ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Keionte Scott returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown, Carson Beck threw a scoring pass and No. 10 Miami shocked defending champion Ohio State 24-14 on Wednesday night at the Cotton Bowl in the first College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
The Hurricanes (12-2, CFP No. 10 seed) have won two playoff games to get into football’s final four after needing an at-large berth to make the 12-team field, even without playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. One more win and they will get to play for a national championship in their home stadium.
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Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, center, is sacked by Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., left, and defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Miami quarterback Carson Beck, right, prepares to hand off to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Ohio State Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding, with Joe McGuire holding, misses a field goal against Miami during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day looks o during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Miami Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas, right, makes a tackle on Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Next for Miami in coach Mario Cristobal’s fourth season is a CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8 against No. 3 seed Georgia or No. 6 seed Ole Miss, the SEC teams in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday night.
There hasn’t been a national title for “The U” since 2001. The Hurricanes were denied a repeat the following season with a double-overtime loss in the Fiesta Bowl to Ohio State, the only other time the teams met in a bowl game.
Now it’s third-ranked Ohio State (12-2, CFP No. 2 seed), which went into the game as a 9 1/2-point favorite according to BetMGM Sportsbook, that won’t be able to win back-to-back national titles for the first time in program history.
The Buckeyes hadn’t played since a 13-10 loss to now-No. 1 Indiana in a Big Ten championship game matchup of undefeated teams on Dec. 6. They still got a first-round bye, then lost just like all four teams that went directly to the quarterfinal round in the inaugural 12-team playoff last season.
Scott’s second pick-six this season came when he jumped a quick screen pass to the left thrown by Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin, then had a wide-open field to sprint untouched to the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 11:49 left in the first half.
That came only 1:42 after Beck’s quick pass to Mark Fletcher Jr. coming out of the backfield for a 9-yard score.
Beck, who was part of Georgia’s national titles in 2021 and 2022 when Stetson Bennett was the starter, completed 19 of 26 passes for 138 yards. The TD throw to Fletcher, who also ran 19 times for 90 yards, was the seventh of 13 consecutive completions for Beck to set a record in the Cotton Bowl, which was played for the 90th time.
Sayin, a freshman backup behind Will Howard for Ohio State’s championship run last season, was 22 of 35 for 287 yards with two interceptions and a TD to Jeremiah Smith. Sayin was sacked five times.
AP All-America receiver Smith, the Miami native, caught seven of those passes for 157 yards, including a 14-yard TD on a fourth down in the fourth quarter.
Carter Davis added a 49-yard field goal in the third quarter and ChaMar Brown ran for a 5-yard TD in the game’s final minute for the Hurricanes, whose 24 points were the most Ohio State gave up this season.
Miami: The Hurricanes have won six games in a row since an overtime loss Nov. 1 at SMU, less than 25 miles from AT&T Stadium, where the Cotton Bowl is played. They also made their CFP debut in the Lone Star State, winning 10-3 at No. 7 Texas A&M in the first round on Dec. 20.
Ohio State: All-America safety Caleb Downs, who started in the CFP for the third season in a row, became the first player to force two fumbles in a CFP game. … The Buckeyes had gone four consecutive quarters — the equivalent of a full game — until Bo Jackson’s 1-yard TD run to cap its opening drive of the second half.
Miami waits to see who it will play in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State is scheduled to open the the 2026 season at home against Ball State on Sept. 5.
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Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, center, is sacked by Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., left, and defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Miami quarterback Carson Beck, right, prepares to hand off to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Ohio State Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding, with Joe McGuire holding, misses a field goal against Miami during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day looks o during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Miami Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas, right, makes a tackle on Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points in three quarters and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Portland Trail Blazers 124-95 on Wednesday night for their third straight win.
Ajay Mitchell scored 17 points off the bench, and Jalen Williams had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Chet Holmgren added 12 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high six blocks for Oklahoma City (29-5), which made 44 of 90 shots (48.9%) and converted 25 Portland turnovers into 28 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander sank 11 of 15 field goals and all seven of his foul shots. He scored at least 20 points for the 105th consecutive game. Mitchell, meanwhile, hit all four of his field goal attempts and all eight free throws.
Two-way player Sidy Cissoko scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting for Portland (14-20). Deni Avdija had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Shaedon Sharpe added 14 points.
Oklahoma City scored 38 points in the first quarter but couldn’t shake the Trail Blazers, who scored 30 and made six of seven 3-point shots.
The Thunder increased the lead to 60-44 on a short jumper by Williams midway through the second before Portland countered with nine straight points. That’s when Gilgeous-Alexander took over, scoring nine points during a 13-2 run that put Oklahoma City up 73-55 at halftime.
The defending NBA champions extended the advantage to 86-60 on a layup by Gilgeous-Alexander, who sat out the fourth quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe early in the fourth made it 106-78.
Trail Blazers: Visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Thunder: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) pushes past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace shoots during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, drives past Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, shoots in front of Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)