The Short List To South Beach: Week 6

The midway point of the season approaches and there are only 38 programs are left on the Shortlist, listed by conference affiliation as follows:

LSU, Alabama, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio State, Purdue, Nebraska, Northwestern, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, TCU, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Iowa State, Florida State, Clemson, Miami, Duke, Southern Cal, UCLA, Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford, Oregon State, Washington, Louisville, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Ohio, Louisiana Tech and UTSA.

A quartet of teams won contests last week to retain their Shortlist spots for another week:

1) Well, well, well, look who we have here; The Miami Hurricanes, making their second appearance in this very part of the article this week fresh off the record setting performance of their quarterback by a 44-37 final against NC State!  The crow is getting a little repetitive to the palette now here but
Miami continues to successfully swim with blood in the water from a pretty major gash to their ability to stop the run on defense without being eaten alive in 2012.  If the Hurricanes can find a way to keep the turnover ratio in the positive or even better, stop somebody with consistency, they have a glimmer of hope of staying in Shortlist Contention all the way to the end of October, where all bets would be off to finish the year.  Am I expecting either to continue much longer?  Does the D'Onofrio family give his salary back to the university as a way of saying, "Sorry," for stealing these last two years?

2) Duke storms into Winston-Salem and announces they are finally ready to end that bowl drought with a 34-27 win over Wake Forest.  While beating the Deacons moves them to four wins, it is never assumed the Blue Devils won't follow their impending Shortlist Elimination with a collapse to extend the bowl drought yet another year though despite needing only at most a maximum of two mild upsets to bring it to an end.

3) Washington uses a fantastic defensive performance combined with some poor Stanford quarterback play to pull the upset in Seattle 17-13 on Thursday.  Keith Price is a great athlete that does more with less than his over-hyped counterpart from Los Angeles could ever dream of being able to and this result proves just that.

4) UT-San Antonio and their coach, Larry Coker, you might recognize that large ring on his finger if you look close, continue their improving performance this year as they beat New Mexico State in Las Cruces 35-14.  Coker's FBS record now stands at 65-15, yet he finds himself about as far away removed from the top of the game as one sporting that career mark can possibly be halfway through the year.  The Roadrunners still need three wins to get bowl eligible the rest of the way.

Balancing those continual considerations this week are this quartet of teams that lost last week to find themselves struck through on the Shortlist:

1) Michigan State still can't find a way to beat Ohio State two years in a row as they lose a 17-16 decision at home in East Lansing.  The fake guy in the sweater-vest's old employee falls to his replacement.  How fitting, if still stomach turning, all around.

2) NC State suffers as extensive a meltdown one football team can experience as they forget the most important part of the comeback in their shoot-out loss to the Miami Hurricanes.  At least their cleats aren't red anymore in Raleigh or they'd match their cheeks after this result.  When does Midnight Madness tip-off again?

3) Wake Forest loses to Duke in a moment that heralds the changing of the guard in the ACC basement.  Jim Grobe's game over .500% career coaching record still says a world about his ability to get the best out of the talent on hand wherever he's been in his career despite the upset loss though.  When does Midnight Madness tip-off again?

4) Virginia Tech falls in a road game all the way down in Washington D.C. to Cincinnati 27-24 on a last minute desperation prayer of a pass by the Bearcats.  I'm contractually obligated right now to remind you, "Nice empty trophy case, losers."  Five and a half years into this series and that moment never will lose it's special place in my heart when it arrives during the season.  Their basketball team sucks too by the way.

I expect five teams this week to find themselves taken out of Shortlist contention this week as the midpoint of 2012 comes to pass: Purdue, Iowa State, Duke and Washington.

