5 times when Miami stood up to the traditional college football establishment

We've established that the Miami Hurricanes rose to prominence in college football by going against traditions. But how did they get there?

Before these days of expanded conferences and tie-ins, many of the top programs were independent and that gave them the flexibility to play anyone anywhere. The Hurricanes took great advantage of this, playing teams like Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Michigan, Arkansas, Pittsburgh and Auburn during the 1980s and early 1990s until joining the Big East. 

This aggressive scheduling gave Miami the opportunity to grow its brand on a national stage against ranked opposition and show the country what Hurricanes football was about. Here are 5 games that built Miami's reputation for being the anti-traditional program:

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This was the peak of 'The U', in my opinion. They were a bunch of guys that didn't give a you-know-what about anyone or anything. This was a top-five matchup of two teams that very well could've stumbled into the national championship with a few breaks, but there was only one good team on the field.

The Hurricanes obliterated the Longhorns on the field and slapped them in the face repeatedly for giggles. Miami had 202 penalty yards (Lol), many were for excessive celebration and just being straight up disrespectful. There were actually calls for coach Dennis Erickson to be suspended, but as far as I'm concerned, time has been good for this game. Watch this no-huddle version and grab some popcorn. 

This was the day that Miami went from being a budding great program to becoming 'The U'. You know it was bad when former Irish coach Ara Parseghian was on the air begging for Jimmy Johnson and the 'Canes to show some compassion. Man, please.

Just for reference’s sake, Parseghian's 1973 championship team with Notre Dame beat Miami 44-0 in the Orange Bowl (the Irish also beat Army 62-3, Navy 44-7 and Northwestern 44-0...but that was alright I guess). Notre Dame decided to bring that sorry team off the bus and Miami rightfully beat the brakes off of them, even with the backups.

This was the third consecutive year the Hurricanes beat the Sooners, and it was the culmination of a stretch where there were the two best teams in college football. It was another physical battle where neither side gave an inch until Miami took control in the third quarter.

And the Sooners, despite their reputation as a blue blood, were renegades too. Brian Bosworth, Keith Jackson, Jamelle Holieway were real dogs. Heck, part-time starting quarterback Charles Thompson was arrested for dealing cocaine! So, this was a battle of caged animals and the Hurricanes proved they were the biggest and baddest. 

This one is going to bring back some bad memories for the older Miami fans, but there isn't a revolution in time that didn't have to take a step back to move two steps forward. The fact is, no one talks about the Nittany Lions team that won and for good reason. They were probably the most nondescript champions in the modern era of college football. Everyone, however, talks about the Hurricanes coming off the team plane wearing fatigues.

There's no question that Miami was the best team in college football in 1986. Unfortunately, they had a bad day and Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde couldn't stop throwing interceptions. None of that can take away from the defining moment of the Hurricanes becoming the anti-establishment program in the sport.

November 17, 1973. That was the last time the Cornhuskers were shut out before getting blanked on a balmy night in the Orange Bowl. Miami's third straight bowl win over Nebraska marked the first and only time the Cornhuskers was shut out in a bowl game. The Hurricanes won their fourth national title in nine years and closed out another undefeated season.

Miami held Nebraska to 171 yards and forced four turnovers. The Hurricanes also celebrated every big play and took their helmets off a bunch because they just how they rolled. On the flip side, this game forced Cornhuskers coach Tom Osborne to dump the hokey image and finally bring some real dogs into the program. Everyone wanted to be like Miami. 

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