Desolation Row

Folk singer/songwriter Bob Dylan wrote the lyrics to his iconic song Desolation Row back in 1965. Today, the song and the lyrics somehow seem incredibly appropriate for University of Miami fans.

Wikipedia justly describes it this way: "Desolation Row" is a 1965 song written and sung by Bob Dylan. It was recorded on August 4, 1965 and released as the closing track of Dylan's sixth studio album, Highway 61 Revisited. It has been noted for its length (11:21) and surreal lyrics in which Dylan weaves characters from history, fiction, the bible and his own invention into a series of vignettes that suggest entropy and urban chaos.

I never imagined that as a Miami Hurricane football fan that I would have to live there for just over 10 years now. Yes, it now seems that Desolation Row runs right through the heart of affluent Coral Gables.

The Hurricanes finished the 2014 season with a losing record and in horrific fashion on Saturday night by losing their fourth game in a row, this time to Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks 24-21 in the Independence Bowl is Shreveport, La. 

So now with no games left and nowhere left to go, I leave you with some lyrics from Desolation Row:

When you asked how I was doing
Was that some kind of joke?
All these people that you mention
Yes, I know them, they’re quite lame
I had to rearrange their faces
And give them all another name
Right now I can’t read too good
Don’t send me no more letters, no
Not unless you mail them
From Desolation Row

Read more: http://www.bobdylan.com/us/songs/desolation-row#ixzz3NFx0WFJn

Comments

[Pompano cane]

First

[WWIN]

So let me ask this question again???????

Which hurts recruiting more now, losing the bowl game and keeping Golden or firing Golden?

[86Cane]

Pompano is in the House!

[WWIN]

So when we have players committed does "committed" mean "committed suicide"???????

[BEERicane]

Golden (and co) as coach(es). By a country mile.

[86Cane]

WWIM...I am not sure, it just hurts right now. It all hurts. Had they fired Golden and lost the bowl game it would have hurt the same.

[NativeCane]

Golden, disguised as Robin Hood
With his memories in a trunk
Passed this way an hour ago
With his friend, a jealous monk
He looked so immaculately frightful
As he bummed a cigarette
Then he went off sniffing drainpipes
And reciting the alphabet
Now you would not think to look at him
But he was famous long ago
For playing fiddle while the ship went down
On Desolation Row

Dem Canes!!!

[WWIN]

Am I still dreaming? Did Terry Porter really throw that flag late last night? How long have I been sleep?

[WWIN]

Had they fired Golden and lost the bowl game it would have hurt the same.

Posted by: 86Cane | December 28, 2014 at 11:23 PM

I beg to differ, had we fired Golden that would have been a sign of hope for 2015 and the future, do we have any hope for 2015 now?

[1mg of Epi]

Posted by: nemo2002 | December 28, 2014 at 11:06 PM

The football team brings in far more than enough to afford a buyout. That thy are cash strapped is a myth.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Last time our Miami Hurricanes were great Jarrett Payton was the Orange Bowl MVP on January 1st 2004 to cap off our Miami Hurricanes finishing 5th in the nation with a 11-2 record, Orange Bowl Champs, Big East Champs, and State Champs. Its been awhile.

[HillViewCane]

Which hurts recruiting more now, losing the bowl game and keeping Golden or firing Golden?

Posted by: WWIM | December 28, 2014 at 11:11 PM

There was a saying that goes you shouldn't remove hope from people because sometimes that's all they have. Well keeping Golden removes hope and thus keeping him hurts more.

In the eyes of a recruit an unknown can be better. The known sucks. So with the firing you make it better by providing possibility. But in keeping Golden you remove hope which is all we have right now.

[VA Cane]

Awesome Native awesome Soup....a little Dylan to soothe ths soul. Keep preaching Golden must go, send letters to the idiots in charge of process, domt send $, forget tics, no new gear.......force their hand
FIRE AL GOLDEN NOW!!!!!!

[WWIN]

Posted by: HillViewCane | December 28, 2014 at 11:30 PM

EXACTLY!

[WWIN]

This is the WORST I've ever felt about UM as a fan! I became a fan during the Butch Davis era.

