Canes 2011 Football Schedule

While national signing day just passed, and the regular season is still months away, it’s never too early to look ahead to the Canes season.  The schedule has been released and it’s tough!  Miami does catch a break from the original talk that they’d open the season at Florida State or Virginia Tech.  While kicking off the season on Labor Day at Maryland is no easy task, it certainly beats opening up in Tallahassee or Blacksburg.  Here’s the complete schedule:

Sept. 5             at Maryland (Monday), ESPN, 8 pm                          

Sept. 10           OPEN

Sept. 17           OHIO STATE

Sept. 24           KANSAS STATE

Oct. 1              BETHUNE-COOKMAN

Oct. 8              at Virginia Tech

Oct. 15            at North Carolina

Oct. 22            GEORGIA TECH

Oct. 27            VIRGINIA (Thursday), ESPN, 8 pm

Nov. 5              DUKE

Nov. 12            at Florida State

Nov. 19            at USF

Nov. 26            BOSTON COLLEGE

Dec. 3              ACC Championship Game (Charlotte, N.C.), ESPN

Again, the good news is they’ll open at Maryland and not FSU or Va Tech, and they’ll get a bye week before Ohio State at home.  That said, the stretch of games from Ohio State on is brutal, even with an easy win against Bethune-Cookman squeezed in.  Back-to-back visits to Virginia Tech and North Carolina will be tough.  3 very winnable home games follow, but the annual showdown against rival Florida State is looming in mid-November this year.  Simply put, we knew Al Golden had a tough road ahead in his first season at UM, and the schedule certainly isn’t doing him any favors.

Significance of Signing Day

The Seminoles are number one.  Didn’t you hear?  Some guys who watch video of 17 and 18-year-old kids play high school football all day are telling us that FSU had the top recruiting class.  How about the Gators?  They’re in the Top 5.  Finally, what about Al Golden in his first UM class?  Well, he did a great job too, considering he took the job in December.  These are all things we’re being told today on the college football holiday known as “National Signing Day.”  Of course, all of this doesn’t mean a single thing, and history has proven that plenty of times.

While young men make the vital decision of where they’ll go to college, ESPN is devoting countless hours to covering press conferences, while blogs, twitter, etc. are overflowing with who committed and de-committed.  Quite frankly, it’s a bit overwhelming.  I’ve never been a fan of all the coverage, but it’s just the day and age we live in.  Meantime, these players now have to adjust to a new life, quality academically and then try to compete with players who are older and more developed than they are.  Sounds easy, huh?

It’s far from easy.  Ask any college player and they’ll tell you the romance ends the second signing day ends.  Anyone wonder how Jacory Harris feels now about the love and attention he got just a few years ago?  All of those phone calls from coaches and text messages from recruiting sites come to an end.  Now it’s time to really work.  Now it’s time to see who really develops into a top class.  Just 3 years ago, we were told by ESPN, the same network that does marathon coverage of the day, that the Canes had the top class in the country.  That also happens to be the class that never panned out and got Randy Shannon fired.  Granted, those players are now seniors and may vindicate themselves a bit under Golden’s regime, but you get the point.

Don’t get me wrong, signing day is important to the players and universities.  It is a time for everyone to get better.  That’s not a question.  Yet, with all the attention these players get, it’s easy to see why so many of them grow up to feel entitled.  I don’t blame them.  This is a storm created by the media and internet.  I look at signing day like I always have.  I congratulate the players and wish them the best.  It’s a tough decision, and it’s something that’ll help determine the rest of their lives.  Forget the hat switches, props and live press conferences.  Now is when I start paying attention.  Let’s see how they hit the books, hit the practice field and develop mentally and physically.  Then, in about 3 years, we’ll see who really had the top class.

Bowl Games for Florida Schools…

All the D-1 state schools will play in a bowl game, except FAU:

Miami-Notre Dame in Sun Bowl

FIU-Toledo in Little Ceasars Bowl

Florida-Penn State in Outback Bowl

FSU-South Carolina in Chick-Fila Bowl

UCF-Georgia in Liberty Bowl

USF-Clemson in Meineke Car Care Bowl

What’s Wrong with the U?

I’ve been away from the blog for a few days, and quite honestly, it was for a number of reasons.  I’ve been very busy at work on upcoming projects, but that’s no excuse.  The real reason is that I can’t get the bad taste out of my mouth after FSU’s domination of Miami.   I wanted to write immediately after the game, but I figured the emotions would lead me to say something stupid.  I wanted to write something earlier in the week, but then I figured I’d just let it go.  Yet, here I am, a couple of days before the Canes next game, and I have to get something off my chest.  It’s pretty simple:  I have no clue what’s going on at the U!

