How Miami Shocked Ohio State to Take Over the CFP: 5 Cotton Bowl Takeaways
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Ohio State was a 9.5-point favorite over Miami in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, but it didn’t seem like it.
The Buckeyes were the defending national champs, but the Hurricanes brought the talent, the fire, and the toughness that seemed like this should be a bit closer.
Miami got its defense going early, Ohio State couldn’t get up to speed until too late, and now, after a 24-14 win, we have a new team in the CFP semifinals. How did it happen? Here are five takeaways from the thriller.
Miami vs Ohio State: Five Takeaways From the Cotton Bowl
5. How Miami beat Ohio State
That’s what want-to looks like.
Last year’s Ohio State team was loaded with hungry veterans on a desperate mission. That team played with a fury and intensity that rose up and rocked in big moments.
2024 Ohio State was the way Miami played coming out of the gate in Arlington.
The Hurricanes got in after barely getting in as the 10 seed, they showed up large on the defensive front against Texas A&M, got even more of a physical attitude against Ohio State, and they played the defending national champions without an ounce of fear.
The Hurricanes had a good early scoring drive, got the soon-to-be-iconic jumped-route for six play by Keionte Scott, and a field goal. The Ohio State defense had its full swagger, only allowing ten points.
And then it was the Miami offensive line’s turn.
Remember, the Hurricanes got the ball back with just over five minutes to play. This was when the Ohio State defense – the best in the nation – was supposed to flex.
The Buckeyes might not win, but it wasn’t going to be the defense’s fault. Instead, the Miami line loaded with NFL talent -and with a head coach who knows offensive lines as well as anyone, Mario Cristobal – won the game.
And that’s what’s going to stick in Ohio State’s craw the most? When it really mattered, Miami was the tougher team.
4. What did Ohio State do wrong?
It’s not that Ohio State was comfortable, or too cool for school. All year, Ohio State played more like a professional team.
Even keel, do your job, use your talent to be better than everyone else, and rely on the best defense in college football to take over.
The offensive line needed to be better in the first half – it didn’t have a prayer against the Miami D line. That changed in the second half, but the tone was set.
The kicking game needed to be better – this was the second game in a row when a miss proved deadly.
Julian Sayin was a bit too cautious and didn’t get the ball out of his hands – that changed in the second half, and his reads will be far, far faster as he gets a little more time in.
But most of all, Ohio State didn’t have the gas pedal.
At some point this year, the Buckeyes needed to go full hammer, just to show they could. They were measured, clinical, business-like. It’s almost like the pure destruction and domination mindset was missing.
3. The Miami defensive front took over early
Miami’s Reuben Bain Jr. came up with three tackles, a sack, and 1.5 tackles for loss, but the likely top five overall draft pick was getting his mail behind the Ohio State line.
Ahkeem Mesidor is a destructive force on the other side, and he did his part with two sacks and five tackles.
The defensive tackle rotation held up, inside linebacker Wesley Bissainthe cleaned up, and in all, the Canes came up with five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and held Ohio State to 1.9 yards per carry.
Ohio State was under 2.3 yards per carry three times this season. This, Indiana, and Texas.
When was the last time Ohio State was held to under two yards per carry? October 10, 2011, averaging just 0.9 yards per carry in a 10-7 loss to Michigan State.
2. What’s next for Ohio State going into the offseason?
At least the Buckeyes beat Michigan.
Fortunately, Ohio State fans take disappointment really, really well (yeeeeesh). Come on, it’s Ohio State. It’ll be totally fine.
If it’s not the preseason No. 1 team next season, it’ll be No. 2. It gets back Julian Sayin, and Jeremiah Smith, and a slew of talented young players who could’ve started just about anywhere else.
And, of course, it’ll get its choice of whatever transfer it wants. That will start with getting more out of the offensive line, helped by at least one powerhouse running back, and then throw in a piece or two to a defense that didn’t want or need much from the portal this season.
Again, you know how this works. Ohio State is better when it’s grouchy – at least, more than its normal version.
There will be slogans, and t-shirts, and commitments to things, but really, come September 5th, when the team runs out of the tunnel against Ball State, it’ll have more talent than anyone else in college football.
1. Now what for Miami in the College Football Playoff?
Win it all.
The talent hasn’t been the problem. No, there might not be the talent depth of a Georgia, Alabama, or Oregon, but the starting 22 is as good as anyone left.
No one in the tournament was better than Ohio State in terms of personnel, and Miami just took it down by ten. At this point, who’s better than this bunch?
Yeah, Indiana has the No. 1 team, and it has to be taken seriously – obviously – but it doesn’t have the next-level parts and all-around speed, power, and athleticism of the Canes.
As of right now, it plays the winner of Ole Miss vs Georgia. The Hurricane defense is more than good enough to handle the Bulldog offense, Carson Beck and the attack would pound away on the Rebels, and it’s national championship or bust.
You have to beat the champion to be the champion, or so the horrible cliché goes.
Miami just beat the champion.
Related: Arch Manning Powers Texas Past Michigan in Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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