TALLAHASSEE - Do you suppose, in retrospect, they were teasing?
Maybe drawing attention to themselves? Going overboard to make us notice they still were within the picture's frame?
Oh, those Miami Hurricanes.
What a bunch of kidders.
You can see it now, right? The way they nearly threw a game away against Florida? And that mock danger they created against West Virginia?
They had us going. Enough that when they stepped on the field with Florida State on Saturday, we confused them for underdogs.
And how silly is that?
Sure, their ways may be difficult to explain. Their offense can be sporadic. Their coach can be bland. Their reviews are rarely boffo.
So, here then, is the best description of the 'Canes:
Winners.
They win here, they win there. They won yesterday, they're winning today, and they will win again tomorrow. They have won 18 consecutive games on the road, the longest current streak in the nation. They've won 25 consecutive games at home, also the nation's longest streak.
"People who don't believe in us," defensive end Baraka Atkins said, "are just foolish."
Turns out, their burden is this consistency. We tend to look for something new, we love to discover surprises, and Miami just does not cooperate.
The Hurricanes are not today's flavor. They are not this week's fashion.
The Hurricanes are always here. They refuse to go out of style.
"It seems like we're held to a higher standard," safety Maurice Sykes said. "Oklahoma can win 10-3. Ohio State can win 22-15. That's okay. They win close games and people say they have character. We do it and there's something wrong. Our quarterback is a problem or our defense is no good.
"You know what? It's about winning. That's our attitude. That's what you learn around here. We're Miami and everybody else should bow down. That's just the way we feel. When you believe that, you don't ever expect to lose."
And rarely do you actually lose.
Few standards in college football are as sacred as Oklahoma's 47-game winning streak in the 1950s. Were it not for a disputed pass interference call in the Fiesta Bowl, the Hurricanes would be threatening that today.
Miami has won 40 of its past 41 games, losing only in overtime against Ohio State in last season's national championship game.
It is a remarkable stretch of success that, to a great degree, has been unappreciated.
Some of it, you could say, is Miami's fault. The 'Canes have won only one national championship in that time, which makes it difficult to call them a dynasty. Some of it, you should understand, has to do with perception. Miami is not in a glamor conference, has not had a spectacular quarterback and is not as flamboyant as days past.
"I think the rest of the nation was down on us," linebacker D.J. Williams said. "We've had some close games and I think people were waiting for us to fall. But when the clock gets down to zero, we're always there."
This was true against Florida State. Even though the final score was close, the outcome was rarely in doubt. Miami was tougher. It was smarter. It was definitely better.
Somehow, we had been under the mistaken impression these teams were on equal footing. We were fooled by the Seminoles' record, we were taken in by their place in the polls. In reality, these programs have not been equal for quite some time. And may not be for longer still.
Take, for instance, their recent performances against elite teams. Florida State has lost seven of its past 10 against ranked opponents. Miami has won 16 of its past 17.
"We knew what we were going to do today," safety Sean Taylor said. "We were going to come in and punch them in the mouth. And we kept doing it."
Their legacy is up to them. A national championship would give Miami two in three years, sandwiched around the Ohio State loss. The Hurricanes could rightfully claim their spot among the greatest teams of recent generations.
Frankly, the odds are against it. In three weeks, Miami plays at No. 4 Virginia Tech. The week after that, No. 13 Tennessee comes to Miami. In the regular-season finale, the Hurricanes go to No. 15 Pittsburgh. Counting a bowl game, that means Miami will have to beat four more ranked teams.
"To be honest, I understand why people had their doubts about us," center Joel Rodriguez said. "We've struggled in some games when we should have won easily. We knew we weren't going to lose to West Virginia, but we never should have let that game get to where it was.
"This was the first game we've played really well. But we still need to get better. We still haven't played like a real Miami team."
