Monday Musings: Bye week happenings

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTT’SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

And it’s finally a game week again. Man, having a bye week after a loss really, really sucks. It’s even worse when it’s after your first loss of the year. It’s the absolute worst when it’s your first loss of the year to a team you just can’t find a way to beat in almost any given year, it feels like (this could be a Georgia Tech or UNC scheduled comment).

But alas, it’s time to flush that awful turd of a game and move on to the matter at hand: the Wake Forest Deamon Deacons come to Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday for the Canes’ senior day.

So, let’s get to it and see what Miami Hurricanes-related thoughts are rattling around in my mind…

1) It wasn’t a bad overall day on Saturday for Miami. However, their best win is going out the window after Louisville blew the game in the most ridiculous of ways at Stanford.

Seriously, did you all see how that happened? Louisville, who led 35-21 in the fourth quarter, had the ball at the Stanford 45-yard line 4th and 10 in a tie game with about seconds left. They went for it and failed, leaving 4 seconds left on the clock from the 45.

Instead of kneeling, Stanford threw a one-yard pass with the receiver going out of bounds with 1 second left. Suddenly a flag flies, and a Louisville player got an unsportsmanlike penalty. That put the Cardinal in range to try a 57-yard field goal. Well, just to give Stanford a little bit more room, a Cardinals player run unabated to the holder and was flagged for offsides. From 52 yards out, the Stanford kicker split the uprights. I don’t think it would have had the distance from 57. Stanford 38, Louisville 35. Yikes.

Fortunately for Miami, ranked wins, etc. don’t matter now. There’s no dog and pony show they have to have in order to make the playoff. Miami either has to win three in a row, or they’re not going to be in the playoff.

2) There was some good news to be had. BYU fell to 4-6 Kansas 17-13.

BYU was ranked ahead of Miami in the most recent college football playoff as the projected Big 12 champion. That will surely change now after a brutal loss for their resume. That means that if they and Miami all win out, the Canes would likely be looking at the 3 seed instead of the 4. That matters. A team like Ohio State or Georgia at 5 could be a vastly different matchup than say, perhaps, Penn State or Notre Dame at 6.

Canes have a mega challenge ahead just to get to Charlotte and claim their first ever ACC title. But if they do, that could end up being a relevant occurrence in Provo.

3) Oh, and I was told that Florida is terrible, and that win by Miami isn’t really at all impressive.

41-17 in the Swamp doesn’t look quite as ho-hum anymore after the Gators convincingly defeated LSU there on Saturday night.

4) ESPN/ABC actually put this up during their broadcast of Tennessee-Georgia on Saturday night.

I can’t even, man. Tell me that the networks don’t have agendas and aren’t trying to promote or sell teams, leagues, and now even players. They do, and it’s gross. Not including Cam Ward on this list is flat-out ridiculous and insulting to the incredible season the young man has put together.

Be way, WAY better than this, ESPN/ABC.

5) Oh yeah, the Canes host Wake Forest at noon on Saturday.

Enough of my soapbox. Miami actually has a game. I almost don’t care what happens on the offensive side of the ball, at least to a degree. I know the Canes can run the ball (which they damned well should have done more in Atlanta, but I digress) and put points on the board on Saturday. I don’t know if they’ve learned a damn thing over the bye week to help turn the tide for a defense that’s going to possibly cost this team a shot at making the playoff.

Mario said today that Damari Brown is a game time decision. That gives me hope. Plugging him into a secondary that’s been bad outside of OJ Frederique, Jr. can only be a good thing at this point.

I just hope they have figured out a way to get better play from their linebackers and safeties going forward, particularly in the passing game for the former. Whether that’s scheming to account for weaknesses, coaching Kiko, Mish, etc. up better in certain areas, whatever. It. Has. To. Be. Better. Going. Forward.

Wake’s Hank Bachmeier, who left the Deacons’ loss to UNC with a shoulder injury sounds like he’ll be ready to go. He’s a decent player, one who can push the ball down the field if Miami is off its game.

It’ll be a good test for if this defense truly learned anything over the bye. Struggle with Bachmeier – who Cal intercepted three times a couple of weeks ago – and the Wake offense, and I pretty much know how the rest of this year is going to go regardless of if Miami outscores Syracuse and makes it to Charlotte.

It’s time to stop wasting a potentially special year, Lance Guidry. Get this mess figured out quickly.

Go Canes!