I’m a big ‘what if’ fan. What if Testaverde hadn’t thrown that interception to Pete f’n Giftopoulos? What if Butch Davis didn’t leave UM for the NFL? What if my mom didn’t drink a six pack of Bud Light every day while pregnant with me?
January 3rd, 2003. Fiesta Bowl. Tempe, Arizona. 2nd Overtime. Miami is down 31-24. The Hurricanes have the ball at the Ohio State 2 yard line and it is 1st and Goal. Most would expect star running back Willis McGahee to get the call. After all, earlier that year he set the school record for rushing touchdowns (27), rushing yards (1,686), and total yards (2,036). A tying touchdown would seem a foregone conclusion. Only it’s not. Earlier in the 4th quarter, McGahee sustained a gruesome knee injury while being tackled 
by Ohio State safety Will Allen. McGahee suffered tears to his ACL, MCL, PCL, and JCL (just kidding about the JCL, I made that up). He is watching the game on a TV screen inside the Miami locker room, surrounded by family.
by Ohio State safety Will Allen. McGahee suffered tears to his ACL, MCL, PCL, and JCL (just kidding about the JCL, I made that up). He is watching the game on a TV screen inside the Miami locker room, surrounded by family.You know the rest of the story. I don’t need to rehash it.
Pan to the Monday Night opener in the 2010 NFL season. The Baltimore Ravens versus the New York Jets. The Jets lead 6-0 as a few minutes remain in the 2nd quarter. The Ravens are driving down the field for the go ahead score. The Jets are called for pass interference in the end zone against Ravens WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The ball is placed at the 1, setting up a 1st and Goal situation. Enter Ravens running back Willis McGahee.
‘Holy sh*t,’ I think to myself, ‘this is the Fiesta.’ The Rex Ryan led Jets – already the league’s most feared defense in 2009 – have their best defensive lineman (Kris Jenkins) healthy again, clogging up the middle. Lock down corners Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie inch forward, as do the linebackers and safeties. Much like the 2002 Buckeyes defense, the Jets are among the best defenses in the league. And while the Ravens offense isn’t as potent as the 2002 Miami Hurricanes’, their offensive line is certainly above average, led by All Pro Jonathan Ogden.
‘This is the mother f’ing Fiesta all over again’ I say (this time out loud even though I’m on the couch all by myself). I have always insisted that, had Willis been in the game at that time, Miami gets that yard and eventually wins its 6th title. Now I’m about to find out for sure. I mean, sure, the players have changed but both the Buckeyes and Jets had dominant defenses…the Canes and Ravens had above average offensive lines (Miami’s was actually more dominant, but that’ll make it that much tougher for Willis)…both the Ravens and Hurricanes are trying to score a touchdown from inside the 2 yard line on a 1st and Goal situation…and both the Ravens and Canes have tall, skinny quarterbacks with bad haircuts. This is like that Lincoln-Kennedy/Kennedy-Lincoln crap.
1st down. Strangely, my heart is starting to race, even though I could care less who wins this game. Ravens QB Joe Flacco hands off to McGahee. He 
dives forward at the left side but is stuffed by the Jets suffocating D (the Hurricanes were also stopped on a 1st down rush attempt). 2nd and Goal at the 1. Here is where it gets eerie. In the Fiesta, then tight end Eric Winston sprints to the right off of the play action and is wide open. Dorsey overthrows him. The Ravens similarly call for play action and FB Le’Ron McClain is wide open to the right. And, you guessed it, Flacco overthrows his wide open receiver. This is some Twilight Zone sh*t right here.
