Columnist Dean Juipe: Title game betting line is puzzling

Dean Juipe

Friday, Dec. 13, 2002 | 10:09 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

Without a rooting interest in either team, I was pleased to see Miami and Ohio State emerge as the participants in this season's national championship game, the Fiesta Bowl.

After all, they were the two best teams in college football during the regular season and the only two to go undefeated. The convoluted, mislabeled and misunderstood Bowl Championship Series ratings played no role as each of these worthy and tested teams earned a spot in the Jan. 3 finale in Tempe, Ariz.

At last, a title game with no dispute concerning the participants. Bring on the exclamation points: A great, pressure-packed showdown seemingly was on the horizon.

And then the betting line came out.

Silly me, I was under the impression that a game of this stature would require a fitting line, with, perhaps, Miami favored by a touchdown.

So when the number opened at Miami minus 12 1/2 and was quickly bet to 13, I was flabbergasted. And now that it appears fairly certain the number will be bet to 14, 15 and maybe even 17 by kickoff time, I'm bewildered again.

I like Miami as much as the next guy, yet I feel Ohio State is being slighted.

But not everyone agrees. Some experts, including former UNLV head coach and radio commentator Harvey Hyde, said this week that 13 is a lot to cover but that Miami has the speed and the firepower to do it.

He based a portion of his analysis on having seen the Hurricanes blow past Nebraska, 37-14, in last season's national title game. So, he and many others feel, a sequel could be in store.

The basic premise is that Ohio State hasn't seen a team with Miami's speed and offensive firepower, and that it won't have an answer for the Hurricanes' many weapons. There's a feeling that Miami may all but score at will.

But Miami is also only 4-7 against the point spread this season (with another game off the board) and has covered but twice in its last eight outings. It has routinely faced double-digit spreads and in most instances it has come up short despite its 12-0 record.

Now it faces an opponent that is 13-0, and 7-5-1 vs. the spread. More importantly, Ohio State's fantastic but somewhat hobbled running back, freshman Maurice Clarett, will have had a month of rest and recovery time prior to facing the Hurricanes.

Miami doesn't stop the run too well either. And if Clarett is anything near 100 percent, he could have a very big game. (Miami does defend the pass well, but that's not Ohio State's forte.)

Miami is coming off a game in which it surrendered 45 points to a ground-savvy Virginia Tech team, and it had four other games in which it gave up at least three touchdowns. So there's reason to believe Ohio State will be able to get across the goal line.

As for whether the Buckeyes have the defense to keep Miami from flying up and down the field, we'll see. But if Clarett is even marginally unstoppable, Ohio State's defense will only have to stop the Hurricanes a couple of times to keep the spread within 13.

But, if you're inclined to put a buck on the Bucks, don't do it just yet. Give the Miami supporters a chance to push that number to something even more outrageous, such as 17.