Greg Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Why Ohio State should stay in CFP top four, Dolphins’ costly win & more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 26): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US LATELY: Our Sunday Hot Button Top 10 had been blog-only but when our blog retired it moved, re-imagined, to online-only. HB10 means what’s on our minds, locally and nationally, but from a Miami perspective and accentuating stuff that’s big, weird, damnable, funny or otherwise worth needling as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead. Welcome to the 39th edition of your Sunday sports-potpourri notes column, the new HB10:
1. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Villains, victors: Michigan tops OSU, all but assures spot in CFP: The NCAA is investigating Michigan for sign-stealing, and the Big Ten suspended coach Jim Harbaugh for three games including Saturday over the same controversy. No matter. Tainted No. 3 Michigan beat arch-rival No. 2 Ohio State 30-24 to reach the conference championship and a near-certain win over 17-Iowa (which has no offense). So get ready for the Michigan Cloud, College Football Playoff.
2. DOLPHINS: Black Friday win has dark cloud with Phillips lost for season: Miami at 8-3 after a 34-13 Black Friday rout at the New York Jets has the Fins riding high with three more very winnable games in a row starting next Sunday at Washington. But the holiday weekend mood was somber as young pass-rush star Jaelan Phillips was lost for the rest of the season to a non-contact Achilles injury. Teammate Jevon Holland called the turf “trash.” Players keep complaining about the dangerous field condition in East Rutherford. Maybe the NFL should start listening, and acting.
3. HEAT: Tuesday must-win vs. Bucks for Miami in dopey In-Season Tournament: Miami is 10-7 with two straight losses after the blown egregious blown lead to the Knicks and then Saturday’s loss to the Nets with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adabayo and Tyler Herro all out injured. Heat host Milwaukee Tuesday needing a win to stay alive in the hyped but complicated and largely meaningless In-Season Tournament. Miami with a victory can win Group B (if Knicks lose) or otherwise still advance with a wild-card.
4. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Ohio State should still be in CFP top four ... but will it?: Georgia stays at No. 1 and Michigan jumps two spots to No. 2 in the next College Football Playoff top four. That seems certain. But then? I’d argue No. 2 Ohio State even after narrow loss at Michigan should still be in it. Washington, Florida State, Oregon and even Texas in that order have a case. (What about us?, says Nick Saban after Alabama’s miracle win.) But none of those are better than Ohio State. Of course the conference title games will be the final arbiter, b ut, for now, the CFP can make a statement it wants the four best teams by still including OSU..
5. HURRICANES: Miami ends regular season 7-5, awaits lower-tier bowl invite: You’d be challenged to call 7-5 a “successful” season for UM, but after 5-7 in Mario Cristobal’s first season, it certainly was an improved one showing clear progress. A bowl win to cap it would greatly held the final estimation, especially considering the Canes are on a 1-10 skid in bowls. UM finds out its invite next Sunday. Nobody knows, but the Sun Bowl in El Paso is a common guess.
6. PANTHERS: At quarter mark of season ... what’s wrong with Matthew Tkachuk?: Florida is weathering some key injuries pretty well at 12-7-1, but two home losses in a row have underlined how much they miss the scoring touch of Matthew Tkachuk, who last year score 40 goals and was an MVP finalists in leading the Panthers into the Stanley Cup Final. Right now? Three goals on a team-leading 86 shots,. or a measly 3.5 percent accuracy. Cats need their big stick back.
7. CANES HOOPS: Unbeaten Miami men, women prepare for first ranked opponents: No. 10-ranked UM is 5-0 after a nice win in that Bahamas tournament, but Jim Larranaga’s guys face their biggest challenge and first ranked foe of the young season Tuesday at No. 16 Kentucky. The should-be-ranked Canes women are 4-0 entering today’s game but face their first ranked opponent Wednesday at No. 25 Mississippi State.
8. BASEBALL: ‘24 HALL BALLOT: 26 PLAYERS, 12 NEWBIES, 1 SLAM DUNK?: Got my BBWWAA Hal of Fame ballot in the mail this week, due back by December 31. It includes 26 players in all, 12 eligible for the first time -- and zero absolute, guaranteed picks. Recall only one made it last year, and barely, Scott Rolen slipping in (arguably deserving, I thought) just 1.3 percent over the required 75. With a ton more research yet to do, my initial reaction is that of the dozen newbies, only Adrian Beltre pops out to me as (likely) first-ballot worthy.
9. COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Egos to blame for LSU’s ongoing mess with Mulkey, Reese: Reigning women’s national champion LSU is 7-1 -- and 4-0 without star player Angel Reese, who was benched in the fourth game and remains out with a bruised ego. She’s pouting. She should be playing. Trouble is, unlikable and sartorially ghastly coach Kim Mulkey’s ego is as big as Reese’s so the childish standoff continues.
10. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Update. Deion Sanders, Colorado end a bowl-less 4-8: And 1-8 in the expiring Pac-12. (R.I.P., by the way.) All that pre- and early-season hype for coach Deion (Prime) Sanders -- where’d it go!? Buffaloes ended on a six-game losing streak with Saturday’s 23-17 defeat at Utah. Colorado vs. Colorado in the Prime Bowl?
Other most recent stuff from me: Dolphins 8-3 as ‘Hail Jevon’ play leads 34-13 Black Friday rout at Jets / Baby steps: Hurricanes end regular season 7-5 with comfy rout at Boston College / NFL Week 12 picks / Purdy good game wins Week 12, Tua regains No. 1 overall in Herald NFL QB rankings / Dolphins offense has owned stage and season -- but defense beat Raiders / Previous HB 10 / And my latest podcast:
