Just missed the cut: Maryland 42, Miami 40 (1984), Tennessee 35, Miami 7 (1986), BYU 28, Miami 21 (1990), Washington 38, Miami 20 (1994), FSU 47, Miami 0 (1997), Penn State 27, Miami 23 (1999), Washington 34, Miami 29, (2000),Virginia 48, Miami 0 (2007)
5t. Boston College 47, Miami 45 (1984): Hail Flutie. This game didn’t have national title implications, but it’s the way that #12 Miami lost to #10 Boston College that made it so painful. By now, everyone knows the drill…with no time left and Miami leading 45-41, Doug Flutie chucks it 60+ yards into the end zone to the waiting arms of Gerard ‘Look What I Found’ Phelan. Unfortunately, it is probably the most popular play in college football history.
5t. 2000 BCS: OK, OK, technically this is not a game. But the inability to partake in the 2000 title game (which, by the way, was held in Miami) was a loss of epic proportions. Miami had beaten then #1 Florida State earlier in the year and despite Miami being ahead of FSU in both human polls, the computers overrode this decision and put a one loss FSU ahead of a one loss Miami team. Remember, the computer element was brought in to solve conflicts between the two human polls. However, both human polls agreed that Miami should be higher ranked than FSU and thus play Oklahoma in the BCS title game. There are few certainties in life. There’s death….taxes…and the fact that Miami would have beaten Oklahoma in the title game that year. What a shame that a computer ripped away a probable 5th national title from our hands. Many Hurricane fans tossed their Netscape-driven IBM PCs out the window in protest.
4. Alabama 34, Miami 13 (1993 Sugar Bowl): Miami had it all…undefeated, ranked #1, Heisman Trophy winner Gino Toretta…Jesse Armstead and Michael Barrow anchoring the defense…receiving arsenal of Horace Copeland, Lamar Thomas, and Kevin Williams. The Canes were favored by 8 over Alabama and seemed destined for their 5th title in ten years. Only problem is, they got outplayed on the field by the Crimson Tide. Little did we know that Miami would not play in a national title game for another nine years. When George Teague stripped that ball away from Lamar Thomas, he also stripped a piece of every Canes fan’s heart that night.
3. Notre Dame 31, Miami 30 (1988): Catholics vs. Convicts. Miami was supposed to be rebuidling in 1988. But after upsetting #1 Florida State in the opener and coming back to win at Michigan, the 5-0 Hurricanes were thinking repeat. Their main obstacle was a trip to South Bend. Trailing Notre Dame by 7 in the fourth quarter, Cleveland Gary picked up a first down and appeared to be tackled at the 1, setting up a first and goal. The referees ruled a fumble, however, and Notre Dame took over. Replays showed Gary was clearly down prior to losing the ball. Despite scoring with under a minute remaining, the Hurricanes were unable to convert the two point conversion and fell short, 31-30. Their title hopes were gone and their 36 game winning streak ended. Miami would end up #2 in the final rankings that year as Notre Dame would win the title. Three words: Worst. Call. Ever. Well, for the next 15 years, at least.
2. Penn State 14, Miami 10 (1987 Fiesta Bowl): A lot of Hurricane fans view the 1986 team as Miami’s best of all time. The #1 Hurricanes had Vinny Testaverde, Jerome Brown, Bennie Blades, Michael Irvin and seemed unstoppable. And they were. 445 yards in total offense compared to Penn State’s 162. Of course, it didn’t help that they had seven turnovers, including Vinny Testaverde’s five interceptions. He saved the most painful one for last, as Pete F’n Giftopoulos clinched the game with his red zone pic with seconds left. Ugh. Miami could have played that Penn State team 20 more times and we doubt Penn State would have come within a touchdown in any of them.
1. Ohio State 31, Miami 24 2OT (2003 Fiesta Bowl): Riding a 34 game win streak and favored by 13 points, the top ranked Hurricanes were expected to win their second consecutive – and 6th overall – championship. But, there’s just something about Tempe that doesn’t mix well with the Canes. Things started off well with Roscoe Parrish’s opening score, but Ohio State set a tone early on and started winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. Yes, the five turnovers by the Hurricanes are ultimately what caused their demise (well, that and a questionable pass interference call…but we’ll get to that later). But, Ohio State does not get enough credit for the way they limited yards after the catch and won the battles in the trenches. That being said, Miami was able to tie the game on Todd Sievers’ clutch 40 yard field goal as time expired. Kellen Winslow Jr. scored on a 7 yard catch to start off the overtime stanza. Then, it was Ohio State’s turn. A key 4th and 14 conversion led to a 4th down and 3 from the 5 yard line. Miami defensive backs coach Mark Stoops, knowing that the refs were letting everything go in this game (jersey pulling, arm bars, etc) told his corners to play tight and aggressive. Chris Gamble, Ohio State’s star receiver, lined up against true freshman Glenn Sharpe. Sharpe recalls, “I’m a rookie, he’s one of their premier players, so I basically knew they were comin’ at me. I just tried to keep my composure.” And, he did. Sharpe jammed Gamble at the line – a legal maneuver within five yards of the line of scrimmage, which it was. Craig Krenzel’s pass flutters in the air and bounces off Gambles hands as Sharpe arrives and wraps up the receiver. The ball falls to the ground. The line judge closest to the play rules a legal incomplete pass and the game is over. Fireworks erupt and the Miami bench spills on the field to celebrate its sixth national title. A good four or five seconds later, field judge Terry Porter decides to throw his flag. At first, he signals holding, then changes his mind and calls pass interference, claiming that the hold was done while the ball was in the air. Ohio State went on to score consecutive touchdowns and held Miami on 4th and goal to win the title. Perhaps it was the fact that Miami had one of the most talented teams in college football history. Maybe it was the fact that they were able to overcome five turnovers and still take the lead in overtime. And maybe, just maybe, it was because the game was won on the field until a field judge with a lesser view decided to override the closest official and change history. Whatever the reason, the 2003 Fiesta Bowl – to this day – still stings for Hurricane fans.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
That picture of Kenny always makes me want to cry…….
