Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Rivalry

By Kartik Krishnaiyer
Canes Rising Staff

College Football scheduling is not what it once was.

Conference realignments, and the BCS have changed scheduling practices forever.

Once hot rivalries like Penn State-Pitt, Miami-Florida, Georgia-Clemson, Georgia Tech-Auburn, Oklahoma-Nebraska and West Virginia-Virginia Tech are either played periodically these days or have been reduced to the dustbin of history.

In its place are new rivalries created by conference alignments such as Florida-Tennessee, Penn State-Ohio State, Georgia Tech-Clemson and, yes, Miami-Virginia Tech.

For many of us, Virginia Tech has become the ultimate enemy on Miami's schedule.

With Notre Dame continuing to refuse a renewal of the rivalry with the Canes, Va. Tech has become the out-of-state replacement for the Fighting Irish, and each year it seems conference supremacy is on the line.

In-state bragging rights are one thing, but the "hot war era" between Miami and Florida State decided national titles in the late 80s and early 90s is seemingly gone. The matchup with Va. Tech has been bigger more often than the FSU game.

Last year on this site, nearly two thirds of our readers stated they hated Virginia Tech more than Florida State. And why not? When Miami is at the same level or better than the Seminoles the Canes usually triumph.

But since 1995, that has not been the case with Virginia Tech. It's doesn't matter how good the Canes are, and how suspect the Hokies appear, this game always turns out to the defining game of Miami's seasons.

In 1995, Virginia Tech defeated Miami for the first time in its history and went on to represent the Big East in the Bowl alliance.

A year later, Miami was inches away from tying the game at the Orange Bowl when Tony Gaiter dropped a sure touchdown. On the very next play, Scott Covington was picked off and the play was returned for a TD giving the Hokies an Orange Bowl birth and sending the Canes, despite only one league loss, to the Carquest Bowl.

In 1998, Andy Crossland's missed extra point sent the game into overtime where Va. Tech triumphed.

In 1999, after playing No. 1 Florida State tough and scoring a comeback for the ages against Boston College, the Canes were humiliated in Blacksburg.

In 2001, top-ranked Miami dominated the first three quarters in Blacksburg but needed fate to intervene -- in the form of a dropped 2 pt conversation pass by Ernest Wilford in the end zone -- to hold on to a 26-24 win. Miami won the National Title that year but the Canes, who had ripped through FSU on the road, got all they could handle from Va Tech.

2002 represented perhaps the signature game of the rivalry. No. 1 Miami only needed to beat Va. Tech to advance to BCS title game. The Hokies were limping in having lost to Pitt and West Virginia down the stretch. The Hokies couldn't stop Willis McGahee but the Canes couldn't slow up the Hokies and what ensued was a 56-45 Miami win, a classic by any definition; a game for the ages.

After a Thursday night loss to West Virginia in 2003, the Hokies hosted the undefeated, second-ranked Hurricanes.

Miami had not lost a regular season game in three-and-a-half seasons. But what happened that night changed the Miami program, sending the Canes into a free fall which Randy Shannon is only now beginning to pull the Canes out of.

The 31-7 loss was shocking and painful. It became more shocking as it was apparent Miami's psyche had been permanently scared. That was only exacerbated a year later when the Hokies came to the Orange Bowl and beat the Canes in the defacto ACC title game thanks to blown coverage by Antrel Rolle.

A year later, in Blacksburg, Miami exercised the demons of the past two years with a remarkable, 27-7, thrashing of then No. 3 Va Tech. The game proved to be an aberration as Miami's decline was in full swing. But rivalries bring out the best in players and the Canes of the late Larry Coker years were never more motivated than they were that night.

The 2006 meeting between the two school was broadcast nationally on ABC's Saturday Night College Football. The Canes dominated the game but Kyle Wright threw three terrible interceptions and Larry Coker's run in the rivalry ended with a 17-10 Hokie win. A year later, Randy Shannon got his first taste of the rivalry as a head coach with a lopsided 44-14 Hokie win, where Va. Tech it can be argued underachieved. Yes, that's how bad it was.

Miami last lost to both FSU and Virginia Tech in the same season in 1999.

That year the two schools faced off in the national title game.

This year, neither VT or FSU is anywhere near national title contention: a loss to both in the same season would in many ways but a damper on the progress the Canes have made under Randy Shannon.

Losing to Florida State hurts, but losing to Virginia Tech hurts more. Let's hope the Canes keep this mantra close to their hearts on Thursday Night.

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