Remembering the Insanely Talented 2001 Miami Hurricanes
A look back as ESPN College GameDay returns for the first time in 16 years
It’s a monster day in college football with two top-seven clashes, plus the top two teams in the College Football Playoff rankings hitting the road against a ranked opponent. But no game is bigger than the return of Catholics vs Convicts on the national stage. Oh sure, Notre Dame and Miami played last year and have met five times since Catholics vs Convicts, but never on this stage. Notre Dame is ranked 3rd at 8–1, and Miami is undefeated and ranked 7th, both teams knowing they’ll be headed to the playoffs if they win out.
ESPN College GameDay returns to Miami for the showdown, and it’s GameDay’s first visit since 2001. And that Miami team was absolutely insane, routinely voted the most talented college football team of all time. So before the game tonight, let’s look back at the absurd 2001 Miami Hurricanes…
1. The team had an incredible 17 first-round NFL draft picks.
- That doesn’t include Clinton Portis or Frank Gore, who combined for seven Pro Bowls, seventeen 1,000-yard seasons, and 23,443 rushing yards.
- Exactly half of the NFL used a first-round pick on someone from this roster.
