The oddsmakers were not impressed by Miami's win in College Station.
The Hurricanes opened as 11.5-point underdogs to the Buckeyes on FanDuel Sportsbook, though the line has since dropped a point since posting. Prior to Miami’s 10-3 win over Texas A&M on Saturday, Ohio State was an 8.5-point favorite against Miami and a 7.5-point favorite over Texas A&M.
New Year's Eve will mark the first time the programs have faced each other since the 2011 regular season, when Luke Fickell's Buckeyes went to Miami to face Al Golden's Hurricanes.
| YEAR | SITE | RESULT |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | COLUMBUS, OH | BUCKEYES 10, HURRICANES 0 |
| 1999 | EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (KICKOFF CLASSIC) | HURRICANES 23, BUCKEYES 12 |
| 2003 | TEMPE, AZ (FIESTA BOWL) | BUCKEYES 31, HURRICANES 24 (2OT) |
| 2010 | COLUMBUS, OH | BUCKEYES 36, HURRICANES 24 |
| 2011 | MIAMI, FL | HURRICANES 24, BUCKEYES 6 |
On Saturday, former Buckeye commit Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 172 yards against Texas A&M, more than double what the Ohio State defense has allowed this season (84.46 per game). The Buckeyes allowed 166 to the Texas Longhorns in the opener before holding 10 straight opponents under 100.
This matchup provides a number of storylines, from the epic 2002 season finale in Tempe from which the Miami program has never truly recovered, to Miami native Jeremiah Smith spurning the Canes to join Ohio State two years ago today.
The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, which serves as a CFP quarterfinal this season, will be played on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT) on ESPN.
The Buckeyes last played in the Cotton Bowl in January when it served as the CFP Semifinal, beating Texas 28-14 as it advanced to the national title game against Notre Dame.
