Photo Credit: @CanesFootball via X // Wide Receiver CJ Daniels (7) celebrates with Tight End Alex Baumann (87) versus Pitt on Nov. 29 2025.

Following Miami’s gritty 10–3 win over No. 7 Texas A&M on Dec. 20, a victory encapsulated by a game-sealing interception from freshman defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald, the Hurricanes earned a spot in the 90th edition of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas.

Miami is set to face defending national champions No. 2 Ohio State, a program it has history against. The two teams have met five times, with only four officially counting in the record books. In 2010, Ohio State’s 36-24 win was vacated after a “Tattoogate” scandal that involved players trading memorabilia for tattoos.

Going back to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, with the game tied 24–24 in overtime, Miami was called for a late and controversial defensive pass interference in the end zone that ultimately cost the Hurricanes a chance at back-to-back National Championships.

The series is tied at two, as UM won 24-6 in 2011 at home.

The Buckeyes are coming off a 12-1 season, with their lone loss coming in the Big Ten championship against No.1 Indiana. 

Ohio State is led by sophomore wideout and South Florida product Jeremiah Smith, who is one of the best receivers in the country. In 12 games this season, Smith has 80 receptions for 1086 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. 2025 marks his second straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards.

“He’s [Jeremiah Smith] an NFL prototype right now,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said. “He and their entire receiving corps create separation, beat coverage, block in the run game, and play hard.”

Smith is paired with another talented wideout in Carnell Tate, who has 48 receptions for 838 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on the season.

The Buckeyes also feature  freshman running back Lamar “Bo” Jackson, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season.

David Lebowitz, Staff Photographer/Redshirt Senior Jakobe Thomas reaches toward the Syracuse quarterback after beating his blocker on November 8, 2025.

Throwing Smith and Tate the ball is Heisman finalist quarterback Julian Sayin, who is having an unbelievable season as a first-year starter.

Through 13 games, Sayin has 3323 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes. He has led the nation all season in completion percentage (78.4%) and passing efficiency (182.05), with his completion rate surpassing the all-time NCAA record of 77.4% set by Oregon’s Bo Nix in 2023.

Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman understands the challenge it will be for the Hurricanes to contain Smith and Tate.

“They’re as talented as anyone in the country on the perimeter and any play could be explosive,” Hetherman said. “So we’ve got to do a good job of playing one play at a time. Our guys got to be physical at the point of attack. We have to be really disciplined with our eyes.”

In its lone loss of the season, the Ohio State offensive line crumbled. Sayin was sacked five times and the Hoosier defense tallied a season-worst nine tackles for loss.

Looking back at Miami’s last game against the Aggies, the Hurricanes sacked Marcel Reed seven times. Reed is more elusive with his legs than Sayin, so if Ohio State’s pass protection against Miami resembles what it showed in its last game against Indiana, it could be a long night for the Buckeyes.

Defensive ends Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. will have to step up in similar fashion as their game against Texas A&M. Against the Aggies, Bain and Mesidor combined for 4.5 sacks, 10 tackles, and one blocked field goal.

Photo Editor Brian Mulvey // Junior defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. rushes the passer against Louisville on Oct. 17, 2025

Guarding Smith and Tate will most certainly be a challenge but Miami has shown it can hold its own against stellar receivers. Against Texas A&M’s Mario Craver and KC Concepcion, Miami was able to hold each receiver to under 100 yards. Concepcion, an AP All-American All-Purpose player, was held to a season-low 33 yards against the UM secondary.

Defensive backs Keionte Scott and Jakobe Thomas will need to carry the momentum. Fitzgerald’s two interceptions allowed him to become just the 10th Hurricane to have six interceptions in a season over 50 years.

On the offensive side of the ball for Miami, sixth-year redshirt senior quarterback Carson Beck did not have his best performance, completing 14-of-20 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. It was a windy day in College Station, which may have played a role, but Beck will need to be sharper against a stout Ohio State defense.. 

The relationship between Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and Beck has been key to getting on the same page and winning these big games.

“He says something and you watch it on the iPad, I mean, he’s typically spot-on. And so there’s things that I don’t see in the course of calling it that I watch the iPad, and he’s typically pretty spot on in those situations”, Dawson said. “And everybody keeps a level head and a very calm demeanor, which is key in those type of games when it’s real tight. And look, one mistake can cost you a game. So I thought his input was awesome.”

The Buckeyes defense is one of the best in college football, ranking first in categories such as points per game allowed (8.2) and pass yards per game (129.1). They rank fifth in rush yards per game with 84.5.

Junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. is coming off a season-best 172 rushing yards, averaging 10.1 yards a carry against Texas A&M. Fletcher put the team on his back against the Aggies, and if Beck isn’t playing his best ball, the junior running back might have to carry the load once again.

UM Junior Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. breaks through the Texas A&M defense on Dec. 20. // Jake Sperling.

Last game, the offense line did a phenomenal job on limiting pressure from star Aggie defensive end Cashius Howell, holding him to just two total tackles.

This week, the Hurricanes will take on a new challenge of stopping senior defensive end Caden Curry and junior linebacker Arvell Reese. Curry is seventh in college football in sacks, with 11, while Reese had 6.5 sacks on his own. Reese is considered one of the best players in all of college football, often being projected as the first defensive player drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Posing a threat in the secondary, is safety Caleb Downs. The junior has 40 tackles and two interceptions on the season but also is a threat to the quarterback when Ohio State runs the blitz. 

“I feel that this team, in terms of challenges and throwing difficult scenarios and situations at them, is when I think we’re our best.,” Cristobal said.

Kickoff at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, is set for New Year’s Eve at 7:30 p.m. EST and will air on ESPN.