The Short List: Week 3

The second week of play concludes in 2010 as the 47 teams excluded from the Shortlist reads as follows:

Virginia Tech, UCLA, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Southern Miss, Marshal, Hawai'i, UAB, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Oregon State, Washington, Cincinnati, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico, SMU, Memphis, Utah State, San Jose State, Ohio, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), Akron, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, North Texas, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Tulsa, Mississippi, UTEP, Tulane, Buffalo, Kent State, Central Micigan, Troy, FAU, FIU, Louisiana-Monroe, Vanderbilt, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, New Mexico State, Army, Wyoming, Ball State, and Western Kentucky.

A pair of teams defied my predictions last week to remain on the Shortlist another week, one an ACC foe who gave up the final Hurricane touchdown scored in the Orange Bowl:

1) Air Force slashes through BYU's defense at home 35-14.  They prepare to face Oklahoma this week in Norman so the terminal trajectory of their Shortlist stay is growing ever narrower my the second even as Troy Calhoun racks up another winning season at the service academy in Colorado Springs.

 
2) NC State heads down to Orlando and guts out a 28-21 win over the UCF Knights as Tom O'Brien might finally have this thing figured out in Raleigh in time to save his lateral move from complete failure.  Four straight losing seasons might finally be broken by the Wolfpack but the remaining schedule still looks daunting at best.

 
Four teams loss games that removed them from the Shortlist this week without me calling for them to and the failures on field for last week reads as such:

1) BYU can't find the exit fast enough from Air Force on the road as they are eliminated in disappointing fashion from the Shortlist with the loss this year once again.

 
2) Minnesota gets no breaks this week after getting all of them the week before and falls at home to traditional football power South Dakota 41-38.  One week after making me look like the fool Tim Brewster does it better to himself than I ever could and he didn't have to lose another Insight Bowl to do it this time.

3) Ohio falls at home to Toledo 20-13 as the Bobcats might have been looking ahead to a visit to Ohio State this week as they come a touchdown short.

 
4) Ball State feels the wrath of Jerry Falwell's ghost as the Liberty Flames defeat them in Muncie, Indiana 27-23.  Stan Parrish continues to make people wonder just how he ended up replacing Brady Hoke in 2009 in Muncie with results like this.

Teams I expect to be off the Shortlist this week read as follows:

Mississippi State, Georgia, Tennessee, Northwestern, Baylor, Iowa State, North Carolina, Duke, Washington State, Connecticut, Louisville, Air Force, San Diego State, East Carolina, Nevada, and Notre Dame.

With the Hurricanes licking their wounds and regrouping during an off week this week the Shortlist prepares for the demarcation line in it's season as by weeks end this article expects to stop paying attention to who's out and begin tracking who's left in the race for the National Championship as more than half of the schools find themselves excluded. 

 
If the Hurricanes are to still achieve their overall goal for the year they will need a touch of fortune to go with much improved execution and fewer turnovers and penalties the rest of the way. 

In the meantime, a string of upsets leaving only an undefeated Ohio State and a one-loss Miami with only two loss BCS teams and one-loss non-BCS conference teams in the running would be the strongest argument for a chance at Hurricane redemption in 2010.  Whether the breaks will cooperate is another question all together however and I wouldn't hold your breath just yet as several other major programs have manageable schedules that favor them much more than the Hurricanes now. 

 
If Miami returns to a BCS bowl game though, the season will still be considered a success and the first block to proving they are capable of such a feat comes with a victory proving the necessary steel required to master a difficult road schedule the rest of the way. 

This weekend however, I am thrust back to my usual cheering pattern for the season, upsets galore as highly ranked teams drop like flies to open up the way for my team to reclaim lost position in the rankings. 

Join me next week here on the Shortlist to see just how far they can climb without playing a single down as we start listing the survivors in the championship chase.

Copyright 2010 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com

Comments

[UMike]

1st?

[Carol City Cane]

1st time poster....Go Canes!

[SinistercCane]

Third???

[SOUP]

1st time poster....Go Canes!

Posted by: Carol City Cane | September 17, 2010 at 09:39 PM

Welcome to The Space! Post here, post often.

[Sebastian]

Good write up as always

I always look forward to the shortlist feature

I have to take a peek to see who I might think could get back in there and who might thud their way right out of it

[solarcane]

ogv, good stuff in there!

If East Carolina can play its best ball they can beat the Hokies imo

[SOUP]

UPCOMING MIAMI-FSU MATCH-UPS:

Volleyball - Friday, Sept. 17, Knight Sports Complex, 7 p.m.

Soccer - Sunday, Sept. 26, Cobb Stadium, 12 p.m.

