ARLINGTON, TX — Thanks to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown, and a 72-yard pick-six by defensive back Keionte Scott, the No.10-ranked Miami Hurricanes upset the No.2 defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes, 24-14 in the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
Ohio State, a 9.5-point favorite before the game, came into their third straight Cotton Bowl after losing 13-10 to Indiana in the B1G title game, hoping to make another CFP title run, and repeat as national champions.
Miami, fresh off of a 10-3 win down in College Starion against the Texas A&M Aggies, were one of the hottest teams in college football, led by their ferocious defense bookended by pass rushers Rueben Bain Jr and Akheem Mesidor.
An underdog with a little extra motivation in avenging their controversial 31-23 loss to Ohio State on a questionable pass interference flag the 2003 BCS Championship Game, gave the upset-hungry Canes all the fuel they needed on New Years Eve.
And did they ever.
There is no way to sugarcoat how soft and lacking the Buckeyes looked in the first quarter, as they got straight out dominated up front by Miami’s projected first-round pick duo in Bain Jr. and Mesidor, that helped sacked Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin five times on the night.
With Miami up 14-0, and Ohio State seemingly trying to find any form of rhythm on offense, kicker Jayden Fielding missed a field goal right before halftime, that would have given Ohio State some momentum going into the half.
In the second half, the Buckeyes finally looked like the second-ranked team in the country, ultimately culminating in a one-yard touchdown run by Bo Jackson, who would finish the game with 57 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Sayin, when not trying to avoid Miami’s relentless pass rush, began to find some rhythm downfield, highlighted by a 59-yard completion to WR Jeremiah Smith.
For the game, Sayin completed 22-35 passes for 287 yards, and two interceptions.
Smith, facing his hometown team, finished with seven catches for 157 yards and one touchdown.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, they had no answers for Carson Beck, the forementioned Fletcher Jr. nor Miami’s massive and physical offensive line, that proverbially punched Ohio State in the mouth in the trenches all night long.
If there was an NFL front office executive who witnessed the Canes domination of the defending national champions down in Arlington, Teams would seriously consider looking at Miami’s OL of LT Markel Bell (6’8, 345), LG Matthew McCoy (6’6, 325) and Francis Mauigoa (6’6, 335) as they completely mauled the Buckeyes all night up front.
It was straight up old-school bully ball, and OSU got bullied all night and didn’t look like they knew what hit them till it was too late.
Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal, a two-time national champion at his alma mater and former head coach at Oregon appeared to take a page from his Ducks playbook, of being physical on the line, when he led his No.12-ranked Ducks into Columbus, and upset Ohio State, led by CJ Stroud, 35-28 back in 2021.
Clearly, you see and sense that Cristobal implemented that same game plan against the Buckeyes again, and improving to 2-0 vs. Ohio State.
Malachi Toney, while special, was held in check to 16 yards receiving. While Beck, managed the game effectively in completing 19-26 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 28 yards, including a key 11-yard scramble late.
Make no mistake, the better more physical team won on New Year’s Eve in the Hurricanes, who face the winner of Ole Miss-Georgia in the Fiesta Bowl.
If there ever is a dangerous team motivated by the possibility of winning a national title in its own stadium and by a bit of old revenge, it’s the Canes, who clearly have both.