It got bad with Coker then we fired him, it got bad with Shannon then we fired him,
it got bad with Golden then it got worse and now we're giving him another year??????

[VA Cane]

Coral Gables is Desolation Row. It is tragic how bad the situation has become and how much worse it will become. We have not seen the bottom yet; this is the worse we have been going back to when HS took over. The ignorance (AlPas actual knowledge of the game) and arrogance (AlPas narcissistic attitude, perceived greatness) this regime exhibits is troubling and disgusting. The past 10 years each fall it was FSU and UM are back.....guess they are....and we have reached new lows.

[gene kissane]

AL golden is the ruination of um. Stubborn and plain stupid.

[The Dude]

I turned in my Canecard a while back when the writing was on the wall. Golden should have never gotten more than a 3 year deal. Real football universities make coaching moves when its not working (USC), as many have said Miami is just not in it to win it right now, they are more concerned with the bottom line. The funniest thing to me is the idea that hope is gone for 2015. Newsflash its gone for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Have fun with that. I'm sure he'll find a nut one of those years, so there's that to hope for.

[The Dude]

If only Randy had "won more."

[VA Cane]

Fire him now, end the process....

[The Dude]

^^^ Why? He's doing exactly what Miami wants. If you don't accept loser football, move on because there's nothing to see in Coral Gables.

[WWIN]

Did he actually say "Brock Berlin"??? Did that really come out of his mouth??? All the UM greats you could talk to but this mofo talks to Brock??????

😂😂😂😂😂😂

#sayItAintSo

[VA Cane]

Yes the new now where the 6-6 regular season means exactly average yaaaaa everybody equal, everybody gets a trophy for participating. The outlook is that we lost a close hard fought back and forth bowl game to a worthy opponent of cocks....er...uh....um phalluses...yes correct word.
A progressive liberal instituions ideal scenario....we all are equal get along with and play well with others....no domination, no aggression, no big bad dominant fire breathing Canes who hate losing......ugh.....makes me f**king sick!

[VA Cane]

I hate losing I love winning as a TEAM.....don't need to run the score up.....I like to have a lot of low hard clean fast legal hits that require opponents to be assisted to the sidelines....domination Apocalypse Now football.....Tatumizers...Just Win Baby!
That's how its done, not the horseshit we are being served...

Bad football.

[The Dude]

Maybe its a conservative cheap institution that only cares about making money at the expense of its fanbase and student athletes?

[The Dude]

Posted by: WWIM | December 29, 2014 at 12:34 AM

I heard the next guy he wanted to talk to was Kyle Wright.

[Montreal-Cane]

All we can do for now is bombard UM with emails and tell them how mad we all are...

Al Golden email: mkb28@miami.edu

bjames@miami.edu

dshalala@miami.edu

[The Dude]

^^^ sabotage the recruiting class is another option.

[The Dude]

^^^ I kid of course, lol. Miami fans don't have the clout to change Miami's mind. They are smarter than U. They just want to piss on your leg and tell you its raining. ACC gives them so much money that this is a completely acceptable end to the year. Just go bowling. Give the university a winning record most years. Stay out of negative headlines. Graduate players. Winning at a high level is only icing on the cake, it's not something they demand.

[roachcane77]

Great blog SOUP. Sometimes the greatest writing comes when your emotions are the most raw. Well done brother.

Canespace will continue to be the voice of reason, when none else exists... Carry on my wayward friend.

[VA Cane]

It may be that as well Dude, sure sounds like it. Cheap, set in ways, unwilling to change and get real coach who is thinking in the now while still using time tested foundations, think they are right....pun intended!!.....using athletes to increase their salaries tenure stature.....bad shit as well.
Combine these poor characteristics with the average is good and everybody gets a trophy thoughts.....not a compromise in the middle......but a ship sunk on the bottom of the sea.

I would say its all of both wouldn't you?
Bottom line they are not like all of us....well most of us.....(the AlPa lovers worship at his alter say he can do no wrong....the religion called Processism) they really are happy right where they are....they do not want to win big time all the time.

[The Dude]

They are perfectly content VAC. They love them some Al Golden.

