Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Canes’ big win at FSU, Panthers open, Dolphins and more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (OCTOBER 5): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Canes win in Tally, Panthers’ opening week, Dolphins go for two in a row, Gators stun Texas, Busquets retiring, MLB and WINBA playoffs and more. Welcome to the 121st 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: Miami stays perfect with big win in Tally, ‘state title’: No. 3 Hurricanes are 5-0 after Saturday night’s 28-22 win over No. 18 Florida State in Tallahassee. It was UM’s first road game and ACC opener. ON the heel of beating the Fllrida Gators, coach Mario Cristobal declared his Canes “state champions.” Miam’s path to 12-0 clears now as FSU was the last currently ranked opponent on the schedule. Canes led 28-3 before allowing a Noles rally that fell short.
2. PANTHERS: Opening Week for double-champ (but depleted) Cats: Captain Aleksander Barkov lost for entire season with knee injury on top of Matthew Tkachuk out til’ December have wreaked havoc with double-champion Florida’s chances for NHL’s first three-peat in more than 40 years. Panthers have dropped to seventh in Stanley Cup betting odds at DraftKings as an example, although lack of a clear, dominant favorite may be to Cats’ advantage. Florida christens the NHL regular season at home vs. Chicago this Tuesday with an unusual 5 p.m. puck drop.
3. DOLPHINS: Life after Tyreek begins with Fins slight fave at Carolina: People who are interested in this game: 1) Forlorn fans of one of the teams; 2) Folks who figured betting on either team was smart; 3) People in such a big fantasy league they somehow wound up with Bryce Young as their QB; and 4) Relatives of a participating player. Otherwise this isn’t likely the game you’ll search out Sunday. Positives: Week 5’s smallest point spread and closest to a pick’-em game, suggesting competitivness. And curiosity to see impact of no Tyreek Hill, out for year with wrecked knee just days after Panthers lost Barkov for season.
4. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Gators stun No. 9 Texas, 7-Penn State also falls: Four more Top 25 teams lost Saturday including No. 7 Penn State 42-37 to previously winless UCLA and 9-Texas 29-21 at the unranked Florida Gators 29-21. Elsewhere in-state outside of the Big 3, UCF lost narrowly to Kansas, FAU defeated Rice, UConn clobbered FIU and South Florida beat Charlotte.
5. INTER MIAMI: Herons beat New England as Busquets says he’s retiring: Inter Miami scored a 4-1 bome win over New England Saturday with two goals from Jordi Alba and three assists by Lionel Messi. Afterward Sergio Busquets, 37, announced he’d be retiring after the MLS season. Miami sits playoff-qualified and third in the East, but Philadelphia Union clinched the Supporters’ Shield for league’s best regular season record. Herons close regular play Oct. 11 vs. Atlanta and Oct. 18 at Nashville. Messi could miss the home finale vs. Atlanta to play a friendly with Argentina vs. Venezuela the night before at Hard Rock Stadium.
6. WNBA: Finals underway amid shadow of league unrest: Las Vegas rallied to take the opener of the best-of-7 WNBA Finals Friday in an 89-86 home win over the Phoenix Mercury, with Game 2 back in Vegas on Sunday. Playoffs have been under the shadow of league star Napheesa Collier speaking with pointed criticism of commissioner Cathy Engelbert in what amounts to a mutiny against the commish, with other players backing Collier. Amid the turmoil the Aces seek their third title after winning in 2022 and ‘23. Mercury has won thrice, but not since 2014.
7. MLB: Dodgers, Brewers; Tigers, Blue Jays out front in Divisional round: Brewers beat Cubs and Blue Jays beat Yankees easily in Game 1s Saturday while the Dodgers beat the Phillies narrowly and the Tigers needed extra innings over the Mariners. Division Series Game 1s all Saturday. ALDS Game 2s are today/Sunday and NLDS Game 2 are Monday. Adjusted/updated World Series betting odds have the L.A. Dodgers out fron at plus-260.
8. NASCAR: Vroom! Playoff field trims from 12 drivers to 8 today at Charlotte: Shane Van Gisbergen is out of the playoffs but has won four straight road-course races entering today’s at Charlotte. The race will trim the playoff field from 12 drivers to eight. Top four drivers are Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin. The bottom four most at risk of elimination are Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric.
9. HEAT: Miami commits to Jovic as preseason gets underway: Heat opened its preseason schedule with 126-118 home loss to Orlando Saturday. The NBA regular season tips off Oct. 22 for Miami. This week the Heat lavished forward Nikola Jović with a four-year, $62.4 million contract extension, a committment that suggests the club now sees Jovic as a part of its Tyler Herro/Bam Adeabyo core. Jović averaged 5.5 points as a rookie, 7.7 in year two and 10.7 points last season.
10. HALLS OF FAME: Nine ex-Dolphins, Canes on ‘26 Canton ballot: Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 128 players on its initial Class of ‘26 ballot, and first-time eligibles who should be locks to get in are Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore and Philip Rivers. List includes five former Dolphins in Brandon Marshall, Patrick Surtain, Troy Vincent, Richmond Webb and Wes Welker. Ex-Hurricanes on the list besides Gore are Greg Olsen, Reggie Wayne and Vince Wilfork. Gore and Wayne should make the October cut to 55 players, and Webb has a shot.
THE LIST: NHL THREE-PEAT TRIES: Since the New York Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups in 1980-83, the Florida Panthers are the eighth back-to-back champion attempting the first three-peat since. How the seven previous have fared:
Back-to-back champ / How fared in three-peat season
2024-25 Florida Panthers / Season opens Tuesday
2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning / Lost Stanley Cup Final in ‘22
2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins / Lost in 2nd round in ‘18
1997-98 Detroit Red Wings / Lost in 2nd round in ‘99
1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins / Lost in 2nd round in ‘93
1987-88 Edmonton Oilers / Lost in 2nd round in ‘89
1984-85 Edmonton Oilers / Lost in 2nd round in ‘86
Other select most recent stuff from me: Everything’s possible for No. 3 Hurricanes after 28-22 road win over Florida State // NFL Week 5 picks // Rams-49ers Thursday pick // NFL Week 4 QB rankings // Dolphins finally win, Tyreek Hill hurt, and wolves at the door haven’t left // Previous HB10 // Poll Dance: Marlins season a success? // Barkov lost for season a mortal blow to Panthers’ 3-peat bid // Dolphins owner Ross’ prior in-season firings hints McDaniel at risk // No. 4 Hurricanes flex championship potential in win over Gators // Winless Dolphins fought hard in loss a Buffalo. Nobody cares // 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 // 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 October 5, 2025 at 10:11 AM.
