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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 3, 2002
LOS ANGELES -- It's almost time to take the field. The hypefest has ended.
Miami's Larry Coker and Nebraska's Frank Solich met with the media Wednesday morning at their final news conference before tonight's national championship at 8. Both men appeared loose, although Coker -- as is his nature -- appeared more relaxed.
"It means a great deal to me," Coker said of reaching the title game in his first year as coach. 'The magnitude hasn't set in yet."
The BCS and its selection of the Cornhuskers instead of Oregon, which trashed Colorado 38-16 in the Fiesta Bowl Tuesday and could be named the AP's national champion, was the main topic. Colorado crushed Nebraska 62-36 in the Big 12 regular-season finale.
"We've basically had to butt heads with the world ... as far as it's viewed by some people," Solich said. "We did play 11 games better than anyone in the country. I was misquoted by a columnist (this week) who said we were as good as anyone -- we were better. ... Everyone's had that one (bad) game except Miami."
Well, Miami almost lost at Boston College, needing a late interception to end an Eagles drive.
Solich said while others question his team, he has no doubts the Huskers belong in the title game.
"We're not questioning ourselves," he said. "The Colorado game will have no effect on that."
While Solich's players might seem to have a chip on their shoulders, Coker's crew has resentment from last season when UM wasn't allowed to play for the national title after losing to Washington, and beat FSU, which went on to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
"Yes, I felt we deserved a shot, but we have to take some of the blame ourselves," Coker said.
'CANES CLIMB BACK: Coker was happy to answer questions about how nice his players are, a stark contrast to some of Miami's star-studded teams that couldn't match in character what they possessed in athletic prowess.
"We have talent, but I really believe we have character," Coker said. "It's very gratifying to see this program where it is."
The game that meant the most to UM's climb back from NCAA sanctions and a 5-6 record in 1997 was the 49-45 victory against then-unbeaten UCLA in the Orange Bowl in 1998, Coker said.
He dismissed talk that he is winning with former coach Butch Davis' players.
"Ninety percent of the players were recruited by me and other assistants," Coker said.
CROUCHLESS HUSKERS: The 'Canes want to make Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch's day miserable. "We're going to hit him when he has the ball, and we're going to hit him when he doesn't have the ball," defensive lineman William Joseph said.