CORAL GABLES, FL — After upsetting the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, as well as gaining a little revenge, could the No.10 Miami Hurricanes tale a page out of their storybook title run last year?
Ohio State, who after losing to hated archrival Michigan 13-10, and calls for head coach Ryan Day to be fired, went on one of the most memorable championship title runs in history by defeating Tennessee, top-ranked Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame en route to the school’s ninth national championship.
While not quite the same, Miami, as a double-digit ranked team, that also didn’t win its own conference title could do something similar.
With wins over Texas A&M on the road, and the forementioned Buckeyes on New Year’s Eve in the Cotton Bowl, the Hurricanes have a chance to book a return trip back home to play for their sixth national title with a win over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl.
As if playing for a national title on your home field isn’t enough, the opportunity to beat Miami-born Heisman Trophy winner in Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza would make this arguably the most improbable national championship in history.
If there’s one thing that can be learned is that nothing is impossible in today’s transfer portal era of college football, let alone a tenth seed upsetting the defending national champions as a 9.5 point underdog, now being four quarters away from playing for a national title in their own stadium.
Miami is called the Magic City for a reason, and if the Hurricanes make quick work of the Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl, there’s no telling what proverbial rabbit they’ll pull next.
But somewhere, Houdini would be very proud of these ‘Canes if they do pull off this college football equivalent of the greatest escape ever seen.