Miami-Florida appears to be a budding rivalry.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

The French Quarter of New Orleans is a wild place. One minute you're sitting at Pat O'Brien's, sipping one of its famous Hurricanes, and the next thing you know, 40 football players are involved in a brawl.

Or maybe it was four football players involved in a theological debate. Accounts vary. Some witnesses said the Florida Gators instigated everything and some say it was the Miami Hurricanes, but those sources might be biased.

"You've got to get a guy who wasn't a Gator or a Hurricane to tell you what happened," Florida coach Steve Spurrier said.

Whatever happened, this much is clear: The rivalry between the Hurricanes and the Gators is as hot as ever, even though the teams haven't played each other in more than a decade.

Miami and Florida renew their rivalry on Tuesday night in the Sugar Bowl, the schools' first game against each other since 1987.

In some ways, nothing has changed. The teams are still capable of off-field scuffles and on-field taunting. With a win, Miami will have a legitimate claim to its fifth national title in 18 years, but the best it can hope for is a split championship.

The Hurricanes are ranked No. 2 in the writers' and coaches' polls, but No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings. Oklahoma, which is No. 1 in both polls, plays Florida State in Wednesday's Orange Bowl, the BCS championship game.