Canes lock up Coastal
Canes learn they’ll meet Clemson; school basks in attention from ESPN show.
Miami is ensured its first trip to the ACC Championship game after Virginia’s loss to Louisville on Saturday,
CORAL GABLES — One of the signs seen Saturday morning in the ESPN “College GameDay” crowd:
“Thank You, Dabo.” Those words, accompanied by a photo of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney shaking hands with a morose Al Golden, was in reference to the 58-0 thrashing the Hurricanes suffered at the hands of Swinney’s Tigers in 2015. Miami fired Golden the next day, went on to hire Mark Richt, and two years later, had the attention of the college football universe on its campus.
On Dec. 2, Miami will get to thank Swinney in person.
The Hurricanes will meet Clemson, the defending national champion, in the ACC Championship in Charlotte, N.C. The matchup was decided about 90 minutes before seventh-ranked UM beat third-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami (9-0, 6-0 in the ACC) clinched the Coastal Division by virtue of Virginia’s 38-21 loss at Louisville. This will be the first appearance in the conference title game for the Hurricanes, who joined the ACC from the Big East in 2004.
Fourth-ranked Clemson (9-1, 7-1) beat Florida State 31-14 to sew up the Atlantic side. The Tigers, who won their first national title since 1981 last season by beating Alabama, have not faced the Hurricanes since Oct. 24, 2015. Six weeks after that loss — the most lopsided in Miami’s nine-decade program history — the school hired Richt, who was fired by Georgia after 15 seasons.
Richt is 18-4 since taking over his alma mater. His Canes are on a 14-game winning streak, the longest in the country and UM’s longest since a 34-game winning streak that lasted from 200002. With top-ranked Georgia’s 40-17 loss at 10th-ranked Auburn, four teams — Miami, Alabama, Wisconsin and UCF — are left unbeaten.
Clemson’s only loss this season was to Syracuse, a 27-24 stunner Oct. 13 in the Carrier Dome. UM defeated the Orange 27-19 on Oct. 21 at Hard Rock.
“GameDay” visits: In the middle of a swirling scene on campus, Blake James beamed.
“This is what I envisioned,” said UM’s athletics director. “Obviously, we have a tremendously passionate fan base and the most beautiful campus in the country. We have the best weather. You put all those things together ... how could ‘GameDay’ be any better than this?”
ESPN said the same thing. Representatives from the network were pleased with the turnout, and on-air personalities were largely complimentary of the buzz and atmosphere in Coral Gables. ESPN had never brought its signature Saturday show, watched by some 2 million people per week, to UM’s campus.
The show included segments on UM’s rise under Richt, and showcased the personalities of players Michael Pinckney, Braxton Berrios and Shaquille Quarterman. It also showed ESPN reporters riding jet skis on Biscayne Bay, with a late-afternoon Miami skyline behind them.
James estimated 5,000 fans showed up to be part of what was essentially a three-hour, coast-to-coast commercial for UM. He said it’s not just the football program that benefits.
ESPN’s cameras showed shots of the Hurricanes’ on-campus pool, which was right next to the “GameDay” set. Analyst David Pollack shed his suit for swim trunks, and splashed down from the 10-meter platform.
“Our swim and dive coach said there’s not enough money you could put in our recruiting budget,” James said, that would match that kind of exposure.
“It’s been a great week.” A-Rod returns: Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez, a Miami native and lifelong Hurricanes fan, was the “GameDay” guest of honor. He picked Miami to beat Notre Dame.
Fellow Miami native Lee Corso — who played at Jackson High and used to sneak into the Orange Bowl for UM games — chose Notre Dame. “This is strictly business,” he said, drawing heavy boos from the crowd.
Rodriguez, 42, played at Miami’s Westminster High and committed to UM before turning pro with the Seattle Mariners in 1993. The school named its baseball field after him in 2009 after he pledged $3.9 million. He also gave $500,000 to the business school in February.
Rodriguez was shown wearing a Turnover Chain replica in a luxury box during last week’s Miami-Virginia Tech game. He was sitting next to his girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez.