To those criticizing the punishment…

Back in November 2004, intrastate rivals Clemson and South Carolina were involved in a nasty fourth quarter brawl. The Tigers won the game, 29-7 but both teams took some grief for the on the field fracas.

In the end, both schools turned down fifth tier bowl games as they finished the regular season with matching 6-5 records and a grand total of 12 players were suspended, six from each team.

As for the game those players were suspended from? It would be their respective coaches choices the following season and bet your bottom dollar that those players would not sit out a meaningful game, as proved by Clemson.

Tommy Bowden didn’t sit his suspended players for the 2005 season opener against Texas A&M. No way. A big time out of conference game? The season opener? Never. He suited up his entire squad and wound up needing them to escape with a 25-24 victory.

Miami/FIU are getting twice the headlines the Clemson/USC brawl did two years back and it’s bogus. Just look at the photo above. It speaks volumes. A boot to a helmet-less player. Police knee-deep in the melee.

Unfortunately, The U has a twenty year old rep for being thugs and the media is going to bust that out anytime things aren’t status-quo at Miami.

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