It’s hard to say what’s stranger: The University of Miami actually plays in Monday night’s national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium or it has forfeited any rights of being a good and surprising story to the Indiana Cinderellas.
All national odes are to Indiana coach Curt Cignetti for his good work. All praise is for a Hoosier team with no five-star recruits and only two, four-star recruits among its starters. Indiana, true to its sad-sack history, was a 100-to-1 betting longshot at season’s start to reach this championship game.
Advertisement
“No one gave us a chance but us,” Cignetti said.
Excuse me, can we stop right there?
Cinderella is a neat and dandy storyline for Indiana, as everyone keeps repeating. But Cinderella also is an overbearing, 7 1/2-point favorite to win this game.
That’s the second-largest spread in the 12-year history of the College Football Playoff championship. It’s more than a touchdown. It’s the kind of spread that says Vegas expects Indiana to win in a borderline rout, and so should you if you want to cash in.
Can the glass slipper really fit Goliath?
Because the only thing crazier than the cheapest ticket to the game being $3,708.90 on Ticketmaster as of Sunday afternoon is this notion that the Hurricanes don’t have every right to feel just as warm and fuzzy about their season, too.
Advertisement
Did anyone expect Miami to reach this night?
Anyone at all?
Miami is doing this with: quarterback Carson Beck, who Georgia dumped after a debilitating elbow injury last season; a freshman sensation in Malachi Toney, who was 17 at season’s start; and with a star edge rusher in Rueben Bain Jr., who keeps being told his arms by are too short.
“This again?” he said Saturday when his arms were mentioned.
Texas A&M said it before Miami’s playoff win. Ohio State repeated it before Miami’s playoff win. And now here it is a topic of media conversation before Monday so …
“I was told I was too light my whole career,” said Jason Taylor, Bain’s defensive line coach and Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer. “How’d that work out?”
Advertisement
There are heartwarming tomes written about the rise of Cignetti and his staff from Podunk U to college football’s biggest stage. But how about Miami coach Mario Cristobal’s first head coaching job being at Florida International University — where he was fired?
“Best thing that could’ve happened to me,” Cristobal said.
Miami’s defensive coordinator, Corey Hetherman, has a background that’s a tour of small-college football: Fitchburg State (Mass.), Kings (Pa.), Springfield (Ga.), Northeastern, Western New England, Old Dominion Pace, Maine …
“You learn every step of the way,” he said.
At Maine and later at James Madison, Hetherman coached under Cignetti and became best friends with Bryant Haines, the current Indiana defensive coordinator. Haines was best man in Hetherman’s wedding.
Advertisement
“I learned a lot of football from him — he’s incredibly smart,” Hetherman said.
Miami has the history of five national championships so long ago. But Indiana has been a wagon this season in going undefeated. Miami lost two games to unranked teams. Indiana won the Big Ten, beating defending national champion Ohio State in the conference championship game.
Miami didn’t even make the ACC championship game thanks to its second loss of the season, against SMU.
“I think you really find out everything you’re about and what your people are all about in those moments,” Cristobal said. “As you look across the country, several teams, after a loss or two, pack their bags and that’s it, it was over.
Advertisement
“Let’s call it what it is; everyone was throwing dirt on our grave already and buried us, and that’s good. It’s good for the soul. It’s good for you from a mentality standpoint so you understand and recognize more than ever that all that matters are the people inside the building.”
Sure, Miami sounds like a good, football story more than a classic underdog story. It will never out warm and fuzzy Indiana anyway in this game. But it was a 35-to-1 long shot at season’s start to be in this title game.
Cinderella goes to the ball Monday night as an 7.5-point favorite. It’s fit for the glass slip no matter what happens. And that’s fine with Miami.
“We’re not a fairy tale kind of team,” as one Miami official said.
Give Indiana the glass slipper. Miami wants the crown.
____
