ESPN Is Pushing The Possibility Of Miami Upsetting Ohio State

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Fans will be in for a treat on New Year's Eve when No. 10 Miami takes on No. 2 Ohio State in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.

Miami limited Texas A&M to 326 yards of offense and three points in arguably the team's most impressive performance of the season. Freshman defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald secured the win by picking off Marcel Reed's pass on third-and-goal with under a minute remaining.

"A year ago, we had a tough time stopping people on defense," Mario Cristobal said after the win. "This was one of those games where we felt like we were holding good and knocking them back. The confidence that [the defense] brings is off the charts, and they were the difference today."

If Cristobal wants to advance to the CFP semifinals, he'll need Miami's defense to slow down Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Ryan Day's explosive offense.

Who has the edge?

Despite coming off a loss in the Big Ten Championship, oddsmakers have Ohio State as a two-possession favorite over Miami. To be fair, the Buckeyes have looked incredible for the majority of the 2025 season.

ESPN's Louis Riddick, however, isn't so sure Ohio State will run away with the Cotton Bowl. He expects Miami to keep this game close due to its ability to dominate the line of scrimmage.

"They’re built strong up front and right down the middle. You saw what they did against Texas A&M. You saw how they ran the football, owned the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively," Riddick said, via On3. "They will be tuned up for this matchup. This is a game that’s going to go right down to the wire

If Miami can't get pressure on Sayin, it could be a long day for Cristobal's squad. We'll see if Rueben Bain Jr. is up for the task.

Kickoff for the Cotton Bowl is at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Dec 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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