be the key to winning the title that had evaded them in 2000. The Hurricanes had been edged out of the BCS Championship Game the year before despite being ranked No. 2 in both the final AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll and having defeated BCS No. 2 Florida State. Coker had immediate success as head coach, guiding the Hurricanes to a 12–0 record and the national championship in his first season after dominating a Frank Solich-led Nebraska Cornhuskers team in the Rose Bowl. For his efforts, Coker was given numerous honors, including the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award and the AFCA Coach of the Year. The Hurricanes won their first 12 games in 2002, extending a winning streak that dated back to the 2000 season to 34 games and giving Coker an unblemished 24–0 record heading into the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, which served as the BCS National Championship Game. Even at the time, some people doubted how much credit Coker deserved for his start, believing that other coaches might have been able to accomplish the same thing with the talent he inherited. The 11½-point underdog Ohio State Buckeyes stunningly lead the Hurricanes 17–7 heading into the 4th quarter. After Miami cut the lead to 17–14, star Miami tailback Willis McGahee suffered a leg injury that ended his college career, harming the Hurricanes' chances of winning. Coker decided not to bring in Frank Gore to replace McGahee because he didn't want to burn Gore's redshirt, a move that would not end up doing the Hurricanes any good because Gore left for the NFL early. Late in the quarter, with the Hurricanes still down 17–14, Ohio State faced a 3rd and 8 deep on their own side of the field. Buckeyes receiver Chris Gamble caught a pass that would have gotten the Buckeyes a key first down, but officials ruled he was out of bounds. Many people felt Gamble had made the catch in bounds, especially after seeing the replay. The Buckeyes were forced to punt, and the Hurricanes returned the punt all the way to the Buckeyes' 25-yard line. The Ohio State defense shut down the Miami offense, forcing the Canes to kick a FG that brought the game into overtime. After the Hurricanes scored a touchdown in the first possession of overtime to take a 24–17 lead, Ohio State faced a 4th and 3 on the Miami 6-yard line that