Ohio State Cotton Bowl (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
Ohio State had their worst loss since a 14-3 defeat in the same bowl, in the same building, but more was on the line tonight. New Year’s Eve 2025 felt a lot like New Year’s Eve 2022 in Ohio.
Miami 24, Ohio State 14
Miami got the ball first to open the game. Coach Day said it was important for the Bucks to win the opening drive, and Ohio State did by forcing a three-and-out with the help of some Miami miscues. Ohio State returned the favor as Julian Sayin looked jumpy early, and Ohio State let the Miami pass rush sack him. Miami got to the Ohio State 20-yard line. Caden Curry and Davison Igbinosun, the seniors, forced a fumble, and Payton Pierce recovered it. The Buckeyes got behind the sticks and quickly had to punt. The Ohio State offense would total nine yards in the first quarter, 10 passing and -1 rushing.
Second Quarter
Miami started their drive in the first quarter at their own 17-yard line. They went 83 yards on 13 plays and took 8:04 off the clock. Leading 7-0, early in the game. Ohio State responded with a 59-yard pass from Sayin to Jeremiah Smith, but it was a short-lived success. The Buckeyes’ offensive line would give up a sack again before Julian Sayin would throw his worst pass in his career, lobbing a pick-six to the Miami defender that Jeremiah Smith failed to block on a bubble screen. Ohio State would find themselves down 14-0, and teetering on the precipice of being routed. The Bucks would have to punt again because of continuing failure to protect Julian Sayin.
A Miami drive would stall, the Buckeyes would start a drive at their own nine, and go three-and-out. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. would sack Carson Beck, and Sonny Styles would make a huge tackle for a loss that would force a Miami punt. The Hurricanes would pin OSU at their own two-yard line, and the Bucks showed life. Running their offense up-tempo, they moved the football, but again stalled in enemy territory. For reasons that forever escape me, they tried a 49-yard field goal with poor Jayden Fielding. The maligned Buckeye kicker missed, and the score was the Bucks were down 14-0 at halftime.
Second Half
The last time Ohio State was shut out in the first half was in 2016 in a New Year’s playoff game against Clemson. The Buckeyes would fall 31-0. It was the catalyst that led Urban Meyer to hire a new offensive coordinator. That would be Ryan Day.
Ohio State came out running the ball with Bo Jackson. Jackson would gain 31 yards on three carries. A 23-yard catch by Jeremiah Smith would get Ohio State to the Miami 26-yard line. Carnell Tate got Ohio State to first and goal at the eight-yard line. Bo Jackson would finish off a touchdown drive with a tough one-yard run. Ohio State had some fight in them and cut the lead to 14-7.
The Buckeye defense struggled, but held Miami to a field goal. Ohio State got the ball back, and with help from the no-huddle and going up-tempo, the offense was moving the ball. To end the third quarter and begin the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
The Bucks faced a fourth down to begin the final quarter, and Ryan Day went for it. Sayin found Smith, who, despite being held like Chris Gamble was, caught the pass, made a move, and punched it into the endzone. The 10-play, 75-yard drive made it 17-14. It was time for the Buckeye defense to answer the call again. With 10:24 to go, Miami was forced to punt back to Ohio State.
The Buckeyes failed to protect Sayin, who continued to hold the ball too long, so the Buckeyes had to punt the ball. Ohio State’s offense would never see the ball again with a chance to tie or take the lead. Miami would score a touchdown and run five minutes off the clock. Appropriately, Ohio State would get the ball back and would fail to protect Sayin, who would throw an interception to end the game.
Ohio State’s season would come to an uninspired end in familiar ways, casting a cloud over a 12-0 regular season that began with a win over Texas and ended with a win over UM. Familiar problems plagued the Buckeyes, ending their season with two consecutive losses for the third time in the last four years, making 2024 more valuable but also more rare.
Still, they can’t take this away.
