Miami, FSU rivlary on primetime again

Recently, I talked about how certain American sports rivalries have died out. The Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminole rivalry is no exception. In the 1990's. This was the top rivalry in the nation- On and off the field. These two programs were constantly ranked in the top 10 and often battling for National Champions. Not only were the battles for bowl games, but for top recruits. These two programs have always been on the prowl for top recruits across the state of Florida- especially in South Florida. Whenever you found a recruiter from one program, you know the counterpart was there, as well.



This rivalry was also made famous by FSU place kickers over the years. Have you ever heard of "Wide Right?" FSU lost more than one game to Miami in the last seconds by missing field goals wide to the right. In fact, in 2002, FSU place kicker Xavier Beitia, missed a kick wide to the left. This was a change to the trend that happened in the 90's

So why did both programs drop in polls in the last decade? Well, as I discussed in a previous post, these two ACC schools went through tough situations- Especially, Miami. The U, as the University of Miami football team is recognized by many, was sanctioned by NCAA on a couple of occasions. In fact, just a week ago, they were placed on probation. These sanctions have come with reduced amount of scholarships, which hinder the recruiting process. Also, these two programs did not adjust to strengthening competition within the state of Florida. The University of Florida, who reemerged as a national powerhouse when Urban Meyer took over as head coach in 2005, sold recruits well. In fact, they constantly had top 5 recruiting classes in Meyer's reign. Another school, the University of South Florida, recruited well for a couple of years (2006-2008). In fact, they were ranked as high as #2 in the 2007 regular season. In other words, it wasn't a 2-horse race anymore.



So as FSU went through a coaching change a few years ago, their recruiting improved again. They've gone back to that flashy style of play. They can beat you with the long-ball or an 80-yard run for the touchdown. This year, they are led by Freshman quarterback, Jameis Winston. Some scouts say he is pro-ready. Winston is your modern-day quarterback, who likes to scramble and pick up some yards on the run, but he'll throw one deep if needed.

Miami is led by Senior quarterback, Stephen Morris. This was supposed to be a Heisman-like season for him. Injuries have hindered his performance. He is still applauded for not missing games and his teammates recognize him for his toughness. Duke Johnson has been Miami's most consistent player. The running back has rushed for 823 yards so far this season. He has averaged for 6.7 yards per carry. The U hasn't had a running back of this caliber since the days of Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, and Frank Gore.

Having these two programs back on top is great. As fans, we would like for them to stay on top and have this rivalry mean something constantly. I used to like the fact when I would like on a scoreboard and both schools had a ranking number next to them.

The ACC back from the dead

The South-Eastern Conference (SEC) has been collegiate football's most dominant conference in the last decade. In fact, the last seven national champions have come from the SEC- Florida, LSU, Alabama and Auburn. SEC schools have invested their money well by building modern gyms and bringing in well-known coaches, which most recruits take notice of. In turn, the SEC has gained national exposure through expensive TV contracts with CBS and prime-time games on ABC. As a result, all these universities in the SEC haven't taken their foot off the pedal as far as recruiting and winning.

The last time the an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team won a national championship was in 1999. Florida State University, who beat Virginia Tech that year, was led by legendary coach Bobby Bowden. In fact, ever since he won that national championship, he was never able to recruit as well again. The ACC also made an effort to improve by adding powerhouses like The University of Miami and Vifginia Tech University in 2004. University of Miami, who last won the national championship in 2001, was then associated with the Big East conference. The U, as the Hurricanes are popularly known, has gone through NCAA sanctions on more than occasion in the last decade. Under new head coach, Al Golden, UM's image has changed. As a result, they have improved in recruiting, as well. In fact, they are ranked #4 by ESPN's Recruiting Nation.

Virginia Tech, led by long-time head coach, Frank Beamer, got off to a quick and impressive start. They won the ACC championship in their first year in 2004; Also, have gone on to win in 2007, 2008, 2010. One can conclude that they have been the most consistent team in the ACC in the last decade, but Clemson's not that far off. Clemson University, who has won the most ACC champions in conference history, has re-emerged in to a powerhouse, as well. Before losing to FSU last week, Clemson was ranked as high as #3 in the nation. It's no mystery that their success on the field is related to great recruiting classes.

Currently, the ACC has three teams in the top 10- FSU (3), Miami (7),  and Clemson (9). Virginia Tech is not far back at #16. The SEC has two teams only. So has the ACC caught up? Are they really back from the dead? Are these ACC schools using their resources (gyms, stadiums, equipment, etc.) better, in order to recruit better players?

  

University of Miami Athletics on probation

After  two years of thorough investigation by the NCAA, it has been decided to place the whole athletic department of the University of Miami on probation for the next three years. Nevin Shapiro, a former U of M booster, was accused of giving monetary gifts to athletes, most of them football players. Shapiro targeted these talented, but poor young adults, in order to build a connection with the players. In order to shower the athletes with money and gifts, Shapiro was scamming his financial clients in his day job. He was later arrested and convicted for a $930 million ponzi scheme. While in jail, Shapiro decided to come forth with his wrong-doings. He reported all of the gifts he gave to all of the players and coaches. In fact, he mentioned that University administrators were aware.

Through the investigation, the University of Miami has held themselves accountable. The University of Miami implemented self-impoOsed sanctions like banning themselves from a bowl game. As a result, NCAA has taken the cooperation and self-imposed penalties into account and has only put the program on probation and taken away three scholarships a year.

On the other side of the country, University of Southern California (USC), is crying foul. They claim that their penalties are harsh and everyone else's are soft. What do you guys think?