Men's Tennis - Oct. 8-10, Neil Schiff Tennis Center, All Day

Football - Saturday, Oct. 9, Sun Life Stadium, TBA

[orange 'n green in the vein]

solar, Bill Dooley might even lose this toss-up if he was the head turkey on the sideline, so you have no idea what scarface will do IMO. Hey, they'll still jangle keys, play Metallica's greatest hit and carry a flag while polishing a empty trophy case, so it's chokieness as usual. I always cheer for Beamer to go to his finishing move, the slap to the head when his players screw up, it's like his answer to Hogan's legdrop! Might even execute in the special teams phase of the game seeing as how the head coach directly coaches them up there for all anybody really knows about the biggest bust of the year so far.

Hey, The Randy does the same thing . . . I wonder where he picked that up from and even more importantly, is he doing it better than the source of the inspiration?

MOAR SPELLCHECK NEXT WEEK ON SHORTLIST COMING FOR THURSDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN!

[SOUP]

Southern Miss beating Kansas 28-10.

Kansas beat GT last week.

HUH?

[solarcane]

Kansas beat GT last week.

HUH?

GT is an ACC team

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Transition for Turner Gill. But I think the jig is up on Johnson's option.

Scoop on Pitt is going to be reaaaalll simple.

C-MAC IS LOST IN THE MIDDLE. I re-watched the OSU game, and it was simply appalling how out of place he was on everything. He never found the hole where the RB ran. He overpursued on almost every play

EXCEPT

When he was blitzing. And this really explains his skill-set. He's fine as a blitzer but lost in space, I mean worse than I thought. I think perhaps this was why Shannon gave K-Rob such an extended shot at the Mike, in hopes that maybe, just maybe the dots would connect. They didn't of course.

So, combine C-Mac's lost in space with K-Rob JUST PLAIN LOST AND LATE, and you have a potentially UGLY day for this defense against one of the shiftiest RBs in the game.

So what's my recommendation?

BLITZ EVERY DAMN DOWN.

Against OSU it looked like we were short-handed on defense at the second level because WE WERE.

Spence really saved the day. Otherwise it would've been very ugly.

But Lovett didn't feel comfortable blitzing a running, strong QB so often, which was smart.

Against Pitt, however, I'd rather have C-Mac and K-Rob attacking the play and forcing it to go one direction rather than leaving them to READ AND REACT.

They can't, plain and simple.

But C-Mac blitzing up the middle, especially on 1st down, would be SUPERB.

Then the QB will be forced to make rushed decisions which will give our DBs better plays and reads on the ball, thus minimizing blown coverages and increasing the chance for INTs.

The alternative makes me shudder....seriously. C-Mac looked exactly like Sharpton and Cook.

How bad was the bust of the c/o 2008 LBs???

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

OGV, another classic. haha

[solarcane]

soup,
new one

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/solarcane/rf102.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/solarcane/red101.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/solarcane/newboat1st.jpg

[SOUP]

Solar...LOVE that last one!

[solarcane]

me too soup!

The leaves are starting to change,the landscape should be awesome by Clemson.

[solarcane]

How bad was the bust of the c/o 2008 LBs???

you mean the Shannonites aren't all going to win individual Butkus awards by their third season like we were led to believe ???

bullshyt!!

That's like saying Jacory won't win the Heisman by his Junior year.

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Solar, haha, there are only two Shannonites from that class even on the team, and one tore his ACL last year.

The others, well, you knwow what happened. Just a bust. Buchanon should come around though and at least replace K-Rob.

Jacory's and the Jets are on pace though. I'll give them a mulligan for last week. haha

But they still have a lot to prove. Compared to the LBs from that class though, they're ready to win the Heisman. lol

This year's class should be everything the 2008 promised to be and more.

[Sebastian]

I dont know if anyone saw this already and if so, sorry for the double

President Shalala Honored with Nelson
Sept. 17, 2010

Coral Gables, Fla. — University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala has been awarded the 2010 Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. Shalala, who served as U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services in the Clinton administration, received the award on Thursday, September 16 at a ceremony and dinner at Blair House hosted by the current U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, and the Kaiser Family Foundation. The event honored Shalala’s retirement from the foundation’s Board of Trustees.

The award recognizes Shalala for her dedication to advancing access to health care in the United States and for helping disadvantaged people around the world, as well as for her special commitment to ending apartheid and developing democracy in South Africa.

“Whether it’s providing better health care to soldiers returning from two wars, or shaping the future of nursing here at home, or providing relief efforts in Haiti, or providing leadership on health reform, Donna Shalala has always been there when the people of our country and the world have needed her,” said Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman.

