It's finally Miami week. It seems a bit out of place with OSU eating dessert on Thursday, a full nine days ahead of the non-conference main course, but decidedly more twisted is the path taken by both schools since the night Jim Tressel's Buckeyes upset the mighty 'Canes to claim the national title. Bill Rabinowitz has a solid breakdown on Miami's, well, breakdown touching on factors such as lazy recruiting, a defensive lineman's murder, a nasty brawl with Florida International and the demolition of the Orange Bowl. I'm sure payroll cuts were a non factor. I kid.
With Saturday's marquee matchup coming courtesy of the WWL, you can bet it's going to be a fun week reliving every angle of that unforgettable night in Tempe. I'm sure the Mark May's and other haters will rehash the PI call as if it was incorrect and forget the countless truly legitimate poor calls. You know, like when the zebras inexplicably ruled Gamble out of bounds on a 3rd down catch that would've allowed OSU to run out the clock in regulation. I'm sure the WWL will also trot out former 'Canes like Michael Irvin to sing the blues. Speaking of which, is it me or is Irvin challenging Curt Schilling's throne as the king of microphone love making? Thankfully, offsetting the Irvin's of the Miami faction will be Ken Dorsey, who recently told the Miami-Herald, "One way or the other, they really deserved to win." Well said.
Bama fans are planning a road trip. In response to Alabama alum and current Duke head coach David Cutcliffe's lack of interest in moving the Bama/Duke game from Durham's 33k seat Wallace Wade Stadium to either a larger neutral field or Tuscaloosa for a fat check, Tide fans apparently didn't blink. It wasn't as easy as buying a single game ticket, however, since Duke instituted a policy requiring prospective Alabama game purchasers to be members of the Iron Dukes Booster Club at the cost of $100. Instead, it's assumed a good portion of Bama fans bought Duke season tickets for $200. So, while I applaud Cutcliffe for working to keep the game on campus, the residual might be lots of empty seats for the other six Duke home dates.
Hey coach, have some Anvil-ade. Lacking douse experience upon notching the first win in Georgia State college football history, Panthers players accidentally drilled 67 year old head coach Bill Curry with the Gatorade cooler sending the former Bama coach to the ground for a good 10-15 seconds. The well respected Curry got up and celebrated with his team after shaking the cobwebs from his dome. I always enjoyed Curry's thougtful perspective on football as a guest on Mike and Mike. Props to his program on their first win.
