Miami is focused on playoff matchup with Ohio State, but fans ‘won’t ever forget’ controversial 2003 Fiesta Bowl

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Cam Underwood remembers where he was on Jan. 3, 2003. Then a junior at the University of Miami, Underwood was watching the national championship game between UM and Ohio State at his mother’s house in Fort Lauderdale.

Everyone knows the story: The Hurricanes appeared to have won the game in overtime. Referee Terry Porter threw a controversial, late pass-interference flag. The celebrations abruptly stopped. The teams went back on the field. Ohio State won the game and the championship.

Miami fans have never gotten over the game. But their team has a chance to exorcise those demons in Wednesday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

“I didn’t think the robbery from the Fiesta Bowl is anything you ever ‘get over,’ ” said Underwood, who now runs the Hurricanes SB Nation website, State of the U. “We’re moving on and focused on this game, but that memory is one that we won’t ever forget.”

While fans remember the defeat keenly, the actual Hurricanes who will take the field at 7:30 p.m. are not concerned with events that happened before many of them were born. They have a big enough challenge  without worrying about games from 2003.

“When you have programs of this caliber that have played in those caliber games, that’s the best part about college football, right? The pageantry, the competitiveness. The fan bases,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “But as it relates to the current team, it’s the 2025 Miami Hurricanes and the 2025 Ohio State Buckeyes. That’s what they know, that’s what they prepared for. And really outside of that, nothing much matters.”

No. 2 Ohio State (12-1) poses the biggest challenge No. 10 Miami (11-2) has faced all season. The Buckeyes held the No. 1 spot in polls and playoff rankings for nearly the entire season. New No. 1 Indiana unseated Ohio State with a close win in the Big Ten Championship Game.

But the Buckeyes are formidable. Their offense features stellar quarterback Julian Sayin, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist. He has two of the best targets to throw to: star wide receivers Jeremiah Smith — a South Florida star who was nearly a Hurricane — and Carnell Tate.

“They’re as good as you’ve seen in college football over decades,” Cristobal said. “Explosive and fast. Schematically, they do things to make sure those guys have opportunities to make plays and to create matchups. And I think what also sets that up is the fact that they’re complemented by a great offensive line and a great running game. Those guys can put themselves in great down-and-distance situations, eat up chunk yardage on the ground, and then protect the quarterback really well. (Sayin is) a quarterback that’s, I think, the most efficient quarterback in the country this year — a guy that was, again, up for a Heisman. Should have been one of the top five guys. So … I think that combination certainly is an elite combination.”

Ohio State’s defense is excellent, as well. The Buckeyes were first in the nation with 8.2 points allowed per game. They did not allow more than 16 points in a game all season.

Ohio State has All-American players at every level of its defense, from Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald on the defensive line to Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles at linebacker and Caleb Downs in the secondary.

“Ultimately, we have to match the physicality of the game at the beginning because they’re a very physical defense,” UM offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “Their front is long and big, and we have to do a great job of matching that, which we do pride ourselves on being physical, too. Our O-line is as physical as I have ever had. So it will be a great challenge for us, and we’re looking forward to it.”

But the Hurricanes have earned their spot in the playoffs, too. Their offense got more productive as the season went on; it currently ranks 28th nationally with 32.2 points per game, even after a 10-point performance in a first-round win over Texas A&M. The defense, under first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, is even better. It ranks fourth in the nation with 13 points allowed per game after allowing the Aggies to score just three points.

“Talent is one thing, but the way they play is different,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “And I think that that says a lot about the coaches and how they put their guys in a situation to be successful and how hard they play. So they’re as good as anybody in the country. And it starts with the guys up front and goes all the way to the back end.

“So it’s a tremendous challenge for our offense, and they built it the right way from the inside out.”

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