The Short List: Week 8

After the wizard behind the curtain pulled the levers to prematurely drop the aspirant school in Florida from the Big East early, from 6th all the way to 13th, in my Shortlist to the San Fernando Valley without my knowledge, the Bulls of USF find themselves linked with the Kansas Jayhawks as the only two undefeated teams in the nation to lose their first game to another BCS school or Notre Dame and thus move down to the level of second tier teams in the national championship race.  The new rankings only include a select few of 14 teams who rank as follow:

Florida, Alabama, Iowa, Texas, Cincinnati, TCU, Boise State, Miami (FL), Louisiana State, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Southern Cal, West Virginia, Penn State, South Florida, Kansas.

Four teams lost games last week to find themselves off the Shortlist contention list for 2009 and at the top of it is the biggest pickle in the whole barrel of the history of college football:

1) Notre Dame along with Clausen, Weiss, a whole boatload of ghosts, the reanimated corpse of Lou Holtz, the entire state of Indiana spread throughout the world and a casts of millions I don't have the time or inclination to recite here, fall to Southern Cal in South Bend, 34-27.  The highlight of Weiss whole time at Notre Dame so far?  Breaking the bowl losing streak to Hawaii on the big island to pull to 14-15 all time in bowl games last year.  That about sums it up more than all the big pickle jokes I could throw in here combined for the Domers since they cheated Jimmy Johnson out of his back to back championships in 1988.  There may not be god, but there is justice in the universe somewhere, rest assured.

2) Nebraska gets shot out by Texas Tech 31-10 in Lincoln.  I understand the Red Raiders received a standing ovation from the Cornhusker fans as well.  Such rubes.  I'm contractually obligated at this time to also remind all the option-loving-migratory Lincoln-ites at this time who may be reading that the 2001 Miami Hurricanes would have destroyed the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers by double digits multiples.  Now go vote on an ESPN poll somewhere and leave the championship winning to a school that knows how to do it in the modern day game of throwing the forward pass regularly.

3) Auburn suffers a letdown for the second week in a row in Auburn and loses 21-14 to Kentucky, renown SEC football power that it is.  Before expansion in the 90's, there was two surefire ways to get fired in the South East of America as a football coach, lose to Vandy or the Wildcats regularly, or even worse, both in the same season.  Luckily expansion made sure that Auburn would almost never play both those schools in the same year virtually ever, so Gene Chizik is guaranteed with a win over Furman in a few weeks to be bowl eligiable which Tuberville didn't do in being forced out, but let's face it, Vandy last year might end up being better than Kentucky this year, at least Vandy was ranked.  For the Tigers in 2009, it's two in a row and off the Shortlist for rightful 2004 National Champs.

4) In West Lafayette, Indiana, Ohio State falls to Purdue 26-18.  Excuse me while I rejoice at Jim Tressel coming up just short in another one of his inexcusably close games against an outmatched opponent.  This man owes so much to Terry Porter than I just can't ever get enough of him losing by one possession or less, where conceivably even the worst officiating in the history of college football could have provided the final outcome with a different winner if one play could have been changed.  The fact that such a horrible flag wasn't on hand here for the Buckeyes as it was in Tempe on the Night of Infamy that shall not be replayed ever again made my week such a sublime experience that I hope in a tear stained sweater-vest later, Jim called and asked Terry is the money could be returned and the record changed appropriately to relieve him on his guilt so he could coach better in these types of situations again in the future.  I hope Terry said he's keeping the money and that Jim will just have to resign in shame and come clean about the whole Maurice Clarrett situation in hopes that he'll learn the valuable lesson Notre Dame did in 1988 finally.  Tressel is just John Cooper with a better comb-over when you really look at them close.

