It was 23 years ago when Jim Tressel took his undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes to Tempe, Arizona, for a chance to win a national title. Most experts had already crowned the Miami Hurricanes, who were the defending champs and had rolled through the regular season. If you’re an OSU football fan, you know how that game ended. A pass interference call on Miami’s Glenn Sharpe kept hopes alive as the Buckeyes would go on to defeat the Hurricanes for the 2002 National Championship in double overtime. Years later, Hurricane faithful still talk about that play, and as fate would have it, salt was poured on that wound in the 2026 championship game.
By now, you know, Indiana is the newest College Football Playoff National Champion, defeating Miami on its home turf to do so. The Hoosiers led for the entirety of the contest, but only down six points, the Hurricanes had a chance to steal the game in the final seconds. That’s when something ironic happened.
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Miami quarterback Carson Beck thought he had an open receiver down the sideline in the waning seconds when Indiana cornerback Jamari Sharpe dropped in coverage to snatch the interception and seal the victory for IU. Not only is Jamari Sharp a native of Florida, but he grew up just a few miles from Coral Gables. Here’s the irony: he is the nephew of Glenn Sharpe, the same player called for pass interference against Ohio State on January 3, 2003.
Despite growing up just minutes from Miami’s campus, Sharpe was never offered a scholarship to play football for the Hurricanes. However, he will now forever be connected to a Miami loss in a national championship game, just like his uncle before him.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Indiana title has ironic connection to 2002 Ohio State championship
