Miami is still trying to get back to being the powerhouse it was before its loss to the Buckeyes in the classic 2002 season national title game. OSU hosts Miami on Saturday.
Front page of the Jan. 4, 2003 final edition of the Plain Dealer shows Ohio State players celebrating their national title game win over Miami.Cleveland, Ohio -- Some college football experts consider Ohio State's 31-24, double-overtime win over Miami (Fla.) in the 2003 season national championship game among the sports' greatest upsets.
Even though both teams went into the game unbeaten. After all, Miami was the defending national champion and riding a 34-game winning streak.
Still, Miami struggles to restore the energy and momentum it brought into that memorable Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes host Miami on Saturday in Ohio Stadium, and Bill Rabinowitz writes for the Columbus Dispatch that the Hurricanes are making strides toward again becoming a national power.
Mostly, Rabinowitz details Miami's decline. He refers to Miami's coach that night against OSU, Larry Coker:
A number of factors conspired to knock the Hurricanes off their pedestal atop college football.
Part of it is simply the cyclical nature of sports. As hard as it can be to reach the top, it's harder to remain there. There's a reason dynasties are so rare.
Complacency can set in, and other teams try harder to find chinks in the armor.
In Miami's case, the downfall began with recruiting. Under Coker, too many recruits didn't pan out.
"If you look at some of the players we recruited, we recruited a lot of really, really very good 'name' kids," Coker said. "Some were injured. Some were not as good as we hoped they would be. Some didn't qualify to get into school. Those are things that happen to everybody. That's what makes it so difficult to win year-in and year-out."
Plain Dealer Ohio State coverage includes PD OSU beat writer Doug Lesmerises' story on the trouble encountered by former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett, and the tragedy of the late Sean Taylor, a star Miami defensive back, since their teams met in the 2002 season national championship game. Lesmerises also writes about Buckeyes linebacker Brian Rolle.
Ohio State routed Marshall, 45-7, in its season opener on Thursday night. Miami clouted Florida A&M, 45-0, in its first game on Saturday.
Better than advertised
Ohio State players from the 2002 season national championship team aren't about to forget the Fiesta Bowl win over Miami. Ken Gordon of the Columbus Dispatch writes about some of their memories:
Former Buckeyes defensive tackle Tim Anderson prefers to go back to the first Miami snap, when defensive end Will Smith sacked quarterback Ken Dorsey.
"I remember (the Hurricanes) were all looking at each other, like, 'These guys might be a little better than we thought they would be,'" Anderson said.
Really, that was the motivating factor for most Ohio State players entering that game, in which they were about two-touchdown underdogs. The pregame story line was all about No. 1 Miami's speed-laden lineup.
But the No. 2 Buckeyes had survived a gauntlet of close games to come in 13-0, and they brought something intangible into the title contest.
"We didn't play the prettiest style," Krenzel said, "but we were gritty - physically and mentally tough. We delighted in proving people wrong."
Regrets
Players from the 2002 Miami team still remember how things didn't go as planned for them.
Susan Miller Degnan writes for the Miami Herald:
Houston Texans tackle Eric Winston, 26, was a freshman tight end/fullback for UM that season. He remembers the feeling well. Winston played in about 25 plays of the Fiesta Bowl, including one -- in UM's last-gasp series -- where a play-action pass from Dorsey was intended for him in the end zone but was overthrown.
``I wish I could have caught it,'' Winston said last week. ``Being a freshman I never really got the understanding of the significance of that game. We never got back to a game like that afterward. That national title game had such a special feel to it. It's still frustrating to me.
``There are so many weird things that happened in that game you'll never see again in a championship -- having a star with a significant injury like that, the ups and downs, the strips and fumbles. The strange calls for both teams.''
Overtime
Now, Ohio State players are finally able to talk about Miami, writes Matt Markey for the Toledo Blade.
Cory McCartney of Sports Illustrated's SI.com wrote earlier this week about potential Heisman Trophy candidates, including Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
"Mr. Bucknuts" writes about Ohio State on bucknuts.com.
Video with ESPN.com Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg discussing the Ohio State-Miami game.