Who's not really No. 1 now? Detractors owe Miami an apology

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The biggest surprise isn't that Tennessee rolled over, Oklahoma lost, Ohio State squeaked by or the University of Miami ran off another field, after another Saturday, waving another poll-defying No. 1 finger in the air.

The biggest surprise is how anyone could be surprised.

"Come on, folks," Art Kehoe, Miami's offensive line coach, was saying to some reporters in the locker room early Saturday evening. "We had 565 yards of offense against West Virginia and people said we should be embarrassed. We beat Rutgers by 25 points last week and people said we should be embarrassed."

"Now we beat Tennessee, and all of a sudden we're a great team?" Around him, a few players were nodding and slapping palms. And it's true. Miami did not just become the country's best team in Saturday's 26-3 win. It just confirmed how it has been so all along. And it showed again why this program is on the best stretch of our time -- maybe of all time in college football.

Think of it. Time passes, coaches change, names move on to the NFL -- and the Hurricanes keep winning. It's 31 straight wins now. That's a number for ice cream flavors and an age not to trust.

Only one program in three decades has come close to winning as many games as Miami's 31. That was from 1990-92. Miami won 29 straight then. Along with the five championship rings, these two stretches confirm how Miami's run, going back two decades, is the most remarkable run of all.

And on Saturdays like this it looks to never stop.

"It was 10 days ago that we were going to have all these undefeated teams with nowhere to go," coach Larry Coker said. "Now how many are there?

Now there are two. Miami and Ohio State. And Ohio State had to squeak by Purdue on a final-minute, fourth-down touchdown pass. Not that the title game has to include a beauty contest with just two undefeated teams.

"You won't find anyone in here apologizing for any win," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said.

Miami needed a wide-left miss on a field to beat Florida State. But in Saturday's win the Hurricanes tied Tennessee to a car and dragged them up and down the field for nearly four hours.

It scored 26 straight points. It had nearly double the yardage (422-218). It knocked out three Tennessee starters, showed why Willis McGahee (30 carries, 154 yards) is the right Heisman Trophy choice and was a platform for Miami being the No. 1 team.

No matter that it dropped to No. 2 in some polls last week. No matter the BCS dropped it to No. 3. Win, as Miami keeps doing, and No. 1 will come to you.

"I felt in August if we win all our games we'll be in Tempe" for the Fiesta Bowl, Coker said. "And that's still our challenge, win all our games."

Pitt. Syracuse. Virginia Tech.

That's what the regular season is down to. That would put the win streak to 34.

"Unfathomable, unimaginable," Coker said.

But not uncountable. And so everyone keeps counting.

And, on Saturdays like this one, they aren't just counting wins but reasons Miami is No. 1.

Dave Hyde is a columnist for the South Florida Sun- Sentinel.