Rumble In The Sloppy Tropics

I suppose we had our hint that we didn't really have to watch last night. But what fun would that have been?

Instead, it was fun not only to watch this game, but to watch the prophecies of young Nigel unfold.

Take into consideration if you will, the crux of Nigel's concern for "The U", written in anticipation of Monday night's game:

"What will happen here is going to be an epic battle of the Me-Firsts versus the Gimme-Gimmies. Everyone, it seems, has been sold on the idea of college football as the minor league of the NFL. I resist that notion...But more and more it appears to me, an outsider, that even the players are drinking that particular Kool-Aid, and what we're left with is Willie Williams demanding playing time now, people immediately referring to receiver Sam Shields as NFL-ready before he's stepped on the field, and the idea of star players staying until their senior season becoming as antiquated an idea as it is in the NBA."

You were more correct than you thought, Nigel. Consider that the running theme of the broadcast (other than the 18,000 camera angles provided by ESPN2 that ranged from everything to the coaches, the quarterbacks, and every hot dog vendor at the Orange Bowl...full circle indeed!") was the NFL readiness of players past and present from these two schools. Arizona Cardinal and former Hurricane Edgerrin James basically confirmed your fears as he was interviewed on ESPN, telling Holly Rowe that when you come to Miami, the mentality is three years and out, and everyone knows that.

But why would this attitude so obviously permeate Miami and not the Seminoles? You'd have to say that it has to have done so. Both teams entered last night's game with the same amount of seniors (fourteen), and at times, Florida State played just as sloppy and disinterested as Miami did.

I think because, and this was a theme touched on by the College Gameday guys before the game...the 'Noles had a little (maybe a lot) more pride than the U. Maybe Drew Weatherford is a "dud" as you say, Nigel. But he looked at film at all of his interceptions and realized that he made some horrible decisions. Last night, he made great decisions despite his 50 percent completion rate, and his only interception came on a great read by Brandon Meriweather.

And Gary Cismesia might be cursed. But after the horrifying events against Penn State in January's Orange Bowl, last night was set up for Wide Right IV. Perhaps if the winning kick had happened closer to the end of the game, we would have gotten our sequel. But Cismesia was two for two and while the memories of kicking debacles past haven't completely been forgotten, he certainly shoveled a little dirt on them.

Miami, meanwhile, was sloppy. The largest load of that was due to the excellent halftime adjustments made by Bobby Bowden and his coaching staff, keeping Kyle Wright on the run during the entire second half. Anthony Wollschlager's snap to an under center Wright while Wright was actually in the shotgun showed how rattled the FSU "D" made an impotent 'Cane offense in quarters three and four.

So last night was how Miami responded to getting waxed 40-3 by LSU. That's not good news for fans of the 'Canes. For the 'Canes themselves? For the ones who enrolled in the Miami program as an NFL minor league rather than a major college program? Is it good news for them? I'm not the one to speculate on that.

I'm sure someone will.