Only one of the teams I called for last week won and survived to see another week still on the outside looking in of the two top spots on the exclusive Shortlist:

1) Southern Cal outlasts Notre Dame and keeps the Pac-10's national championship flame alight a little longer.  Sneaky Pete Carroll finds a way to make beating Notre Dame appear to mean something again, will people remember they were wrong when Boston College does the exact same thing this week as well when they forgot to in 2005?  I doubt it if it were to happen, but Los Angeles is Los Angeles exactly because they tell people what to unthinkingly believe for maximum entertainment as it's cottage industry so I'm not surprised that's what this victory is being perceived as similar to the 2005 paid player pushing daddies little rule breaker in the end-zone fiasco.

I expect three of the 14 teams on the Shortlist be gone by next week, they are:

Kansas, USF, and TCU.

Pittsburgh and USF stage a Shortlist Elimination game again this week in the Big East as that conference filters out it championship contender long shots.  The Horned Frogs travel to Provo Utah to face BYU in the toughest game of there remaining schedule.  A win there would leave only a home game at Utah as a final hurdle of an unbeaten regular season for what I believe is the best non-BCS team in America.  Will the Mormons return the receipt on their wrecked BCS dreams from last season at the hands of the Frogs in 2009? 

But more importantly to me, can the Miami Hurricanes avoid a letdown at home against what may actually be the Atlantic divisions best team in a crucial ACC inter-divisional game?  The Tigers have talent everywhere and the type of running back that can change a game in C.J. Spiller.  With the injuries they have sustained on the defensive side of the ball this year, a thin depth chart could mean trouble late in the 2nd half for the Hurricanes.  The offensive line will face on it's toughest challenges this season as well and the margin for error is non-existent now. 

If the Hurricanes are going to take the next step from promising to good, or even great, they must overcome the late season collapses that have become their trademark in this decade and there's no time like the present to to make a statement about who will own the ACC in years to come than by destroying it's traditional "power," such as Clemson is.  Steve Spurrier in South Carolina has to beat Clemson any way he can to keep the fan-base appeased in Columbia, Rand Shannon in Miami Gardens needs beat Clemson impressively this week to open some straying eyes around the nation.

Enjoy the games this week and come back here next week as the Shortlist to the San Fernando Valley creeps closer and closer to only two handfuls of teams left in the running in 2009.

Copyright 2009 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com

Comments

[Sy-Cane]

First

[Sy-Cane]

Finally!!! Now I can go back and read the post. Seems to be a good article.

[pb(CSROH10)]

3rd. Right where the Canes will end up ranked.

[solarcane]

ogv,
that sarcastic wit of yours makes a good article a great read, thanks brudda!

peace

[solarcane]

dlu
thanks!, I have youy down now.

peace

[canechic]

ogv good job!

[Lurker]

I enjoyed reading, but on your gone by next week trifecta: I'm hoping USF does beat Pitt. Just looks better for us when we lay the wood in Tampa in a few weeks.

[solarcane]

I hope Tar Hell's offense plays up to par tonight and they get drubbed by around 14 to 21 points.

peace

[solarcane]

Marcus Jordan tells them f*k them Addias shyts I'm wearing pop's stuff.

Another case of the player being bigger than the team.

peace

[AngryCane]

WE GOTTA GET THIS GUY TO A CANESPACE TAILGATE!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEtRP5_uKhI

G O C A N E S ! ! !

[canechic]

CGNC you got mail!

[roachcane77]

Keys to this game: Sharpton, Pipho, B. Jones, B. Wash, T. Horn.

Keys to the rest of the season: See above.

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | October 22, 2009 at 11:21 AM

VAULT THIS ONE TOO 86!

Cavaleer, this is Sooo right on!

(Of course everyone on this blog knows MY position on the matter... are you listening Randy?!!! O-LINE!!! D-LINE!!!) and Sharpton too...

[roachcane77]

By the way... 7th floor Mahoney...

[roachcane77]

Girls were in Pearson back then.

[MaryLouAlumni]

Mahoney Hall as a freshman and Pearson as a sophomore. Was I thrilled to get into Pearson, because it had air conditioning. Both were all girls. We are talking 1966-1970!!