[VA Cane]

Agreed Dude
Administration, BOT, AD, Prez, staff......and the blind following the blind.....do not want to win NCs titles dominate.

Sad.

[TonyCane]

I doubt anyone is content in the admin. I doubt Golden or Coley are content. The question is, what do they do about it?

[TonyCane]

They have to realize that they have underperformed. They can't be satisfi d with mediocrity. The question isn't, how do they adjust. What changes are made?

[The Dude]

On the bright side, the 2015 recruits can be the ones that bring back The U, oh I mean 2016, uh 17, 18?

[The Dude]

Blake is happy. He sees progress.

[The Dude]

8 win ceiling next year. 4 game floor.

[The Dude]

I am now a fan of whatever school is playing and outcoaching Al Golden. I will openly root against them, even against the Gators and Noles. I figure this is the only way I can watch the games in 2015. All the while laghing at those that supported this garbage for so long. Basically I'm going to try out trolling Al Golden for a year. I really enjoyed the SC game because it further proved my point that Al should be gone. Real smart people that care about the future of Miami need to befriend Butch Davis and introduce him to the new president. The new president will fire Blake and Al together now.

[The Dude]

Miami starts off with Bethune Cookman and then FAU. I don't know mutch about BC but Miami should sleepwalk to a victory there. I really like the FAU game and I can't wait to see the spread. FAU might give us the first upset. 1-1 or 2-0 to start before Miami plays against Nebraska. This will be an Ugly Golden loss, I can't wait for his stupid presser. Maybe a 1&2 start before an ACC game is played. Al will go 3-5 in the ACC and will lose to Nebraska, so that's 6 losses in my book.

[VA Cane]

Tony I love your stats and numbers....stick with them. Friend you are dead wrong. Read what your AD said.....there's progress not found in the record. He represents the BOT, Prez,
everybody in the administration and their opinion.
Take it from a long time player and coach....progress is found in the record, when you are 13-0 and win titles repeatedly! NCs! Not this miserable excuse of football. This is an insult to HS, JJ, Erickson, all the great coaches and players who put us near the top every year and won 5 NCs.
If you believe the bullshit the morons on the board, Prez, staff, AD, AlPa....you are with them supportwise. You are an enemy of the State....The State of The U. Stop siding with AlPa lovers....they are brainwashed and no nothing about football!

[VA Cane]

Some people love average, mediocre, balance...that's fine. I want to win every game and that how I coach....that we will go out with one goal:WIN! ALWAYS!

[VA Cane]

Really? They seem as content as pigs in shit, a cat on catnip, a dog with a bone, an addict with a full pipe of crack!
They must be on crack to think there has been any progress. Numbers cannot cover their sorry asses, there is nothing to show but dismal failure!

[Go Canes]

@ArmyAllAmerican: adidas hooked us up with the stickiest gloves in football.

Proof: http://t.co/efKrllzeLm

#teamadidas #ArmyBowl http://t.co/WG9n8sOEl1

[nemo2002]

Posted by: nemo2002 | December 28, 2014 at 11:06 PM

The football team brings in far more than enough to afford a buyout. That thy are cash strapped is a myth.

Posted by: 1mg of Epi | December 28, 2014 at 11:29 PM

You seem have missed the point. Whatever "profit" the football program generates for UM is already allocated in the UM budget - to support money losing athletic programs and also UM general education expenses. The AD, like all UM department heads, must live within the annual budget approved by the BOT. A buyout of Coach Golden's contact would be an major, extraordinary expense which is not included in the Athletics Department budget. Hence, the AD doesn't have the luxury of simply firing the coach and hiring another one. That decision would require approval from both the president and probably also the BOT executive committee, because of the fiscal implications.

[86Cane]

The football team brings in far more than enough to afford a buyout. That thy are cash strapped is a myth.

Posted by: 1mg of Epi | December 28, 2014 at 11:29 PM

This statement is false and misleading and simply not based in fact.

Regardless of the details there is a lot of room between being "cash strapped" and choking down a several million dollar buyout of a coach and paying for a significant upgrade/raise for a new coach at the same time. Even if you accept the notion that UM is not "cash strapped" that doesn't mean you can afford those two options at the same time right now.

