Why didn’t 1994 win the NC

We were so close to so many additional NC it's unbelievable.
1985 - beat Tennesse, win title
1986 - beat Penn State, win title
1988 - beat ND, play WVU, win title
1992 - beat Bama, win title

so close to 5 in a row, 85-89, and 8 out of 10 from 83-92

then…

2000 - beat Washington OR beat LaTech badly, play OU, win title
2002 - beat OSU, win title (oh, wait, we did…but…)

And, had Miami played OU and won the 2000 NC, maybe Butch gets the deal he deserved and stays, at least for a few more seasons.
 
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1985 - beat Tennesse, win title
1986 - beat Penn State, win title
1988 - beat ND, play WVU, win title
1992 - beat Bama, win title

so close to 5 in a row, 85-89, and 8 out of 10 from 83-92

then…

2000 - beat Washington OR beat LaTech badly, play OU, win title
2002 - beat OSU, win title (oh, wait, we did…but…)

And, had Miami played OU and won the 2000 NC, maybe Butch gets the deal he deserved and stays, at least for a few more seasons.
Lots of highs and lows that season. Rusty Medaris tried to come back but he only made it a few games. We went on the road to AZ St and Jake Plummer early for a game everyone thought was ripe for an upset and we just crushed the life out of them. Crushed FSU in a game everyone thought w would lose. I was at that God **** Washington game. We we on cruise control and then just turnovers everywhere. Almost the same thing for the bowl game. Took a decent lead early and just couldn't sustain anything on offense. Defense got worn down. Erickson's OL recruiting was really starting to catch up. And the reality that Costa was no better than mediocre with stretches of awful.
 
Lots of highs and lows that season. Rusty Medaris tried to come back but he only made it a few games. We went on the road to AZ St and Jake Plummer early for a game everyone thought was ripe for an upset and we just crushed the life out of them. Crushed FSU in a game everyone thought w would lose. I was at that God **** Washington game. We we on cruise control and then just turnovers everywhere. Almost the same thing for the bowl game. Took a decent lead early and just couldn't sustain anything on offense. Defense got worn down. Erickson's OL recruiting was really starting to catch up. And the reality that Costa was no better than mediocre with stretches of awful.
Medearis was told by Doctors...any further injury to leg would have caused amputation...
 
Other than KC Jones our OL was not good. That's the most important element.

We were a revolving door of nagging injuries at DL, LB, and RB all year too.
 
Other than KC Jones our OL was not good. That's the most important element.

We were a revolving door of nagging injuries at DL, LB, and RB all year too.
Riley tore his ACL the last game before Orange Bowl...had a phenomenal yr...so did Sapp..Holmes and Lang...DL wasn't the problem...OL and Costa were...add in Erickson's *** recruiting from 92 on...and it was over...
 
I believe it was Taj Johnson that Costa had wide open on a 9 route. It wasn't that Costa missed the throw. It was the fact that he was forced to throw it incredibly early before getting destroyed. I have no idea whether we claim the title with one loss to Washington or not, however there's a huge difference between 1990 and 1994. In 90, we had 2 loses already going into the bowl game so it would have been virtually impossible to have jumped an undefeated team. We would have had to have beaten ND, then Colorado.
 
I believe it was Taj Johnson that Costa had wide open on a 9 route. It wasn't that Costa missed the throw. It was the fact that he was forced to throw it incredibly early before getting destroyed. I have no idea whether we claim the title with one loss to Washington or not, however there's a huge difference between 1990 and 1994. In 90, we had 2 loses already going into the bowl game so it would have been virtually impossible to have jumped an undefeated team. We would have had to have beaten ND, then Colorado.
It was Chris T Jones (once) and Jonathan Harris (once) that he missed 2 easy TDs....the 90 team would have Destroyed 1990 Colorado or GT (Co - NCs)
 
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Dennis Erickson was a mediocre coach. That’s why. He was basically Larry Coker
CFB caught up to his Offense rather quickly....It's not that I didn't like his offense....but he never had a backup plan if you will (see Bama 93) very hardheaded/egotistical...with so-so adjustments....He Won 2 NCs with 95% JJs kids...once JJs kids were all but gone following the 91 season...the Cracks started exposing themselves...especially in recruiting....
 
