Miami football 1987 National Champions ranked 8th in Yahoo best ever
The 1987 Miami football National Championship team is seeded eighth in the Yahoo Sports Bracket of the best college football teams since 1970. The Hurricanes are in the bracket with the 2001 Miami National Championship team.
The 1987 Miami football team was the only National Championship the Hurricanes won during the five-year tenure with Jimmy Johnson as head coach from 1984-88. The 1987 season was the third of a four year stretch of domination in the final four seasons under Johnson when Miami went 44-4.
Miami dominated offensively and defensively in 1987. The offense was sixth nationally averaging 34.4 points per game. Miami’s defense allowed 10.4 PPG to rank second nationally. The1987 Miami football team had numerous future NFL first-round draft picks, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer and several future Pro Bowlers.
The 1987 National Champions began the season by dominating 10th ranked Florida and 20th ranked Arkansas by a combined score of 82-11. The opening victory over Florida ended with a 31-4 Miami victory. If not for two errant snaps by the Hurricanes on punts in their own ends, Miami would have shutout Florida.
The pivotal game of the 1987 season for Miami came not surprisingly at Florida State. With 16 minutes left in the game, Florida State held a 19-3 lead. The Hurricanes came storming back. Steve Walsh and Michael Irvin connected on 26 and 76-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the game and give Miami the lead.
Florida State pulled within one but went for the win instead of the tie and as they did four years earlier against Nebraska, Miami stopped the Seminoles and won 26-25 in Tallahassee. The game practically altered the course of history. Miami won the 1987 National Championship and went on to win in 1989 and ’91.
"1987 Miami vs. 1971 NebraskaNo. 8: 1987 Miami12-0, beat Oklahoma in Orange Bowl.The Hurricanes opened the season with three consecutive wins over ranked opponents and then closed it with three wins over ranked teams. Five of those six teams were ranked in the top 10 at the time of the game.No. 9: 1971 Nebraska13-0, beat Alabama in Orange BowlThe Huskers were absolutely dominant, beating teams by an average score of 39-8. Three different players rushed for at least seven touchdowns."
The 1987 Miami National Champions defeated 1971 Nebraska on the Yahoo Sports best ever bracket by earning 61 percent of the vote. The eighth-seeded Hurricanes matchup with the 1995 Cornhuskers in the quarterfinals. A trip to match-up with the winner of 2018 Clemson and 2004 USC in the semifinals awaits.
Next. Yahoo Sports wrong to have 2001 Miami as second overall seed. dark
The mid-2000s USC teams and the most recent National Champion, 2019 LSU are the only teams that have a realistic debate to even be in the conversation with the 2001 Miami team as the best team ever. The 2001 Hurricanes had more depth than any team in the history of college football with 39 drafted players on their roster.