#9 OHIO STATE vs. #12 MIAMI (FLA)
KICKOFF CLASSIC
Date: Sunday, August 29,1999
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Giants Stadium in E. Rutherford, N.J.
T.V.: ABC National

Ohio State plays Miami for the first time since beating the Hurricanes 10-0 in 1977 at Ohio Stadium, missing the 'Canes on their schedule for 22 years. To OSU fans that was more than fine with them, as Miami has won several national championships since then. Miami is the most successful college football program in the last quarter-century. The Hurricanes have fallen back down to earth a little in the last four years due to probation (in 1977, they were 5-6) under head coach Butch Davis. He still has a respectable 31-15 record and two Big East titles to his credit. Last season was an up and down year. The Hurricanes lost at Syracuse 66-13, then turned around and knocked UCLA out of national title contention with a huge 49-45 upset at the Orange Bowl, and then crushed N.C. State 46-23 in the Micron PC Bowl. No question about it, this program is on the rise and will be a very tough opponent for the Buckeyes. This season Miami is without QB Scott Covington and first round NFL draft pick (4th overall) TB Edgerrin James who ran for a school-record 1416 yards. In their places, athletic sophomore Kenny Kelly (6-3, 190 and threw for 433 yards and five touchdowns last fall) takes over at QB, while junior James Jackson (5-11, 210) and sophomore Nateh Davenport combined for 900 yards in backup duty last year. Miami's top stars on offense are SE Reggie Wayne (42 rec., 629 yards and 5 TD's) and FL Santana Moss (30 catches for 631 yards and eight touchdowns). On defense, the Hurricanes' main stars are LB's Nate Webster (134 tackles, 10 for loss and three sacks) and Dan Morgan (150 tackles, 10 for loss). With both teams breaking in new quarterbacks, speed to burn on both sides of the ball for both teams and four starters returning on the O-Line for Miami, this should be a tight game. It's doubtful that Ohio State will play a team with better skilled players. But with seven out of 11 starters returning on the Buckeye defense that was among the nation's best last season, I'll have to give the edge to OSU in what should be a defensive battle. Prediction: OSU 20 - Miami 14 This game will go down to the wire with Ohio State scoring a late touchdown after trailing the majority of the game.

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