Good riddance. First off, I don't want anyone playing for the U that doesn't want to be there. No idea what he's seeing (beyond playing time, which was promised to him by...?) but clearly the U is on the rise and ND is going nowhere fast. Really wild he would commit to the program without having any idea what the coaching staff will look like. I'd be willing to bet he tries to switch back to the U but Randy won't have any of it.

All - I love beating up on UF just as much as the next guy, but if you want to talk about NFL relevance they're not even in the discussion with Miami. It's Emmitt Smith and no one else, and while I'll recognize his accomplishments, NO ONE that knows anything about football will put him as the best all-time RB. There are very few schools who can attempt to argue NFL dominance vs. the U (and we're always going to win) but UF Community College is barely relevant in the NFL. Didn't see a mention of the only school to have alums score the first TWO TD's in the Super Bowl either (Hester and Wayne). NFL U

Anyone know if this weekend's game is available online?

ChicagoCane - It must be a Northern thing, because I made all of the exact same points yesterday. I guess these wannabe 'Canes fans expect us to bring in a class and have every single player ready to win all their games as freshmen. Apparently it's very difficult to realize that star ratings are highly susceptible to error at best, which is why there's typically such great variety between ratings services. Nice to see someone with a brain making an intelligent analysis. Go 'Canes!

Caneiac - More info? What's your source? Lot's of us (myself included) think he's the silent commit.

I'm not from New York and don't have an accent. That's real sharp though, are you going to call me a doodoo-head next? I guess maybe that Keystone Light was a little premature. Keep trying and maybe some day you'll be able to be an adult who can participate in intelligent conversation. Until then, the wheels on the bus go round and round.

Very intelligent observation Green. Please pat yourself on the back, and go ahead and take the rest of the day off from driving the school bus. Heck, you can even go home, enjoy yourself a frosty Keystone Light and have yourself a nice dip of that Skoal. You earned it. I'm sure you're proving your wife and kids that you'll make it out of the trailor one of these days.

Junkie - You make fair points but I'm not sure I completely agree. Well yes, I agree we shouldn't be seeking to "rebuild the 2001 'Canes," I think it's unfair to look to college football evolving as the issue. We're not talking about distant history here. Also, if you're going to use the "college football is evolving" argument, then you can't expect to have the same success going forward as we've had in the past. I agree that talent alone will not allow a team to be consistently dominant, but it still wins games the majority of the time in D1 (yes, D1, screw this FCS crap). Pointing to Sharpton and Shields is unfair because they're Coker's guys. But I'm glad you point out Shields. The guy was a disaster with tons of attitude issues until Shannon took over. At that point he was WAY behind the curve in developing, but now he has the right attitude, is playing where he's told, and is contributing. I'll note that he's my least favorite player on the roster because his technique is atrocious. Lots of people will point to Brown but he's ONE guy. The star system doesn't always get it right and I'm glad we don't solely use that to recruit anymore. But let's look at the talent that Shannon has brought in and the impact they've made: All of the Northwestern guys who have got playing time have contributed in MAJOR ways as freshmen/sophomores. Mike James is a stud in the making. Same for Olivier Vernon. All I'm saying here is look at Butch Davis. He was 5-7 in his third year and you would without any doubt be calling for his head in the same way right now (NCAA sanctions or not). Shannon is following the same blueprint Davis laid out and is 6-2 in his third year, and really should get a complete pass on his first year. Do you really think we'll lose the rest of our games and not make a bowl? All I'm saying is take a good look at what he's done from what he started with. If Randy is still putting together lackluster teams and mediocre season in another two years, then he's not the right guy for the job. But remember, this is the same guy who coached the 2001 and 2002 defenses. As fans and alums, we owe our support to a man who was part of (and materially contributed to) THREE national titles at the U.

Junkie - It has to do with the fact that, as an alum, I would expect you have seen and taken note of the history of this Miami program. Coming from someone who has followed this program closely for 20 years, I see the significant parallels to the 1999 team. I see Shannon recruiting local players that are athletes first, and proven winners. I see Shannon creating a team first mentality with a locker room that polices itself. Shannon is a coach who embraces competition whereas Coker would have just given the starting job to the most senior player. These characteristics are hallmarks of the successful UM teams of the past. Additionally, I see 18 and 19 year-old KIDS making big plays in big games. I see a lack of senior leadership in a BIG way. I see more starters out to injury than any 'Cane team I can remember. Wake may have looked like the Saints on us and I'm not sitting here saying we look incredible or there's not work to be done. The bottom line is we won that game (from a 17-0 deficit) where any team from the last 5 years would have lost. Those were Coker's kids. These are Shannon's kids. Do you not remember the 2001 'Canes, one of the greatest teams of all-time, needing a MIRACLE to beat an unranked Boston College? Good teams don't win all their games. Great teams have close calls against inferior opponents. I've sat and watched Shannon take over a complete mess at Miami and make it start to show simliarities to great teams of old. I have a ton of faith in Randy because he's been there and done that, and understands what makes Miami the program that it is.

Agreed that injuries/lack of depth are by far the anchor of this team. To those out there looking to lack of conditioning as a cause for the injuries, I think that hypothesis is misguided at best. There's a reason why NFL superstars come back to the U to train with Swasey year after year. The issue is much more likely a product of young bodies simply not being adjusted to the rigors of big-time college football. Right now we're REALLY struggling on the lines, due to lack of depth and injuries. Protection on the OL hasn't been great for a few games and the DL is getting NO PUSH at all. I think Lovett was a questionable hire and has proven to be a weak link on the coaching staff. I don't want to say it due to turnover the last few years but I think he needs to go at year end. Ditto for Pannunzio. After reading the interview with him (I think on the Herald) from a few weeks back, I'm really not a fan of this guy.

If there is a God, I REALLY doubt he's a 'Canes fan. Seriously, I never understood players thanking God for the ball bouncing their way. Does that mean that God plays favorites? I doubt it. Shandel - Love the use of the South Park version of God. Really nice touch.

To the idiots who want to fire Randy, what do you want? The man is 6-2 with over half the starting lineup consisting of underclassmen and a rash of injuries to starters. Are you alums? If so I doubt you paid much attention while you were in school, if not, please go root for the Dolphins. Manny - I love what you do, but PLEASE PROOFREAD. You are a professional writer and I constantly see incorrect usage of "their," "there," or "they're," amongst many other fundamental grammatical errors. From the Troubling Signs section: "...and Tervaris Johnson have been virtually silent (1-2, 1 TD) have seen fewer balls come there way over the last four games." These are things everyone with a basic education should know without fail by age 10.