Back in 1986, the Miami Hurricanes lost the national title game against the Penn State Nittany Lions when former coach, Joe Paterno was at the helm. During that championship debacle, former Miami Hurricane and NFL great, and Heisman trophy winner, Vinny Testaverde, played a dreadful game.
He threw five costly interceptions, which contributed to the Hurricanes unsuccessful attempt to capture another national championship, which could have become the Miami Hurricanes sixth title.
The question regarding that 1986 team, led by coaching great Jimmy Johnson, was not the team's ability to defeat the Nittany Lions. The game was decided before both teams took the field. What defeated the Canes in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona was a simple mindset. The Hurricanes defeated themselves by demonstrating an arrogant and overconfident mindset.
Overconfidence and arrogance, in some instances, will become a growing cancer that cannot become tamed once it spreads throughout an entire team. Most Miami Hurricanes fans, who are old enough to recall that particular game will point out the fact that the Canes were more than capable of defeating the mighty Penn State Nittany Lions that night.
Due to the antics of some of the Canes leaders and team captains before the contest commenced (i.e. dressing in army fatigues, making brash comments), evidently added fuel to an opponent that the 1986 Miami Hurricanes were more than qualified to defeat.
These 2025 Miami Hurricanes are frankly on a roll. They have captivated many college football observers with their "old school," throwback, way of playing football in the modern era. There is not any doubt that the Canes can continue to win-it-all, but the team must have the right mindset.
Coach Cristobal was not part of that 1986 Miami Hurricanes program that thought they had won the contest before the opening kickoff. Unfortunately, for some of the Miami Hurricanes alum and greats, who played or contributed in that lackluster performance, almost forty years ago, the 2025 Canes have an example provided by their Canes predecessors, who understand what it is like when the whole team has the negative and prideful mindset that the game is "theirs to lose."
An all-out effort is required by all the players, coaches, and staff, associated with Miami Hurricanes football program, in order for the current Canes to fulfill the vision and destiny the team set out to accomplish way back in the Spring.