Miami vs. Florida – The Preview…

“Everybody’s got a game plan…. ’til they get hit.” – Mike Tyson

Miami and Florida. The oldest Sunshine State rivalry, though the teams haven’t met consistently since the late 1980s.

With all the time apart, absence hardly made the heart grow fonder. If anything, the bitterness between the two programs is as strong as ever, making Saturday’s contest in The Swamp as potent a match up as you’re going to find this season.

The Gators are fifth-ranked in the land, two years removed from a national championship, sport a Heisman-winning quarterback behind center and have taken over as big dog in state.

The Canes? A powerhouse the earlier part of this decade, crippled by a lame-duck head coach incapable of maintaining the expected level of dominance and now turning its eyes towards a first-time head coach who is as Miami as they come – born and raised, earned his “U” as a player and later as a top-notch defensive coordinator.

There’s also the three national championship rings, all from Miami. One more than Florida’s program has in over a hundred years of football.

The series stands at 28-25 in the Canes’ favor, but it isn’t as close as the all-time record might indicate. Florida spent the first two thirds of the rivalry beating up on a lesser Miami program. The big-time state power with the big-time booster money and state funding loved pounding on little brother over the years.

From 1938 to 1977, Florida owned the rivalry with a 22-17 advantage – having won seven straight between ’71 and ’77. Later in the decade, little brother learned how to fight back and turned the tables to the point where big brother cried ‘uncle’ in 1987, wanting out of the rivalry.

Over the past three decades, it’s been virtually all Canes, with an 11-3 advantage for Miami – including six straight since 1985. Florida has had their chances, but either took a beating or found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The Canes have proven to be the Gators’ kryptonite over the years, giving Miami fans a reason to at least believe this weekend, despite Vegas calling for a three-touchdown blowout.

Florida players have chosen to ignore history this week, looking no further than Miami’s 5-7 skid in 2007. Though the Gator stumbled four times last year, their players and fan base feel invincible and unbeatable with an ‘in repair’ bunch of Canes headed north this weekend.

Winning isn’t enough for Florida. This one has officially gotten personal. Certain nameless Gators are talking about a beatdown of epic proportions and running up the score, as well as feeling UF is “The U” instead of their brethren down south, who sports a richer football history, three more rings and a 23-year win streak.

Unfortunately, this off-season and every day leading up to the season opener has been nothing more than trash-talk from fans on both sides and players at the big state power. The drivel has even found it’s way into the ‘Comments’ section of this blog, growing more tired and cliche everytime one poster tries to one-up the next. I too am guilty of getting caught up in this web of nonsense, but that stops today.

Let’s get down to brass tacks here. Enough of the pointless smack. Save the name-calling for the playground. Quit playing the ‘attendance’ card, regarding a fanatical fan base in a college town versus a sometimes bandwagon bunch in the big city. This is about Miami vs. Florida and what will take place on the field Saturday night.

Anyone in Gainesville who thinks Miami isn’t coming to play is sorely mistaken and anyone who feels 5-7 isn’t reversible hasn’t been paying attention.

The Canes bottomed out last year. That is fact. Randy Shannon had a big time mess to clean up and things needed to regress before progress was made. A few poor coaching hires, rookie mistakes and player personnel lacking some heart and talent caused Miami to fall apart. Six straight losses down the stretch and too many players hanging their heads in shame, past that point of no return.

Anyone who watched Miami last year knows the Canes weren’t as bad as their paltry record. Between a horrid showing at quarterback and a poorly run defense, courtesy of a since-fired coordinator, UM gave away some winnable games that should’ve been the difference between 5-7 and 8-4.

It wasn’t, Miami tanked and history was made, in the form of the Canes worst record since 1977.

Since then, a lot has changed. Bill Young was brought in to revamp a defense in need of a serious overhaul. Young brought decades of experience to Coral Gables and has been game-planning for this tussle with Florida since setting foot on campus.

Player personnel has also changed, for the better. While Miami may be inexperienced at quarterback, the sky’s the limit. Florida may have a Heisman-winner and Mr. Florida Football 2006 on their roster, but Miami has Mr. Florida Football 2007 starting this Saturday and Mr. 2008 waiting in the wings as a second-stringer. It’s addition by subtraction, trading two inexperienced freshman for two beaten down and incapable seniors.

