2009 Miami Hurricanes Football Discussion

[wanks1212]

Notre Dame long ago prioritized Chicago as a future location for an off-site home game. And now the Irish are on the verge of rekindling one of college football's most spirited rivalries on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Notre Dame and Miami are in serious talks to play at Soldier Field in 2012, and both sides are optimistic a deal will be worked out, a source told the Tribune.

In fact, the unsettled issues seem aimed at bringing the Irish and Hurricanes together more often. Before the 2012 game is official, negotiations must determine the date for the Soldier Field game and the calendar for possible future meetings, the source said.

Miami certainly fits the model Notre Dame set for its annual itinerant home game: a bowl atmosphere in the regular season. This year's off-site game takes place at Yankee Stadium against Army, and the 2011 version pits Notre Dame against Maryland at FedEx Field, home of the Redskins.

If the Soldier Field game comes off as expected, it will recall the titanic clashes between powerhouse programs in the 1980s — especially the 1988 game that Notre Dame won 31-30 and is counted among the greatest college football games ever.

The teams last played in 1990, and there has been talk recently about reviving the rivalry, which at its most breathless was framed to be as much about Tradition vs. Renegades, Good vs. Evil, as it was about the final score.

"There were two entities that shook Notre Dame out of its mid-1980s malaise, in no particular order: Lou Holtz and the University of Miami," said Jeff Carroll, the former South Bend Tribune columnist whose book on the programs, "Perfect Rivals," will be released this fall.

" Howard Schnellenberger and Jimmy Johnson co-opted the old Notre Dame formula of winning with overlooked, underprivileged kids who were more hungry than gifted, and once Notre Dame realized that, the defining rivalry of the era developed. It's going to be terrific to see the two teams on the same field again."

Times have changed, at least in South Florida, as Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon has distanced his program from those 1980s images that inspired a two-hour documentary on ESPN titled, "The U."

Still, the classic "Catholics vs. Convicts" moniker — the slogan Notre Dame students affixed to T-shirts to reflect perceptions of Johnson's glitzy, outlaw bunch at Miami and Holtz's blue-collar Irish crew — will be on everyone's tongues.

Then there was the football — the brawl in the tunnel and the controversial Cleveland Gary fumble in 1988 en route to the Irish's last national title; Miami beating No. 1 Notre Dame in 1989; and Notre Dame's 29-20 victory in the last meeting.

The rivals' reunion is likely just a couple of seasons away.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/u...,6540647.story

[CrimsonCane]

I would love for this to happen.

[Fritz]

Two once storied football programs battling it out for title of "who's gonna get the most ESPN slurp over a 3-0 start". I like it.

[wanks1212]

Originally Posted by CrimsonCane

I would love for this to happen.

Doing an annual neutral site game against a big time opponent makes so much sense for a program like Miami. Their home field advantage isn't anything special now that they've left the Orange Bowl, and the exposure they get from this neutral site game helps immensely with recruiting.

[wanks1212]

Miami Northwestern quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and receiver Eli Rogers have both committed to the University of Miami.

"It was something that me and my teammate Eli decided to go ahead and do this morning," Bridgewater said via cell phone Friday night.

Rogers had already confirmed the news.

"Yeah, we did," said Rogers, also via cell phone Friday night. "I decided about three weeks ago, but we had already decided we would commit together and I was just waiting on Teddy to decide. We wanted to do it on the same day."

For Rogers, the decision was easy.

"Just been my dream school," Rogers said, "and I have a great connection with the coaches and I feel comfortable," said Rogers, the No. 90-ranked prospect in the Sentinel's Florida Top 100 by Bill Buchalter.

Bridgewater, who is the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Florida Top 100 and the top quarterback in the state, was being recruited as a receiver by some schools, but he had no intention of playing receiver.

Earlier this year, Bridgewater said at the EA Sports Elite 11 in Orlando, 'I'm a quarterback. I've been a quarterback my whole life. Why would I change now?"

UM has no problem with that.

"I'm the only QB they're going to take," Bridgewater said. "And it's right in my backyard; it's my hometown school."

In recently released national rankings Bridgewater is ranked No. 112 in the ESPNU 150 and No. 140 on the Rivals 250. Not that it matters now, with the commitment, he doesn't really have anything more to prove.

"I thought that I should have been ranked higher but that happens," Bridgewater said. "I just feel excited right now. I don't have to worry about as many phone calls any more or the pressure or anything."

Miami has developed quiet a pipeline to powerhouse Northwestern. Current starting quarterback Jacory Harris attended Northwestern and six other former Bulls are on the current UM roster.

Bridgewater picked between UM and four other schools who were recruiting him as a quarterback: LSU, Florida, USF and Alabama.

He is looking forward to working with head coach Randy Shannon.

"He's an awesome coach," Bridgewater said. "Me and him have a close relationship."

And now Bridgewater can concentrate on getting back to Orlando, where his team lost to Sanford Seminole in the 6A state final in 2008. Last year, Northwestern was upset by eventual state champion Miramar in the state semifinals.

"Yeah, for sure," Bridgewater said of the Northwestern goal.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sport...,3373528.story

Who knows if their commitment sticks, but for the time being that's cool.