 The Miami Hurricanes kept pace with the Hokies throughout the regular season, winning every conference game after their loss to Tech.After Miami won its final game of the season and tied the Hokies for the Big East football championship (the Big East had no tiebreaker at the time), it appeared that Virginia Tech would be passed over for a Bowl Alliance game in favor of the Hurricanes.Miami traditionally had a stronger football team and a wider following on television, making it more attractive to bowl-game officials.