Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Inter Miami’s biggest test, Canes win and pray and more
Note: The Poll Dance has this week off. Look for a new poll next week.
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (NOVEMBER 23): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Inter Miami’s must-win playoff on road, Hurricanes win and pray, Heat hot, Panthers host Edmonton, Dolphins and more. Welcome to the 127th 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. INTER MIAMI: ‘26 opening of new stadium set; ‘25 still to be won: MLS 2026 schedules are out and Miami’s has an April 4 grand opening (a Saturday) for the long-awaited new 25,000-seat stadium, Miami Freedom Park. Lionel Messi’s extended contract assures he’ll be a part of the ‘26 team and perhaps beyond. Wait. Almost forgot. The ‘25 season is nearing its crescendo with Team Messi facing a win-or-done East semifinal Sunday early-evening at FC Cincinnati. Only MLS Cup championship hopes ride on the result.
2. HURRICANES: Beck gem lifts UM to 9-2, but CFP still in doubt: Has QB Carson Beck been better this season? He was 27 of 32 for 320 yards, with zero interceptions and four TD throws to four different receivers in Saturday’s never-a-doubt 34-17 win at Virginia Tech. It puts the No. 13 Canes at 9-2 entering next week’s season finale. But even with a win at Pitt, there is still a chance Miami will narrowly miss making the 12-team College Football Playoff, largely by finishing behind Notre Dame -- which UM beat this season. Who said life was fair, anyway?
3. HEAT: Can anyone stop attack of the hurry-up Heat?: Miami is 10-6 after a third straight win: Friday’s 143-107 rout in Chicago. Despite the huge score nobody had more than Kel’el Ware’s 20 points with 14 rebounds. Miami is back on the wood for a Sunday matinee in Philly before returning to the 3-0-5 for a four-game homestand. With Bam Adebayo back now and Tyler Herro due soon, coach Erik Spoelstra faces an enviable dilemma on how to spread minutes across excellent depth. Still early, but Heat seem for real.
4. PANTHERS: Florida falls at home to Edmonton in Cup rematch: The Panthers fell to 11-10 on the year with Saturday’s 6-3 home loss to Edmonton in a Stanley Cup Final rematch. The last two Oilers goals were empty netters, one by Connor McDavid. Florida is back at it Monday in Nashville, with Matthew Tkachuk’s return from injury due soon. As for losing to Edmonton, to paraphrase the great Stugotz: “Hey Oilers, do it in the up Final.”
5. DOLPHINS: Does Miami have a miracle run to playoffs in it?: Once 1-6 but now 4-7, the Fins spend their bye week at a possible season-saving crossroads. Miami, 7-3 after byes in past 10 years, will be favored next vs. Saints and then at Jets, making 6-7 plausible. But then the schedule finishes tougher: at Steelers, vs. Bengals (with Joe Burrow back), vs. Buccaneers, and at Patriots in deep winter. Yeah, let’s go ahead hold off on those wild-card hopes.
6. SOCCER: A Rose so sweet!: Gotham FC wins NWSL title: Gotham FC is the NWSL champion for the second time in three seasons with Saturday’s 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit on an 80th-minute goal by Rose Lavelle. Thus crowned the title in the top-tier U.S. women’s soccer league. Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, limited during the playoffs during her recovery from a knee injury, entered off the bench in 57th minute but had no miracle. NWSL is trying desperately to keep Rodman as European clubs try to poach her.
7. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Canes are looking for help. Weekend brought none: The No. 13 Miami Hurricanes need teams above them to lose to help UM sneak into the 12-team College Football Playoff. None did this weekend. Five Top 25 teams lost but all were below 23. Canes almost got a break with No. 12 Utah, but Utes rallied in second half to beat Kansas State 51-47.
8. SOCCER: World Cup draw details set as summer of ‘26 takes shape: The FIFA World Cup draw is set Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C. for the expanded 48-nation men’s tournament being held June 11-July 19 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Twelve four-team groups will be set. Top five in World Ranking are Spain, reigning champ Argentina, France , England and Brazil, with U.S. No. 14. Top five in betting odds (DraftKings) are Spain, England, France, Brazil and Argentina, wth U.S. tied for 14th. Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium will host seven matches: Four in group stage, one in round-of-32, a quarterfinal July 11, and the bronze medal game July 18.
9. TENNIS: Alcaraz still on (as of now) for inaugural Miami Invitational: The inaugural Miami Invitational on Dec. 8 at Marlins Park has had a scare on the men’s side and a net-positive change on the women’s in the one-day exhibition and first-ever tennis event at the baseball park. ATP No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from Davis Cup Finals with a hamstring injury, raising fears he might cancel on Miami, but he says he’ll be recovered by then. WTA No. 6 Jessica Pegula will replace 29-Emma Raducanu, out with a foot injury. Others in the four-player event are 4-Amanda Anisimova and 24-Joao Fonseca.
10. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Boca Raton Bowl is, well ... full of beans: The simply, descriptively and reasonably named Boca Raton Bowl has gone from gloriously unburdened by a corporate name-sponsor to the newly christened, “Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans.” Oh, how I wish I were kidding. The third-tier “Beans Bowl” (my abbreviation; not official) thus vaults to a betting favorite for the Poulan Weed-Eater Trophy (that should be) given annually to the bowl game that sold itself to the most gruesomely embarrassing name.
THE LIST: NFL AFTER BYE WEEKS: Miami Dolphins, on a bye week, have done well recently following time off. Best NFL records after byes the past 10 seasons entering this year:
10-0 Bills
8-2 Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers, Titans
7-3 Colts, Dolphins
6-3-1 Lions
Note: Worst post-bye records past 10 years have been 1-9 by Bears and 2-8 by Jets.
Other select most recent stuff from me: Hurricanes 9-2 after comfy win at Virginia Tech, but skewed login impedes Miami’s CFP hope // NFL Week 12 picks // Tortoise to hare, reinvention of Miami Heat an NBA marvel // Bills-Texans Thursday pick // Updated Herald NFL QB rankings // Dolphins’ OT luck in Madrid saves McDaniel from himself // Previous HB 10 // Poll Dance: NFL games played abroad // Hurricanes swamp N.C. State 41-7 but CFP still no sure thing // NFL, Canes QB great Bernie Kosar in a fight for his life // Diamond in a mud bog as Dolphins score 30-13 home upset of Bills // Bags over heads, season dead, as Grier departure signals Dolphins reboot // How Miami project -- and forgiveness -- helped Marc Buoniconti turn tragedy to triumph // Beloved cast member leaving Dan Le Batard Show // Wounded, doubted but nobody’s underdog, champ Panthers win opener // Barkov lost for season a mortal blow to Panthers’ 3-peat bid // Dolphins owner Ross’ prior in-season firings hints McDaniel at risk // Super Bowl to Dolphins to dregs: My annual NFL Team Rankings! // Cristobal has ‘insatiable’ drive for new Hurricanes glory days, and he’s getting close // Heat getting 3-point ace Powell a pickpocket-win for Riley // Inter Miami falls to PSG but won big to reach Club World Cup final 16 // 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 November 23, 2025 at 9:59 AM.
