Miami begins every college football season in the national championship conversation. Florida State does the same. It?s a byproduct of the long-term success enjoyed by these two football factories.
But before Labor Day concludes, either No. 11 Florida State or No. 12 Miami will be out of the race for the national championship game on Jan. 8, 2007, in Phoenix. It?s a byproduct of the system used in college football. The in-state and conference rivalry, one of the best in sports, heats up again on Sept. 4 in primetime on ESPN. It?s tremendous exposure for both schools, not that they really even need it at this point. Each team has won two national titles since 1991.
The Miami Hurricanes are currently 15/1 to win the BCS National Championship!
Hard to imagine a better way to begin a season. It?s got all the excitement of a season opener mixed with that fun hatred for a nasty rival. Miami has ruined Florida State?s chances at a national title several times. Florida State has ruined Miami?s chances at a national title several times.
And for the third straight season, those stomped-on dreams occur on the first weekend. No room for error. No room for working out first-game kinks or jitters. Not unless you don?t care about winning a national championship. And at Florida State and Miami, that?s all they care about. Miami coach Larry Coker is 53-9 with one national title (he was robbed of a second by poor officiating in the end zone in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl) and yet he?s been showing up on numerous ?Coaches on the Hot Seat? lists ever since a 40-3 loss to LSU in the Peach Bowl last year.
Miami, 6-2 against the spread in the last eight meetings, lost at Florida State in last year?s opener on a botched field-goal attempt. Funny how that worked out, when it?s usually Florida State losing to Miami on a missed field goal seemingly every year since field goals were invented.
The Florida State Seminoles are currently 20/1 to win the BCS National Championship!
How detrimental would a loss in Week 1 be? Since the BCS began in 1998, the only year the national champion had suffered one loss was 2003 when LSU and USC shared the title. (LSU won the BCS championship game and finished atop the ESPN/USA Today poll while USC was No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.)
Of the 16 teams to play in the BCS championship game, only five have lost a game during the season.
With no clear-cut preseason stud team, it?s feasible a one-loss team could play another one-loss team for the national title this season. And there are some other big games early:
* No. 3 Texas at No. 1 Ohio State in Week 2 on Sept. 9
* No. 14 Michigan at No. 2 Notre Dame in Week 3 on Sept. 16
* No. 8 LSU at No. 4 Auburn on Sept. 16.
But it?s not something any team wants to think about on the first night of the season.
Lines are up for all this weekends NCAA football games! Get all your NCAA Football Futures in the Bodog Sportsbook!
But before Labor Day concludes, either No. 11 Florida State or No. 12 Miami will be out of the race for the national championship game on Jan. 8, 2007, in Phoenix. It?s a byproduct of the system used in college football. The in-state and conference rivalry, one of the best in sports, heats up again on Sept. 4 in primetime on ESPN. It?s tremendous exposure for both schools, not that they really even need it at this point. Each team has won two national titles since 1991.
The Miami Hurricanes are currently 15/1 to win the BCS National Championship!
Hard to imagine a better way to begin a season. It?s got all the excitement of a season opener mixed with that fun hatred for a nasty rival. Miami has ruined Florida State?s chances at a national title several times. Florida State has ruined Miami?s chances at a national title several times.
And for the third straight season, those stomped-on dreams occur on the first weekend. No room for error. No room for working out first-game kinks or jitters. Not unless you don?t care about winning a national championship. And at Florida State and Miami, that?s all they care about. Miami coach Larry Coker is 53-9 with one national title (he was robbed of a second by poor officiating in the end zone in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl) and yet he?s been showing up on numerous ?Coaches on the Hot Seat? lists ever since a 40-3 loss to LSU in the Peach Bowl last year.
Miami, 6-2 against the spread in the last eight meetings, lost at Florida State in last year?s opener on a botched field-goal attempt. Funny how that worked out, when it?s usually Florida State losing to Miami on a missed field goal seemingly every year since field goals were invented.
The Florida State Seminoles are currently 20/1 to win the BCS National Championship!
How detrimental would a loss in Week 1 be? Since the BCS began in 1998, the only year the national champion had suffered one loss was 2003 when LSU and USC shared the title. (LSU won the BCS championship game and finished atop the ESPN/USA Today poll while USC was No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.)
Of the 16 teams to play in the BCS championship game, only five have lost a game during the season.
With no clear-cut preseason stud team, it?s feasible a one-loss team could play another one-loss team for the national title this season. And there are some other big games early:
* No. 3 Texas at No. 1 Ohio State in Week 2 on Sept. 9
* No. 14 Michigan at No. 2 Notre Dame in Week 3 on Sept. 16
* No. 8 LSU at No. 4 Auburn on Sept. 16.
But it?s not something any team wants to think about on the first night of the season.
Lines are up for all this weekends NCAA football games! Get all your NCAA Football Futures in the Bodog Sportsbook!
