Miami wasn't that great in the mid 90s due to probation from all of the violations during the Dennis Erickson era. Butch Davis was just able to recruit well and started the big name players from the 2001 team (Dorsey, Shockey, Portis, McKinnie, Reed) early so they gained experience.
Penn State is down now, so whoever is Paterno's successor will be vital to if they can make a return to elite status. Going to the Big Ten really hurt them as Ohio State and Michigan have made inroads to get Pennsylvania recruits, while PSU hasn't done that well in the Midwest at recruiting.