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No Love for the Upperclassmen????

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I'm excited for this year. I'm fully expecting some disappointment, but also some surprises. 7+ wins and I'll be happy. I say happy because looking at reality that's what we should expect, but everyone knows that anything less than a BCS berth and nobody is really happy.

That said, it's hard to dismiss all these upperclassmen and veteran players. Just because they hadn't done much before now doesn't mean they can't. I truly feel like this year will be a world apart from last year in terms of execution and determination. There's a lot of competition going on and not a lot of entitlement. Lots of kids, new and old, that want playing time and want to make a difference. Not many people just strolling up to practice and expecting greatness because they were recruited, but who expect greatness because they've worked very hard to be better at their job.

Expecting a 4 win season is basically giving up. Duke (the school) eeks out that many wins... you think Miami with all the talent and hard work, plus the underdog factor, can't win more than 4?
 
riceman said:
I'm excited for this year. I'm fully expecting some disappointment, but also some surprises. 7+ wins and I'll be happy. I say happy because looking at reality that's what we should expect, but everyone knows that anything less than a BCS berth and nobody is really happy.

That said, it's hard to dismiss all these upperclassmen and veteran players. Just because they hadn't done much before now doesn't mean they can't. I truly feel like this year will be a world apart from last year in terms of execution and determination. There's a lot of competition going on and not a lot of entitlement. Lots of kids, new and old, that want playing time and want to make a difference. Not many people just strolling up to practice and expecting greatness because they were recruited, but who expect greatness because they've worked very hard to be better at their job.

Expecting a 4 win season is basically giving up. Duke (the school) eeks out that many wins... you think Miami with all the talent and hard work, plus the underdog factor, can't win more than 4?
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Nobody is expecting a 4-win season. I said 4-8 is more likely than 9-3.

In order, I think these are the most likely records.

6-6
7-5
5-7
8-4
4-8
9-3
3-9
10-2

3-9 or worse or 10-2 or better are really unlikely.

How would you have it?
 
I am really looking foward to seeing Shayon play this year.I have seen him play in person in Tifton, Georgia. This guys brings it every down. I think he will play in the league!
 
To the guys that simply say we will "suck" this year b/c are upperclassmen suck..... you guys need to realize that you are judging Seniors based off what they did when they were Juniors and Juniors off what they did when they were sophomores. We need to reserve our judgements of these players until there careers are completely over....

1. Marcus Maxey turned into a beast his last year...

2. Hankerson turned the corner his last two years...

3. Jarrett Payton was a beast his last year....

4. Darnell Jenkins turned into the #1 playmaker on the team his last year...

5. Brock Berlin was a very good QB his last year @ Miami

6. Darryl Sharpton was a very dangerous LB his last year...

7. Sean Taylor was a special teams guy his 1st year, great his second year, and historic his last year.

Note: Sean Taylor definitely wasn't a one hit wonder but I just used him to show that every year a player can improve.


- IMO, Shannon stalled a lot of these guys development, the 1st half of there college football careers... now those players can get the last two w/ a Quality head coach in Al Golden.


- Also Keep in mind that even as "weak" and "soft" and "talentless" as our upperclassmen are..... we lost all of our 6 games, by only 8 points or less, last year.
 
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QB: better
RB: worse (however we might get more production as a position group)
WR: better
TE: better/push (same guys, just more experience)
OL: push (Washington at tackle was a nightmare)
DL: better
LB: push
DB: light years better
 
I just think that we are WAY better at running back than last year. Lamar Miller was a very good running back but he was very inconsistent and the coaches always viewed him as an incomplete running back. No stiff arm and sometimes went down to easily. Mike James was battling injury that whole season and Eduardo Clements was still trying to find a place on the field.

- Last year the coaches were saying that Mike James was really pushing Lamar Miller for the #1 spot when he was healthy. This year Mike James is completely healthy, stronger and even more explosive than he has ever been. There were times that I would confuse him w/ Lamar Miller so I know he has an extra gear he can reach when healthy.

