# 6: 1988 Miami Hurricanes

Perhaps no team in the history of College Football has played as tough a schedule as the 1988 Hurricanes. And perhaps no team had a greater gripe about not winning a National Title than the 1988 Canes. No doubt exists that this team was the victim of history and media hysteria. The Hurricanes one point loss in South Bend to eventual National Champion Notre Dame featured several obviously bad calls that went against Miami. The National media all year long pointed to the Miami-Notre Dame game with a clear bias and hope that Notre Dame would humble the reigning National Champions. When Notre Dame won thanks to several odd calls, the media proclaimed it as a win of good over evil, the Catholic over the Convicts. What wasn't reported is that more Notre Dame players off that team ran afoul of the law and Miami had a much higher graduation rate than ND.

The 1988 Canes beat #1 Florida State in the opener 31-0, had an epic comeback to defeat Michigan at the Big House, won big at Death Valley against LSU and killed Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was truly one of the best teams ever in Florida led by Steve Walsh and Cleveland Gary on offense as well as All Americans Bill Hawkins and Greg Mark on defense. In all Miami played 7 top 15 teams, beating 6 of them.


1988 Miami

#1 Florida State 31-0
@ #14 Michigan 31-30
Wisconsin 23-3
Missouri 55-0
@ # 3 Notre Dame 30-31
Cincinnati 57-3
@ East Carolina 31-7
Tulsa 34-3
@ #8 LSU 44-3
# 6 Arkansas 18-16
#13 BYU 41-17
#5 Nebraska 23-3 (Orange Bowl)