Of course, it just wouldn't be the 2012 season if I didn't save the most important pick for last as I unfortunately expect the Miami Hurricanes to waste a valiant offensive day of production by one of their better quarterbacks to ever take the field for them in Steven Morris and have their defense do just enough to lose to the hated Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Chicago this week to bow off the Shortlist at the midway marker.  In what should be a game that holds great promise for the Hurricane's future, the present will finally welcome reality back to the team from the sub-tropics after a showing that will keep the score closer than generally expected going into the fourth quarter.

. 

Try to enjoy the games again this week and join me back here next week as we inch closer to the magic 25 teams left here on the Buffet of Warmed Over Crow, I mean, Shortlist to South Beach.  No, really, I meant the latter.

Copyright 2012 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com

Comments

[MassivCane]

Uno!

[nemo2002]

REPOST

Who's the next big name to leave the U?

Yep, Al Golden. FEAR THE TIE

If he receives national attention for having done a good job at Miami (under notoriously Tough U conditions) AND
The NCAA comes down hard on the Canes AND
Some other school offers him a big, fat raise AND
He finally realizes that empty stadiums and lack of resources make the U2Tough . . .
Then he's out of here in a flash!

Al Golden? In truth . . . We Hardly Know U

[nemo2002]

Hyde5: Blame Shalala, not Eichorst, for UM issues
Dave Hyde
8:06 a.m.

Was Shawn Eichhorst a myth at Miami? I never met him, never saw him, never heard him talk, was told he didn't talk to alums or supporters. I was told he never did media interviews. This athletic department needs a salesman as much as a CEO. In fitting fashion, he announced his leaving through a statement released at Nebraska. Beautiful.

Still, the questions at and anger over Eichhorst leaving after 18 months into are misplaced at him. School president Donna Shalala keeps hiring introverts who don't enjoy the public light and aren't a good fit for this job. First, Kirby Holcutt. THen Eichhorst. The question is why guys who aren't what this department needs - and don't want to stay - are hired in the first place.

[UMike]

I don't think Golden leaves..imo..he could of already left and teams have already come after him

[NativeCane]

First, Kirby Holcutt. THen Eichhorst. The question is why guys who aren't what this department needs - and don't want to stay - are hired in the first place.

Posted by: nemo2002 | October 05, 2012 at 08:24 AM

He did exist, I saw him at a Canes/Gators regional in Gainesville not long after he was hired. He sat close to me and my grandson and I was thinking then he just did'nt seem to fit in as a Miami TYPE.

Now he's with his PEOPLE and thats a good place for him!

Go Canes!!!

[Tsully76]

Thank you UMike. AG ain't going anywhere. Put a sock in it nemo enjoy the ride. Good stuff OGV.

[Tsully76]

Donna Shalala needs to get her act together or else she needs to be shown the door. Great point made by Dave Hyde. Good job nemo for posting that.

[Tsully76]

86 what's your take on acting AD Blake James.

[86Cane]

TSully...don't know him well. He's another relatively young buck with limited experience kinda like the last two ADs.

[CaneRock]

WASTE...NO...TIME!

Ray Lewis pre-game speech:

http://chirb.it/10eyHp

[86Cane]

Miami Hurricanes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - By the Numbers

0 – Number of minutes Notre Dame has trailed thus far in 2012.

3 – Sacks recorded by the Fighting Irish in each of their four games this season.


5 – Takeaways by Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o (three interceptions and two fumble recoveries) this season.


7 – Smallest deficit, in points, Miami has had to overcome in earning a win this season.


11 – Touchdowns scored by Miami’s “Thunder & Lightning” running back combination of Mike James and Duke Johnson out of 22 total scores (50%).


13 – Turnovers forced by Notre Dame through four games. In the 2011 season (13 games), the Irish forced a grand total of 14.


25 – Times that Miami and Notre Dame have met in the past. The Fighting Irish hold a 16-7-1 series lead.


41 – Games Miami has won all-time against teams ranked in the AP Top 10, compared to 27 losses.


375 – Receiving yards racked up by Hurricane sophomore wide receiver Phillip Dorsett in the last two games. In the first 15 games of his career, Dorsett had recorded 236 total receiving yards.


