It just makes THIS that much harder to swallow…

Yeah, sure I’m having a blast thinking about Ohio State’s misery after getting throttled, 41-14 last night by a Sunshine State school but in reality, it makes the 2003 Fiesta Bowl that much harder to stomach.

The 2002 Buckeyes were a defensive bunch who tried to play mistake-free on offense en route to a 14-0 season. Their 2006 bunch was flashier on offense, had some defensive holes but played pretty good team football up until last night, handling both #2 Texas and #2 Michigan during the regular season.

Still, what last night proved was that solid, balanced, hard-hitting, fast-moving football from the state of Florida can compete with anyone in the nation and can slow down the Big Ten. Florida not only outhustled Ohio State last night, but Urban Meyer coached the sweatervest off of Jim Tressel. Something ol’ Larry Coker failed miserably at on January 3rd, 2003.

How else do you explain what Florida did last night and what ’02 Miami failed to do four years ago? Coker’s Canes were absolutely loaded on offense, but schematically they were forced to play the Buckeyes game because Tressel dictated that. Last night, it was the exact opposite.

Four years ago in the Fiasco Bowl, Miami entered the fourth quarter with 7 points on the board. That seems impossible to comprehend when think of how loaded the Canes offense was that season. Florida 2006 had nothing offensively on Miami 2002, yet they manhandled Ohio State due to solid coaching. The Buckeyes ’02 defense was obviously superior to ’06, but there’s no reason the Canes didn’t put up more than 17 in regulation.

Ken Dorsey back for his senior season and Andre Johnson, both off co-MVP performances in the 2002 Rose Bowl. Kellen Winslow II picking up where Jeremy Shockey left off. Willis McGahee bringing it for the injured Frank Gore. Roscoe Parrish stepping up as a sophomore and bringing that Santana Moss-like speed to the table.

Ohio State spent the last four years woofing that it was Big Ten power which won them that game and negated Miami’s speed, but after last night, we know now that it was Cokerization which cost the Canes back-to-back titles.

Tressel forced Miami to play Ohio State football and last night, Meyer forced Tressel to play the Sunshine State way.

How else can you explain how the 2003 Fiasco went wrong? Miami had 19 first downs to Ohio State’s 14. The Canes had 304 passing yards to the Buckeyes 122. Goofy-looking QB Craig Krenzel was the leading rusherwith 81-yards in a game which featured both McGahee and hoodrat Maurice Clarett, the then super frosh.

Dorsey was rattled into a few interceptions and Johnson was held to 4 catches totalling 54 yards. Hardly the 2 touchdown, 7 reception and 199 yard performance in the title game a year earlier.

Coaching. At day’s end, it means everything. Talent and speed will only take you so far. Execution and game planning are what it comes down to.

That said, we’ve now see that Fast/Aggressive FL Defenses + Innovative Offensive Play Calling + Up & Coming Coach + a Sunshine State power = National Championship.

There’s no excuse for Miami and Florida State to continue eating Florida’s dust. Not with the blueprint they laid out in 2006 and not based on the big three’s past success dating back to the 80s.

There’s also no excuse for Miami losing to Ohio State in 2002, bogus flag or no bogus flag. Sure, their ’02 defense was much better than their ’06 version – but Miami’s ’02 offense was also better than Florida’s squad in ’06.

With an innovative offensive mind at the helm, Miami would’ve scored more than 17 points in regulation against a slow, pasty Big Ten team that has oft been exposed in the big game but a faster, better conditioned bunch.

Hopefully Randy Shannon remembers that when making his offensive coordinator hire in the coming days and here’s to Miami getting revenge on Ohio State during the regular season match ups in 2010 and 2011.

Whoever’s in charge then, please remember how things shook out on January 8th, 2007.

.:Canes305:.

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