Monday Musings: Will the Canes go bowling with their starters?

It’s Monday.

Yeah, I still don’t have it in me. Let’s just get to it.

1) As I noted in my piece yesterday, the Canes are in the Pop Tarts Bowl, which continues the Canes’ long recent tradition of playing in Camping World Stadium in late December in a game with little on the line.

And it’s against an Iowa State team that got handled authoritatively in the Big 12 title game. Not exactly the sexiest matchup, but it’s an opponent that Miami is more than capable of beating – if they show up.

2) Hold the phone! They might actually be showing up though!

According to a Face Time call that was posted online, Cam Ward talks about playing in the bowl game.

I’ve got to say, that would be pretty damned cool to see. Watching Ward and this offense has been special, as much fun as I’ve had watching Miami football in quite a while. One more go in a Canes uniform would be appointment television and meaningful.

It also looks like RB Damien Martinez would be in all well:

You have to think that, if Ward is going to go, that’s going to get some other guys who might otherwise have opted out to decide to play as well. We’ll see in the coming days, but you have to like the chances of that happening.

3) I’m still annoyed by the playoff. Always will be. However, Miami still has a chance at winning a bowl game (an EXTREMELY rare event) and reaching 11 wins for the first time since 2002.

I’d also imagine a top 10 spot in the polls is also a possibility. That stuff matters. That would indeed represent significant progress forward.

Yeah, I know. It was ACC title or bust this year. It was playoff or bust this year. It had to be, and it wasn’t. I’m trying to find something to hang my hat on, and 11 wins with a bowl win is something I’m more willing to accept today, December 9, than I was a week or so ago.

4) It looks like it’s going to be another very gross basketball season in Coral Gables.

I haven’t seen as much hoops as I’d like this year for a multitude of reasons, but I did tune in to the end of the Clemson game just in time to see the offense get stifled down the stretch in a 65-55 loss.

That’s the team’s sixth straight loss, which includes stumbles against Drake, VCU, and Charlston freaking Southern (!!!). At 3-6, and facing the #1 Tennessee Vols on Tuesday night in New York, this team is on the fast track to the ACC cellar this season absent some kind of sea change that I don’t see coming.

How far this program has fallen since April 2023. Oh well. Banners hang forever. Coach L managed to figure it out and turn the program from an also-ran to back-to-back seasons in the Elite Eight and then the Final Four. I hope he can start to take the steps to do that again after this season. He’s earned some goodwill from those two years, at least in my book.

For now, buckle up. It’s going to be rough.

Go Canes!