566 – Passing yards thrown by UM quarterback Stephen Morris against NC State, setting both a program and conference record in the category.

[Lou of M]

When the winds hits your face, Its Gods whispering its your time.. its your time..

[hassan]

Soup did u get my pics

[herbieibis]

Sir Alfred isn't going anywhere. I think he is smart enough to know the resources down here are second to none and I'm not talking about the eye candy. I'm sure once he got here he was like a kid in a candy store, with all the talent, there is in a 100 mile radius to choose from. If and when he leaves it will be after he has gotten this team to the promised land and maybe, just maybe we'll finally shoot some big time bones to a coach, to keep him. We've already coughed up one year of a bowl ban and when we get to 6 wins (# 5 will be this weekend) we will self impose another just to make sure. He would only have to deal with the ship losses, for three years and all the pups we're playing it shouldn't really affect us, unless we have several kids junmp early to the pros.The A.D. job is the least of my concerns, only the product we put on the field.

[3G Cane]

REPOST

Posted by: nemo2002
---------
Should of left that garbage on the last blog.

Is it me or is OGV just not happy when he isnt able to be the negative nancy. Keep predicting the losses tiger, one day you'll be right.

Donna need not heed the advice of one Barry Alvarez no mo...

And oh yea SMASH THE DOMERS!!!

[]_[] GO CANES []_[]

[86Cane]

3G...I know right? Three weeks in a row OGV has called for the Canes to lose. If Miami beats ND he is really gonna be up a creek without a paddle!

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Let's quickly recap, 14 point comeback that needed a 4th and inches stop in overtime against a now below middle of the pack ACC team where the QB ran the opposite play he audibled to then chose the worst running lane possible for the stop. Next week, a 10 point collapse in the fourth that was only aided by a penalty and turnover filled performance by a team that's a middle of the pack ACC team at best to save victory from the quickly approaching gaping jaws of defeat. Yeah, these are earth shattering wins.

Next up? Only the team with the toughest schedule in the nation who by the way, hasn't TRAILED IN A GAME YET. At least UM fans have turned into Chokie fans with their expectations, just win the conference and go from there. Thanks Al Golden, you're the master of double speak, be sure to recommend a good AD this time around.

Miami has yet to play the type of game this year halfway into the season that will be needed to be played to win this game, if they do it on Saturday finally, it'll be a welcome sight to my eyes but with the head coach and the DC cut from the same pathetic 'war of attrition' PSU philosophical cloth, it's going to take a pair of head injuries with loss of memory to get these two guys onto a schematic page that isn't going to make ND's platoon QB system look like Geno Smith on freshman video game difficulty settings.

The only silver lining? Art Kehoe's line is going to maul this reactionary 3-4 in run blocking, (remember linemen, it's engage, shed, watch the running back going by you by that point) thus a closer than expected result going into the fourth where Morris might get hot.

[dj moonbat]

I think Miami will beat the spread. That's about as much faith as I can put into a team with such glaring defensive problems.

I've been following the 'Canes for about 25 years now, and I certainly can't remember them EVER fielding a defense this bad.

Every win this season is a delightful surprise.

[Pre83]

Posted by: SJMPARMAN | October 05, 2012 at 12:57 AM

I thought this was a TERRIFIC post. I understand that the U is a private institution and for the most part has realized its success by doing things its own way, but there simply has to be reason and wisdom with leadership at some level, right?

To me, when you have either no explanation or at best a lame one to explain the revolving door that are top positions at the U's Athletic Dept, there are issues that need to be fixed, not continually covered up and kicked down the road.

As a smaller, private institution, I don't believe it is wise to try to be everything to everybody, a la your much larger public universities. Stick to your fundamental strengths; don't abandon them.

If you are going to grow and expand, you best have a real solid plan. The Don doesn't have to show ever increasing earnings to stock holders, she just has to be sure the U remains a first class university.

