Wonder how long this guy will last in Miami?

TEMPE, Ariz. - They made a stadium shake with sound and turned the baddest, bestest, loudest program in college football silent. Funny, but you take away that zero that had been in Miami's record for nearly three seasons and suddenly everything else feels as hollow as an O. The Ohio State Buckeyes proved many things in this Fiesta Bowl, that they belonged, they understood, they believed. More than anything, they proved they're the best.

Once they had beaten the Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime, the Buckeyes danced and twirled and hugged, and they'll remain so high for days they won't need any airplane to return home. Afterward, UM tight end Kellen Winslow suggested that Ohio State didn't beat the Hurricanes as much as the Hurricanes beat the Hurricanes. True, Miami turned the ball over five times, but four of those were more the result of Buckeyes plays than Canes misplays. The most symbolic came in the third quarter when Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett chased down UM's Sean Taylor after the safety had intercepted a pass. Clarett then wrestled the ball back, literally taking the very thing Miami wanted most. It was only right for this game to go into overtime. There was just too much emotion, too much everything to fit into the traditional -- but for one night -- confining four quarters.

Here's one way to know you're watching a good football game: There are two coin tosses. Here's another: There are three absolutely must-have, will-lose-without-it fourth-down conversions. Both teams faced such situations in overtime. The game also had two endings, the first coming when it appeared UM had won in the first overtime with a fourth-down stop that then was nullified by penalty. The Hurricanes even poured from their sideline as fireworks boomed.

For that instant, they were a relieved team. But it was fleeting, and soon Ohio State was pressing again, just like all night. After their band dramatically dotted two i's during pregame festivities, the Buckeyes promptly dotted Willis McGahee's two eyes and all of Ken Dorsey's ribs and Larry Coker's single perfect balloon, pin-poking the life out of his never-been-beaten record.Hurricane teams, especially ones this good and this undefeated, aren't generally busted in the mouth at the line of scrimmage. At least without busting a few smiles in return. But McGahee was so smothered early that he looked like he was trying to run in a phone booth, even a player of his strength is unable to overcome muscle that's delivered in mounds. At one point, he literally was averaging inches per carry. Dorsey was sacked twice on Miami's first drive. He normally isn't sacked twice in the same month. He was hit more on this Friday than he was in a season of Saturdays.

And it wasn't exactly like Ohio State exploited some newly uncovered Hurricanes sore spots. Senior center Brett Romberg, who won this team's only maj> or postseason award, gave up one sack and senior tackle Sherko Haji-Rasouli, an All-Big Easter, allowed a hit that forced a Dorsey fumble. The Romberg breakdown was more than just notable. It also was historic, seeing how he hadn't permitted a sack in his college career. This, however, was a night when all sorts of Miami magic was left smeared like those streaks of Ohio State gray visible on so many Hurricane helmets.The Buckeyes even made the game's largest target invisible. Andre Johnson, all 6-3 and 212 pounds of future NFL m> illionaire, had three catches at the end of the first quarter. He still had three catches at the end of the fourth quarter.

These sorts of events in recent years haven't been good to Ohio State, a program that had been trying to un-John Cooper itself for a while. Always good, never great. Always there, never a step further. That had been the label, and it fit the Buckeyes like a noose. Until now. One night after Iowa thrust Big Ten football backward to the days of three yards and a cloud of rust, Ohio State grabbed the entire college game by the shoulders and shook it silly. The Hawkeyes left the city of Miami soiled. The Buckeyes left the team of Miami soiled.

Soiled, soured and without a title.

King Canes no more.