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How Would a College Football Playoff Have Impacted Miami In Past Seasons?

By Alan Rubenstein

(01/03/2002) Miami head coach Larry Coker rides on his players shoulders and holds up his finger after the Hurricanes defeated Nebraska in the Bowl Championship Series in the Rose Bowl, January 3, in Pasadena, CA. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY ORG XMIT: COKER JUBO MT135.JPG
(01/03/2002) Miami head coach Larry Coker rides on his players shoulders and holds up his finger after the Hurricanes defeated Nebraska in the Bowl Championship Series in the Rose Bowl, January 3, in Pasadena, CA. Photo by Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY ORG XMIT: COKER JUBO MT135.JPG /
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1992 Season

The 1992 season marked the last of the truly dominant teams of the “Swagger” era of Schnellenberger, Johnson and Erickson. Miami finished their second season in the Big East with a second straight undefeated regular season.

After playing two Big East opponents in the 1991 season, the Hurricanes matched up with four in 1992. They faced Big East For West Virginia for a second straight season. The Hurricanes did not play Boston College after facing the Eagles in 1991.

They added Virginia Tech, Temple and Syracuse to the Conference schedule for the ’92 season. The Big East did not begin a full conference slate until the 1993 season. Miami played their four Big East games consecutively beginning with Virginia Tech on October 24. The stretch ended with a victory at number eight Syracuse on November 21.

Miami had a bye week on November 8. The competition other than Temple was a bit of step up. The ‘Canes’ wins over the Hokies, Mountaineers and Orangemen were by a combined total of 38 points. Miami also had wins over then number 23 Iowa, then number three Florida State and Penn State who was seventh at the time they played. The Hurricanes’ biggest scare came at home against unranked Arizona in week three.

Miami survived with an 8-7 victory. The loss caused the Hurricanes to fall from first to second in the polls. They moved back up to number one after a 45-10 win over Texas Christian on October 17. Miami faced off in what would be another DeFacto National Championship against undefeated SEC Champion Alabama.

The 11-0 Hurricanes met the 12-0 Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama was coming off a win in the first SEC Championship game against Florida. Florida State finished another season with their only loss being to Miami. The Seminoles had a chance to tie the Hurricanes on a last-second field goal but it missed…what else? Wide Right.

Texas A&M also finished the season undefeated in what had been a very mediocre Southwest Conference. Every other SWC team finished with at least three losses. Michigan finished with a bizarre 8-0-3 regular season record. Notre Dame and Colorado both finished 9-1-1.

It’s fairly straightforward the playoff would have been the three undefeated teams and FSU. The Miami Hurricanes went through a lot of adversity in 1992. The destruction of Hurricane Andrew in late August was devastating to all of South Florida. The UofM Hurricanes had evacuated to Dodgertown in Vero Beach.

Classes had been scheduled to commence on August 28 but were pushed back to September 14. Miami played and won its season opener at Iowa on September 5. The ‘Canes brought the number one ranking to the Sugar Bowl, but they were overwhelmed by the Tide. Alabama won the National Championship with a 35-13 victory.

Florida State took apart Texas A&M 28-3 in the Cotton Bowl to ruin their undefeated season.

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