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Meet Your New Neighbors: Miami Hurricanes

This is the fifth installment in a new series about Syracuse's impending move to the ACC. Previous rival profiles: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech.

Syracuse's well-documented move to the ACC (at this point, sadly a few seasons away) of course comes with a host of new friends to play with. While several are neither "new" nor "friends," still consider these posts your primer on which teams, schools, players and coaches you'll be hating from 2014 until the next time college football decides to realign.

In our latest profile, we get reacquainted with another of our former Big East brethren. A team we probably didn't miss all that much to begin with: the Miami Hurricanes.

School: University of Miami

Nickname:Hurricanes

Location: Coral Gables, Fla.

Stadium:Sun Life Stadium (capacity: 75,192) | BankUnited Center (capacity: 8,000)

Football & Basketball Titles: 5 (all football: 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001)

Notable Football Alums: Jim Kelly, Ray Lewis, Warren Sapp, Michael irvin, Andre Johnson

Notable Basketball Alums: John Salmons, Rick Barry, James Jones

Star-divide

"The U" is one of the most successful (in terms of titles), and scrutinized programs in the history of college football. With five titles since 1983, the Hurricanes used the 80s and 90s to make up for lost time, rebranding the game with a flashy, showboating style of play that brought them as much notoriety as it did ire from traditionalists. Given our own hard-nosed, blue-collar style of play from a historical standpoint, it's no wonder Syracuse has never been big fans of the 'Canes. Much of this is also attributable to our shared time in the Big East from 1991-2003. While SU only went 2-10 versus our southernmost league neighbors during that stretch, most Orange fans will fondly remember a certain 66-13 stomping in 1998. Sadly, Miami's revenge would be bitter and horrifying -- we were outscored 179-20 over the next four games, including two shutouts. While 7-15 overall against the Hurricanes, it's still difficult to remove ourselves from those later drubbings.

Lucky for us, basketball is a completely different story. The Hurricanes have made the NCAA tournament just six times, with five of these trips occurring since rejoining Division 1 in 1985. Miami has never advanced further than the Sweet 16 and possess just one season of single-digit losses (2001-02). Syracuse is 13-5 against Miami, with some close and notable games between 1997 and 2002. We've avoided playing our former "rivals" since their departure, but obviously that will change once we arrive in the ACC. Reception won't be warm for the Orange, but that's mostly because Miami's arena only holds 8,000 people. Then again, I don't blame them for declining to build for a larger crowd. You think we'd be able to get 25,000+ fans into the Dome if it were in Miami? Doubtful.

Our history with Miami is an even split, so fans should treat it as such when conversing with 'Canes supporters. No matter how storied we may consider our history, it's easily overshadowed by theirs. In basketball, the opposite is true, giving SU a clear edge, in spite of Miami's recent win over some team from Durham. Good luck finding any Hurricanes fans to talk basketball with, though.

John Cassillo authors Atlantic Coast Convos, which chronicles ACC (Plus Syracuse & Pittsburgh) football. Check out the blog, and follow him on Twitter: @JohnCassillo

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Most people here in South Florida don’t know Miami has a basketball team either.

Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

by wildcatlh on Feb 9, 2012 9:40 AM EST up reply actions  

I actually feel good about our chances going forward against their football team.

I think we will be a strong enough program by the time we reach the ACC that Miami won’t roll over us like in recent times. I’m ready for a little revenge.

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Feb 9, 2012 10:23 AM EST reply actions  

That and Miami’s set up for a hard fall, especially when the sanctions kick in.

Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

by wildcatlh on Feb 9, 2012 11:08 AM EST up reply actions  

Yep.

Clear eyes, full bologna sandwiches!

by NOLACuse on Feb 9, 2012 12:00 PM EST up reply actions  

Eh

You’d think they were set up for a fall, but then they just pulled down another top-10 recruiting class, even with sanctions obviously looming.

Not saying we’ll never contend with them, but there aren’t many signs pointing to that program declining. Even if they’re sanctioned, they could still conceivably win 10 games (see USC last year).

All about ACC (Plus SU & Pitt) football: http://atlanticcoastconvos.wordpress.com

Follow me on Twitter: @JohnCassillo

by JohnCassillo on Feb 9, 2012 12:30 PM EST up reply actions  

They were pulling in top recruiting classes under Randy Shannon. Didn’t do them much.

Miami is not winning 10 games this year. Or next. I’d place a good amount of money on that. They have problems, and this recruiting class didn’t solve them.

(note: While Syracuse is my #1 team, Florida State is my #2 team. So I may be talking from bias. The coming fall of Miami football has been well documented on Tomahawk Nation (FSU’s SBNation blog))

Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

by wildcatlh on Feb 9, 2012 2:33 PM EST up reply actions  

Miami has been absolute trash since leaving the big east

gotta wonder if recruits would rather go to FSU once they went to the ACC.

Just remember them always having pros when they played in the big east, lately it seems like they are just getting leftovers that FLA, FSU didn’t want.

You keep chanting one more year, I thought college was four years

by PointBlankPeriodPeriod on Feb 9, 2012 12:51 PM EST reply actions  

It was Miami

that Gedney almost scored on as time expired right?

F#&% the Big East

by dacj501 on Feb 9, 2012 1:10 PM EST reply actions  

Yeah

Pretty much the only time we came close to beating a good Miami team.

by drothgery on Feb 9, 2012 1:30 PM EST up reply actions  

that was a heartbreaker

If learning forward on the couch trying to will a player into the end zone worked I think he’d have gotten in…

F#&% the Big East

by dacj501 on Feb 9, 2012 2:27 PM EST up reply actions  

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