Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Canes score huge win, Messi re-ups, Fins flail and more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (SEPTEMBER 21): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Hurricanes have their way with Gators, Fins fall to 0-3, Messi re-ups with Inter Miami, Marlins stay hot, Panthers/Heat without stars to start season and more. Welcome to the 119th edition of HB10, bringing you what’s on our minds from a Miami lens and accentuating stuff that’s big, weird, damnable, funny or worth needling as the sports week past pivots to the week ahead:
1. HURRICANES: UM shows championship potential in win over Gators: The now 4-0, now No. 2-ranked Hurricanes dispatched Florida 26-7 in the rain at Hard Rock Stadium Saturday night, sending Gators coach Billy Napier a step closer to the firing line. UM showed balance, winning with big defense and a big ground game on a night when Heisman-hopeful QB Carson Beck did not play great. Miami enjoys a bye now then faces No. 7 Florida State in Tallahassee in two weeks.
2. DOLPHINS: Clear progress from 1st game to 3rd ... but 0-3 is 0-3: No style points in NFL. No moral victories or ribbons for a good try, and close doesn’t count. Reasonable fans have seen Miami progress from a nightmare opener at Indy to much-improved vs. New England to season’s best performance by far Thursday night in 31-21 loss at Buffalo. But those same reasonable fans might also say, “0-3. ‘Nuff said.” Fins are off ‘til hosting Jets Sept. 29 and then playing at Panthers. The chance for a jump to 2-3 is there. Heat under coach Mike McDaniel may have cooled a bit but he may need those two straight wins to save him.
3. INTER MIAMI: Seismic! Messi agrees to contract extension, then leads comeback win: Lionel Messi agreeing on a two-year contract extension with Inter Miami is huge for the club and for MLS and would be No. 1 on our HB10, except it was fully expected. Still, the verification assures Messi will lead the team in 2026 as it christens new Miami Freedom Park, while simultaneously playing for Argentina in the ‘26 World Cup with Miami among host cities. Messi’s goal powered a 3-1 revneg win over Seattle and Saturday scored twiceto lead a 3-2 league win over D.C. United, bolstering playoff position.
4. MARLINS: Red-hot Fish win fifth straight on road as season wanes: Miami is 75-80 after five straight wins on the road (and nine of 10 o verall) entering Sunday’s game at Texas. Then it’s three straight in Philly before three at home vs. the Mets ends the season. Young Marlins showed playoff potential this year but were too up-and-down erratic.
5. PANTHERS/HEAT: Tkachuk, Herro injuries a cloud as seasons near: We knew Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk was still battling the same torn adductor muscle and sports hernia injuries that shelved him for about one-third of last regular season. Comes word now he may not be ready ‘til December, suggesting he’ll misss at least around 25 games. Now, Heat star Tyler Herro underwent left-ankle surgery and is said out about eight weeks -- calculating he’d miss around the first 15 games of regular season. Champion Panthers open season Oct. 7 and Heat launch Oct. 22.
6. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FSU makes bring-on-Canes statement in win: No. 7 Florida State rubbed it in at Kent State 66-10 Saturday as a tuneup for its home games vs. No. 4 Miami in two weeks. Week’s only Top 25 losses were by No. 9 Illinois, 16-Utah and 23-Auburn. Elsewhere in-state at FBS level other than UM-Florida and FSU, FIU fell to Delaware, South Florida crushed South Carolina State, and UCF handled North Carolina.