Altman’s comments were in reference to Shalala taking a leadership role in efforts to decrease the nation’s nursing shortage and reform health care, spearheading UM relief efforts for the victims of Haiti’s devastating January 12 earthquake, and co-chairing with former Senator Bob Dole a bipartisan presidential commission charged with looking into the care of wounded service members.

Established in 1992 by the Kaiser Family Foundation at the behest of Nelson Mandela shortly after his release from 27 years of incarceration, the Mandela Award honors individuals for outstanding dedication to improving the health and life chances of disadvantaged populations in South Africa and internationally. Recipients are selected in conjunction with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and with the approval of Mandela.

Shalala received the award from two former recipients of the Mandela Award. South African Ambassador to the U.S. Ebrahim Rasool, the 1998 award winner, and Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, the 1997 award winner. Four months ago Benjamin was honored by Shalala and other UM dignitaries when she received an honorary Doctor of Science degree at the UM’s May commencement ceremonies.

Ambassador Rasool spoke of Shalala’s efforts in assisting South African exiles in the U.S. when she was serving as president of Hunter College and then the University of Wisconsin, and her association with the Kaiser Family Foundation’s work in South Africa as a trustee over the past nine years.

Recipients of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights are given a statuette bearing a likeness of Mandela.

Shalala is a 2008 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

See the full press release here: http://www.kff.org/southafrica/mandela091710nr.cfm.

[SOUP]

But they still have a lot to prove. Compared to the LBs from that class though, they're ready to win the Heisman. lol

This year's class should be everything the 2008 promised to be and more.

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | September 17, 2010 at 11:53 PM

STILL HOPING...

[Six]

Jon Gruden hates high school refs

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on September 16, 2010 6:49 PM ET

You can take Jon Gruden out of the NFL, but you can't take disgust towards football officials out of Jon Gruden.

Gruden, an assistant coach at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, recently incurred a 15-yard penalty for chewing out officials, according to JoeBucsFan.com

The penalty took place in the first quarter of the team's season opener. Gruden watched the rest of the game from the stands after choosing to remove himself from the sidelines.

"Whether or not it was his celebrity, I don't know, but the officials made the call," Carrollwood Day School athletic director Frank Mabry said. "I was right there myself. In all honesty, he was upset with the officials and he did receive a sideline penalty and a warning, but it was definitely overblown."

Gruden reportedly kept yelling at officials from the stands, calling one "Forrest Gump."

[Sebastian]

Posted by: SOUP | September 18, 2010 at 12:02 AM

Whats up with the midnite rule Soup?

Focus...Focus ...Focus

[Sebastian]

I miss seeing Chuckie roaming the sidelines

I hope he gets back into coaching soon. You cant question the guys passion and IMO he is a winner

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

STILL HOPING...

Posted by: SOUP | September 18, 2010 at 12:02 AM

>>>>

Ha, here you go.

No, the fact that they're actually ON CAMPUS, the fact that they're all LBs and not SS learning a new position, and they're playing and have played well means they'll be better than the 2008 class. It doesn't take much to be better than a bust.

It's not that difficult to deduce. Even you can do it. lol

[SOUP]

Whats up with the midnite rule Soup?

Focus...Focus ...Focus

Posted by: Sebastian57 | September 18, 2010 at 12:04 AM

Good point, well taken.

I AM O U T!

[SOUP]

It's not that difficult to deduce. Even you can do it. lol

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | September 18, 2010 at 12:14 AM

Ya think?

[Six]

Also, don't know how many people have heard about this ..

Skip Holtz's son, Trey, is a backup QB at Plant High School

Trey, couldn't land a chick that he was interested in and was the girlfriend of another guy at Plant High - McKenzie Cochran

So Trey and some of his other friends on the football team sent a bunch of threatening texts to McKenzie's phone, slapped him around a bit in front of his little sister ..... then Trey Holtz and his other friends from the football team went to McKenzie's house at 3 AM

The boyfriend of the mom of McKenzie, Eric Canonico, woke up when McKenzie started yelling about the guys that came to the house at 3 AM, and who were standing on the lawn, yelling for McKenzie to come out

Eric Canonico, then grabbed his .357, went to the front door and told the teenagers to get back in the SUV they drove there in and get the hell out of there

One of the teenagers there with Trey Holtz, yelled at Eric Canonico, "What are you going to do old man, shoot us all?"

