The Miami Hurricanes face the Indiana Hoosiers in the national championship game
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith thinks the Miami Hurricanes are the biggest story of college football this season.
He said it would mean more to the sport if the Hurricanes defeated the Indiana Hoosiers than vice versa.
"For me, it's the return of the U," Smith said on First Take. "If Indiana wins, we're talking about the Big Ten, Michigan, Ohio State and now Indiana. We're talking about Indiana, the Big Ten, the SEC."
Smith said a Hurricanes victory turns the conversation to the glory days of when they were on top of college football.
"If Miami wins, we're talking about college football returning to the heyday," Smith said. "One minute, it was Miami. Another minute, it was Nebraska. Instead of talking about a conference, Miami will bring back a nostalgic perspective, that allure that built college football, that college football was built on."
CRISTOBAL TRIES TO KEEP THINGS CALM
The Miami Hurricanes will be the first team to compete for a National Championship in their home stadium, at Hard Rock Stadium, in the Bowl Series Championship/College Football Playoff era, which dates back to 1998. It's an excellent feeling to secure home-field advantage, despite playing as the visitors, in the biggest game of the sport. However, there's a minor downside to the special occasion.
Miami is a city filled with distractions, especially for high-profile athletes. Mario Cristobal, having been a Hurricanes player from 1989 to 1992, continues to spread the message of blocking the outside noise ahead of the biggest game for many of these players' collegiate careers.
"There aren't really distractions," he told the media on Monday. "You either create them or you don't. It's on people, so we get out ahead of that. That's one of the stronger points of emphasis as you begin the week. Distractions and people who have never been a part of the journey, you can't let them be a part of it now. From the simplicity of getting an email to parents to take care of tickets by tomorrow, because we don't want your sons running around and trying to figure other things out."
This will be the Hurricanes' biggest game since losing the 2002 Rose Bowl National Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes, with a final score of 31-24 in overtime. Of course, it's a new chapter, but distractions are even bigger, with social media playing a significant factor.
College athletes are more than students; they are also celebrities, such as quarterback Carson Beck. That high level of status can be an attraction for distractions, which makes the challenge even more difficult, some more than others.
It's also the opportunity of a lifetime for the program to compete for a National Championship. There have been numerous Hall of Fame players to come through the Hurricanes, but not all of them delivered during their tenures.
The same can be said about the Indiana Hoosiers, who were once the laughing-stock of college football, with an opportunity to make history by going undefeated and winning a championship.
The Hurricanes are viewed as the underdogs, despite overcoming adversity time and time again, especially in these College Football Playoffs. Regardless, Cristobal has a popular saying: finish 1-0 each week. They've done it three times, intending to do it one final time.
The stage is set for Jan. 19th, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of MiamiRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com