It shouldn’t have ended that way.
@^!%^@%#^!%!!&^@!!!!
Stinkin’ bogus penalty! I was in the stands raising hell when Mike turned to me and said “holy sh*t – there’s a flag”. I’ll give credit to OSU for playing a good game, but I won’t accept anyone telling me that we weren’t cheated out of a 2nd consecutive national title. That one hurt. It’s hard not to look ahead this season and circle that game for a little redemption.
That 2002 game shouldn’t have gone into overtime. OSU was driving to wind the clock down and the ref’s missed a clear pass interference call that would have sustained OSU’s last drive and would have run out the clock. There were a lot of calls or no calls that went the Canes way before overtime. This writer even states it even though he tries to justify it. They’ll have there chance in September to redeem themselves
Look, Miami was a loaded team that year and probably would have won 9 out of 10 times they played OSU. But the fact is, they lost that game and the disputed call was NOT the reason. It’s ridiculous to blame the loss on that when the game shouldn’t even have gone to OT!! If a bad call is not made in regulation, negating a 3rd down catch that would have brought a new set of downs (they called him out of bounds but replays clearly showed he wasn’t), OSU takes a knee on the last three plays and the game is over.
Please – stop saying you were cheated out of that title when OSU can say they were cheated out of a win in regulation.
Maaaaaan, those missed calls in regulation went BOTH ways. There’s plenty of jersey pulling, quasi-holds that should have been called against Miami AND Ohio State. The main point here is that the overtime ‘infraction’ did not go along with how the game was played. Besides, the ref who was closest didn’t throw the flag and the one who did took 4-5 seconds, proving his uncertainty. This was the football equivalent to Armando Galarraga’s perfect game.
Goal line stand-STFU Cryami! BTW, your going to get steamrolled at the Shoe. It’s going to sting again.
Dude, Miami can lose by a similar fashion in 5 overtimes this time and it won’t come close to the Fiesta. That was for a national title. This is an early regular season game. Either team can probably come back and contend for the national title if they lose on Sept 11th. That being said, I think Miami wins, and it’s not even close.
For all you Miami fans that think you were robbed in the NC game against Ohio St, go to >
http://www.buckeyefansonly.com there is a whole page on “the call” there are still photos and video footage from different angles.. Its not even a close call.PI or holding, take your pick .
Will the Canes fans be traveling strong to Columbus for the game?
Maybe 500 fans make the trip?
Everyone knows that was a bogus flag. The ref closest to the play did not throw it, it was a ref on the opposite side of the field. BTW, the Canes would travel strong to Ohio State if the Buckeyes had the nads to allocate more tickets to our school. 100K plus staium and they only gave us 2500 seats….
RRCanes said it…the reason why we won’t be representing is because your cash strapped school withheld visiting team tickets from us (we’re getting 1/3 of the normal allotment). I guess times are tough when you only have 1 national title* since 1980, compared to our 5. And, I’ve seen those f’n photos before…the hold is after the ball is tipped up, which is perfectly legal.
ok now the ball was tipped?? really by who the ghost of Bernie Kosar?? I will be suprised if you use all 2500 tickets. You brought less then 10k to the national championship game in Tempe and you were defending national champions,I was embarrassed for you.
Mike,get the facts correct>
Ohio State gives the same amount of tickets to EVERY team regardless if its Big Ten or a non conference school.You would be surpised how many schools give back tickets because of thier lame fan base..If you do happen to use all 2500, have you heard of Ebay? This game wont command big dollars like our games against TX and USC….And Mike I like how you spin facts, you only want to only go back to 1980 when talking about NC titles? If you dont want to look at the all time records of the schools lets look at the past 10 years. Ohio State has been in 3 NC games, Miami has been in 1, yes we lost 2 but we made it. Total BCS games the past 10 years Ohio State 7 Miami 1..Ohio States winning percentage is .83…what is Miami’s ??
