Canes-Noles Baby!
So, you don’t care about Miami-FSU this weekend?
Well who needs you? I still care. Big time. This is Miami-FSU, for crying out loud. This is a reminder of what makes college sports so great.
No matter how bad your team sucks – and these two teams totally suck right now – you’ve still got good, old-fashioned college rivalries. This game might as well be the National Championship for Miami. For FSU, that would be the Gators game later in the year. But Saturday’s contest still means everything to me, so I’m hoping it means everything to every UM player as well. There’s no doubt in my mind that it does.
Find me a rivalry with more memorable last-second moments. Find me a rivalry with more NFL talent. Even when these teams are underperforming, you’ll still be watching future NFL stars. For Miami, it’s Calais Campbell, Kenny Phillips, Graig Cooper, and Eric Moncur, among others. For Florida State, it’s Greg Carr, Antone Smith (perhaps), Myron Rolle, and Geno Hayes, among others. Trust me, there are many more on these rosters.
Quick stat… how many players from the 1987 Miami and FSU rosters were eventually drafted or signed as free agents? Answer coming later… 
So this game may not mean much to you, but it means everything to me. It’s not the best rivalry in college football right now, but it will soon be among the best again. Both teams are in the process of pulling in excellent recruiting classes. Both teams have made important coaching moves lately. Miami hired Randy Shannon, a local boy who is putting a fence around South Florida’s talent.
Florida State brought in Jimbo Fisher (from LSU) as its Offensive Coordinator and Rick Trickett (from West Virginia) to coach the offensive line. Either one of those guys will be an upgrade if Bobby Bowden eventually steps down or is forced out. Things are looking up.
If just one of these teams had a competent quarterback, you’d see a potential top 10 squad. But since Kyle Wright, Kirby Freeman, Drew Weatherford, and Xavier Lee are all we’ve got, expect another sloppy game on Saturday. It will be sloppy, but it will be close. It’s always close.
After all, it’s Miami-FSU, and I can’t wait.
By the way, here’s the answer to that question: 67 players! Not bad.
And check out this article in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/college/hurricanes/sfl-flsp1987proscht18broct18,0,1300648.story