7. WNBA: Final four set for playoffs’ semifinals: WNBA’s best-of-five semifinals tip-off today/Sunday with Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx. Bettings odds have Lynx a big favorite over Mercury and Aces and even bigger pick over Fever, who have advanced injury depeleted with Caitlin Clark and others sidelined. All four finalists have won before but Vegas (2022 and ‘23) recently. Minnesota won in 2011, ‘13, ‘15 and ‘17, Phoenix in 2007, ‘09 and ‘14, and Indiana n 2012,
8. NFL: Ravens-Lions will shape Super Bowl odds to lead Week 3: Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff combined for nine TD passes last week and points will fly Monday night in a fitting crescendo for Week 3 as Detroit visits Baltimore. Super Bowl oddsmakers will be watching keenly. Buffalo and Ravens are 1-2 in SB title odds (per DraftKings) despite both being from the AFC. The Lions trail only Green Bay and reigning champ Philly atop current NFC odds.
9. NASCAR: As playoffs resume, is it finally Hamlin’s year?: NASCAR’s round-of-12 playoffs begin today/Sunday at New Hamspshire, with the next three races trimming he field from a dozen drivers to eight. Kyle Larson, the 2021 season champion, and Denny Hamlin, seeking his elusive first career season title at age 44, are betting favorites to win it all. Other Cup Series champs in the final 12 are Joey Logano (2018, ‘22 and ‘24), Chase Elliott (2020) and Ryan Blaney (’23) .
10. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Meet a 58-year-old freshman defensive lineman: The football team at Division III Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa., has a freshman D-lineman you won’t forget. Because he’s 58. Tom Cillo quit his high-school team in the 1980s after getting involved in drugs, then worked 33 years for a city streets and parks department before deciding to chase a long-dormant dream. Cillo has yet to play in the team’s 0-2 start, but -- four years older than his head coach -- he’s on the roster.
THE LIST: MIAMI DOLPHINS’ 0-3 STARTS: This is the ninth time in 60 seasons that Miami has started a season 0-3 or worse:
Year Started / Finished (Coach)
2025 0-3 / TBD (Mike McDaniel)
2019 0-7 / 5-11 (Brian Flores)
2011 0-7 / 6-10 (Tony Sparano)
2009 0-3 / 7-9 (Sparano)
2007 0-13 / 1-15 (Cam Cameron)
2004 0-6 / 4-12 (Dave Wannstedt)
1969 0-3 / 3-10-1 (George Wilson)
1968 0-3 / 5-8-1 (Wilson)
1966 0-5 / 3-11 (Wilson)
Note: Don Shula coached 26 seasons in Miami and had zero 0-3 starts.
Other select most recent stuff from me: No. 4 Hurricanes flex championship potential in win over Gators // Winless Dolphins fought hard in loss a Buffalo. Nobody cares // NFL Week 3 picks // Poll Dance: Judge vs. Raleigh // Dolphins-Bills Thursday pick // NFL Week 2 QB rankings // Previous HB10 // Miami upsets Notre Dame. Do Hurricanes have your attention yet, America? // Super Bowl to Dolphins to dregs: My annual NFL Team Rankings! // Dolphins will surprise doubters -- if Tua finally proves he’s the star they need him to be // Cristobal has ‘insatiable’ drive for new Hurricanes glory days, and he’s getting close // Like it or not, UFC and Dana White’s world domination tour just grew // Cowboys owner Jerry Jones still chasing glory -- and attention // This one goal for Dolphins and another for Hurricanes will define success or failure in 2025 // Strobe lights? Trajekt Arc? How Marlins’ trust in youth, player-development is paying off // Heat getting 3-point ace Powell a pickpocket-win for Riley // Champion Panthers keep revving this summer while Heat stays quiet // Dolphins’ gamble on Waller after Ramsey and Smith for Fitzpatrick was net loss // Inter Miami falls to PSG but won big to reach Club World Cup final 16 // Panthers celebrate as 1 of 4 South Florida sports dynasties -- with no end near // Major news on future of Dan Le Batard Show, Meadowlark Media, DraftKings // A tribute to Miami sports legend Jimmy Johnson as he retires from Fox TV // 15 years later, Dolphins Cancer Challenge is life-saving legacy of Jim Mandich // And my latest podcast:
This story was originally published September 21, 2025 at 10:40 AM.