Mike,
“cash strapped school” Well if your a a graduate of the U i am sure you can afford to make the trip..take a walk around the OSU campus and count how many construction projects are going on at
this “cash strapped school” As of today there are 8, might be 1 additional started by 9/11…You should do a little research before you post moronic comments.
Paul S – there’s nothing conclusive about that penalty call – you can point out images/pictures, and so can we. You take a closer look, and you could even call offensive pass interference on Gamble for grabbing Sharpe’s jersey and ripping it down to gain inside position. That should have been a NO CALL just like every other play during the game. No doubt OSU has been more successful the last 10 years…but let’s get real here. OSU started playing football in the late 1800s. That’s 100+ years – and you only have 7 national titles to show for it. Miami has 5 (should have 6). Your last freakin’ title before the 2002 asterisk game was in 1970! 2 in the 60s, 2 in the 50s and 1 in the 40s! Woody Hayes and Hopalong Cassady…3 yards and a cloud of dust?!?! So good for you – you were dominant during the Eisenhower administration. And you said it yourself- you’re 1-2 in NC games…which means, you still won the same number of titles as Miami in the same 10 year span. Facts are facts, thanks for pointing them out.
I should do research before I post moronic comments? This comes from someone who just typed “if your a graduate.” You are obviously not a graduate of anywhere, as you would know that ‘you are’ is abbreviated as ‘you’re’ not ‘your.’ And, yes, the ball was tipped by Gamble prior to Sharpe wrapping him up. As for the tickets, you’d be surprised if we use all 2500 tickets? Dude, they’ve already been used and even Hurricane Club donors are getting shut out cuz you guys want to pack the stadium with as many pasty white Buckeye fans as you can.
FB not conclusive? I have seen posters of the Miami defender holding
Gamble’s jersey while the ball is clearly in the air. I love people that makes excuses when they loose. And Miami was good during the Reagan years, yes that is pretty recent. Either you look at the whole history or not, you cant pick and choose what years you compare.. I am sorry I missed it in your post, what was Miami’s winning % the last 10 years ??
Mike yes there is a big conspiracy to prevent that huge Miam fan base from taking over The Shoe. There will be more away fans for the Marshall game then The Miami game.
And next year in Miami 1/2 of the fans in that tiny stadium will be OSU fans and you wont hear any one crying “booohoooo they didnt give us enough tickets, we dont know how to find tickets, we are so helpless”
Dude, you can have all the tickets sold and attendance records you want…as long as I’ve been alive the national title count is Miami 5, OSU 1. Do those titles from when Charlie Chaplin was a movie star really mean anything to you? If you want to look at the past ten years, I guess it’s 1-1 as far as titles are concerned. If it makes you feel any better that you’ve lost two extra title games, then so be it. 5 turnovers and a questionable call were needed to give you guys a title that most people put an asterisk next to.
Mike,
Ok so the national title count is based on how long you have been alive?
I will notify the NCAA they dont count anything before 1980.
The 1968 title means as much to me as the 2002 title. So you can go back 30 years but you CAN’T go back 50 years?? I love that logic.
All I know in head to head national chapionship games we have never lost to Miami, we are 1-0.
The only people putting an * next to our 2002 title are the 11,000 Canes fans across the country.And with the rematch coming up the media will be forced to tell the truth and show that a) the game should have never even gone in to overtime b) the “call” was the correct call, if there was nothing wrong with the call it should have been two flags for holding AND PI..
Anonymous, did you have your sound turned off on the TV when watching that game. The ABC announcer, Dan Fouts, echoed what everyone across the country thought (see recent ESPN poll where 49 of 50 states voted that it was a bad call…I’ll let you guess which one didn’t think it was). Fouts yelled “Bad call! Bad call!” And, it was. No worries, we have five others.
Mike,
I see you conveniently ignore the fact that if it weren’t for a blatantly bad call, OSU would have won in regulation. Nice – turning a blind eye to the facts. How you can honestly say Miami “should have” won is beyond all logic!
And if you want to count Fouts’ commentating as “validation” in your little fantasy world (as if his word means anything), what about the fact that he also said OSU’s catch in regulation that was ruled incomplete was also a questionable call??
Dude, I can come up with a dozen plays in each football game – no matter which one it is – that were called incorrectly (bad spot, incompletion, etc). The point here is that it was a judgement call on a possible rules infraction that was ruled a legal incompletion by the ref right there (as well as every other one besides Porter…I didn’t see any other flags). Porter essentially overruled the guy with the clearer view and in doing so changed the outcome of the game. My main problem with the call is not his hesitation or poor explanation, it’s the fact that the ENTIRE game was being called very loosely. The refs were letting EVERYTHING go on both sides. This is Armando Gallaraga/Jim Joyce dude.
Hey loser Miami fans you were bitching that you did not get enough tickets and you did not even use all the tickets OSU sent you.You returned tickets. Even Minnesota uses all the tickets we send them.
You have the lamest fan base in the country!!!!
What a joke!!!!