- Eduardo Clements will be a better #2 running back than an unhealthy Mike James was last year.

- Duke Johnson is already a more complete running back than Lamar Miller. He is a game changer that we didn't have at running back at all last year.

I honestly think that we are better at EVERY position on the field than last year, which will equate to a better win total than last year.
 
The loss of Lamar Miller is bad, but no more so than losing Spence and some other key players. I can't remember how many times last year we saw Miller go down over a shoe string tackle, being unable to break first contact. Beginning of the season he looked like a beast, but after the first few games he always seemed to play down to the opponent skill level, not up to his own potential.
 
riceman said:
The loss of Lamar Miller is bad, but no more so than losing Spence and some other key players. I can't remember how many times last year we saw Miller go down over a shoe string tackle, being unable to break first contact. Beginning of the season he looked like a beast, but after the first few games he always seemed to play down to the opponent skill level, not up to his own potential.
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I call Lamar Miller "Mr Softie". Kid's 210lbs and he ran like he was a 175lb scatback. He's made of glass and doesnt have the toughness to be a true workhorse back despite his size. Reminds me of a poor man's Reggie Bush.
 
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If we win 9 games, Golden will be named coach of the year. I'd love to see it, but it won't happen.

My thoughts on where we stand today:

QB: better
RB: Push (James better be ready for a workload because I'm not sure Clements and Duke can carry the load alone, plus one injury away from a big problem at RB)
WR: Worse (Benjamin and Streeter need to be replaced, and until the Green Tree All-Americans step up in games, WR is worse)
TE: push (Dye in the red-zone might be the surprise of the group)
OL: improved (due to experience playing together and better conditioning, even without SH)
DL: marginally better (one or two injuries and we have a huge problem)
LB: better (DP will carry the entire LB crew)
DB: better (Addition by subtraction, but still very unproven group. Expect them to get burned early and often)

IMHO, that adds up to maybe one or two more wins. 8 wins would be a big success. 6-7 are more likely. One or two injuries on either of the lines or at the RB position and we go dangerously into 5 win territory.
 
bomba said:
If we win 9 games, Golden will be named coach of the year. I'd love to see it, but it won't happen.

My thoughts on where we stand today:

QB: better
RB: Push (James better be ready for a workload because I'm not sure Clements and Duke can carry the load alone, plus one injury away from a big problem at RB)
WR: Worse (Benjamin and Streeter need to be replaced, and until the Green Tree All-Americans step up in games, WR is worse)
TE: push (Dye in the red-zone might be the surprise of the group)
OL: improved (due to experience playing together and better conditioning, even without SH)
DL: marginally better (one or two injuries and we have a huge problem)
LB: better (DP will carry the entire LB crew)
DB: better (Addition by subtraction, but still very unproven group. Expect them to get burned early and often)

IMHO, that adds up to maybe one or two more wins. 8 wins would be a big success. 6-7 are more likely. One or two injuries on either of the lines or at the RB position and we go dangerously into 5 win territory.
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Agree with most of that. The defensive improvements will be marginal though. We have no depth in the front 7. Love DP but I dont trust anyone else. I dont get people expecting major contributions from freshmen aside from Howard/Duke/Kirby and holdovers who havent shown anything. Our defense was atrocious last year. This year I expect them to improve to bad with mediocre being the ceiling.
I think Morris is an improvement from Jacory (nothing against jacory, I'm just big on Morris) but we do lose a lot from the skill positions. Lamar Miller was a great player for us, claiming that James and OT will be better is wishful thinking bordering on delusional. The O-line should be a strength but SMH or a freshman in the alternative makes me nervous.
I would be happy with 8 wins. Thrilled with anything more. 6-7 is most likely.
 
zone3cane said:
1st let me give a shout out to Peter Ariz. You are by far the #1 guy to go to when it comes to given real updates and information on the Miami football team. The MiamiHerald is to busy asking dumb@ss questions for them to actually have good info so this site is definitely top dog.

