theveech

The hype has lasted more than a week. The frustration -- more than seven years.

For University of Miami fans and players who watched -- and still lament -- the controversial 2003 Fiesta Bowl national title game, the slate wipes clean at 3:40 p.m. Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

Finally, Hurricanes fans can let go of the 2002 season that came to a crashing halt on Jan. 3, 2003, with a late pass-interference flag after the game had seemingly ended in UM's favor -- followed by a double-overtime national championship victory for the Buckeyes.

On Saturday, in front of 105,000 fans who will turn Columbus' Ohio Stadium into a sea of red, the No. 12 Hurricanes will meet No. 2 Ohio State and attempt to craft kinder memories for their faithful.

``I watched that game a lot,'' said UM cornerback Brandon Harris, who was 12 when the Buckeyes last met the Hurricanes. ``I was smaller then, but I still knew football. Miami got robbed.

``We're looking to start fresh and win one on them.''

UM coach Randy Shannon, the defensive coordinator in 2002, refuses to look back. This week, he stressed the that-was-then, this-is-now mantra. UM quarterback Jacory Harris must have listened -- sort of. Harris, a lifelong Miamian, was asked about ``getting revenge'' for the 2002 national title loss after Miami's season-opening win against Florida A&M.

``It means a lot to me,'' he said. ``I ain't gonna say too much about it, but it means a lot.''

By Monday, Harris had reconsidered, tweeting: ``Leave the past in the past fans. This is a new yr with two totally different teams. We're just going out there to ball.''

UM's quest will be no small challenge. OSU, which defeated Marshall 45-7 the same night UM shut out FAMU 45-0, is favored by 8 ½ points. No wonder. The Buckeyes, with a fierce front seven and a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback, have won or earned a share of five consecutive Big Ten titles. UM does not seem fazed. It practiced with a mission all week.

``During stretching, you could hear a pin drop,'' defensive end Adewale Ojomo said.

Ojomo was asked, ``When your schedule came out and you saw Ohio State, Week 2, [were you] thinking, `God, I can't wait for that game?' ''

Deadpanned Ojomo: ``God, I can't wait for that game. Not intimidated at all.''

It's doubtful the Buckeyes are intimidated though, considering the national expectations, they've had their share of disappointments in recent years. They lost three consecutive bowl games -- including national title games against Florida in 2006 and LSU in 2007 -- before finally defeating Oregon in the Rose Bowl last season.

Ohio State's biggest hurdle at this point will be to defeat a major nonconference opponent to prove it is a true national-title contender. In each of the past two seasons, the Buckeyes lost to USC in their second game.

OSU coach Jim Tressel reminded his players in the locker room after the Marshall victory that the last time they had a big-stage nonconference game, they didn't get it done.

Both teams are led by junior quarterbacks who fill postseason awards lists. Terrelle Pryor, OSU's 6-6, 233-pound leader, was the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school in 2008. That same season, UM's Harris led Miami Northwestern High to a No. 1 national ranking.

Both can throw, but Pryor has been blessed with the ability to run through defenses, one area UM has had fits trying to prevent over the past few years.

``I'm looking forward to the chance to play Miami, because I want to see how good we really are,'' said Pryor, who began this season by completing 17 of 25 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. ``Let's see what happens next.''

UM believes it has a solution against OSU: Stop the run. Senior linebacker Colin McCarthy and his UM teammates are on to something. Over the past six games dating to last season, the Buckeyes have outgained their opponents on the ground by 1,138 yards. They have averaged 261.3 yards per game during that span to their opponents' 71.7, and have 13 rushing touchdowns to their opponents' one. Shannon said he is not as concerned with what the Buckeyes do as he is with how his Hurricanes respond.

``It's all about us,'' he said.

And this time, if what UM does works out in the end, the long-awaited closure should come.

``Everybody in the UM family wants this badly,'' Brandon Harris said, ``and so do we.''