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Full Version: Miami, What if?
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What if Miami had not opened the season with a clinker at Iowa?

If the Redhawks had beaten the Hawkeyes, we would be talking seriously about the first BCS bid to a non-BCS school. After watching them play this season, they could beat anyone in the country, with the exception of Oklahoma.

The 2003 season will go down as the greatest in MAC history with the national attention that NIU garnered early, BG in the middle, and Miami at the end. It is a travesty that the on field performance of the conference schools was offset by the inability to guarantee only two bowl bids.
And in reality, Big Ben tried to do far too much by himself that game and gave it to Iowa. If he played within himself a little more that day and didn't try to force it, they'd be 13-0. But damn that's tough to do!

Miami's OL really impresses me. Last year, NIU was getting dinked and dunked to death and got no pressure on Ben. When we began to get pressure and made several big plays, we were able to come back. But I haven't seen anyone get to Ben anytime recently. 04-bow
Of course, if Miami beats Iowa, you don't know if we would have come out with the same level of determination, etc... in other games. We've all thought about that scenerio, but I believe the Iowa loss might have been the best thing that happened to us. In years past, we'd win our big OOC games, and then lose a game or two in the conference.

I prefer the way it turned out this year. :D
OK? I think Miami could beat OK... OK has a weak conf. and an even weaker OOC
Yeah, bummer. If Miami (OH) had won, and/or BG had beat tOAMU, I think the MAC would have had a slot.
Honestly, even with the loss to Iowa, if Miami had appeared on the national radar earlier in the season things might have been different. I think we would've climbed higher in the polls. TCU's run also hurt Miami. Had they lost earlier (e.g. the missed FG by Louisville), Miami could've become the non-BCS darling. Think about it, even at 1 loss, Miami is BCS eligible, and a 7-9 ranking might have gotten them a bowl. A 6 or above ranking was not out of the realm of possibility, but they started too far back in the points.
mmcincy Wrote:Honestly, even with the loss to Iowa, if Miami had appeared on the national radar earlier in the season things might have been different. I think we would've climbed higher in the polls. TCU's run also hurt Miami. Had they lost earlier (e.g. the missed FG by Louisville), Miami could've become the non-BCS darling. Think about it, even at 1 loss, Miami is BCS eligible, and a 7-9 ranking might have gotten them a bowl. A 6 or above ranking was not out of the realm of possibility, but they started too far back in the points.
I don't think it's a coincidence that Miami (OH) never climbed up. Look at WSU...they lost to ND first game. Look at Mississippi...3 losses and they're ranked highly.

A MAC team is going to have to be undefeated OOC (and probably in conference) to get such a bid.
This is one season where Miami (OH) could definitely beat the "other" Miami on a neutral field. No doubt about it.
If we had beaten Iowa and played every other game the exact same, I believe we would have a BCS bid (but not in the championship game)

That being said- those are huge IFs.

Roethlisberger did force things in the Iowa game and I believe even Iowa coaches would admit the game was closer than 21-3, but they did outgain us 378-304 and it is unfair to say we should have won.

I think we were closer to losing the Kent game than winning the Iowa game.

On the flip side, if we played Iowa today I think we would have a great chance to beat them. But guess what we played Iowa 3 times in the last 3 years and they beat us every time...so it is idle conversation.
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