CFB caught up to his Offense rather quickly....It's not that I didn't like his offense....but he never had a backup plan if you will (see Bama 93) very hardheaded/egotistical...with so-so adjustments....He Won 2 NCs with 95% JJs kids...once JJs kids were all but gone following the 91 season...the Cracks started exposing themselves...especially in recruiting....
Was DE drinking a lot during that time?
 
I liked a lot of Erickson’s recruits. Magic Benton was a favorite of mine. One team that I have fond memories of is the 1995 team. I was at the Syracuse game as we ended 8-3, and things seemed to be back to normal. We should’ve accepted the Orange Bowl bid against ND. That easily could’ve been an Orange Bowl victory also on Butch’s resume. I guess taking the Bowl ban in 1995 was the right move, but did anyone really think the the next season needed to include a Bowl game.
 
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I liked a lot of Erickson’s recruits. Magic Benton was a favorite of mine. One team that I have fond memories of is the 1995 team. I was at the Syracuse game as we ended 8-3, and things seemed to be back to normal. We should’ve accepted the Orange Bowl bid against ND. That easily could’ve been an Orange Bowl victory also on Butch’s resume. I guess taking the Bowl ban in 1995 was the right move, but did anyone really think the the next season needed to include a Bowl game.
Erickson's recruiting from 92-94 was Toilet Water....He was a notorious lazy recruiter...To be handed what JJ gave him in 89....and respond with what he left Butch in 95, is absolutely nauseating....with Coker vomiting right behind, with what Butch left his Clappy ***...
 
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Erickson's recruiting from 92-94 was Toilet Water....He was a notorious lazy recruiter...To be handed what JJ gave him in 89....and respond with what he left Butch in 95, is absolutely nauseating....with Coker vomiting right behind, with what Butch left his Clappy ***...
Coker was given the keys to a Lambo and returned a Yugo.
 
I liked a lot of Erickson’s recruits. Magic Benton was a favorite of mine. One team that I have fond memories of is the 1995 team. I was at the Syracuse game as we ended 8-3, and things seemed to be back to normal. We should’ve accepted the Orange Bowl bid against ND. That easily could’ve been an Orange Bowl victory also on Butch’s resume. I guess taking the Bowl ban in 1995 was the right move, but did anyone really think the the next season needed to include a Bowl game.
Was there choice to decline an bowl bid in 1995? I recall the sanctions finally coming down late in the season. The Canes started bad, 1-3, but rolled the remaining 7 games. The season finale at home against Cuse, a 35-24 win, gave a share of the BE title, and was Miami’s de facto bowl game. Was a great game as I remember.

Edit: Miami and VT were 6-1 in the BE, but the Chokies won the head-to-head matchup. VT beat Texas in the Sugar Bowl and Cuse took a Gator Bowl bid as the BE second place team, beating Clemson 41-0.

The Canes played Virginia in a minor bowl in 1996. I recall Butch believing a lesser bowl was still important due to the extra practices. Maybe he felt that more benefical in 1996, with a roster including his first recruiting class. The players departing after 1995 weren’t going to be part of the rebuilding efforts ahead. Tough choice either way.
 
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There wasn't a head to head rule deciding the Big East in 1995. We were going to get the Bowl Alliance berth over VT. The Orange Bowl could've taken whoever they wanted. If you recall it was the last scheduled Orange Bowl at the actual Orange Bowl. And it was going to be us against Notre Dame. There was a ton of buzz about it but we took the self imposed bowl ban. There was also a feeling that 1996 could be a special season.

The 1995 team was playing great at the end of the season. That Syracuse game was a lot of fun. The team battled through a lot and won the final 7 games, going undefeated at the OB.

Edit: I just read a couple articles about it from 1995 and it wasn't certain whether we or VT would get the Bowl Alliance bid. But we were going to most likely get it just based on name recognition and playing in the Orange Bowl. It just wasn't official that we'd get chosen over VT.
 
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There wasn't a head to head rule deciding the Big East in 1995. We were going to get the Bowl Alliance berth over VT. The Orange Bowl could've taken whoever they wanted. If you recall it was the last scheduled Orange Bowl at the actual Orange Bowl. And it was going to be us against Notre Dame. There was a ton of buzz about it but we took the self imposed bowl ban. There was also a feeling that 1996 could be a special season.

The 1995 team was playing great at the end of the season. That Syracuse game was a lot of fun. The team battled through a lot and won the final 7 games, going undefeated at the OB.
Hmmm…maybe. The OB would take #20 Miami, and #8 FSU would have gone to the Sugar instead I suppose.

Oh well.
 
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