[86Cane]

A buyout of Coach Golden's contact would be an major, extraordinary expense which is not included in the Athletics Department budget. Hence, the AD doesn't have the luxury of simply firing the coach and hiring another one. That decision would require approval from both the president and probably also the BOT executive committee, because of the fiscal implications.

Posted by: nemo2002 | December 29, 2014 at 07:01 AM

This sounds much more accurate and reasonable.

I agree.

[Go Canes]

Of course he doesn't.

And It's not an $8 million decision anyway. Remember there are millions of dollars and combined salaries owed to an entire staff that will likely go as well.

[1mg of Epi]

Posted by: nemo2002 | December 29, 2014 at 07:01 AM

This statement is false and misleading and simply not based in fact.

Regardless of the details there is a lot of room between being "cash strapped" and choking down a several million dollar buyout of a coach and paying for a significant upgrade/raise for a new coach at the same time. Even if you accept the notion that UM is not "cash strapped" that doesn't mean you can afford those two options at the same time right now.

Posted by: 86Cane | December 29, 2014 at 07:27 AM

Sorry Soup, it is neither false nor misleading. I posted the links a couple weeks ago. That narrative may have been true in 1984, or even but not today.

Miami Hurricanes=Florida Marlins

[1mg of Epi]

This sounds much more accurate and reasonable.
I agree.
Posted by: 86Cane | December 29, 2014 at 07:28 AM

Really? Lol just because its a major expense, and would obviously require approval, does NOT mean they can't afford it.

It's a fools paradise out there gentlemen, and they're just leading you down the primrose path.

[SinisterCane]

Dear President Shalala,

I write to you today to implore you to reconsider taking action in the matter of the football program, specifically with regards to the status of head coach Al Golden.

When Coach Golden was hired, we all had high hopes for him. He talked a good game, seemed to know what he was doing. We all trusted him. You were not alone there.

As time has gone on, we’ve discovered that this was merely a facade. That there was nothing behind the talking. The only refuge left for his support appears to be the Nevin Shapiro scandal. But to say he was punished by that is inaccurate. The only people punished have and continue to be the student-athletes in our program.

When that scandal hit, the immediate reaction was to throw as many players under the bus as possible to make Golden’s long-term job easier. We didn’t care if it was fair or right. In order to show contrition, the easy thing to do was to suspend players. Left and right. In both the football and basketball programs. Sometimes without explanation or reason. Simply to placate an institution you later called “unprofessional and unethical.”

As for the adults in charge of monitoring the program to ensure violations didn’t occur in the first place? They found cushy jobs at other institutions or remained in place at Miami, yourself included. Al Golden, the supposed aggrieved coach? Oh, he just received an obscene contract extension through 2020 for having one of the worst seasons the school has had in the last 30 years (which we thought was a low point until he just eclipsed it this year). Everyone made out: the legal team, the administrators, the coaches…everyone but the kids who received suspensions and bowl bans. They get to be called “thugs” while the adults in suits get to move on with their lives. They took the bullet for the entire program.

But there was a payoff to that approach. It did achieve the desired effect. The sanctions ended up being of the temporary variety, missing bowl games, and not long-term, mass scholarship losses. This is precisely why the current state of the program is so appalling. There are other programs dealing with much heavier scholarship restrictions performing much better. We’ve navigated the NCAA waters in such a way to limit impact. We cannot then claim victimization as causation of poor performance.

There are other layers here.

First is the contract itself. That contract extension was signed when the school flatly panicked at the height of the scandal. It was silly at the time, especially announcing it during a loss to a horrible Boston College team, but is now a catastrophic mistake. I understand that finances play a major role in any decision, and replacing Golden with someone else will be very costly short-term. From a finance only perspective it makes no sense.

Second is your impending retirement. There is definitely an urge to not make a major decision this late in your presidency. And that is not without merit. You would be making a major financial decision that the incoming president will have to deal with.

Those are complications, but shouldn’t cloud the real purpose of any university, which is to do right by the school’s students. Can anyone argue that it is actually in the student-athlete’s best interest to keep Al Golden for another year?

Yes, replacing Golden will be expensive. Whose fault is that? The student-athletes didn’t sign that contract, you did. Now you should pay to get out of it.

