Canes’ favor, but better to control your destiny than to hope others get the job done for you.
All in all a great week. U can’t lose to “bye”, your team has a week to get healthy and you get to watch those around you fall. Not as thrilling as a win, but infinitely better than a loss.
.:Canes305:.
I’d rather Greg Schiano… And I’m a Canes fan. At least he shows some emotion on the sidelines and looks like he has control over his players. Better than the dull emotionless Randy Shannon who sits on the sidelines with the same passionless stare all game (and season) long.
Great post again! Still don’t know if OSU is for real. Impressive win at PSU yes, but Penn State hasn’t done anything in years. I can’t root for OSU period. They jobbed us in 2002 and yes I’m still bitter about it. I’m rooting big for OSU’s next 3 opponents—Wisconsin, Illinois & Michigan.
All we need is consistent play from the QBs with as few turnovers as possible. We have less that two turnovers in each of the next 4 games and we win. 9-3 will look real good by the end of this crazy football season. Go CANES!!!
I’d rather Greg Schiano… And I’m a Canes fan. At least he shows some emotion on the sidelines and looks like he has control over his players. Better than the dull emotionless Randy Shannon who sits on the sidelines with the same passionless stare all game (and season) long.
So now we’re basing coaching ability on sideline animation? Sorry Kevin, but that’s pretty illogical.
Schiano had one nice year and now RU is a three-loss team with a Heisman worthy running back.
His sideline demeanor isn’t going to recruit the hell out of South Florida and restore the Miami program the way Shannon would.
Oh yeah, that and the fact that Team Schiano wanted NO PART of returning to South Florida as they’re sitting pretty at RU waiting on the Penn State gig to open up.
Randy will rebuild and bring in the right kids. The Canes already have the No. 1-rated class per ESPN.com going into 2008.
I’ll take that over ‘sideline demeanor’ all day long.
Forget “Monkey Boy”. He had his “big year”. Just isn’t that much talent in Jersey, and Randy will keep him out of S. Fla.
Kevin, how can you say you prefer Greg STANKiano? Who cares about animation on the sideline, when you can get your team to perform good on the field. SO WHAT if he doesn’t wear a cute little red rain suit like Greg or a sun visor like Steve Spurrier or have a stupid little grimice on his face like Urban (oh by the way, the GATORS suck). I’m buying into what Randy is presening. We will get to the top again. Randy will own the state in recruiting very shortly. If U are a true Canes fan, throw some cold water in your face and get re-focus and support the man!
Big A from the 321 to the 305!!!
No doubt about USF, all that talk about being the best team in the state. They are now known as the “Cinderella that never was.” With Miami’s schedule acting as proving grounds, Miami can climb that state poll sooner rather than later. Glad to see you survive the fires man. God Bless bro, and as always, GO CANES!
-JDL http://www.itsacanesthing.net
Chris,
I GUARANTEE that if Miami had done what Georgia did, it would have been top story and lambasted by ALL the media. I heard ONE media person actually speak on it, while everyone else said they did not approve and moved on quickly. There was no national calls that the program is out of control, thugs, disrespectful, etc. The double standard is actually hilarious and as Canes fans, we have come to expect it. The stunning thing was that Richt had told the team that if theye didn’t get a celebration penatly that they would run. Can you imagine the fallout if Shannon or ANY Miami coach said that? The media mob would be screaming bloody murder. I happen to love college football and am just amazed at all the upsets this year. SCarolina-Tennessee was also a great game that the Vols were fortunate to come out of. Being in Columbus, I was hoping Penn State knocked of the Suckeyes, but they are a shell of a program. I guess that will have to wait until whomever they play in the Sugar Bowl unfortunately. The Big Ten is an absolute joke. Just add Notre Dame and get a championship game like the other conferences already.
-Columbus Cane
Hmmmmm,,,, dull,,, emotionless, sideline demanor??? Almost stoic, in a way wouldn’t you say??
Kinda like Chuck Noll and Tony Dungy??
I’ll take it. Hell,,,, give me TEN of em!!!
JMG
Tampa