Buckeyes and Hurricanes Set To Clash in Dallas at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

The No.2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1) are set to take on the No.10 Miami Hurricanes (11-2) in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic as part of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. This is the third-straight year the Buckeyes have found themselves in Dallas, and we all remember what happened last season against the Texas Longhorns.

The Buckeyes suffered their only loss of the season after an undefeated regular season when they fell at the hands of the top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship Game. Ryan Day’s crew had been rolling and were riding high off their first win against the Michigan Wolverines since 2019, but a loss may have been what this team needed heading into a tough playoff field.

Two Storied Programs Set For Another Classic

The Hurricanes suffered both their losses midseason when they lost at home to Louisville 24-21 and two weeks later fell to SMU on the road 26-20 in overtime. Since they have rattled off five-straight wins including a dominant win at the Pittsburgh Panthers to close the regular season. This was followed by a scrappy playoff win in the first round at Texas A&M in a game where the only touchdown came with 1:44 left in the game.

THE FRESHMAN IN THE CLUTCH 🔥

Malachi Toney gives Miami the lead 👀 pic.twitter.com/iHiRTBKQZA

— ESPN (@espn) December 20, 2025

These teams haven’t played a ton, but whenever they do, there always seems to be controversy and high stakes. A spot in the Fiesta Bowl is on the line against the winner of the Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels out in Glendale, Arizona. Both these teams will be ready for this game after plenty of time to rest and recover. Let’s dive into each team’s last game, their overall season, and what to watch for in this one.

The Buckeyes Looking To Bounce Back En Route To Back-to-Back Championships

The last memory everyone has of this group of Buckeyes wasn’t a good one. Ohio State managed just 10 points and made numerous mistakes, which led to a three-point loss to the roaring Indiana Hoosiers. The offense just couldn’t muster enough plays, and some questionable personnel decisions ended up looming large.

Julian Sayin finished 21/29 with 258 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, with a chunk of those yards coming as time expired. Jeremiah Smith hauled in the last-second throw and finished with eight receptions for 144 yards. Carnell Tate had four catches for 45 yards and the lone touchdown for the scarlet and gray. Bo Jackson had a few nice runs and had 83 yards on 17 carries. Neither CJ Donaldson nor James Peoples registered a carry, and the offensive line as a whole has seen better days.

The defense had its hands full going up against the eventual Heisman trophy winner in Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza made the big throws when it mattered and finished with a fairly similar stat line to Sayin. He finished 15/23 for 222 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. With one of their top guys out, Charlie Becker stepped up and had six catches for 126 yards. Elijah Sarratt made a few clutch plays, including the lone touchdown for the Hoosiers. The ground game did pretty well against this scary Ohio State defense, led by Kaelon Black with 16 carries and 69 yards. Sonny Styles had 12 total tackles for the defense, and Caden Curry was a one-man wrecking crew with three tackles for loss and two sacks. Davison Igbinosun had the lone turnover, and Caleb Downs finished second on the team with eight total tackles.

Sayin is up to 3,323 passing yards on the season and is completing 78.4 percent of his passes. He has 31 passing touchdowns and just six interceptions, and most Buckeyes fans hope the offense lets him sling it against Miami. Jeremiah Smith (1,086 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Carnell Tate (838 yards, nine touchdowns) need to be on the field more, especially late in games. As we saw last year, other guys need to make plays in the playoffs. This is where guys like Max Klare (448 yards), Brandon Inniss (237 yards), and Will Kacmarek (140 yards) come into play.

Bo Jackson is up to 1,035 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on the year, with Isaiah West (310 yards) seemingly filling in behind him. CJ Donaldson (10 touchdowns) and James Peoples (three touchdowns) may be leaned upon in the red zone and when guys need a breather. Indiana wreaked havoc in the Buckeye backfield in the last game, registering five sacks when Ohio State had given up just six sacks on the season. The offensive line simply needs to play better, and it will have its hands full in this game.

Sonny Styles (81 total tackles) and Arvell Reese (62 total tackles) have been an elite unit for the Buckeyes and will need to step up in the run game against a good running back and offensive line. Caden Curry (60 total tackles, 11 sacks), Kayden McDonald (57 total tackles, three sacks), Kenyatta Jackson Jr. (27 total tackles, six and a half sacks), and crew will need to get after Carson Beck and force him into some mistakes. Caleb Downs (60 total tackles), Davison Igbinosun (42 total tackles), and Jermaine Matthews Jr. (20 total tackles) all have two interceptions on the year, and I expect one of them to get one in this game.