SJM makes a great point - Why the admonishment to former coaches who leave? Ok, Howard and Jimmy are always welcome back, but Erickson and Butch are banished and who knows about RS. Yes, Erickson made his own bed, but Butch left for the NFL after rebuilding the team into the greatest ever. Whatever. I have always wanted to hear the opinion of the players who played for Butch as to their thoughts on him and the U - the higher ups, it's just white noise to me.

Thank God Kehoe returned. I wish we could say the same about Soldinger. The fact that the drama ever happened in the first place still pisses me off.

I'm for Garcia. But whoever the hell is chosen better not be a "yes" man. If so, we are forever in the wash, rinse, repeat cycle.

[86Cane]

Miami has yet to play the type of game this year halfway into the season that will be needed to be played to win this game, if they do it on Saturday finally, it'll be a welcome sight to my eyes but with the head coach and the DC cut from the same pathetic 'war of attrition' PSU philosophical cloth, it's going to take a pair of head injuries with loss of memory to get these two guys onto a schematic page that isn't going to make ND's platoon QB system look like Geno Smith on freshman video game difficulty settings.

Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | October 05, 2012 at 11:09 AM

As much as I don't want to admit it, this is all TRUE.

[86Cane]

Every win this season is a delightful surprise.

Posted by: dj moonbat | October 05, 2012 at 11:12 AM

There IT is right there.

[nemo2002]

Oh really?
In the modern era ALL of our most successful coaches had a short tenure at the U. They all split suddenly, when offered a LOT more $$$. Why would Al Golden be any different? Why should he?
Afterall, he just a "rent-a-Cane; he's not really a 305-type of guy.
Besides working conditions for a football coach at the U aren't getting any better any time soon.

Look, I'm happy here's here. And I hope he stays long enough to return the U to the top tier again.
And I'm not saying that Al Golden is leaving the U anytime SOON.
However, given the Unique challenges here; and other relevant factors, there is little doubt that he will leave a lot SOONER rather than a lot LATER, especially if he does a good job here AND another school (or a pro team) "makes him an offer he can't refuse" (an offer the U can't possibly match).

If he can get this team back into the BCS conversation again despite a bad stadium situation, impending NCAA sanctions, high academic standards, low administration support, etc., then I wouldn't fault him at the least for moving on to a better paying job!
Shelly did; Jimmy did; Dennis did. Al Golden will do the same. Remember, he came here for the money and the opportunity to "move up" (so to speak). Certainly, he'll leave the U for precisely the same reasons . . . And it could happen a lot sooner than many fans realize.

Such is the nature of the college football business today.
Moreover, the head coaching position at the U is hardly the best college coaching job in America. We're not even in the top ten (or top 25).

[Zakkee]

SJM, OGV and Pre83-- I'm feel in all of that!

[CaneRock]

"I'm tryin' uh holla at my boy."

Funny exchange between #66 and a UM employee. Exchange starts at :13 of video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJmUtBIId7Y&feature=relmfu

[Zakkee]

nemo--the brains first instinct is to avoid pain and anything that makes the body or senses uncomfortable. What you are saying has precedent via history, realism and logic in it. People have difficulties accepting the truth. Its painful, so they either ignore or attempt to silence it. Its a process that we all go thru so be patient.

[herbieibis]

