The College Football Playoff quarterfinals delivered high drama under the bright lights of Arlington as the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes clashed with the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes in the 2025 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. With both programs carrying rich histories and sky-high expectations, fans packed AT&T Stadium on December 31, 2025, eager to see which team would punch its ticket to the semifinals. The stakes? Nothing less than a shot at the national championship and a chance to etch their names in college football lore.
Ohio State entered the contest as defending national champions, boasting a 12-1 record and a first-round bye thanks to their No. 2 seed. Their quest: to capture a second consecutive title, something never before accomplished in school history. Miami, meanwhile, arrived in Texas riding the momentum of an upset win over No. 7 Texas A&M, a gritty 10-3 victory that earned them their Cotton Bowl berth. The Hurricanes, 11-2 on the season, were hungry to prove they belonged among the nation’s elite.
Kickoff for this much-anticipated showdown came at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, with ESPN providing full coverage and streaming options available through ESPN Unlimited, Fubo, and DirecTV. Dave Pasch led the broadcast booth, joined by analysts Dusty Dvoracek and Quint Kessenich, ensuring fans at home didn’t miss a beat of the action. For those in the stadium, the electric atmosphere was unmistakable, with a sea of scarlet and gray making their presence felt in "Jerry World."
From the opening whistle, it was clear Miami had come to play. The Hurricanes’ defense, ranked among the nation’s best, quickly set the tone—registering early sacks and stymieing the Buckeyes’ high-powered offense. On the other side of the ball, Miami running back Mark Fletcher, a former Ohio State commit, continued his breakout campaign. Fletcher, fresh off a career performance against Texas A&M, notched a pivotal touchdown in the second quarter, hauling in a 9-yard pass to cap a grinding 13-play, 83-yard drive that chewed up over eight minutes of clock.
Ohio State, for all its firepower, looked uncharacteristically flat in the first half. Quarterback Julian Sayin, who had dazzled all season with 3,323 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, struggled against Miami’s relentless pressure. By halftime, Sayin had completed 11 of 20 passes for 157 yards, thrown an interception, and been sacked three times. The Buckeyes’ ground game was virtually nonexistent, as Miami’s front seven dominated the trenches. CJ Donaldson led Ohio State’s rushing attack with just 16 yards on two carries, while Jeremiah Smith paced the receiving corps with 82 yards on three catches.
Defensively, Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun was a bright spot, racking up eight tackles and providing much-needed stability. But the Buckeyes’ vaunted defense—ranked No. 1 nationally—found itself on its heels as Miami controlled the clock and the line of scrimmage. At halftime, the scoreboard told the story: Miami 14, Ohio State 0. The Hurricanes had outgained the Buckeyes 165 to 154 in total yards and held a commanding edge in time of possession, 19:15 to 10:45.
Momentum seemed firmly on Miami’s side, and the first half was capped by a key defensive play: Hurricanes cornerback Keionte Scott intercepted a Sayin pass and raced untouched for a touchdown, igniting the Miami faithful and putting Ohio State in a rare double-digit hole. The Buckeyes’ struggles were compounded by special teams woes, as kicker Jayden Fielding—who had won a pregame competition over Jackson Courville—missed a 50-yard field goal attempt just before the break.
During his halftime interview with 97.1 FM’s Skip Mosic, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork addressed the mounting pressure on Fielding, referencing the abuse the kicker endured after misses against Michigan and Indiana. "Some of it’s borderline criminal," Bjork remarked, emphasizing the need to work with state legislators and sports books to curb gambling-related harassment of student-athletes.
As the second half began, the Buckeyes showed signs of life. They opened with an 11-play, 82-yard drive that chewed nearly seven minutes off the clock, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Bo Jackson. Suddenly, the deficit was cut in half, and the energy inside AT&T Stadium shifted. Could Ohio State mount a comeback worthy of its championship pedigree?
The halftime break also featured a rousing performance by TBDBITL—the Ohio State marching band—who revisited their popular "Stranger Things" routine from earlier in the season. The show provided a brief respite from the tension, but as the third quarter got underway, all eyes were back on the field.
Miami, to its credit, refused to back down. The Hurricanes’ offense, orchestrated by quarterback Carson Beck (3,175 yards, 26 touchdowns on the year), continued to probe Ohio State’s defense with a balanced attack. Fletcher remained a workhorse, finishing the night with seven carries for 30 yards and adding crucial yards after contact. Wide receiver Malachi Toney, nearly a 1,000-yard receiver in 2025, kept the Buckeyes’ secondary honest.
Throughout the contest, penalties were scarce, and both teams played disciplined football. The officiating crew, led by referee Daniel Gautreaux, kept a steady hand, ensuring the focus remained on the athletes. Injuries, always a concern in high-stakes games, played a minor role; OSU’s Austin Siereveld spent time with trainers but returned to action, while Miami’s Mark Fletcher briefly left after a fumble but quickly rejoined the fray.
The winner of this Cotton Bowl would advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals, keeping alive hopes of a national title. For Ohio State, the challenge was clear: overcome a sluggish start and find answers against a Miami defense that had already stifled Texas A&M’s high-octane attack in the previous round. For Miami, it was about proving their Cinderella run was no fluke and that they could hang with college football’s blue bloods on the biggest stage.
Elsewhere in the college football world, other bowl results trickled in: Utah cruised past Nebraska 44-22, Duke edged Arizona State 42-39, and Iowa outlasted Vanderbilt 34-27. But all eyes remained fixed on Arlington, where the Buckeyes and Hurricanes continued to battle deep into the Texas night.
As the final whistle approached, the contest remained very much in the balance. Would Ohio State’s championship experience and roster depth prevail, or would Miami’s underdog magic carry them one step closer to history? Fans across the country held their breath, knowing the outcome would shape the College Football Playoff landscape in unforgettable fashion.
With the Cotton Bowl drama still unfolding, one thing was certain: this quarterfinal clash between Ohio State and Miami had lived up to its billing, delivering the kind of heart-stopping action that makes college football so beloved. The chase for the national title roars on.
