Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: The most-Miami title game ever, Fins big changes, more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (JANUARY 11): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Miami Hurricanes earn championship home game vs. Indiana, Mendoza; Dolphins fired McDaniel and hire GM, Rams and Bears wins kickoff NFL playoffs, Marlins trade starting pitcher and more. Welcome to the 134th 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 beats Ole Miss, earns championship home game vs. Indiana: Six lead changes, four in the fourth quarter and Miami had the only one that mattered. The last one -- Carson Beck’s 4-yard scoring run untouched with 18 seconds left for a 31-27 Miami win over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl in the first College Football Playoff semifinal. That means Canes will host the national-championship game Jan. 19 in search of UM’s sixth title and first since 2001. Three of Miami’s previous five championships have been won at home, in the Orange Bowl Game.
2. DOLPHINS: Fish fire McDaniel, hire new GM to find new coach: Miami’s Mike McDaniel survived ‘Black Monday,’ when five other NFL coaches were fired. Gave his postseason media chat that day; talked about being in on the new GM hire. Three days later he was fired. One day after that the Fins had a new GM in Green Bay VP of player personnel since 2022, Jon-Eric Sullivan. Packers have made playoffs six of past seven years. John Harbaugh has been liked to Miami’s coach-opening but Fins have yet to contact him. Meanwhile Dolphin Jordyn Brooks made AP All-Pro first team, first such honor for a Miami inside-LB since Zach Thomas in 2006.
3. NFL: Rams, Bears win thrillers, 1st to advance in playoffs: Los Angeles Rams escaped with a 34-31 win in Carolina on a Matthew Stafford TD pass to Colby Parkinson with two minutes left to kickoff of the NFL Wild-card round playoffs Saturday. Chicago Bears then rallied from 11 down in the fourth quarter at home to beat nemesis Green Bay 31-27, the winning points with 1:08 left. Three more games today and one Monday will wrap the opening round of the Super Bowl Tournament.
4. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Indiana to play for title in Miami -- but it’s Mendoza’s home game, too: Indiana crushed Oregon 56-22 in Atlanta in the second CFP semifinal for the right to face the Miami Hurricanes for the national title in the Canes’ own Hard Rock home stadium. But! Indiana’s best player, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, can claim Jan. 19 as a home game, too, in a way. He’s Miami-raised, the first Heisman winner of Cuban heritage, and a product of Miami’s Columbus High -- where UM coach Mario Cristobal also went to school.
5. NFL: Harbaugh the sudden grand prize of coach-searches: Baltimore firing championship-pedigree coach John Harbaugh -- who’d be in the playoffs right now if his kicker hadn’t missed a last-second chip-shot field goal -- has turned the NFL on its ear with eight teams looking for a new head coach and Harbaugh likely the sudden grand prize. Betting odds say the Giants own the inside track. Dolphins a longshot at best, especially with Fins among teams unwilling to give Harbaugh say over the general manager.
6. MARLINS: Fish trade starter Cabrera for Cubs hitting prospects: The Marlins, steadfast in a modus operandi that has neither won big yet nor draws big crowds but does keep costs down, traded proven starting pitcher Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs for three prospects. Miami gets the Cubs’ top outfield prospect Owen Caissie and two other hitting prospects. Meantime Marlins are one of nine MLB teams to terminate their local TV contract with FanDuel Sports over financial issues. Several other sports and teams (including the Heat) also are affected. Both Miami teams are expected to secure alternate local carriers for games.
7. PANTHERS: Double-champ Cats win, but playoffs no sure thing at midseason: Florida is 23-21 after Saturday’s needed 3-2 win in Ottawa ended a 1-4 skid, but the playoffs are no certainty at NHL midseason. Brad Marchand was out again and Matthew Tkachuk has yet to play this season, with his return long anticipated return seen as imminent. Cats are back on the ice Monday in Buffalo.
8. HEAT: Erratic Miami slumps into play-in territory: Miami is 20-18 after Saturday’s 123-99 loss at awful Indiana. The second straight rout-defeat has Heat down in dreaded play-in territory as NBA midseason nears. Heat is back o the wood Sunday/today at Oklahoma City. A scheduled Miami game in Chicago earlier in week was postponed by condensation on the court after the United Center hosted a Blackhawks game on ice the night before.
9. SOCCER: Fans outraged by World Cup prices: This summer’s men’s World Cup in U.S.-Canada-Mexico is taking a hit as fans accuse FIFA of price gouging. Tickets range from $180 U.S. to $700 for group-stage matches. Tickets to the final are $4,185 to $8,680. There is nothing to reflect FIFA’s claim of prices as low as $60. U.S. in its host bid had some as low as $21. Fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) called the pricing “extortionate,” with average costs five times higher than the ‘22 WC in Qatar. Seven of 104 matches will be at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
10. TENNIS: Grand Slam season on serve with Aussie Open: Tennis’ Grand Slam season is up us as the Australian Open gets underway next Sunday. Reigning champ Jannik Sinner is favored for men’s title over young rival Carlos Alvarez. Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are title picks on the women’s side, with Palm Beach’s Coco Gauff the third-favorite and defending champ Madison Keys tied for ninth.
THE LIST: NFL PLAYOFF TEAMS’ TITLE CRED: NFL all-time championships (Super Bowl era and before) won by the 14 franchises that qualified for the current playoffs:
Championships Team (Most recent)
13--Packers (2010)--Eliminated
9--Bears (1985)
6--Patriots (2018) and Steelers (2008)
5--Eagles (2024) and 49ers (1994)
4--Rams (2021)
3--Broncos (2015)
1--Seahawks (2013)
0--Bills, Chargers, Jaguars Panthers (Eliminated) and Texans.
Other select most recent stuff from me: Canes’ tour de force now 1 home win over Indiana from new glory days // Flailing, failing Dolphins in latest reboot with McDaniel firing // NFL Wild-Card Playoff picks // Poll Dance: Prefer Harbaugh or McDaniel as Dolphins coach? // Rams’ Stafford wins 1st season title in Herald’s 28th NFL QB rankings // Reborn Hurricanes at center of refreshing CFP final four // Dolphins enter offseason with no answers at QB after loss at Patriots // Previous HB10 // Canes’ ‘violent, relentless’ defeat of Ohio State is Miami’s biggest win in 23 years // Step aside, other cities: Why 2026 in sports belongs to Miami // Stugotz signs major iHeart Media deal, but says not done with LeBatard Show // Canes stifle A&M with defense, advance in CFP to face Ohio State // R.I.P. George Mira, ‘The Matador,’ Hurricane football’s first true star // Irish eyes are crying, but CFP got t right with Canes over Notre Dame // Messi, Inter Miami win MLS Cup, crown 50 years of SoFla soccer // How Browns fan’s tragedy gave Bernie Kosar new life // Tortoise to hare, reinvention of Miami Heat an NBA marvel // How Miami project -- and forgiveness -- helped Marc Buoniconti turn tragedy to triumph // Beloved cast member leaving Dan Le Batard Show // Barkov lost for season a mortal blow to Panthers’ 3-peat bid // 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 // 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:
