The Short List: Week 6

Conference play is in full swing this week as the survivors on the Shortlist in 2010 number only 35 and read as follows still linked to their conference peers in no particular order:

Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, Florida, South Carolina, Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas State, Miami, Florida State, Maryland, NC State, Southern Cal, Oregon, Arizona, Stanford, West Virginia, USF, Syracuse, TCU, Utah, Boise State, Nevada.

Only one team survived a game I called for them to lose last week to be ejected from the Shortlist and stays on for another week due to it:

1) Colorado edges Georgia in Boulder 29-27 as Dan Hawkins cools his seat while dialing up the temperature on Mark Richt's seat simultaneously as a result.  The Buffs stay on the Shortlist this week but I don't expect them to last much longer from here.

For another week, three teams lost games that removed them from the Shortlist without me calling for them to and the surprise departures are:

1) Texas Tech goes to Aimes and gets walloped at Iowa State 52-38 as Tommy Tuberville's team drops a second straight game after a bye week to fall off the championship track in 2010.  Meanwhile Paul Rhoades continues to work magic at Iowa's second school in year two as he narrows in on another elusive bowl berth for the Cyclones.

2) Boston College gets juxtaposed on the home scoreboard in Chestnut Hill as their Irish rivals from Notre Dame beat them 31-13.  The Eagles still have the ability to play spoiler in ACC play but only for a division or conference title, not the big prize thanks to the loss.

3) Rutgers reverts to the Scarlet Knights of old in New Orleans as they fail to siege the Superdome successfully and lose 17-14 to Tulane.  Bob Toledo's exile to the Big Easy has been as hit or miss as his stay in UCLA in the 1990's but for one week at least they send Greg Schianno back to square one on the drawing board in New Brunswick.

Once again, I expect seven teams to fall out of Shortlist contention this week and each one is a BCS automatic qualifier school:

South Carolina, Indiana, Texas A&M, Colorado, Florida State, Southern Cal, and Syracuse.

With the rivalry game of the year in the state of speed on tap in Miami this week your ACC favorite Hurricanes face suspect 1-B to represent the Atlantic Division for the ACC title at the end of the year when they christen the Jimbo Fisher Florida State epoch with a showdown between top 25 teams.  For years I've been hearing how sharp an assistant coach Fisher is while his teams did nothing to ease the pressure on his boss with their on field performance.  Now completely in charge of the tertiary program in Florida a rivalry win would go a long way to dissuading any dissenters to the new regime in charge. 

 
The Seminoles have the weapons to put up points but honestly, their program has fallen several steps behind with so many resources due to factors that require more than a force out changing of figureheads at the top to fix.  While the rankings of both teams for this edition of the Hurricane's encounter with their rivals from the capital may not be in the single digits, as fans have grown accustomed to when these teams play, there won't be a lack of talent, speed, and ability between the sidelines on the field on display this year. 

 
A word of caution: Anything can and will happen this week during such a deep running rivalry so predictions are futile at best and an exercise in folly routinely during the build up to these games. 

I however expect a focused, peaking Hurricane team to remind their rivals just why they have a new coach this year as they outpace the visitors as the game goes on with a balanced attack and a punishing defense to keep the Seminoles in their proper place in the pecking order for another year.  Whether they get a return engagement for the ACC title will be determined over the remaining month and a half of conference play but in the interim I expect Randy Shannon to hold bragging rights despite any beginner's luck Fisher may be the recipient of in his first go round as the man who stepped into Bobby's shoes on the sideline in this perennial peak of Florida football events. 

 
Even if the Hurricanes uncharacteristically come up short this week, expect them to rebound with the promise of revenge in a rematch, but more likely, expect this rivalry installment to be the turning point where your Hurricanes go from team continually displaying promise to the team delivering on aforementioned promises consistently with a three-phased, all-out, old-school, decade-of-dominance-reminding outing before a raucous home crowd. 

Who knows, if you squint your eyes just right you might be able to see an open end-zone and feel a little of the old Orange Bowl energy in the big teal box before the final gun sounds Saturday. 

