If Miami was looking for a weakness in Ohio State, it didn’t reveal one at the podium.
From head coach Mario Cristobal to offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, the Hurricanes pointed to the Buckeyes’ elite talent, physicality and composure in their Cotton Bowl press conferences, singling out stars like Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin while acknowledging the challenge of facing the defending national champions.
Here's a recap of what Cristobal, Dawson and Hetherman shared about the Buckeyes on Monday:
Head coach Mario Cristobal
“They play like a team that are the defending national champions.”– Mario Cristobal on Ohio State
On what he sees in Ohio State
“They’re the defending national champions. They have elite talent, some really high caliber players and in just about every category offensively and defensively they are one, two, three, four, five in the country. They do a great job coaching. They’ve got great physical and mental toughness and have played some elite football throughout the course of the season.”
On Jeremiah Smith
“Well, I mean, he’s an NFL prototype player right now and probably last year. He and the entire receiving corps, they pose those types of challenges. Big, explosive, fast, create separation, beat man coverage, find the soft spots in zone, great blockers in the run game, play hard the entire game. Complemented by a great quarterback and an offensive line that gives them plenty of time — and has the ability to run the ball, they have really run the ball right through people the entire season and have been dominant. Again, they play like a team that are the defending national champions.”
On Julian Sayin
“Just very poised. Very poised, accurate, buys time, great pocket presence, great decision maker, knows exactly where to go with the ball. Obviously, he’s very much in command of the system, doesn’t get frazzled, has shine in big moments — again, top shelf, Sunday player.”
On whether players from the 2002 team have reached out to him since Saturday
“Yeah, we’re focused on the present. We’re focused on the present.”
On Miami playing the first round, Ohio State having a bye
“You can never tell (if it matters). That’s gone back and forth in so many different ways over the years. I think if you could put it in a bottle and sell it, you’d be a billionaire, man. The bye weeks and the extra time off has sometimes been great for people, sometimes it hasn’t. … To each his own. However you use it and what you get out of it is what ends up showing up on gameday, but I don’t think there’s an exact predictor of success or non-success as it relates to time off.”
On Miami’s recruitment of Jeremiah Smith
“Elite player. Great family. First class in the way he handled every part of it.”
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson
“they don’t have any weaknesses, and so we have to do what we do good but we also have to figure out where the soft spots in their defense are and try to gain some advantages there.”– Shannon Dawson on Ohio State's defense
On facing Ohio State’s defense
“Ultimately, we have to do what we do well. We try to use some motions and stuff to hide it and not do it out of the same sets every week, but ultimately the play that bailed us out (against Texas A&M) was a day one play in install, you know? You never know what’s gonna be the deal that gives you the advantage, so it’s gonna be different every week. Now, going against a talented defense like Ohio State, I mean, they don’t have any weaknesses, and so we have to do what we do good but we also have to figure out where the soft spots in their defense are and try to gain some advantages there.”
Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman
“I think they’re a very talented football team. I think they run the ball really well. I think they have good backs. Up front, they’re physical at the point of attack. I think they have some really talented tight ends, and they play a lot of guys at that spot. Then the wide receivers speak for themselves.”– Defensive coordinator COREY HETHERMAN ON OHIO STATE's DEFENSE
On Jeremiah Smith
“They have elite playmakers on the perimeter. He’s a big wide receiver. He’s got really good size, got really good speed. He can make a big play at any point in the game. They do a lot of things to get the football to him. The quarterback is a good player. I think they’re good up front. They protect (Sayin) well. Overall, they have a lot of different ways that they can attack you on the offensive side of the ball, and I think (Smith is) one of the better players in the country, and there’s a reason why he is; he does good things when he gets the ball.”
On Julian Sayin’s accuracy
“I think they do a really good job. It looks like they’re going a little bit slower on TV or the coaches copy there, but it looks like they manage their drives really well. They’re staying ahead of the sticks, they’re not getting off track. When they take shots, they do a really good job with it. And they have really good, skilled wide receivers and tight ends to get the ball to down the field. And then when that’s not there, (Sayin) hits the checkdowns. They do a really good job of moving the sticks.”
On Ohio State’s offensive line
“I think they’re a very talented football team. I think they run the ball really well. I think they have good backs. Up front, they’re physical at the point of attack. I think they have some really talented tight ends, and they play a lot of guys at that spot. Then the wide receivers speak for themselves. They’re as talented as anybody in the country on the perimeter and any play could be an explosive, so we got to do really good job of playing one play at a time. Our guys got to be physical at the point of attack. We got to be really disciplined with our eyes.”
On Ohio State’s tempo
“We got to get a feel early in the game for how different it is from the Indiana game or what they’ve done this year collectively in the 2025 season. We’re gonna have to get a feel. Is it the same way they’re using their personnel? Are they using it different? Are they using the same tempo or style of play or changing it up? That’s where, early on, trying to go through and watch similar games, common opponents, similar defensive structures and styles and how they attack people. … The first couple of drives, after that first 10, we’re gonna have to get a good feel for exactly how they’re calling it, what tempo they’re doing and how they’re trying to use their guys and deploy them in those areas.”
