Miami @ Florida: Preview

If I hear one more ignorant Miami fan say something about how Florida hasn’t beaten Miami in 23 years, I might dropkick an ibis.

Let’s go over a few reasons why that claim is stupid, and dumb, and just plain wrong. First of all, Florida hasn’t beaten Miami since 1985. Fast forward to the 2008 season and that’s 23 years. That much is true. Does that mean the Canes have beaten the Gators 23 straight times? NO! They have beaten the Gators six straight times, which I will give Miami fans. That’s not something Gator fans like to be reminded of. But it’s a far cry from the 23 years claim. That’s like me saying UF has never lost to Ohio State in the history of its program and pounding my chest. Florida and Ohio State have only played once! Here’s what you’re allowed to brag about Miami fans: you have beaten the Gators six straight times. I’ve stated that twice in this paragraph alone. I’m sure even you can pick up on it. And the fact that the last time was 2004 makes even that claim less impressive.

Any Miami fan is immediately thinking “well that’s because you won’t play us!” First of all, it’s not under the control of any Gator fan to decide who we do and don’t play. If I had it my way, we would play you every year just to shut you the hell up. But at the same time, I’m glad we don’t. Not because I’m afraid, but because of this. The Gators play in the toughest conference in the nation. Hands down. Comparing the SEC to the ACC is like thinking Jermaine Cunningham vs. the Jimmy John’s sandwich was a fair fight. Just go ahead and look at who UF played last year alone: Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, and FSU. Take a look at who Miami faced off against and you get: Oklahoma, Florida State, and Virginia Tech. I could even go as far as removing Oklahoma because Miami doesn’t always play schools like that. And the FSU rivalry is null-and-void as part of this conversation because they are in the same conference now. So what it boils down to is Florida plays Tennessee, LSU, and Georgia from the SEC every year. The Gators add Auburn in there occasionally. And they always end the season with a big time out-of-conference opponent – FSU. Miami, on the other hand, plays Florida State and Virginia Tech and occasionally throws in an out-of-conference opponent the caliber of an Oklahoma or a Florida. The Gators already have the big boys on the schedule. Adding another and having to get through the rest of their schedule is something no other team in the nation would do.

There is the theory that these are still both big time programs and schools like this play up for each other. Regardless of talent, this will be an all out war and a lot closer than everyone thinks. This all could be true and if that’s the case, I have to think coaching will win it. So who would you rather have in your corner? Urban Meyer or Randy Shannon? I will commend Shannon for trying to clean up the program. He seems to have his head on straight and wants to turn Miami into a respectable team. I can applaud that. The problem is he went 5-7 in 2007 with some very talented players. Something’s not right in Miami. They bring in top classes. They have the talent. Then they go 5-7. I can’t see how any program of that caliber – down season or not – could get deep into the season, gaining experience, and then lose at home by 48 points to anyone, let alone a team like Virginia. If that loss had happened two months earlier, it could be somewhat understood. But at that point in the year, the team should be improved. They should be clicking on at least a few cylinders. But they looked lost. Maybe it was growing pains for Shannon. Maybe not. Either way, I’d think with the talent and the schedule, the Canes were at least an 8-win team last year. Somehow they didn’t come close to that.

As for my pick, what do you think? Florida’s offense will score a lot, the game is in The Swamp, and the Gators clearly have the coaching advantage. Based on the number of years it’s been since Florida last beat Miami, I’ll take the Gators by 23.