Miami’s freshman class may be green, but this top-flight bunch can flat out play and might possess just enough inexperience to not realize they’re supposed to lose.

This isn’t Miami and Oklahoma in week two of last season. This is Miami at Florida. There’s much more familiarity involved. These are kids playing for state pride and grew up going toe-to-toe with the guys on the other side of the ball. Gainesville isn’t some great unknown. For many Canes, it’s the other place they almost signed with back in February, as both programs chase the same coveted recruits.

It may be No. 5 against some unranked foe to the rest of the sports world, but not to Miami – a program who knows how badly they need this win to make a dent on the national radar for the first time since 2006. An overconfident Florida better realize that their opponent is headed north with optimism and an agenda.

Should Florida win? Absolutely. Should they roll? Based on their ranking, maybe. No. 5 in the land against an unranked. A Heisman-winner at quarterback, while Miami’s guy has never taken a snap. The last six times the Canes and Gators went toe-to-toe, The U was the higher ranked team. The last time both teams weren’t ranked; 1985 – when then No. 5 Florida beat unranked Miami, 35-23 in the Orange Bowl.

State pride alone won’t win this football game. Miami must play a near-perfect game to have a shot against mighty Florida. They need to take a page from Auburn’s playbook last year, holding the Gators to just over 300 yards and 17 points, while holding the time of possession advantage.

Robert Marve doesn’t have to play with a Heisman trophy in his back pocket, but he can’t play like a true freshman either. Miami’s running back tandem of Javarris James and Graig Cooper need to help with ball control and force Florida to respect the run. Of course that’s only possible if the Canes’ offensive line steps up to the challenge, opening holes against the Gators’ defensive line.

Defensively, what does Young have up his sleeve? Can the gritty 62-year old veteran outsmart Dan Mullen, like few others have? Or do the Gators roll like the well-oiled offensive machine they’ve proved the can be on numerous occasions in the Tim Tebow era?

I don’t know… and neither do any other Gators, Canes or so-called experts.

How many know-it-alls had Clemson rolling Alabama last week, behind the nation’s best duo of running backs? Who had Fresno State waltzing into New Jersey and beating down a good Rutgers team? Utah in the Big House, embarrassing Michigan in another season opener? East Carolina taking a page out of Virginia Tech’s book, beating Beamer Ball at their own game?

There’s a reason these kids line up to play the game, instead of letting fans predict outcomes. All this talk of blowouts, beatdowns, lessons in humility – it’s premature and immature.

Florida deserves their ranking and to be favored, but that’s about it. After six straight wins and a history of winning big football games, Miami at least deserves an ounce of respect going into Saturday, yet UF refuses to give it and continues disrespecting The U.

This ain’t the Canes first rodeo. Big games get the juices flowing and this isn’t last year’s 5-7 bunch.

The logical pick here is Florida. I know that and if I were a member of the mainstream media, I’d see something along the lines of a big time Gators’ victory. Miami would play their asses off, but simply not have enough in the tank to compete with a deeper and more experienced Florida squad.

But I’m not mainstream. I’m a supporter of all things The U and I’ve seen this rivalry played out many times in my 34 years on this planet. I’ve learned that you should expect the unexpected. When you think a game is a ‘gimmie’, that’s rarely the case. When you certain it’s in the bag, something happens and things change on a dime.

I’m not bold enough to call for the Miami upset… but I also refuse to gift wrap this one with an orange and blue ribbon, just giving it to Florida.

I hesitate to call this one, as the head tells me one thing and the heart says another. My logical, side says 31-17, Gators. But as a lifelong Cane who feels this team is on the verge, an epic battle and 27-24 Miami win wouldn’t shock me either.

Here’s to an epic battle Saturday eve.

(Note: Regarding your comments below, keep them to football, the rivalry and don’t act like a bunch of idiots — Canes and Gators alike. Run your mouth like a moron and your posts will be deleted. It’s usually an open forum here, but I don’t want stupid commentary taking away from this article or tomorrow’s game. 70 years of football history here, people. Respect it.)

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