Hurricanes' national title hopes hinge on game with Gators.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

NEW ORLEANS _ For the Miami Hurricanes, turnabout is fair play in the election process. In fact, players are praying for their fate to be determined by the ultimate voting irony of Campaign 2000:

A bunch of guys from Florida _ Dade County, no less _ waiting breathlessly for ballots to be counted from voters in 49 other states.

In this case, the second-ranked Hurricanes (10-1) hope to sidestep the Bowl Championship Series and claim a share of college football's national championship without playing in the postseason contest designated by BCS officials as the title game. Miami will make its closing arguments at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in the Sugar Bowl against No. 7 Florida (10-2).

With a victory in the first meeting since 1987 between these in-state rivals, the Hurricanes hope to convince enough voters in The Associated Press poll they are worthy of the top spot if No. 3 Florida State (11-1) upends No. 1 Oklahoma (12-0) in Wednesday's Orange Bowl.

The way the Hurricanes see it, if George W. Bush could survive 35 days of voting uncertainty before receiving Florida's decisive electoral votes to become the nation's 43rd president, they can surely endure two days of anxiety until ballots from 71 AP voters are tabulated and the final poll is released Thursday.

"Our goal is to put as much pressure on the voters as possible," said Miami wide receiver Daryl Jones, a Dallas native. "We're not through with what we want to accomplish this season."

Unlike in the coaches' poll, where voters are obligated to select the BCS title game winner as college football's national champion because of an agreement with BCS officials, voters in the AP poll remain free to vote their conscience on the issue. And the issue has as many bizarre subplots as November's disputed presidential balloting in Florida.