 
Enjoy the game, and maybe even some other college football contests as well, this week and join me back here next week as The Shortlist to the Site of the Shainghaied 'Ship draws just a few upsets closer to the magic number of 25 remaining teams and ranking those left by merit instead of conference affiliation here in 2010.

Copyright 2010 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com

Comments

[TJL]

Nigel Bradham=Burglar

[NativeCane]

Lakeland Ledger

One play at the end.

When Florida State and Miami get together, that always seems to be the difference.

Those five field goals that sailed wide to doom Florida State from 1991 to 2004. Frank Gore's touchdown run to give Miami a win in overtime in 2004. Miami muffing a field-goal snap to give the Seminoles a three-point win in 2005. Kirby Freeman's miracle touchdown pass to Dedrick Epps in 2007. Christian Ponder's incompletion in the end zone on the final play of last season's thriller.

"Always one of the biggest games of the season," Ponder said. "They're always close. ... You never know what's going to happen."

http://www.theledger.com/article/20101008/NEWS/10085029/1002/sports?Title=-Canes-Noles-Bracing-for-a-Close-Contest

[NativeCane]

OS

George Diaz

I miss the Orange Bowl.

I miss the cruddy, stinky bathrooms. I miss the seats that rock and roll and sway to the thunder of the crowd. I miss the smoke rising to the sky as the Miami Hurricanes get set to play another game.

They’re playing in another place now that’s been beseiged over and over again by corporate meddling. It’s gone through so many name changes I’ve stopped trying to keep track.

But there is only one Orange Bowl.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/en_fuego/2010/10/fsu-miami-should-be-rockin-in-the-orange-bowl.html

[NativeCane]

Once again my local mullet wrap tries to pretend that there is not a huge state rivalry game tonight between FSU and your Mighty Hurricanes.

If they don't report our news will we just go away?

How will they handle not covering us when we play the hometown Bulls?

Tune in on 11/27/10.

AAAAAARRRGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Go Canes!!!

[WindyCane1]

Bobby picks the U

Bobby Bowden likes what he sees from Florida State so far this season, especially on defense. But he does not believe the team he coached for 34 seasons will beat Miami on Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.

....
Posted by: NativeCane | October 09, 2010 at 07:15 AM

Great pick Bobby!

[OCALACANE]

Good Morning SpaceCadets,

Canes by 10 over Squaws...
Strap Up Boys
WE GOT SOME CANES OVERHERE!!!

[SOUP]

and another guy, while rooting for the Canes, acts like he wants FSU to cover the spread. And that is sad.

Posted by: SJMPARMAN | October 09, 2010 at 12:14 AM

IF your comment was not directed to me then please ignore this comment.

IF U are referring to me in your comment then let me clarify my position:

1. Do I WANT MIami to win? HELL YES!

2. Do I WANT FSU to cover the spread? HELL NO!

3. I would prefer it if Miami won 31-0 and it was 21-0 at the half.

2. Do I believe that the game will be closer than MOST think? YES.

Want I "want" and what I believe will happen are two completely different things.

I "want" to win the lottery, but I realize my chances are 1:25,000,000. What I want and "deserve" got nothing to do with it.

[SOUP]

WE GOT SOME CANES OVER HERE!!!

Posted by: OCALACANE | October 09, 2010 at 08:33 AM

WHOOSH, WHOOSH!!!

[WindyCane1]

The Canes will limit turnovers, run the ball, mix in the pass and win comfortably over FSU - Canes win by double figures!

[pbcrfcane13]

34-31 UM!!!

[DZ8]

NativeCane with the Early Bird... many thanks.

Deserves got nothing to do with it. Great line from a great movie.

[CGNC]

From Manny:

"But the Hurricanes are is good as anyone in the country at shutting down opposing passing games. UM ranks second nationally in sacks (17 total), No. 2 in pass efficiency defense and has five interceptions in their last two games."

Giggity :-D

[CGNC]

I just home the Bosh doesn't have to make some game saving tackle because our special teams punt return coverage is crap.

GO CANES

[CGNC]

^^hope

[SOUP]

NEW BLOG IS UP!