When was the last OSU-Miami bowl game? Read about the 2003 Fiesta Bowl

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While Miami and Ohio State football have played only five times, the two teams have met in one of Ohio State’s most important games, the 2003 national championship.

The No. 2 seed in the 2025 College Football Playoff, Ohio State will play Miami in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31. The Buckeyes received a bye and will play against No. 7 Miami, who beat No. 10 Texas A&M in the first round of the playoff.

In 2003, the Buckeyes beat the Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl, winning dramatically for the Buckeyes’ first national championship win of the decade. After a 7-5 season in his first year leading the Buckeyes, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel got the Buckeyes into the national championship game against the Hurricanes, who won the title a season prior.

Read about the Ohio State-Miami 2003 bowl game below.

What happened in the 2003 BCS national championship game between Ohio State and Miami?

The Hurricanes won the 2001-02 BCS championship under first-year coach Larry Coker with numerous future NFL stars on the roster, including running back Frank Gore, safety Ed Reed and more.

On the other hand, Ohio State had lost five games in the 2001-02 season, but received praise for upsetting Michigan 26-20. It was the first Ohio State victory in Ann Arbor since 1987.

Ohio State cruised to a 13-win regular season the following year, beating Michigan 14-9 to advance to the national championship game against Miami. The Buckeyes entered the game as significant underdogs facing off against the reigning BCS champions, highlighted by quarterback Ken Dorsey, who entered the game with a 38-1 record as Miami’s starter.

The Hurricanes held an early 7-0 lead to start the game in Sun Devil Stadium in Arizona when the Buckeyes began to roll. Safety Mike Doss intercepted Dorsey in the second quarter, leading to an Ohio State touchdown drive that started at the Miami 34-yard line.

Dorsey fumbled on the second play of the next offensive drive when Ohio State defensive lineman Kenny Peterson hit him on a strip sack. The Buckeyes scored on the ensuing drive, going up 14-7 at halftime.

Ohio State looked to be in trouble when quarterback Craig Krenzel threw an end-zone interception in the third quarter, but running back Maurice Clarett stripped the ball from safety Sean Taylor to keep possession and escape the near disaster with a field goal.

Miami crept back into the game and scored a buzzer-beater 40-yard field goal to tie the game at 17-17. They also received the first possession of overtime and scored a touchdown, forcing the Buckeyes to answer. While in the red zone, Ohio State got a late and controversial pass interference call to get to the goal line, resulting in a rushing touchdown to force a double overtime. It’s the only national championship of the BCS era to reach overtime.

Possession flipped to Ohio State in the second overtime. The Buckeyes pushed to the red zone and scored on a Clarett 5-yard rushing touchdown, forcing Miami to score a touchdown and either kick an extra point to tie or pull off a two-point conversion to win. After a facemask penalty on fourth down gave the Hurricanes an extra life, they pushed to the 2-yard line.

Miami got one yard on the next three plays, opting to pass on their last chance. With pressure coming, Dorsey failed to find an open target, resulting in an Ohio State national championship and the first 14-win season in college football history.

When is the last time Ohio State football played Miami?

Ohio State and Miami played most recently in 2011, when the Hurricanes upset the No. 17 Buckeyes for the first program regular-season loss in the state of Florida. Ohio State went 4 for 18 on passing, while Hurricanes running back Lamar Miller rushed for 184 yards on 26 carries.

When is the Ohio State-Miami Cotton Bowl game?

The Buckeyes take on the Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football’s 2003 national championship win vs. Miami

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