Oh, the defense has been bad before. Think back the Jim Bob's first year. Think back to '98. Those two years had alot in common with this year, a bunch of greenhorns on defense.Losing kids early to the draft, injury, or attriciation has left us in the position we are in plus piss poor recruiting at the DT spot, yes I said it again! With no pass rush, or depth of skilled players to rush the passer and LB depth of talent, we are going to be subjected week in and week out to getting lit up like a christmas tree by anyone who puts an offense on the field, and that even means the sisters of the poor.Our defense continually looks like Custers last stand and ND's offense is mediocre at best. If they gut us, it really will be a long season, on that side of the ball.Unfortunately, on the job training comes with a price but the reward next season could be beautiful. I can only image how good we could be if we had some simulance of a defense. As I've said before, it's easy to blame DENO but the reality is we just haven't filled our coffens full with defensive difference makers. We will just ahve to wait and see if the light goes off and one of those DT's starts playing like a SR instead of a freshman.
Talking about empty seats at the home games, I'll be glad one day, when we actually do get a hard driven S.O.B. who comes in here and makes it a personal chore of his to get a stadium built. It's ridiculous, that a school of this magnitude, has no stadium. 50 thousand seater is all we need.

[dj moonbat]

Al Golden is going to leave, but he's not going to make a lateral move just to get out from under sanctions. He may not stick around until there's another national championship in the trophy case, but until he's got enough accomplished at Miami to take a position at one of the blue-chip NCAA programs or the NFL, I think he's staying.

[Tsully76]

Nemo are you at any games at Sun Life Mr 305, or are you like many in the 305 talk mad crap about the love of the U but when it matters are no shows and make more excuses than anything. The reality is the majority of the fans that support the U don't live in the 305. So cut the crap. Most overrated phrase used. I agree with sh moonbat.

[Tsully76]

I agree dj moonbat

[Tsully76]

Miami 30 Notre Dame 28. Go Canes Screw the stinking Irish.

[raizecane]

TSully brining the smack-ith....lol.

So I just turned down a free ticket to the Florida vs. LSU game because I don't want to miss any of the 'Canes game.

I hope they dont make me regret it too much.... :-)

[hassan]

Michigan Ave

[j.w.]

It's not going to be Garcia, not under the current administration. And really, I think we're all exaggerating how good the guy is, he whiffed with Isiah Thomas worse than we did with Haith and Perry Clark. The FIU football team had a nice run that coincided with having the best player in the Sun Belt, but that's come to an end.
As for Eichorst, I don't think its an us issue here, he wasn't happy, had his home burgled recently, and was offered a B1G job for a lot more money and a hell of a lot closer to home. Hard to keep someone under those circumstances.
But I do agree that we need to make this AD job what it used to be. We hired Jankovich from Washington State. When Jankovich left, we hired Cal's A.D. There's no reason at all why we can't do the same thing now, and hire someone from an urban school that wants to build a legacy. But we have to get away from the "hire an up and comer on the cheap" syndrome, it didn't work with football, failed with basketball, and hasn't worked with A.D.'s. Spend the money, get an established A.D., and we'll thrive again.

[Tsully76]

There u go Raizecane, Hassan rep our Canes hard in Chi-town. I completely agree j.w.

[UpNorthCane27]

Maybe UM lets Ricardo williams, Kelvin Cane, and Tyriq Mccord loose agaisnt the fighting schmucks!!!

[86Cane]

I hope Miami hires the AD from Temple just to pizz OGV off.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Golden will get his lifelong extension then if that's the AD hire 86. He can even end up with just four wins on the year and still ink it.

raize, you'll only regret it if this turns into another Manhattan meltdown and the seats were any good for the SEC East/West apocalypse. Where where the seats anyway?

[86Cane]

HERE IS YOUR NEXT AD:

Bill Bradshaw
Director of Athletics
[email protected]

One of the most respected administrators in college athletics, Bill Bradshaw completed his first decade at Temple University with the conclusion of the 2011-12 academic year. And what a year it was!

Named one of five finalists for the Sports Business Journal’s coveted Athletic Director of the Year award in March, Bradshaw took the Owls to new heights in his tenth full-year at the helm. In 2011-12, Temple Athletics set department records for academic success with 15 teams earning above a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, and in revenues with 11.4 million dollars generated through tickets sales, corporate sponsorship and fund-raising.

