12/21/24
January 07, 2011
Miami (Ohio) Completes Historic Turnaround: Miami (of Ohio) has become the first school in the history of college football's top division to win 10 games in a season after losing 10 the year before. The RedHawks defeated the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders 35-21 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl, finishing the season 10-4. They went 1-11 in 2009. The coach who led the turnaround, Michael Haywood, left to take the Pitt job before the bowl and was fired days later after a domestic violence arrest.
As an alum, I love the recognition being given Miami. One nit to pick, though: Can we stop referring to Miami University as "Miami of Ohio"? There is Miami University, a 202 year-old university named after the indigenous Miami Tribe, which is in southwestern Ohio. Then there's a party school in Coral Gables, Florida - The University of Miami.
We haven't produced as many famous athletes as the other one (Roethlisberger, Ron Harper, Dan Boyle, Andy Green), but are renowned in the coaching world, having produced, among others, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler, Weeb Eubank, Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Bill Arnsparger, Ron Zook, and Sean Payton. Oh yeah, and Michael Haywood.
Anyhoo-Congratulations on a historic season to dear old Mother Miami. Next step, out first national championship in any sport courtesy of Enrico Blasi and the men's hockey team. Screw you, BU, and your last minute of the '09 championship
posted by tahoemoj at 02:39 PM on January 07, 2011
Losing to Miami on homecoming was wonderful. I can still see in my mind the Miami receiver wide open downfield seconds before he caught what would be the game winning 70+ yard TD pass with 20 seconds remaining. That and Ryan Radcliff's hailmary thrown from the Miami 46 that fell about ten yards short of the end zone.
It was a long season.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:41 PM on January 07, 2011
Calling it Miami of Ohio is irritating, but who would think of that school if it was described simply as Miami University? Your school, founded in 1809, should have unleashed its lawyers on that upstart in Florida when it came along in 1925.
posted by rcade at 02:53 PM on January 07, 2011
should have unleashed its lawyers on that upstart in Florida when it came along in 1925
Or on the upstart City of Miami in general when it was incorporated in 1896, the lousy beach bums.
YYM, the joys of going to a MAC school. I remember my first year at Miami, when we tied OU the last game of the year to go 0-10-1. Tore down the goalposts and marched them through uptown like we'd just gotten to the Rose Bowl.
posted by tahoemoj at 03:41 PM on January 07, 2011
After our third (and last) victory over Western we rushed the field. Nothing fixes a 3-9 season like a win over a hated rival.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 03:56 PM on January 07, 2011
Your school, founded in 1809, should have unleashed its lawyers on that upstart in Florida when it came along in 1925.
Or maybe what was left of the Miami tribe should have lawyered up when Miami University was founded early in the 19th century. University of Southwest Ohio doesn't sound all that bad.
posted by Howard_T at 04:33 PM on January 07, 2011
University of Southwest Ohio doesn't sound all that bad.
Directional school!
posted by rcade at 04:36 PM on January 07, 2011
Or maybe what was left of the Miami tribe should have lawyered up when Miami University was founded early in the 19th century.
Might have crossed their minds at the time, but since then the relationship has been quite strong. When I was there, I went to a roundtable discussion involving a tribal princess (? maybe wrong word) centering on our name at the time (Redskins). She discussed the ongoing financial support the tribe received from the school.
posted by tahoemoj at 04:53 PM on January 07, 2011
And congrats to QB Austin Boucher, for seeing opportunity and seizing it. Well done, sir.
posted by Bonkers at 06:29 AM on January 08, 2011
The coach sounds like a natural for the NFL.
He can dramatically turn around a crappy team which will make the owners happy, and he has a lot in common with some of the notable players in the form of a history of domestic violence. A match made in heaven since domestic violence issues do not seem to hurt an NFL career as much as a college one.