After a game that took 58 minutes to supply a touchdown, the Miami Hurricanes punched their ticket to the Cotton Bowl for a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. How will a team that managed 10 points against Texas A&M's No. 17 FEI defense fare against the No. 1 D in the land? We're going to find out on New Year's Eve.
AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, will play host to the Hurricanes and Buckeyes, who locked in their first round bye as the No. 2 seed. Here's everything you need to know about the matchup in 5 minutes.
Miami vs. Ohio State preview
- Miami vs. Ohio State game info
- No. 2 Ohio State team info, notable wins/losses
- No. 10 Miami team info, notable wins/losses
- Get to know the Miami and Ohio State quarterbacks
- Key players to watch in the Cotton Bowl
- Miami vs. Ohio State stat comparison
- Miami vs. Ohio State score prediction
Miami vs. Ohio State game info
MIAMI VS. OHIO STATE | GAME INFO |
|---|---|
Date | Wed., Dec. 31 |
Time | 4:30 p.m. ET |
Location | Arlington, TX |
Channel | ESPN |
Odds | Ohio State - 9.5 |
No. 2 Ohio State team info, notable wins/losses
- Record: 12-1 (9-1 in Big Ten)
- Head coach: Ryan Day
- Strength of schedule: 27th
- Best win: 27-9 at Michigan
- Worst loss: 13-10 vs. Indiana (B1G title game)
No. 10 Miami team info, notable wins/losses
- Record: 10-2 (6-2 in ACC)
- Head coach: Mario Cristobal
- Strength of schedule: 45th
- Best win: 27-24 over Notre Dame
- Worst loss: 24-21 vs. Louisville
Get to know the Miami and Ohio State quarterbacks
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin
A Heisman Trophy finalist as a redshirt freshman, Sayin has lived up to high expectations as a former five-star recruit. He led college football in completion percentage and passer rating. And he's the closest competition Fernando Mendoza has to be ranked the top QB in the playoff.
- Personality: Calm and collected
- Arm Talent: Precision and consistency
- X-Factor: 4th in PFF pass grade under pressure
Miami QB Carson Beck
Beck transferred to Miami from Georgia. It's a move that's worked out for him after winning a playoff game for the Canes. With a passer rating of 165.8, he's having his best season as a starter but his turnovers have been a problem — his 10 INTs tied for worst in the ACC.
- Personality: Businesslike
- Arm Talent: Velocity
- X-Factor: Pocket presence
Key players to watch in the Cotton Bowl
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
A consensus All-American, Big Ten Receiver of the Year and Biletnikoff runner-up, Smith has accounted for 12 touchdowns this year for the Buckeyes. He's an explosive playmaker who had seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns in his last CFP Quarterfinal appearance.
Ohio State DE Caden Curry
Ohio State's defense is stacked with elite talent — we could highlight consensus All-Americans S Caleb Downs, LB Arvell Reese or DL Kayden McDonald. But those guys get a lot of attention, so we're giving Caden Curry the spotlight. The senior exploded onto the scene by leading the Big Ten with 11 sacks.
Caden Curry has come out to play. Stud pic.twitter.com/5Cv5qSVbr2
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) December 7, 2025
Miami RB Mark Fletcher
Fletcher leads Miami in rushing this season, with 11 total touchdowns to his name. He's not someone who stands out statistically but his tough, downhill running is key to the Canes' offense. He has explosive ability too; Against Texas A&M he racked up 172 yards with seven of his 17 carries going for more than 10 yards. One of those was a 56-yarder to set up Miami's game-winning TD.
Miami DL Rueben Bain Jr.
There's a reason Bain is a consensus All-American and he showed it against Texas A&M. He blocked a kick and posted four tackles for loss including three sacks — two of those were in the fourth quarter.
Miami vs. Ohio State stat comparison
Ohio State's offense vs. Miami defense
OHIO STATE OFF | STAT | MIAMI DEF |
|---|---|---|
18th | Scoring | 6th |
24th | Yards | 11th |
24th | Passing | 29th |
64th | Rushing | 7th |
7th | Sacks | 17th |
8th | Turnovers | 26th |
Miami's offense vs. Ohio State's defense
MIAMI OFF | STATS | OHIO STATE DEF |
|---|---|---|
19th | Scoring | 1st |
27th | Yards | 24th |
18th | Passing | 1st |
77th | Rushing | 6th |
8th | Sacks | 30th |
15th | Turnovers | 82nd |
Miami vs. Ohio State score prediction
CFB Graphs gives Ohio State a 64 percent win probability over Miami. The Buckeyes are just too good in all aspects of the game. They're No. 1 in offensive success rate and No. 8 in defensive success rate. The Hurricanes aren't scrubs ranking 10th and 9th in those measures.
In the end, a tight matchup on paper will come down to who knows how to win. That's something the Buckeyes have proven. That's also something Mario Cristobal has a bad habit of fumbling.
Prediction: Ohio State 27, Miami 20