Athletically, the year saw Temple’s first Bowl win in over 30 years, a 38-7 victory over Wyoming in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. It also included the fifth straight NCAA appearance by the men’s basketball team; Top 10 finishes and NCAA appearances by men’s gymnastics and women’s fencing; an All-America men’s track performance by Travis Mahoney and a women’s basketball WNIT berth.

Temple’s athletic success was not limited to this one year. Under Bradshaw’s stewardship the Owls ranked 10th among all Football Bowl Subdivision schools for combined wins in football, men’s and women’s basketball over the last three seasons.

Temple also completed work on two capital projects over the 2011-12 academic year, a $10 million state-of-the-art basketball practice facility and an expansion of the existing football complex.

Those achievements were all trumped, however, by the announcement on March 7 that the University would rejoin the BIG EAST Conference for football in 2012, and for all-sports for the 2013-14 season. It marks the first time that Temple will have all of its sports housed in the same conference, a goal of Bradshaw’s since his arrival on campus in 2002.

What a year indeed for Temple Athletics, and its leader. But we all know great things do not happen overnight.

Appointed the University’s eighth Director of Athletics on June 27, 2002, the NACDA Past President is in his 36th year as a Division I athletics director. Prior to his arrival in Owl Country the 2011 UnderArmour FBS Division I Director of Athletics of the Year spent 16 years as Director of Athletics at DePaul University in Chicago and nine years in the same position at his alma mater, La Salle University (‘69).

[Clwtrdan]

Unfortunately. I'm picking ND 30 Miami 16. Defense wins tomorrow. I'm hoping to be pleasantly suprised.

[86Cane]

If this actually happens I will indeed LMAO.

The guy seems qualified. Seriously. No really.

[Tsully76]

Interesting 86.

[raizecane]

Golden will get his lifelong extension then if that's the AD hire 86. He can even end up with just four wins on the year and still ink it.

raize, you'll only regret it if this turns into another Manhattan meltdown and the seats were any good for the SEC East/West apocalypse. Where where the seats anyway?

Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | October 05, 2012 at 01:11 PM

*****************************************

OGV - I didn't ask. I figured if they were free, who cares, lol.

[UpNorthCane27]

No way in gods green and orange earth are we going to lose tomorrow..... UM wins and wins comfortably...... UM 34 Notre Lame 17

[LB]

I think Bernie would make a great ambassador. A nice dude. Lots of UM history. Has a sense of humor. Has overcome adversity. He was there at the genesis of UM's championship runs.

As for the former AD, he was awkward. Jump to the 11:50 mark here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm2ktsRzdwI). Even when presented with the game ball and Golden pumping him up... something just didn't gel. No fault of anyone's, just was.

[Ohio_Cane]

Joe Rose taking it to Don Bailey Jr on his show about Eichorst leaving.

Wow, I'm surprised. Big Dog getting pissed.

[Ohio_Cane]

http://wqam.com/dj/joe-rose

"DBJ" interview

[Nomad]

Good Press for the Canes.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ben_glicksman/10/04/miami-notre-dame-week-6/index.html?sct=cf_t11_a0

[herbieibis]

OGV,

What you got againts Sir Alfred "The Tie" Goldenlocks? I think the dude has done a descent job so far. He's only had one recruting class to call his own and just like the one he saved, this class will be small as well. It's not his buddy DeNo, that's got you tore up is it?
I'm pissed too, I'm a born junk talker and I've been muzzled for 10 years, it sux. I get to hit the unmute button once in a while. We just got to get through this year the best we can and there probably is another azz kicking coming from someone, and that's the irony, with our defense it could be 0 for the ACC vs us, Duke. It's just the process brother just trust it, Ha!

[calGary Cane]

UM 34 Notre Lame 17

Posted by: UpNorthCane | October 05, 2012 at 01:22 PM

Seems about right!

GO CANES!

[j.w.]

Hope you're right upnorth, not feeling quite as confident about this one, & hope it leads to a pleasant surprise. :)