Monday Musings: Sunday Dreaming

Game week, homies. As our national holiday approaches (i.e., first full CFB week of the year), there’s tons of stuff to chew on and digest…………

1. Sunday is Malik’s day. Hot take alert: the Canes’ fortunes depend on how well Malik Rosier plays to his strengths. And…..I’m not exactly sure what those consistent strengths are. Hitting Jeff Thomas for a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half at UNC………….and then I watch him unable to hit sand if he fell off a camel in Pittsburgh. Clutch? Yep. The Georgia Tech and FSU games showed that. Big, long-winded translation: I haven’t the foggiest friggin’ clue what to expect Sunday. Neither do you. Probably neither does Mark Richt, completely. But, at least, if the game comes down to the wire, Malik has shown the calmness and poise that you would want with the game on the line. So there’s at least that. Conversely…….

2. …..Joe Burrow is getting a baptism by fire. It’s one thing to ease into a game with a 55-3 lead, as Burrow did while at Ohio State. It’s another to step up with the eyes of the nation on you, and a fast and hungry defense staring you down. LSU has athletes and weapons, sure, but figuring out the forward pass in Baton Rouge has been akin to trying to read a German translation of the Art of War while riding shotgun in a monster truck across a series of cars. That being said, Wisconsin’s Alex Hornibrook looked like Aaron Rodgers against the Canes’ defense last year, so I guess nothing is impossible. But…Burrow + vulnerable offensive line + eh passing game = uphill climb.

3. Don’t like the cutesie unis for Sunday. Yeah, yeah. Uniforms a team do not make. I know. But…..I don’t like gimmicks. Never have. Give me all blacks, or orange tops. All black – bad a$$ery of the highest order. And less weird things seem to happen in the orange jerseys as opposed to the green ones. I dunno…..

4. If you haven’t seen this yet, get ready to run through a wall. Hit, stick, bust d***, talk sh*t. Nothing will ever be this bad a$$ again in the college sports world, but at least we can claim these guys as a part of our history.

5. Auburn - Washington has my attention this weekend. In arguably the best non-conference game of the year, Washington can put itself and the Pac-12 in great position moving forward should they knock off Auburn. The Tigers’ schedule is a death march…one that would surprise me for them to survive with only 2 losses. Conversely, Washington is set up for a possible undefeated or one-loss run to the Pac-12 championship game with a win on Saturday. And a non-conference win over Auburn would put a ton of shine on that Washington “W” if they are jockeying for a CFP spot come December.

6. What are y’all doing/cooking this weekend? Having my parents and the in-laws over to my house this Saturday. Burgers for lunch, baby backs and spare ribs for dinner. And plenty of ice cold freshies. Sunday night upstairs in the recliner, away from everyone, just like a normal Miami gameday.

7. Old game I’m watching this week. The Canes are in Dallas. What the heck else would I be watching? Party like it’s January 1, 1991, my Cane fam!!! (*fake finger pistols*)