The coaching difference is vast.
2001 Canes didn’t really beat anyone all year and got somewhat lucky with an easy schedule. Even the Nebraska team we beat in the Rose Bowl had lost the week previous to Colorado.
The same team in 2002 was exposed against Ohio State. Pass interference or no, we got handled in that game.
Hardly the same team. The secondary was totally different and therefore our turnover numbers plunged. We had lots of name brand replacements but you don't lose guys like Reed, Shockey, McKinnie, etc. without feeling it.
Let's put it this way: Throughout 2001 I didn't care who we played. But in 2002 I desperately rooted against Ohio State beginning in September. It was blatantly obvious that was the nightmare opponent. They resembled the 1986 Penn State and 1992 Alabama teams. Blue collar smart and tough. Extremely talented. I can still envision all the close escapes Ohio State had -- at Cincinnati, at Wisconsin, home to Penn State, at Purdue, at Illinois, hosting Michigan. Just lose one of those games and Miami cruises in the title game against anyone else. USC was very talented but 2 losses eliminated them early.
The worst part of that season was drawing Syracuse and Virginia Tech in the final two games and running up the score. That was guaranteed to give the Canes a false sense of offensive confidence against Ohio State.
I'll never forget when Ed Salmons of the Imperial Palace walked up to the board during halftime of the Miami/Virginia Tech game and put up the first number in town on Miami versus Ohio State. He hung up Canes -15.5
I told him he was out of his mind. Salmons scoffed at me, "Are you watching this game?"
Who cares? I told him it was not relevant in the slightest.
Jay Kornegay was running the Imperial Palace at that point. Eventually he got the top job at the Hilton and brought Salmons with him. They are sharp guys but in those early years they tended to overreact to a recent outcome.
The spread eventually settled at -11.5. It was Miami's greatest favoritism in a championship game.
The other numbers were:
* 1983 +11.5 hosting Nebraska
* 1985 -7 versus Tennessee
* 1986 -7.5 versus Penn State
* 1987 +3 hosting Oklahoma
* 1989 -8 versus Alabama
* 1991 -9 hosting Nebraska
* 1992 -6.5 versus Alabama
* 1994 -1 hosting Nebraska
* 2001 -8.5 versus Nebraska