Miami Looking To Keep Momentum Going

In a game where it was 0-0 at halftime and just 3-3 in the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes did enough down the stretch to pull out a 10-3 win in a tough environment against Texas A&M.

Carson Beck and the Hurricanes’ offense did not get much going through the air and finished with just 103 passing yards. Beck finished 14/20 with one touchdown and no interceptions, in what appeared to be a conservative approach. Keelan Marion led the way with 33 yards, but it was Malachi Toney (five catches, 22 yards) who had the touchdown when it mattered. Mark Fletcher Jr. stole the show on offense, rushing for 172 yards on 17 carries with some big runs down the stretch. He had well over half of the offensive production on the day, and slowing him down will be necessary for the Ohio State defense.

The Miami defense held Texas A&M to just 89 rushing yards on 35 carries, allowing just 2.5 yards per carry. Quarterback Marcel Reed was the leading rusher with just 27 yards on 15 carries. He went 25/39 for 237 yards through the air, but the offense did not find the endzone, and he threw two interceptions. The defense registered nine tackles for loss and seven sacks, led by Rueben Bain Jr. (four TFL, three sacks) and Keionte Scott (three TFL, two sacks). Bryce Fitzgerald had both interceptions in the afternoon, and Malachi Toney made some plays on special teams, including a 55-yard punt return.

Georgia-transfer Carson Beck is completing 74.5 percent of his passes on the year and has 3,175 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and ten interceptions. Malachi Toney is their playmaker out wide with 992 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Keelan Marion (590 yards, one touchdown), CJ Daniels (420 yards, seven touchdowns), and Elija Lofton (203 yards, three touchdowns) are other guys to watch in the passing game for the Hurricanes.

Mark Fletcher Jr., who was once committed to the Buckeyes, is the leader of the ground game for the Hurricanes leading them in carries(158), rushing yards (857), and rushing touchdowns (10). Charmar Brown (389 yards, five touchdowns) and Girard Pringle Jr. (363 yards, four touchdowns) backup Fletcher Jr. on the ground.

The Miami defense is very solid and it starts up front with Akheem Mesidor (eight and a half sacks), Rueben Bain Jr. (seven and a half sacks), and Ahmad Moten Sr. (four and a half sacks). Mohamed Toure (62 total tackles) and Wesley Bissainthe (53 total tackles) hold down the middle of the field for this stingy defense. Bryce Fitzgerald (six interceptions), Jakobe Thomas (four interceptions), and Keionte Scott (five sacks) form a talented secondary on the back end.

What To Watch For

Both these teams have elite defenses and offenses that haven’t played up to their usual standard as of late. Special teams is another unit to keep an eye on, with Miami’s talented return man and Ohio State’s kicking woes. Big time players make big time plays in big time games, and this was apparent last year when Ohio State’s stars, units, coaches, etc. seemed to rise to the occasion in all four playoff games against great teams.

The same will be needed this year if the Buckeyes have any legit aspirations to repeat for the first time in program history. Everything we have heard to this point leads to a more aggressive passing attack with the best duo in the country, and remaining steady on the defensive side.

I think Jeremiah Smith will show why he decided to leave his hometown for Columbus, and Carnell Tate will make big plays as he has continued to get healthier for this playoff run. I think Sayin has two passing touchdowns and Bo Jackson gets one on the ground, continuing his great form in his freshman season.

On the defensive side, if the Buckeyes can get a lead and contain Mark Fletcher Jr., I definitely see Carson Beck throwing a pick or two leading to some favorable field positions for the Buckeye offense. Caden Curry will continue his great form with a sack, and the linebacking duo will hit hard and keep the Miami offense in check. I think there is a chance Ohio State jumps on Miami in this one, after everything they have heard the past few weeks. The Buckeyes win in Dallas again, and set up a potential huge clash with the Georgia Bulldogs if they get by the Ole Miss Rebels.

Prediction: Ohio State 24, Miami (Fl.) 13