Was the penalty handed down to the University of Miami just? You could argue either way.
You’re dealing with young men revved up to their highest notch trying to take each other’s head off, run through and or over to reach the end zone, or the quarterback or running back. These are players taught from day one to search and destroy, run faster, jump higher, be nasty and don’t be intimidated. Inevitably with all that madness happening in a 120-yard by 50-yard rectangle, scraps are going to happen. But unfortunately, this was no little scrap, this was a knockdown, drag-out black eye for college football.
Let’s take a journey back in time to Dec. 30th in Atlanta, at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl vs LSU. Before the game, the teams are in the tunnel and all that adrenaline and intensity results in both teams slugging it out for their pre-game warm up…Result of the game was LSU throttling Miami 40-3, prompting the Canes to gut their coaching staff.
Fast forward to this season: Sept. 16th at Louisville. Trying to make a statement that they won’t be intimidated, the Canes provide a little step show for all the fans in Papa John’s Stadium. Of course, this results in bad blood between Miami and host Louisville. Result of the game -- the Cardinals steamrolled their way to a 31-7 win.
Let’s move forward to this past weekend. We all know what happened. I understand you protect your teammates and your turf, but Florida International? Maybe they did throw a cheap shot at a teammate or they disrespected what you have built at the University of Miami, but let’s face it, it’s Florida International. Beat them on the scoreboard, not their face.
Let’s recap: Two scuffles and what could have been a pay-per-view prize fight in a 7-game span. What should the University do? What should the Conference do?
Two years ago, Clemson and South Carolina engaged in a sideline-clearing brawl. The result: Both teams were held out of post season play and lost big money not going to a bowl game when both teams were eligible. Neither team had a real history of disruptive behavior, yet they paid a pretty hefty price.
At Miami, with three incidents in a 7-game span, what’s handed down so far are some suspensions termed “indefinite,” which could mean a week until whenever. Let's look at the Canes upcoming schedule: This Saturday at Duke, which sounds to me like a nice week off for some. I would be willing to bet you a good number of those suspensions will be lifted in time for the Oct. 28 trip to Atlanta for Georgia Tech. You take the first two incidents and maybe you say, "Well, LSU and Louisville took the Canes behind the woodshed and handed it to them on national TV. Perhaps that’s punishment enough."
Now this episode takes place. Should the punishment have been of greater consequence for a team with a history of rough housing? The University of Miami and the Atlantic Coast Conference feel they have adequately handled the situation. To be honest, it's hard to say.