Yes, this is not the point in your tenure when you want to make a major decision. But we can’t choose when a crisis arrives. That’s why it is a crisis. The mark of true leadership is dealing with said crisis, even when it is poorly timed, especially when it is poorly timed.

Fans are certainly irrational. No good organization should ever just bend to their whim. But that’s not what’s happening here. Al Golden’s predecessor was dismissed for having the exact same job performance. All that is being asked is that you remain true to your own standard, that you remain consistent with what was done in the past, that you do not lower the standards of something that is so important to so many people on your way out the door. This is not irrational, it is enforcing the precedent that you set.

And it’s about avoiding what is likely to be an ugly scene next year. You’ll be long gone, with a new president in place when the 2015 season rolls around. But the players? They’ll receive continued poor instruction, they’ll have to operate in a hopeless, vitriolic environment. They’ve been through enough. Knowingly putting them through that is unconscionable.

When you gave an inspiring commencement speech at the American University of Beirut in 2012, you quoted President Harry Truman:

Individuals make history and not the other way around. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.

You are our leader. You have the opportunity to change things for the better. To salvage this situation. To salvage several student-athlete’s collegiate experience. To prevent what is likely to be a calamity next year. We only ask that you live up to the standard with which you’ve lead this school for 13 years, that you deliver on the promise to do right by students, and that you deliver on the same leadership axiom with which you charged those students in Beirut.

Replacing Al Golden will not be painless, but it will be in the student-athlete’s best interest. It’s about time someone else took a financial hit, took a reputation hit, was put in an uncomfortable situation so that the student-athlete’s are better off. They’ve taken enough punches for us. Let’s take one for them.

http://mancave.cbslocal.com/2014/12/28/an-open-letter-to-president-donna-shalala/

[86Cane]

and they're just leading you down the primrose path.

Posted by: 1mg of Epi | December 29, 2014 at 07:59 AM

Make it a gardenia path and I'll take it! LOL

[86Cane]

Epi...the bottom line is that is a MUCH more complicated situation than just saying: "The AD should just fire the head football coach."

U greatly oversimplify the mechanics of such a move and the fiscal implications that it entails. IJS

[Go Canes]

Lol /\/\

[UMike]

Crazy there isnt some sort of performance clause in the contract that lowers the buyout amount greatly if you have a losing season... what kind of cluster did the school get themselves into lol...guy goes 6-7, losing to bad to average teams and is assured another year without any fear of losing his job... seems a bit one-sided

[1mg of Epi]

Soup.. I never said the AD should do anything. He has no power and I don't believe he likes the situation any more than we do. Nobody who aspires to be an AD at a major football school wants to be 6-7. If he could do anything he would. Not did I suggest a move could be made by any one person.

My sole point was that the money exists to pay the buyout. That's it.

[TonyCane]

VA Cane...with respect I have to think that despite the spin he and others put out publically, there is no satisfaction by Golden or anyone else there. It's just spin for the benefit of appearance and recruiting. Public relations. Behind the scenes, he and everyone else should be furious and reevaluating everything that they currently do. Any normal organization would do this.

[raizecane]

Here is another way to look at how pathetic Miami is. And I am going to use Penn State as the example. 1st year coach (Frankin) takes over a program that was in a much worse situation than Miami.

PSU finished the season with 8 wins which also includes a bowl win. That coaching staff has done more with the limited roster than Golden has done in 4 years at Miami.

This coaching staff has got to go......period.

[UMike]

raize.. i was thinking the same thing when I saw Penn State won their bowl game... they had REAL sanctions, have tons of players leave the program and yet a guy walks in and wins a bowl game... we are just a sad program right now.

[Old Skool]

What might be equally as effective as writing Blake or Donna might be sending them Glade Air Fresheners to remove the stink of defeat and help cover the rotting smell of the football program

[UMike]

Its also amazing to me that our players are not taught some of he simplest things....for example, our DB's NEVER, and I mean NEVER turn their head around to make a play on the ball, or just turn their head around period. DB's do this shyt in optimist ball lol...There was a play in the bowl game where USCe was in the Wildcat with the QB split out to WR. The DB covering him was 8 yards off the ball and still backpedaled before the snap.