Alright now back on topic:

IMO, it seems like a lot of Cane fans, not just here, but all over the web, really dont have confidence in our upperclassmen. Some of you simply dog them by saying their "Shannon's recruits" as if Golden wouldn't have wanted these guys. These guys made Al Golden's cut the ones that didn't make it are the ones that we should label as "Shannon's left overs."

Regardless we seem to only care about what our freshman our doing in practice.... which is cool to me but I also feel like their are certain veteran guys on this team that will make significant strides this year and play major roles on this team. Our freshman will not be the reason we win the Coastal this year. Which I think we will win.... it will be these guys.

1. Mike James - He has always hovered around the 220 lb weight, but it seems like we have failed to realize how different this guy looks physically this year..... It was hard to notice that he was 220 lbs last year but now he looks like a Tank in a uniform. He is definitely poised for a major break out year IMO.

2. Eduardo Clements - I think Eduardo will be the reason Duke doesn't sniff 100 carries this year. His potential is being overlooked b/c he is squeezed between James and Duke, but he is probably the toughest RB we have. Remember he is a Miami kid 2, so he has that same confidence as the other Miami natives on the team.

3. Allen Hurns - It seems that people just think he is a possession wide receiver, but that pass he caught against V. Tech in the endzone behind showed me he can definitely be a playmaker for us this year.

4. Shayon Green - I honestly think, he can be better than Chickillo, if he can stay HEALTHY. That is his only knock, but this kid looks like a freak of nature. He looks like a smaller Allen Bailey.

5. Ramon Buchanon & Jimmy Gaines - J. Gaines is 6'3" 232 lbs and Cookie is 6'1 228.... I don't remember the last time Miami has had linebackers this big on the outside. Gaines is a very smart and solid linebacker and Ramon is an athletic Freak of nature.... It's been a while since I can honestly say that our linebacker unit wont just be one linebacker making plays w/ a bunch of scrubs on the side. Gaines, Buchanon, and Perryman will be a very serious threat to teams health and safety next year.

6. Curtis Porter - Honestly, I think we would have won more games, last year, if he was on the field. I literally saw this man blow up the USF line w/ one hand last year. If he can meet the challenge that the coaching staff has given him this camp, he will be the guy that Golden was hoping would seperate themselves from the pack.

7. Brandon McGee - He gets a lot of criticism.... But late last year, I really saw someone that can really be a potential lockdown cornerback. Now he might not be the kind thats going to have a lot of interceptions but I think he can blanket a receiver and make it difficult for a QB to try his side of the field. I definitely would trust him, right now, over Tracy Howard. You can't teach experience, and McGee is more athletic, at this point, as well.

note: Let me also say, last year he looked very weak and I understood why Coach D couldn't use press coverage w/ him and #41... Not anymore, this guy looks like he is 200 lbs and has guns for arms now. I expect him to really look and play the part this year at Cornerback.

8. Kacy Rodgers II - It's pretty obvious to say speed and quickness has been missing @ the safety position. Last year he wasn't ready physically or mentally. But this year this guy looks completely different and according to Coach Williams he hasn't "blinked" yet when it comes to being the guy @ the Free Safety position. I trust that this time around he won't freeze up when he gets into position to make a play.

9. Stephen Morris - I think this guy is definitely ready to be a leader..... I think the main thing that he will bring to the table that Harris didn't was his dual threat ability. Their won't be any hesitation to use his feet to make plays if he feels thats what he has to do. Jacory was so indecisive at running that I couldn't take it sometimes. Their were many times that our QB could have just ran the ball for big gains but Jacory just didn't want to do that for some reason.


I think when you look at the job Golden has done @ Temple as far as developing talent... I dont understand why we cant just accept the fact that Golden will turn all of these guys into better players for us. IMO it wasn't these players lack of talent that was the issue, it was Shannon's inability to run an effective College Football program.

Although our team has a lot of youngsters, we also have the perfect mixture of veterans at key positions that will allow us the opportunity to win a lot of games this year and surprise a lot of people.
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Slurping on a lot of dudes ****s who you trash now. Rough man. You seem like a giant *****.
 
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