Which was the best Miami team that DIDN"T win the National Championship?

[MainLineCane]

Maybe I should have added 2000..for certain; NO more discussion; without ANY doubt ; end of discussion; with absolute certainty; period

1. 2002
2. 1986
3. 1988
4. 2000
5. 1992

Not worth arguing about to me ...they were ALL great teams with very little difference in quality.

Just goes to show how dominant this program has been.

I feel fortunate to have experienced those exceptional heady years and look forward to reliving similar years in the near future.

 

[ddann]

I loved that 2002 team but they aren’t in the same discussion as 81, 86 or 2000.

Well, to be fair, 2002 doesn’t belong with those others because 2002 actually DID win the title game.

The fireworks went off. The game was over. We all saw it.

 

[Hemsleysalmons]

I sincerely hope that cis posters are not 10 years from now reminiscing about teams that coulda, woulda and shoulda won “ships” from 1981 to 2002. I hope in 2030 our success of 2019-2030 will be the main topic and how we rebounded from futility during period of 2003-2018.

 

[mirednmediocrity2]

The 86 team, who simply needed to hand the ball to Highsmith every time to win, is our best team to never win it.

Instead of Jimmy doing the obvious, he got thoroughly out coached by Joe Pa, while Vinny gave us a preview of his upcoming NFL career in a mind numbing loss.

Most frustrating Canes game ever..

Have never been a fan of Vinny. I agree with some of you that he threw that 1986 game. The year before there was that awful beat down by Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. We had a shot at the NC then, too, but Vinnie was awful in that game, and JJ was clueless. Spent a FORTUNE on that trip. It was the only time I’ve ever had a chance to see a supposedly good Canes team, but they looked like the same old loser Canes of the ‘60’s and ‘70s as far as I could see. Just disgusting!

 

[Empirical Cane]

Any options outside of ‘86, 2000, and 2002? I’d probably put them in that order.

Vinny threw that game, no one will ever convince me otherwise.

The gambling debt rumors persist.

 

[Stylie]

Last years.

 

[TNM]

Well, to be fair, 2002 doesn’t belong with those others because 2002 actually DID win the title game.

The fireworks went off. The game was over. We all saw it.

Agreed. Was such a gutsy comeback too in that 4th quarter. The heart of a champion.

 

[954canelife]

The 02 team for sure

 

[SWFLHurricane]

If the 94 Team had a Great QB...It wouldn't have been fair...They were pretty **** Good with Costa at the helm...Imagine what that team would've done with a Walsh...Erickson or even Covington at QB.

 

[IndayArtHauz]

IMO 1986

I’ve always been told by old heads that the 86 team was GOAT. My dad would rave about them.

 

[Rellyrell]

Gotta be 86 for me. Completely dominated that game.

88 hurts b/c of the bogus fumble, but I think back to that decision to go for 2 instead of tying the game. We would’ve split that yr.

2000 was a straight travesty and injustice, but this is y u don’t leave it up to refs or computers. We should’ve taken care of UW.

2002, although we have every right to beat the breaks off of Porter if we ever see him, OSU was giving us fits, and we shot ourselves in the foot several times. No way OSU should’ve completely a 4th & 13 pass w Krenzl to even be in that position!

86 MOLLLLLLLY WHOPPED PSU, and we have chit to show for it. Literally dominated every facet of the game and I still see Vinny throwing str8 to PSU players WITH NO F’ING PRESSURE IN HIS FACE OR MIAMI WR PRESENT! 86 hurt to watch, and I wasn’t even a Cane fan then!

Just think about it....besides 92 where we really did get beat, we should’ve won 86, 88, 00, and 02 titles. Legit would’ve been 9 titles in a 20 yr span. It frustrates me thinking about the what ifs

 

[paksat]

It's probably 86

but i'm gonna say 2000

that team by season's end was a well oiled MACHINE. Moss and Wayne are my wide outs? james jackson and portis and najeh are my RB's? blades and reed?

bhahaha.. bring it

 

[section9]

1986 Team. Closely followed by the 2000 Club.

 

[TerragonSix]

'86, '00, someone mentioned the '05 squad, and the only reason ot dodnt win was the atrocious offense.

 

[ddann]

'86, '00, someone mentioned the '05 squad, and the only reason ot dodnt win was the atrocious offense.

Actually, it was the ‘03 team that was held back from a title by atrocious offense.

The ‘05 team? I can still see Randy Phillips trying to cover Dwayne Bowe deep.

 

[rex karz]

1981 Team without any doubt....Beat 5 Ranked teams (including FSU...UF...ND) and #1 Penn St....would have Dusted Clemson in NC Game....Easily most underrated UM team ever...

Yes sir. Quite possibly my favorite Canes squad of all time. The transformation of the 81 team from a bunch of scrubs and unknowns at the beginning of the season to a legit national title contender by years end was unlike any other of the Canes teams. You could argue the 83 team-but they had more legit overall talent , but there was something transformative about that amazing group on the 81 team.

 

[BOLTY]

Surprised 1990 not getting more mention.
Ty Detmer has the best individual performace vs Canes of anyone I can remember. Lucky but brilliant too.
The Rocket housed one at South Bend. Shouldve kicked it away from him.
Miami was easily the best team that year, IMO.

 

[GPB]

From what I was told by players, Testaverde kept checking off to passes based on the defensive look. He was told not too but still kept checking off. PSU could not stop Highsmith, sad he didn;t get the ball more, also Toretta passed for the most yard that year in the one game he played becasue testaverde got injured in a moped accident.

You are one person who knows the story. That game is on Vinny, not Jimmy.

 

[blushrts]

1986, all day—every day. That team was just loaded—as proven by how good the 1987 was, winning it all with "less" and beating some highly-ranked teams along the way.

That 1987 Fiesta Bowl loss will go down as the worst in Miami history because of just how good that 1986 team was.

The 2000 team not getting a crack at that national title, after beating Florida State head-to-head was another tragedy for this program.

1992 and 2002 were similar, in my opinion—not the way both lost their title games, but how both were defending champs that took big time hits on the offensive lines, which ultimately crippled both teams at the end.

Yes, Ohio State won on a bogus call—but the Buckeyes pushed around Miami's 2002 offensive line all night the same way Alabama did the 1992 Hurricanes.

That 2002 team got punched in the mouth, got back up, and fought back in that game and was completely screwed. When the Penn State homer media guy wrote the same thing in my local paper you know it's true.

 

[Gatorhater]

The 86 team, who simply needed to hand the ball to Highsmith every time to win, is our best team to never win it.

Instead of Jimmy doing the obvious, he got thoroughly out coached by Joe Pa, while Vinny gave us a preview of his upcoming NFL career in a mind numbing loss.

Most frustrating Canes game ever..

85 team loss Sugar Bowl to TN in same fashion and would have won title with win. It was Johnny Majors’ game planned from that game that Jo Pa stole and used the next year. So Majors beat JJ twice. 86 team was better but both should have won titles. JJ was weak coaching bowl games.