[1mg of Epi]

From CIS

Duke Johnsons mom just said...
"If these kids could transfer and not have to sit out a year, most of the kids would ask for a transfer ".

Wow.
GOD SAVE UM FOOTBALL

[USAFCane]

All I can say is I'm sad. The program is sunk and it simply comes down to dollars. There isn't any other reason to keep this staff. USC, UT, Michigan, uf and others did what was required.

[SinisterCane]

Lol /\/\

Posted by: Go Canes | December 29, 2014 at 08:31 AM

6-7 and your LOL is like Golden being excited about the progress his defense made this year coming off a 6-7 season

[360Cane]

U greatly oversimplify the mechanics of such a move and the fiscal implications that it entails. IJS

Posted by: 86Cane | December 29, 2014 at 08:25 AM

That's all we need Soup. More excuses. ;-)

[360Cane]

They're just not in it to win it and continue to milk the blind. They're starting to sound like Enron execs, am I right?

[30CINCO]

This bowl game was a replica of the season.

Duke does what he does, offense stalls too many times, defense cant get stops on 3rd down, get close enough to almost win, only to lose it in the 4th quarter.

I'm DONE, not watching another Canes game the rest of this year!

[TonyCane]

She said that? Wow.

[SinisterCane]

Duke's mom

"If these kids could transfer and not have to sit out a year, most of the kids would ask for a transfer ".

[Ohio_Cane]

Duke Johnsons mom just said...
"If these kids could transfer and not have to sit out a year, most of the kids would ask for a transfer ".

Wow.
GOD SAVE UM FOOTBALL

Posted by: 1mg of Epi | December 29, 2014 at 08:55 AM
-------------------------------------------

She really said this, too. Wow. U know it's bad when parents like Duke's mom are talking like this.

[SinisterCane]

The Locker room is completely lost

LOL at that GO CANES

[360Cane]

I knew Duke was done a few games ago. He would not look Goldie in the eye and kept trying to avoid him.

I remember a time when I thought it was the players since I couldn't see anyone get off blocks. Nah, they're actually coached that way. :-/

[Ohio_Cane]

Here... For those who don't believe Duke's mom actually said it.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s291/wes02/Caneswow.jpg

[1mg of Epi]

Posted by: 30CINCO | December 29, 2014 at 09:22 AM

Lol nice!!

[Go Canes]

Is that supposedly her Twitter page?

Because it's not.

Her Twitter is Cassandra Mitchell@raisingacane.

[Ohio_Cane]

Go, that's her facebook.

Here: https://www.facebook.com/cassandra.prophetmitchell?fref=ts

[Ohio_Cane]

It's from a facebook fan page for Canes

[Go Canes]

Is that supposed to be Duke's mom's Twitter page?

Because it's not.

[The Process]

Is that supposed to be Duke's mom's Twitter page?

Because it's not.

Posted by: Go Canes | December 29, 2014 at 09:55 AM

It's from a facebook fan page for Canes

Posted by: Ohio_Cane | December 29, 2014 at 09:53 AM

[Go Canes]

I would be shocked if thats really her.

[CaneRock]

Ma'Duke didn't want Duke to go to UM, She wanted Him to go to Bama'.

[UMike]

Of course you would be shocked smh

[UMike]

is it really that shocking that a players mom would say kids would transfer from a team getting worse each game/year if they didnt have to sit out? I bet if the comment was praising Golden you would of shared it like the others without and "shock"

[1mg of Epi]

It's her

[Go Canes]

Yeah, that's why I'd be shocked.

You nailed it.

[1mg of Epi]

At least according to the people who are in the group w her

[SinisterCane]

Posted by: Go Canes | December 29, 2014 at 09:59 AM

^^^^
LOL

[trianglecane]

One more goldie year I guess, then we can move on, I hope. Sucks what Dukes mom said, but Im pretty sure this isn't sour grapes. Outside of what the fans see ( empty rhetoric), goldie must truly have some issues, besides no d.

[360Cane]

I envy Michigan right now. Maybe the students in Coral Gables should protest as did the students in Ann Arbor.