I’ve received dozens of angry e-mails, Facebook messages and tweets from fans who want to point the finger of blame at coach Randy Shannon and quarterback Jacory Harris.  I understand the frustration.  I’m also tired of Harris throwing bad passes and making poor decisions.  I also scratch my head and wonder how Shannon could let his team come out so flat.  I have to admit, I’ve lost faith in Shannon as a coach and motivator right now.  Shannon has been described as a master recruiter, but many have wondered about his coaching.  I’m starting to wonder about his recruiting, as well.  Did we overestimate the talent?  I want to say no, but former Canes coach Jimmy Johnson has said many times that to be a good coach in college you just need to have talented players.  I agree with that statement.  Larry Coker won a national championship coaching one of the most talented teams in college football history.  Is Coker a good coach?

All of these questions and concerns might be seen as overreacting following an ugly loss.  Maybe I’m just being a typical fan and I’ll be back on the bandwagon with a couple of wins.  That could be the case.  Still, I know I’m not alone in feeling this way.  I get to work alongside former Canes linebacker Dan Morgan on UM’s pregame radio show on WQAM.   He shared some of his frustrations with me following the game, and I know he’s not the only alum who feels the same way.  This is a very proud program and something has to give.

Now I know why I was so hesitant to write.  Just a week ago, I was dreaming of the Hurricanes in the Top 10 and back to being elite.  Now, I’m just wondering if it was all a pipe dream and I was expecting too much.  That’s what one blow-out loss to your rival at home will do.   I have no idea what to expect next.

Spotlight on Jacory

Jacory Harris was already a well known guy to South Florida sports fans.  He won state titles at Miami Northwestern High School, and he got plenty of playing time last season as a freshman at UM.  If you read this blog, you know I’ve been touting Jacory as a future star at Miami since Day 1.  That said, outside of South Florida, not many people knew much about Harris.  That is, until Monday night.  Harris had a star making performance in Tallahassee.  Now comes the tough part:  keeping up that level of play.

I love the excitement Canes fans have shown since the win at FSU, and in particular excitement about Harris.  Still, Harris is young, and he will have his up’s and down’s.  When it’s all said and done, Jacory will be a Heisman candidate one year before leaving UM.  I just think people are getting ahead of themselves if they think that year is now.  The sophomore QB has the perfect mix of talent and confidence.  He even has a hint of cockiness but still manages to show a humble side.  Again, it’s a perfect mix for a quarterback at a program like Miami.  I think UM fans are in for quite a ride over the next few seasons with Harris as QB, but just don’t forget that he’s young.  The mistakes will come.  Yet, what Harris has proven already is that he knows how to bounce back from those mistakes.  The spotlight is on Jacory Harris now all around the country.  It’s exactly what he was hoping for when he arrived at Coral Gables.

UM-FSU: Instant Classic

Instant Classic!  That’s a term usually said after games in this rivalry, but it really applies after the thriller in Tallahassee on Monday night.  I’ve been telling anyone who would listen how special Jacory Harris is, and he proved how good he can be against the Noles.  Harris was simply the definition of cool under pressure.

Of course, not all was perfect from Miami.  The defense has issues, in particular in the secondary, but for now, Canes fans should just enjoy this amazing win.  Also, enjoy the fact you have your best QB since Ken Dorsey and a real leader on offense.

Canes-Noles Prediction

Well, enough of the talk and hype.  I think anyone who knows me, has watched Channel 10 or listened to me on the radio of late knows exactly how I feel about this game.  I think Miami has more talent than Florida State.  It’s that simple.  I think the game will fall into the hands of Jacory Harris late, and while the Tallahassee crowd will be electric, Harris makes the big plays in the 4th quarter to win it.   Easy enough, right?  Enjoy the game!

• Hurricanes- 27
• Seminoles- 26

 

Let the UM/FSU Hype Begin!

Okay, here we go!  It’s exactly one week from the annual showdown between Miami and Florida State.  The Labor Day match-up is one of the most anticipated games of the year in the state.   I know that both teams aren’t national powerhouses anymore, but this is a huge game in the ACC.  I’ll spend plenty of time breaking down the match-up and of course, making a prediction near the end of the week.  Meantime, enjoy all the hype and trash talking!

Labor Day Rivalry

The annual Miami-Florida state match-up is back on for Labor Day night.  The game was played in primetime on Labor Day for a few seasons, but over the last few years, it has been played in midseason.  It’s a good decision by the schools to bring back the rivalry on this holiday.  It’s great exposure for both universities, as it will be the only game in college or the NFL that night.  You can’t beat that.  This outweighs the fact that both teams will probably be a little rusty, and the loser will have a quick conference loss.