![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/miami.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n\n The 25-day wait for another Ohio State football game is over. <\/p>\n
\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t11-2\u00a0(6-2)\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tDEC. 31, 2025\u00a0– 7:30\u00a0p.m.\u00a0Et\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tAT&T Stadium\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tArlington, TX\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tThree-and-a-half weeks after losing to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State finally gets the chance to wash the bad taste out of its mouth as it faces Miami in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes\u2019 season and hopes of winning a second straight national championship will be on the line as the game will be the first of four quarterfinals in this year\u2019s College Football Playoff.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThere are plenty of questions surrounding Ohio State entering the game as Ryan Day takes over offensive play calling for the first time in two years after the Buckeyes scored just 10 points vs. the Hoosiers. But the Buckeyes have plenty of stars with the potential to take over the game and lead Ohio State to its fifth straight CFP win dating back to last season.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAs we wait for the Buckeyes\u2019 battle with the Hurricanes to begin, we break down our biggest questions entering the game, pick our top players to watch and make some predictions for what we\u2019ll see on New Year\u2019s Eve night in Arlington, Texas.\n<\/p>\n
\tQuestions<\/p>\n
\tCan Ohio State\u2019s offense flip the switch again?<\/p>\n
\n\tJust like last year, the offensive side of the ball is where the biggest questions lie entering the College Football Playoff. With Ohio State once again entering the CFP off a 13-10 loss in which its offensive line struggled mightily, there are concerns about whether the Buckeyes have a national championship-caliber offense. Those questions are exacerbated this year by a change in offensive play callers, as Day opted to take over offensive play calling \u2013 a role he last held when the Buckeyes suffered a 14-3 loss to Missouri in the 2023 Cotton Bowl \u2013 due to Brian Hartline splitting his time between Ohio State and his new job as South Florida\u2019s head coach over the past few weeks.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tBut the Buckeyes\u2019 offense found another gear in the CFP last season, starting with a 42-17 win over Tennessee. Like last year, the\u00a0Buckeyes still have the nation\u2019s best receiving corps, with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate leading the way. Julian Sayin is just as capable of leading Ohio State to a national championship run as Will Howard was a year ago.\n<\/p>\n