1. Notice how all most of the former Miami Hurricanes players who went public with their frustrated tweets about the 58-0 loss to Clemson on Saturday are middle-aged? Retired from the NFL? Miami’s problems are deeper than the head coach. Firing Al Golden isn’t going to change what ails the ‘Canes. Miami can no longer live on local talent alone, not when that talent is lured away by lavish locker rooms, indoor practice facilities and that most basic of baubles, the big, loud, filled-to-the-top, on-campus stadium. The game has changed, and Miami has given all of college football a 20-year head start.
2. It never ceases to amaze me how coaches never recognize the chance to bow out on top. It speaks of their love of working with young people, and of their addiction to competition. The resignation of Central Florida head coach George O'Leary, 0-8 two seasons after his Knights went 13-1 and upset Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl, is the latest example of staying too long. Bobby Bowden did so at Florida State. Frank Beamer, who has won two-thirds of his games in a 35-year career, has a 25-22 record since 2012. Who left on top? Tom Osborne and Gene Stallings in the mid-1990s. Anyone else?
3. When we write the postmortem of this season, the odds are no one will remember what Pittsburgh did to put away a stubborn Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. With the score tied 20-20, the Panthers put together a 19-play, 89-yard drive that took 9:20 in order to kick a 23-yard field goal as time expired. Pitt converted four third downs and one fourth down -- on a fake punt -- on the inexorable push toward victory. The Panthers will need bigger wins to achieve greatness this season. Back-to-back games versus No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 22 Duke loom ahead. But it’s hard to imagine the Panthers being any more impressive.
LINK:
http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/p...e-miamis-problems-extend-far-beyond-al-golden
2. It never ceases to amaze me how coaches never recognize the chance to bow out on top. It speaks of their love of working with young people, and of their addiction to competition. The resignation of Central Florida head coach George O'Leary, 0-8 two seasons after his Knights went 13-1 and upset Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl, is the latest example of staying too long. Bobby Bowden did so at Florida State. Frank Beamer, who has won two-thirds of his games in a 35-year career, has a 25-22 record since 2012. Who left on top? Tom Osborne and Gene Stallings in the mid-1990s. Anyone else?
3. When we write the postmortem of this season, the odds are no one will remember what Pittsburgh did to put away a stubborn Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. With the score tied 20-20, the Panthers put together a 19-play, 89-yard drive that took 9:20 in order to kick a 23-yard field goal as time expired. Pitt converted four third downs and one fourth down -- on a fake punt -- on the inexorable push toward victory. The Panthers will need bigger wins to achieve greatness this season. Back-to-back games versus No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 22 Duke loom ahead. But it’s hard to imagine the Panthers being any more impressive.
LINK:
http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/p...e-miamis-problems-extend-far-beyond-al-golden
