1998 UCLA vs. Miami football game

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

The matchup between UCLA and Miami was to originally air on CBS as part of the network's contract with the Big East Conference, where they would air the conference’s schedule of games along with any interconference matchups where a Big East member, which Miami was at the time, was the host. However, since the game was postponed to December 5, CBS had no room for it on its schedule as they were also contractually obligated to carry the Army–Navy Game, which was taking place that same day. The game instead was carried by ESPN.

UCLA, under head coach Bob Toledo, entered play as the third-ranked team in the nation in the Associated Press and Coaches polls and was also second in the standings of the inaugural Bowl Championship Series. They also were undefeated at 10-0 entering the contest and had won the Pac-10 championship by going 8-0 in conference play (the conference did not have a conference championship game for another decade). A win against Miami would have guaranteed them a chance to play for the inaugural BCS national championship, which was to be contested at the Fiesta Bowl in January 1999.

However, UCLA did not have much room for error. The SEC would be deciding its champion in Atlanta that day with the top-ranked team in the BCS and the Associated Press polls, undefeated Tennessee, in action against Mississippi State.

Meanwhile, in St. Louis, the Big XII Championship Game featured a third championship contender in undefeated Kansas State, who entered the game against Texas A&M as the top-ranked team in the coaches poll, the second-ranked team in the AP poll, and the third place team in the BCS.

Another team anxiously awaiting the result of the game was Florida State, the champions of the ACC who were ranked fourth. Since their season was over, as the ACC had no conference championship football game at the time, they were the only team in the top four that had zero control over their own destiny; they would need to have at least two of the three teams ranked ahead of them to lose in order to have a chance.

A players' plan by the Bruins to wear black wristbands against the Hurricanes to protest falling minority enrollment at UC-system schools was the subject of a series of emotional team meetings the week leading up to the game. The wristband issue dominated the team's normal pre-game Friday night meeting. Reflecting on the saga, OT Kris Farris stated, "This team had tremendous focus right before games, and when the topic was switched to something that wasn't about the game, I just felt 'Wow, this team is not focused.' Even that that thought entered my mind told me 'Oh, wow, I'm not sure how focused we are.'" QB Cade McNown also recalled having concerns, stating, "It was disappointing to be thinking about anything other than beating Miami. There's a time and place to make statements that are political or social. A few guys saw that as the time and place."^[2]

Miami entered the game with a 7-3 record under Butch Davis. After finishing with a losing record in 1997, the first time the Hurricanes had done so since 1979, they managed to return to form somewhat and entered the rankings after a win over then-#13 West Virginia on October 24.

Miami climbed as high as #19 in the standings before facing Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in their Big East regular-season finale. Needing a win to secure their first outright Big East conference championship in five years, which would have earned them the conference's automatic BCS bid and a spot in the Orange Bowl, Miami instead suffered one of their worst losses in program history as Syracuse won 66-13, knocking the Hurricanes from the rankings completely, and giving the Big East title and BCS bid to the Donovan McNabb-led Orangemen.