There are many story lines in the Miami-Penn State game this year that make it no ordinary opener.

The first is Joe Paterno closing in on Bear Bryant's record. With all due respect to Coach Paterno and the record, the guys on the field, especially the guys on the other team, don't care about the record. It is not motivation for them.

Miami will be motivated by going on the road and playing a team for the first time all season. They will be trying to prove that last season was not a fluke, and that this team is as good as last year's team, if not better.

	Adam Taliaferro walks out of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, January 5, 2001.

Another is Adam Taliaferro. When Taliaferro was lying on his back facing the possibility of never walking again, he made it his mission to be healthy enough to lead the Nittany Lions out of the tunnel for the first game in Happy Valley.

Not only did Taliaferro set an amazing goal, he approached it with a complete and total positive outlook. There was no doubt in his mind that he would get up and walk, even when doctors were saying they weren't sure. He was motivated, dedicated, and focused, and in two weeks his dream is going to come true.

The Penn State players know how hard Taliaferro worked, and so does the community. And you can bet the whole stadium will know it when he comes out of that tunnel. He will lead the Lions out of the locker room into the newly renovated stadium for a prime time kick. There won't be a dry eye in the stadium.

Another story line is the visiting team. Miami is the No. 2 ranked team in the country and will come into Happy Valley as a 15-20 point favorite. From a psychological standpoint, the key to the game will be how Miami will respond to the surging emotions of the Nittany Lions. It will be up to the Hurricanes to withstand the emotion early, then use their talent to win the game in the second half.

Penn State will be emotionally charged by JoePa's record, by Taliaferro, by being such a heavy underdog, and by the home, night-game opener. All of those factors will make Beaver Stadium a magical place. The Lions may not be able to match up man-to-man with the talent Miami has, but they should be able to hang in there emotionally. It might be surprising how well Penn State plays in this game. They'll have nothing to lose, and they'll be willing to take chances.

You can't explain or prepare for emotion. You can't take a vitamin for it. Miami will just have to hope for enough maturity to understand going in that even though they have a better team, the circumstances will be unusual. They will need to keep their heads in it early, and not get caught up in the storylines. Miami has to be careful not go in there overconfident, because they will be such a huge favorite. If they respect Penn State, and understand the situation, then they should have the ability and toughness to come out with a victory.

Without a doubt, it will be a hard fought game. Miami had better be ready.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit appears weekly at a campus near you on ESPN's College GameDay.