dives forward at the left side but is stuffed by the Jets suffocating D (the Hurricanes were also stopped on a 1st down rush attempt). 2nd and Goal at the 1. Here is where it gets eerie. In the Fiesta, then tight end Eric Winston sprints to the right off of the play action and is wide open. Dorsey overthrows him. The Ravens similarly call for play action and FB Le’Ron McClain is wide open to the right. And, you guessed it, Flacco overthrows his wide open receiver. This is some Twilight Zone sh*t right here.That brings up 3rd down and Goal from the 1. Just like in the Fiesta. Ugh, I’m startin to get flashbacks to Tempe and the same nausea is festering in the pit of my stomach. I remind myself that this is a meaningless NFL season opener, but my body’s reflexes to the situation are Pavlovian. In the Fiesta – sans Willis – the call was for a fullback rush up the middle. Quadtrine Hill was stuffed. Now, it’s 3rd down and Goal with Willis in the game. Heart is racin! Flacco takes the snap….hands off to Willis…’Go Willis!!’…Willis takes the ball and can barely make it back to the line of scrimmage before the defense converges on him. But wait, his legs are still going…”Arrrrrrgh!!”…Willis is 
trying to inch his way to the goal line but more defenders converge…he rolls to his right and falls down on the goal line, extending the ball to break the plane of the end zone. Touchdown!!! He did it! I knew he would. McGahee’s touchdown sealed the victory for the Hurri…sorry, the Ravens that night. And I finally had closure. No doubt, he would have scored.
trying to inch his way to the goal line but more defenders converge…he rolls to his right and falls down on the goal line, extending the ball to break the plane of the end zone. Touchdown!!! He did it! I knew he would. McGahee’s touchdown sealed the victory for the Hurri…sorry, the Ravens that night. And I finally had closure. No doubt, he would have scored.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
i think about your sentiment often….how close we were to 10 or 11 national championships is unfathomable. woulda shoulda coulda, ok fair enough, but the fact that those single plays determined such a difference is astounishing.
Cleveland Gary’s “fumble”
Vinnie’s final INT, and to be fair the previous four
The failed two-pointer against Notre Dame
Losing to BYU on the road on opening day
Crazy BCS putting us below FSU in 2000
ok that’s Five right there
‘Bama smacked our ass in ’92 and so did the ‘Vols in ’85
bottome line: WE are the team in college football of the last nearly 30 years, everyone know’s it, everyone denies it (except us).
Highsmith on 30 for 30: “if any other team had done this, there would be statues erected”.
that says it all
sh**, and i didn’t even mention the “call” in the Fiesta Bowl, let’s not even go there anymore.
Yeah, the two Fiestas and the 2000 BCS sting most for me. That BYU game can be grouped with the Bama and Tennessee losses. And, the Cleveland Gary call should’ve gone the other way. Too bad they didn’t have replay back then.
if Butch had stayed, what is your opinion on where we’d be, what would of happened when we were still stocked from ’02-’04?
not whining, just curious. Jimmy was never gonna stay, we all knew that, but Davis kinda hit us outta the blue. Anyhoo, thoughts? i share my objective opinion after yours (that’s what she said).
Hard to be objective here. I really think we win at least two, if not a third title under Butch’s watch. Winning the Rose Bowl is a no brainier. We were easily the best team in college football that year. The Fiesta is debatable only because OSU had a quality team and there were too many factors to say Butch’s mere presence would’ve guaranteed a win. But what I do know is that Butch was a master recruiter. He would’ve maintained that stranglehold on S.FL talent and coached them up better than what Coker was able to do. The one sticking point that doomed Coker (outside of never getting the most out of the talent he recruited) was that he and his staff fell in love with recruiting rankings and lost focus on securing Broward and Dade County recruits. I think Butch would have maintained the elite level of the program at least into the middle of the decade. There would’ve never been a Dan Werner or Patrick Nix as Rob Chudzinski would have probably stuck around. Randy Shannon stays focused on the defense. My guess is nothing would have prevented Butch Davis from jumping to the NFL eventually. But his Miami program would’ve like Florida under Meyers. Or OSU with Tressel – except we probably would’ve won our title appearances. Haha. Who knows. Just my opinion.