[CaneRock]

Well damn:

Braxton Miller to Florida State?

Why not?

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher is emerging as one of the top college quarterback coaches in the country.

He has had eight quarterbacks drafted to the NFL since 2001, and 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston is considered one of the top overall selections if the redshirt junior declares for the 2015 NFL Draft as expected.

Miller, meanwhile, is expected to leave Ohio State.

The two-time Big Ten Player of the Year can transfer to any school, without sitting out a year, because he earned his diploma this month at Ohio State, a semester early.

Miller in Garnet & Gold?

Why not?

A shoulder injury in August ended Miller's season. The preseason Heisman candidate was replaced by J.T. Barrett, who went from a relative unknown to a Heisman Trophy candidate (his 34 passing touchdowns are an Ohio State record) before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the regular season finale against Michigan.

Cardale Jones stepped in and led the Buckeyes past Wisconsin in the Big 10 title game, landing them the fourth seed in the College Football Playoff.

Two is company but three's a crowd and Miller, who is saying all the right things about returning to Ohio State for a fifth season, is the odd man out. This is more about performance than loyalty.

Speculation abounds where Miller might be the best fit, from Alabama to Oregon to Florida to Texas.

Why not Florida State?

Miller, an established leader, offers plenty of value to a team.

Always considered an elite running threat, Miller has focused to become a more well-rounded quarterback.

Fisher, of course, holds his quarterbacks accountable for everything in his pro-style offense, with a heavy emphasis on technique and fundamentals. And it's not like the cupboard's bare either.

Redshirt sophomore Sean Maguire stepped for a suspended Winston against Clemson and played well.

Freshman John Franklin III and J.J. Cosentino also offer plenty of potential.

With more players joining programs as early enrollees - Clemson, for instance, expects to welcome a program-high 17 players in January - Miller could fit in nicely in Tallahassee in January if there's an opening.

And, of course, mutual interest.

[Go Canes]

She must have added NJ Fla Cane to her name then.

Or she has multiple Facebook pages.

[Ohio_Cane]

I would be shocked if thats really her.

Posted by: Go Canes | December 29, 2014 at 09:59 AM
--------------------------------------

Check her friends list. Tons of current players parents. 98% sure it's her.

[UMike]

Doesnt matter, ANYTHING that is seen as negative towards Golden and/or his lover D'No MUST be defended by Go Canes.

[360Cane]

Go, you think a team that is 4-7 still plays for its coach? A team that is continuously blamed by its coach for losing.

It all starts with me but...

[360Cane]

I'm done. I got better things to do. Y'all have fun dissecting that piece. Just remember, there's nothing left to dissect. []_[]

[AfriCane]

I am shocked that duke's mom said this too. Not to be confused with been shocked that she thinks that. But dukes family r the royalty of coral gables thru his recruitment till now. She's well versed on the culture, politics, internal affairs of the school. She's almost like member of staff if u will. So, her saying that without any regards for the ripple effects that it would have, including to future recruiting, is not in conformity with the state woman persona that is attributed to her. Etiquette demands that she should wait until at least after the 2015 recruiting class r in the bag.
That is all!

[UMike]

Nigerian...I can agree with that, BUT, after the season her son just went through and whatever else is going on in the locker room (players getting blame etc) it changes things.

[LB]

Hey all,

I've been reading your comments.

Thank you for the support. You all are wonderful people.

I've still made good on my promise and did not watch the bowl game. I also unsubscribed from the UM email blasts.

A few friends and family wanted to know if I'd be interested in them getting me multiple tickets to away games next year. I responded in an emphatic "no."

No chance I'll spend one dime on a program and an administration so willfully stubborn. I've also convinced a few dozen Cane fans to stop spending money on this silly administration. Hopefully, it catches and they get the message.

Cheers.

[LB]

I have zero interest in college football, but I am very interested in such warm and intelligent people like the ones on this site.

Viva la Space.

[AfriCane]

And besides, Duke Johnson could not have had a better carrier anywhere else than he did @ um. He could have had as good a carrier anywhere else but no better. He's been good to & for the U and the U in turn has been good to him and his family. I can only Simmarize that her motive is like us fans; she hates losing.