Ohio State Vs. Miami: This Time It's Personal

I think I speak for every Ohio State fan when I say nothing would give me greater pleasure than to send the Miami Hurricanes and their Cryami fans back south Saturday night with a big-time defeat. 

Contemplating my tremendous dislike of everything orange and green, I tried to come up with tangible reasons why I abhor the boys from Miami so passionately. 

It wasn't hard to form a concrete list—and I didn't even mention Latwan Anderson and his big mouth.

1. The Gangster Persona: Football, to me, is a game of respect—played hard but according to the rules. The 'Canes have embraced a thug mentality for over two decades now and it goes well beyond a cocky swagger. 

All good teams are confident and take the field with an air of intimidation, but these guys proudly talk trash, taunt the opposition, and fight when they can't defeat a team according to the rules. 

There was a small period of time when I thought Miami was cleaning up their act, but that is long gone; last week's game even featured a violent fight in the stands as fans brawled in the upper deck of the Florida A&M game.

2. The Ridiculous Celebrity Fan Base: I imagine guys like Cameron Heyward, Justin Boren, and Jermale Himes are shaking in their shoes after watching Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson throw down the gauntlet in a 46-second video in which he promised a "sweatervest-stomping, a**-kicking" this Saturday in Columbus. 

Real classy stuff, but not really a surprise if you've watched the celebrities who have been walking the 'Canes sideline in recent years. 

3. The Crybaby Fans: No doubt about it, the Cryami fans take the cake for the longest consecutive whine in NCAA football history. 

And for what? In the 2002 National Championship Game, the Hurricanes were clearly outplayed. 

They managed to get a couple of calls down the stretch and then expected the mugging of Chris Gamble to go unnoticed. But what is most amazing is how many times I have heard their fans bawling about it over the past seven years. 

I just want to say, "Come on guys, man up and get over it!" But no doubt we'll hear about "The Call" a thousand more times during the next few days (conservative estimate).

So, Hurricane nation, how do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways!

And that's why this one is personal. It's not just a game; it is all out gridiron warfare and I can't wait to send the boys of Miami packing Saturday.

Hopefully with a dose of humility to boot. 

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