Poller Opposites

BUFFALO, N.Y. — As Miami eyes a possible third consecutive national title game appearance, the Buffalo Bulls brace for their fifth season in Division I-A.

Who knew there were the Buffalo Bulls?

The joke is that if you slur your words a bit, a prospect might think that it's the Buffalo Bills calling.

There is a growing rift in college football between the haves and the have-nots, a substantial separation of power, and Miami and Buffalo represent the respective camps.

Miami has history, star power and five national championships.

Buffalo has, what, Niagara Falls?

Miami is our No. 1 and Buffalo is our No. 117.

Technically, both play major college football, and both must meet Division I-A criteria.

In reality, the only place Buffalo gets over on Miami is on the map.

Last season, Miami was one play from going undefeated; Buffalo went 1-11.

Miami will join the Atlantic Coast Conference next year and make the league a super conference.

Buffalo holds bottom rung in the Mid-American Conference's East Division.

Third-year Bulls' Coach Jim Hofher doesn't even pretend to say he's playing the same game.

"I think anybody in our league that has as their goal to be the national champions, that's really foolish," Hofher said this week while walking off the field after a morning practice.

Hofher said, until the rules are changed, there is no way his team can contend with the traditional powers.

In 1998, for instance, non-bowl championship series member Tulane ended up undefeated and only 10th in the polls.

"Right now, the way the cartel works, there's only six conferences plus Notre Dame that get a chance to compete for the national championship," he said.

"That's the way it is, whether we like it or not."

Buffalo, of course, did not have to take up major college football. In fact, the school dropped football in 1971 for financial reasons. The program returned in 1977 at the Division III level and later upgraded to Division I-AA before joining the MAC in 1999 as a Division I-A member.

Simply put, many equate big-time schools with big-time football.

A public university with enrollment of almost 30,000, Buffalo has always fancied itself as the state university in New York. It has, of late, looked to raise its profile.

Academically, Buffalo is one of only 62 schools of higher education that have gained membership to the Assn. of American Universities (AAU).