All eyes are on Arlington as the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes prepare to face the tenth-ranked Miami Hurricanes in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal showdown at the Cotton Bowl. Scheduled for Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET, this matchup pits two storied programs against each other with more than just a trip to the semifinals on the line. For Ohio State, it’s about cementing their legacy as a modern powerhouse, while Miami is hungry to reclaim its place among college football’s elite.
Ohio State enters the game with a 12-1 record and the No. 2 seed in the CFP, despite a narrow 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship earlier this month. The Buckeyes earned a first-round bye, giving them extra time to regroup and focus on the task ahead. Miami, on the other hand, boasts an 11-2 record and the No. 10 seed. The Hurricanes are fresh off a gritty 10-3 victory over Texas A&M in the CFP first round, marking their first-ever appearance in the expanded playoff format.
For Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs, this will be his sixth College Football Playoff game—a remarkable feat in just his third season. Downs, a two-time Associated Press All-American and projected first-round NFL draft pick, has become the heart and soul of Ohio State’s defense. Reflecting on his journey, Downs said, “That could be a positive, just knowing that I’ve been in this situation so many times. At the end of the day, it’s not about me. It’s about everybody else feeling confident during the game. Really just trying to push that to all my teammates.”
Downs’ leadership is crucial for younger players like freshman cornerback Devin Sanchez, who admitted, “As a new guy, there’s nothing I can do but lean on them. The speed will be a little different. The intensity will be up a little bit more. Just lean on those guys, and when my number’s called just be able to go out there and make sure that they trust me to be out there.” Downs remembers his own nerves from his playoff debut with Alabama, where he led the Crimson Tide in tackles as a freshman and experienced a heartbreaking 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan. After transferring to Ohio State, Downs has since won four postseason games and a national championship with the Buckeyes.
This year’s Cotton Bowl is more than just another playoff game—it’s a collision of history and ambition. The all-time series between Ohio State and Miami is tied at 2-2, but their most memorable meeting came in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, when the Buckeyes stunned the Hurricanes in double overtime to claim the national title. That victory marked a turning point for both programs. Since then, Ohio State has racked up 270 wins, three national championships, and 12 Big Ten titles. Miami, once a dominant force with five national championships from 1983 to 2001, has not played for a title since that fateful loss.
Much has changed since those days, but the stakes remain sky-high. Ohio State’s roster is widely regarded as the more talented of the two, but Miami is eager to prove it belongs on this stage. Head coach Mario Cristobal, a former Hurricane who won a national championship as a player in 1991, downplayed the revenge angle, saying, “When you have programs of this caliber that have played in those caliber of games, that’s the best part about college football, right? The pageantry, the competitiveness, the fan bases, but as it relates to the current team, it’s the 2025 Miami Hurricanes and the 2025 Ohio State Buckeyes. That’s what they know. That’s what they’ve prepared for, and really outside of that, nothing else matters.”
Ohio State’s head coach Ryan Day echoed the importance of winning, both for legacy and recruiting. “You’ve heard me say this before—the only way your story gets told is if you win. So all the work that goes in up to this point doesn’t matter if you don’t win the game. And these guys understand that’s the sobering truth of college football and where we’re at.” Day also acknowledged the competitive recruiting landscape, especially in South Florida, noting, “South Florida has great players, great talent, great high school programs, and so we always want to bring in the best talent we possibly can. Certainly, Coach (Cristobal) has done a great job in recruiting, and it gets competitive, and that’s what college football is all about.”
Star Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith, who hails from South Florida, revealed he might have chosen Miami if the program had been in a better place two years ago. His presence on Ohio State’s roster underscores the importance of momentum and perception in the ongoing battle for elite talent. A win for Miami could provide a massive boost to their recruiting efforts and signal a return to national relevance, while a Buckeyes victory would further solidify their status as a perennial contender.
On the field, Ohio State is led by sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin, who has completed an impressive 78.4% of his passes for 3,323 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just six interceptions in 13 games this season. Sayin’s steady hand and big-game experience will be vital against a Miami defense that has shown grit all year. Freshman running back Bo Jackson gives the Buckeyes a potent ground attack, having rushed for 1,035 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games, including six 100-yard performances.
Miami counters with senior quarterback Carson Beck, who has thrown for 3,175 yards and 26 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, completing 74.5% of his passes. Beck has been especially sharp down the stretch, tossing 11 touchdown passes with just one interception over the past four games. His top target, freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney, has hauled in 89 catches for 992 yards and eight touchdowns, while also contributing as a rusher.
Defensively, Ohio State leans on the experience of Downs, as well as starting cornerbacks Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Matthews Jr., both veterans of deep playoff runs. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia praised Downs’ influence, stating, “His professionalism and how he prepares is probably the best example that I can point to for all the players.” The Buckeyes’ defense will be tested by Miami’s balanced attack, but their playoff pedigree and hunger after last year’s championship run remain strong motivators.
The oddsmakers favor Ohio State by 9.5 points, with the over/under set at 40.5. But as history has shown, anything can happen when these two programs collide on a big stage. The winner will not only advance to the semifinals but also gain a significant edge in the high-stakes world of recruiting and program momentum.
As kickoff approaches, anticipation is building for what promises to be a memorable Cotton Bowl classic. With so much talent on display and legacies hanging in the balance, fans can expect a fiercely contested battle under the bright lights of AT&T Stadium. Whether it’s the seasoned Buckeyes or the resurgent Hurricanes who seize the moment, one thing’s for sure—the story of this game will be told for years to come.
