FIESTA BOWL Miami's focus wavers

It is in those moments of scattered focus that Ohio State finds hope.
By GARY SHELTON
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
At times, they are unstoppable. At others, unexplainable.
There are times the Hurricanes are a rolling ball of barbed wire, streaking past opponents and through the record books with equal speed. There are times Miami looks every bit as powerful as last year's team, which was every bit as powerful as any team ever has been.
Then there are the other vacant moments when the Hurricanes appear to grow bored in mid stride, moments when they seem to stop to admire the skyline in the distance.
And it is those moments, those moments of scattered focus, that whisper one word to Ohio State.
Hope.
Opportunity
For the Buckeyes, the victims-elect of next month's national championship game at the Fiesta Bowl, this is their shot. Maybe, just maybe, they can catch the 'Canes in one of those periods of mental walkabout. Maybe, just maybe, they can count on Miami to lose its concentration and, eventually, its coronation.
It happened again Saturday. One moment, the Hurricanes were moving along, flexing their muscles, showing off every weapon in the huddle. Then came the mental reflux that has plagued this team throughout the year, and suddenly, it was a range war. Miami won 56-45, but Ohio State isn't likely to be discussing an off-the-field settlement.
If there is a weak spot to the Hurricanes, it is this. All season, Miami has seemed to lack the ruthlessness of its predecessors. At times, the 'Canes play as if losing is so distant in their memory they no longer accept the possibility. It's as if the 'Canes mind-set fades in and out like an AM signal on an old radio.
"It's a little stressful, a little disappointing," Miami guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli said. "We've had at least three games where we could have put people away, and we haven't. We have to fix it. We have to learn to step on people's necks."
Favorite's role
Despite it all, Miami figures to be a heavy favorite in the Fiesta. And why not? No one can match its firepower. If the 'Canes keep the pedal to the floor for an entire game, they should win big.
"If we ever do that," Romberg said, "it's going to be disgusting to watch. The other team will never score, and we'll score so much they'll need new lights for the scoreboard."
As a program, the Hurricanes have been here before. This team is much in the same situation of the '92 Hurricanes. They, too, were defending a championship. They, too, were quarterbacked by an underappreciated overachiever (Gino Torretta). They, too, were heavy favorites over a team that had trouble passing. Yet, Alabama won that game 34-13.
So, could Miami lose to Ohio State?
"Sure we could," Haji-Rasouli said. "We nearly lost to Rutgers."
There are worse afflictions, of course, than wandering minds. For the 'Canes, however, it's the biggest thing standing in the way of another title.
If they focus, the title is theirs.
If they do not, Ohio State has a puncher's chance.