Canonico then said the teenager started walking toward him while he was in the doorway of his house, making threatening gestures

Canonico then fired one shot from his .357 a few feet away from the feet of the of the teenager that was walking toward him .... Canonico then said, verbatim, "I'm not f***ing around, get out of here"

Think about that. What would you do. You have the punk ass son of the USF Bulls and a bunch of his friends from the football team harassing the hell out of the son of your girlfriend, sending him threatening text messages, slapping him around in front of his little sister, then coming to your house at 3 AM and standing on your lawn - yelling, talking trash to you, walking toward you making threatening gestures ... even after you told them to get the hell out of there and go home

The police charged Canonico with discharging a weapon and false imprisonment?

The judge said that Canonico presented himself as a law abiding citizen and wasn't "a gun toting nut"

And before anyone says that they would've told McKenize, if he was their son, to fight back when they were slapping him around ... it was a group of guys from the football team that would've beaten the hell out of him. Not exactly a one-on-one situation, it was more like a 4 or 5 on 1 situation

[Old Skool]

Nice Solar
Can wait to try it out. Hopefully, Thursday the deal will close and 8 years of work will come to an end. Then I can make plans.

[SOUP]

Poll Results, toughest game left:

31.7%

FSU

0.0%

Pitt

33.3%

UNC

1.7%

GT

18.3%

Clemson

15.0%

VT

[usagainsttheworld]

hey team,

someone may have already put this up but--

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b5WjK

bailey back on the inside? how'd he do there before? are we messing this kid over by switching him back and forth between end and tackle or is he just that good of an athlete that it doesn't really matter-- especially in his senior season??? just askin'.

[UMike]

usagainsttheworld...my opinion, is he can do them both great..I actually think it helps his draft stock..he can play both spots and shows he is a team first guy

[solarcane]

..he can play both spots and shows he is a team first guy

He is a team first guy umike, if he wasn't he would be sent off to Memphis tomorrow.lol

[solarcane]

skool,
thanks

I'm going back over to the Outside World to see if they will give me a loaner to keep at my place till my other boat comes back.
I told them I have guests coming up and need two kayaks.

The warranty boat might take a couple weeks because they will ship it with a load of boats and drop it off at Outside World on their way to another dealer.
I can live with that, Heritage so far has been golden.

[Old Skool]

They sound it.

[usagainsttheworld]

umike and solar-- thanks. umike-- are there other folks in the nfl (or in college for that matter) who have played both positions? i just wonder if it isn't best that he get good, great even at one position. seems to me that he hasn't really had that chance since he's been here. for sure its good for the U, but i'm not certain how that bodes for his development as a player at one position or another. the nfl is for the most part a specialists league-- especially along the d-line-- right?

[usagainsttheworld]

good luck on the little schooner solar.

[UMike]

usagainsttheworld..I THINK it helps him, I think it would hurt if he was bounced so much thathe never settled in and was effective..but with him, he was effective in either spot, I would think that bolds well for him. I do think the NFL will draft him for 1 spot, but with his skills he could play both. NFL scouts know. Like with Eric Couch years ago..NFL scouts knew he was a good football player and they drafted him as wr I think..I think if he didnt have an impact or if he wasnt effective because of the switching, then it hurts him, but thats not the case

[UMike]

I dont know if I should be excited about all these "top teams" on our schedule struggling or worried lol...VT is 0-2 with a loss to James Madison..GT lose to Kansas who lost to Southern Miss...FSU got WHOPPED by virtually the same OU team we beat last year..it would appear these teams are down, but for some reason I cant get excited about it..like its a trap for our team

[canesteeler]

Six I would be sitting in jail if that was my son Holtz and his friends came after. Mess with my family and I will certainly do the time!

[WindyCane1]

Still a little upset about J4INT's concern about his "brand" rather than the playbook or his teammates.

I think its safe to say that J4INT left his Heisman trophy hopes on the field in Columbus. His performance was so poor, that I think he may have lost any opportunity to EVER win a Heisman.

The next Fla. H.S. QB that has a chance at a Heisman is Denard Robinson, whose 2007 H.S. team gave MNW all it could handle on MNW's run at the State Championship with Jacory.

QB leadership is not given, its earned. Being a leader does not mean you yell at your teammates when they make mistakes - although that may be part of it. Leadership most often comes from the example you set. You show that you CARE for your teammates and you CARE most of all for the goal that your all are trying to achieve, and that is by taking care of your responsibilities and assignments because you want to win a championship.

If your primary concern is your individual brand or accolades, you will loose your teammates and your team.

Kosar was a leader. Perhaps he was not the most talented QB (Testaverde and even Kyle Wright may have had more natural talent), but I don't think Kosar was ever concerned about his "brand" or winning a Heisman. As a result, the Canes won a lot of games with him behind center.

