CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The demise of four of the eight undefeated college football teams Saturday has simplified the national championship picture, but that doesn’t mean Miami has a direct path back to the title game.
The latest Bowl Championship Series standings, which have Ohio State moving up three positions and jumping over Miami for the No. 2 spot, show that UM (8-0, 4-0 Big East) could be left outside looking in, even if the Hurricanes finish undefeated.
Even though Miami stayed unbeaten and posted its school-record 30th straight win Saturday with a 42-17 victory over Rutgers, UM’s struggles during that game (trailing in the fourth quarter to the Big East’s perennial doormat before rallying) cost the Hurricanes dearly.
Miami, which plays Tennessee on the road Saturday, dropped to No. 2 in The Associated Press poll, and as a result of its fall, Ohio State moved into second in the BCS with 5.57 points, 0.44 points ahead of Miami’s 6.01. Oklahoma remains No. 1 with a 2.04 rating.
A component of the BCS standings includes the average of the AP media and coaches’ polls. Miami is No. 1 in the coaches’ poll, giving it a 1.5 poll average. If UM had stayed No. 1 in both polls, its poll average would have been 1 and that would have been enough to put UM 0.06 points ahead of the Buckeyes.
Even though the new standings might disappoint UM fans, Miami’s players and coaches aren’t fazed that they have been unseated from one of the top two spots that decide which teams play in the Fiesta Bowl, which will be held in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 3.
“I can’t be too overly concerned with what the pollsters do,” coach Larry Coker said earlier in the day before the BCS standings were released. “We didn’t play as well as we can play, but we’re not going to apologize for a 25-point win.”
The final BCS standings are released Dec. 8, and UM’s players believe that gives them plenty of time to regain the voters’ respect. Ohio State has games remaining at Purdue (4-5), at Illinois (3-6) and against No. 13 Michigan (7-2).
“If we win all our games, we should be (playing in the Fiesta Bowl),” junior receiver Andre Johnson said. “We are the defending national champions. We should be put in the game to defend our title.”
(c) 2002 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.