Really, could it get any worse?

Never in my worst nightmare did I see January 8th, 2007 playing out like this.

Seems only months ago I was running around the Orange Bowl, soaking wet and completely drunk on Labor Day. Miami was 0-0, Florida State was on deck that evening and I was optimistic regarding the 2006 season.

Five months later the Canes ended things 7-6, fired a coach and hired a new one. Throw in an on the field brawl, the brutal murder of a beloved player and four-game losing streak.

That’s not salt in the wound. It’s bleach.

This season was pure hell, so I guess it’s fitting that Miami has to watch two hated programs going head-to-head for the title tonight; Ohio State and Florida. The only thing worse would be seeing one lose on a controversial call and the AP actually giving the victim the #1 spot in the polls. That, or the BCS somehow working Notre Dame into the halftime show.

I better shut up now before I jinx everything.

Miami hates Florida for obvious reasons. An in state rival since 1938… even though they’ve refused to play us annually since 1987. The Gator Flop in ’71. The fact they’re they big state school with all the money and as some like to say, “the tradition of Wake Forest with the arrogance of Notre Dame.”

The Gators are absolute hell. Take it from me. I’m a Florida grad and I feel nothing but hatred towards that program. They have one football National Championship to the Canes’ five and they’ve lost six straight to The U, dating back to 1985 – but don’t tell them that. They’ll still talk the talk even when they haven’t walked the walk for over 20 years.

Though Miami and Ohio State dislike each other, isn’t exactly a rivaly. The Canes and Buckeyes met only three times. The first time, a meaningless 10-0 Buckeyes win in 1977, when the Canes were nobodies. Coincidentally Miami’s worst regular season (non-probation) before this trainwreck that was 2006.

Miami upset Ohio State, 23-12 in the 1999 Kickoff Classic en route to getting back a top the college football mountain but the Buckeyes got the better of the Canes when it all counted in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

Sure, the game was decided on a bogus flag and Miami should’ve won the thing 24-17 in the first OT when the defense stopped Ohio State cold on 4th down… but at day’s end, the Buckeyes got the ring and the Canes were left to ponder, “what if?”

As a lifelong supporter of The U, I truly loathe both of these programs. Get me drunk, put me on my soapbox and I’ll rant and rave about both until someone shuts me up. I could spew some serious venom when talking about my disdain for the Gators and Buckeyes.

That said, come gametime I have to side with someone and in a battle between the lesser of two evils there is only one logical answer; an Ohio State victory. I will not actively root for the Buckeyes, but as a diehard Cane, I know it’s better for The U if OSU wins tonight. Nothing good would come from Florida prevailing. Hell, they’re arrogant now and they’ve done NOTHING. Imagine the stench coming out of Gainesville if they bring home the program’s second football title.

Screw all that “state pride” crap. That doesn’t ring true here, my friends. Any Miami fan rooting for Florida tonight needs to have their head examined. Do you think Auburn or Alabama would root for each other in this situation? Was UCLA cheering USC onto a title a few years back? South Carolina and Clemson? Arizona and Arizona State? Virginia and Virginia Tech? Hell no.

The Gators are the enemy. Always have been, always will be. Do you think any UF faithful rooted for us in the 2002 Rose Bowl or 2003 Fiesta Bowl? Hell no. I can only imagine the laughter and celebration in Gainesville on January 3rd, 2003 when Terry Porter’s flag wrongly hit the turf in the first OT. They hate us. We hate them. End of story.

Some of you younger fans don’t “get” this whole rivalry, but go talk to an old school Gator or Cane and literally watch their blood boil when talking about the other. It’s a bitter rivalrly.

No Gator would ever root for a Cane and any Miami fan rooting for Florida tonight is an absolute moron.

Miami, Florida and Florida State battle it out annually for the same recruits. UF has savvy Urban Meyer, FSU has Bobby Bowden’s charm and UM now has Randy Shannon, an up and coming former Cane with three National Championships under his belt. One as a player and two as a coach. Still, he has his work cut out for him and the last thing Hurricane Nation needs is the Gators to get another ring, giving Meyer more ammo when he waltzes into a recruit’s home.

Miami and Ohio State might battle it out for some national recruits, but it’s Miami and Florida who go toe to toe over the in state kids. Giving Meyer a ring will help him clean up in Dade and Broward County. Look at what it did for Miami after the 2001 season.

In February 2002, Larry Coker and the Canes signed arguable their best recruiting class (on paper) in school’s history. Sure, a lot of kids didn’t pan out and Miami has never been a program which built it’s success on the five-star recruits – but schools like Florida and Florida State thrive on that.

A win for the Gators tonight hurts both the Canes and Noles in a big way as both programs are looking to rebound from identical 7-6 efforts. Both programs are firing and hiring new coaches in an effort to right the ship.

Florida already has the advantage as the state power with the most money, best facilities and richest football-loving alumni fan base. But the Canes have the bragging rites with 5 titles to 1 and six straight wins over the Gators. A win for them tonight is a step towards leveling the playing field and that couldn’t come at a worse time for Miami.

My message to Hurricane Nation tonight – look at the bigger picture here. Put your Ohio State hatred away for one evening. Tonight we need the Buckeyes to do us a favor and throttle the Gators. If it was Ohio State against anyone else (except Notre Dame), I would be pulling for the other guy. But it’s Florida. Our nemesis and one of the most smug programs in the country. Prove that Urban Meyer is nothing more than an urban myth and hope the Florida program is absolutely deflated and humbled this evening. There really is no other option.

Tonight’s game is the ultimate worst case scenario, but as a Miami fan sit back and think about what hurts us more – a title going to Columbus or Gainesville. It’s a no brainer. Florida winning hurts Miami in the recruiting department. We hate Ohio State, but a win tonight will not hurt The U.

Get your priorities straight, people. We need a Buckeyes win tonight. My call – Ohio State 34, Florida 23.

Let’s get this thing over and done with so we can finally focus on 2007.

.:Canes305:.

Comments

comments