Like Michael Irvin and other great Canes, when you listen to Kosar talk, he cared about that U on the side of his helment and everything that represented. He cared about his teammates, his coach and winning, and he gained the respect of his teammates by taking care of his assignments first. I never heard Kosar dwell on his "brand." Kosar was a leader in every sense of the word.

I am not sure if Hank has a twitter account or if he is concerned about his "brand," but Hank showed me something on the football field. When Hank caught that pass over the middle and got blasted by that OSU defender, I think Jacory should have stopped tweeting and run over to thank Hank for making him look so good. Franklin shut down Heyward and refused to allow a sack or a tackle for a loss the whole. Jacory needs to disregard his Facebook account and thank Franklin for leaving it all on the field.

Those Facebook "friends" and twitter "fans" come a go. They join your page when you win and they leave it when you when you loose.

However, the teammates that you put it all on the line for U - those teammates that take care of their assignments for U - those teammates that only ask that U work as hard as they do to take care of your assignments - those teammates will forge friendships with U that will last a lifetime!

And when Jacory has his teammates' respect, the Canes will win championships!

[orange 'n green in the vein]

You can win the Heisman with ONE bad performance on the year. Unfortunately when that one bad performance is against your best team on the schedule as a QB, it becomes a lot harder.

Ricky Williams and Ingram are just two examples of bad games not derailing the Heisman win of a player, Williams was shut down week one in a loss, Ingram had a sub-par game against UF I believe, but I have to go back and look at his stats and I'm too lazy on gameday to do it now, but you can see, 13 great to good games, 1 off game and a Heisman. So it can be done but he's behind the 8-ball in 2010 and will have to stat compile his way back into this trophy race's fringe.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

I guess Ingram was held down in Auburn and to a less extent Tennessee last year it turns out, UF is still chasing him of course, so no need to remind me he had 3 TD's in that conference title game.

[the "U" is America's team]

Miami Hurricanes

[UMike]

If J12 ends up with 30 tds and 7 picks..still excellent numbers..hopefully Berry and Miller will step up and lighten J12's load

[SOUP]

BY MANNY NAVARRO
mnavarro@MiamiHerald.com

Special teams leader Jordan Futch said he is ready to start making a bigger impact at linebacker -- and it could come as early as next week at Pittsburgh.

The 6-3, 240-pound junior, who started twice last year, could take snaps away from the weak-side tandem of Ramon Buchanon and Kylan Robinson, whom Shannon said have been ``OK.''

``I'm a junior now,'' Futch said. ``I know the defense like the back of my hand. I'm just waiting for my opportunity to get in there and knock some heads off.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/17/1830265/ums-jordan-futch-is-ready-for.html#ixzz0ztIyUZTD

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Yeah, if Futch and Buchanon pan out, that's three for eight with Spence which is a great recruiting development average, of course, if Jordan remains snakebit with injuries for the next two years, he's toast. Those two will make or break the '08 LB class now.

[Canez1]

Soiler that war canoe have sirius in it??? I'd get bored in 3 seconds. ADD anyone??

I always tell two of my brothers who are cops to blast first and ask questions later.

F that!

I would rather have them lose their job than their lives.

That father went Gran Torino on those douchebags and I love every minute.

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[WindyCane1]

If J12 ends up with 30 tds and 7 picks..still excellent numbers..hopefully Berry and Miller will step up and lighten J12's load

Posted by: UMike | September 18, 2010 at 11:36 AM

I hope you are right, UMike. That would require Jacory to go 26 Tds and 3 Ints the rest of the season after a 4 tds TO 4 Ints start, and that still might not be enough to win the Heisman. In order for Jacory to go on a run like that, everything he has done over the last 2 seasons must change drammatically for that to happen.

[Canez1]

Vince I will be hitting Pitt at like 2pm on Thurs.

I'll hit you with a text so we can grab some beers. It's been too long my man!

Philly and DZ will be rollin as well.

Should be a good time!!

Who else is in??

I'm in Sec 111 row Z seat 1 and 2

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Canez1, when did Eastwood pull the trigger in that movie? That was the whole point of the entire film wasn't it, Eastwood tough SOB at the point where he has no, "pop," left in him?

If Holtz's frat-boy-douche Jr. Mean Street Posse blew the step-dad away, then it's Torino remake time. What an episode of that abominable, "Dr. Lou," Segment that would be that week.

[Canez1]

OGV LOL I don't remember if he pulled it or not. I thought he did though but you may be right.

Just the whole scenario reminded me of the tuogh azz old basturd!

Love that dude.

My grandfather RIP used to have us watching Eastwood and Bronson on Sundays all the time. Dude loved those guys.

GO CANEZ!!!!!