[solarcane]

FSU and mickey suck

peace

[Hurriphin]

Greg Reid got b!tched, Solar.

[solarcane]

FSU and mickey suck even more

peace

[solarcane]

hurri,
that looked like pure playground and FSU hadn't a clue it was coming

peace

[Cat 5 Cane]

20th...

[Cat 5 Cane]

Brown... this has your name written all over it!... The time is now!

Just do it!

[Hurriphin]

Jacory Harris has never lost a game in the state of Florida....

I think he's already thrown more TD passes than J.Kelly.

[canechic]

WOW< WOW That is not the same FSU team the canes played.

UNC is ready!

[solarcane]

UNC's defense is better without Lovett

peace

[solarcane]

watch out for little deep
peace

[Esteban]

FSU needs to bench Zebrie Sanders about as much as we need Pipho sitting.

[jimmy]

solar, what is the address to send the donation. I ran out of stamps so I didnt send it. I want to mail tomorrow.

[Hurriphin]

Was FSU# 16 asleep?

[solarcane]

Jacory better wear two flak jackets at Chapel Hill
shoop dawg is for real

peace

[jimmy]

Este, they also need to bench Corey Mangum. He is a disaster at safety.

[tortugacane]

Good job, as always Chris-W! 86; ogv = great written articles! LUV or LOVE it!
+ in reference to...
3rd. Right where the Canes will end up ranked.Posted by: pb(CSROH10) | October 22, 2009 at 07:06 PM - Good call, my man!

[solarcane]

jimmy

CANESPACE
care of Crosby
106 Asa Dorsey Rd.
Cleveland, Ga
30528

peace

[Cat 5 Cane]

UNC's defense is better without Lovett, peace Posted by: solarcane

What???...

I think John is doing a fine job... Why U cracking on him?

[roachcane77]

Jeez... can the Noles get their heads out of their asses?

It doesn't look good for them right now...

I don't see them coming back after this WEAK first quarter.

WE JUST HAVE TO WIN OUT... NO ONE IS GOING TO HELP US BUT US!

[mi@mic@ne]

FSU is so undisciplined...

[roachcane77]

Let's Go CANES!

[solarcane]

Cat read my lips..

UNCs defence is better without Lovett they are 3ed in the nation..3ed
I didn't say anything negative about lovett being at Miami, he is doing fine here, Shoops is much better for UNC.

peace

[mi@mic@ne]

Butches philosophy is be very conservative on the o and let the d control the game... boringggggggg

[solarcane]

mi@ yea you ae right,
I thought Shoop was gonna go deep all night

He should kill FSU
peace

[mi@mic@ne]

Fswho got their heart torn out by our close win over them and our success. They are terrible now.

[roachcane77]

Man, this FSU defense is PITIFUL... they're beating themselves.
5 penalties already...like previously stated...

FSU is so undisciplined...

Posted by: mi@mic@ne | October 22, 2009 at 08:52 PM

[solarcane]

FSU doesn't know WTF is going on

I like this Shoop

peace

[mi@mic@ne]

thats a pass that can easily be intercepted.... just adjusting to the ball ..

[pb(CSROH10)]

Wow, FSU is abysmal.

This is it for Bobby. They look unmotivated, undisciplined and out coached.

[canechic]

Seriously every teams defen coordinators looks like a genius against FSU....that team has given up...what in the heck do they have to play for?

BBowden is going to sue FSU for discrimination you mark my words. He is playing the old man card....FSU watch out it is coming...

[canechic]

pb the young chevy chase very nice!

[mi@mic@ne]

gezzz maneezzzzzzzzzz is this really happening?

[solarcane]

He is playing the old man card....

LMAOROTHF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

peace

[mi@mic@ne]

Wait a couple yrs when we are completely turned around maybe even next yr... we beat FSwho by 20 or 30

[solarcane]

They should shytcan the entire FSU coaching staff.

This game probably cost FSU two or three more recruits.

peace