There’s decades-old postseason history with Ohio State’s first College Football Playoff opponent. Though most of you reading these words already knew that.
#10 Miami
Hurricanes
The No. 2 Buckeyes face No. 10 Miami in the quarterfinals of the CFP after the Hurricanes defeated No. 7 Texas A&M in a 10-3 slog on Saturday. It’s the first time the teams have met in the postseason since Ohio State beat Miami in double overtime in the 2003 BCS National Championship Game.
In the nearly 23 years since, Ohio State has met Miami twice, both times in the regular season for a home-and-home series with the Hurricanes in 2010 and 2011. The home team won each time, though the Buckeyes’ win is vacated from the NCAA recordbooks. A majority of the players taking the field in their 2025 Cotton Bowl tilt were born after 2003, and all of them were under 10 years old in 2011.
Miami’s entry into the 12th total edition of the CFP is its first in school history. The Hurricanes were the final at-large berth, jumping Big 12 Championship Game loser BYU and Notre Dame, whom they held a head-to-head victory over, on Selection Sunday. They’re a talented group that’s been inconsistent at times, particularly on offense.
History Renewed
Ohio State and Miami met for the first time in the Horseshoe to open the 1977 season, with the Buckeyes notching a 10-0 shutout win. Before that game, Woody Hayes gave a famous pregame speech chronicled by a BBC documentary.
“This game will come down to three things,” Hayes said. “No. 1, the team that hits the hardest and the longest, the team that starts the fastest and the team that’s too damn smart to make mistakes. That’s too smart to make mistakes. And that team will win without any question.”
Miami notched a 23-12 victory in a 1999 season opener in Giants Stadium, marking the beginning of the end of the John Cooper era. Cooper finished that year 6-6 and the following one 8-4 with the last of his many losses to Michigan and a loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. He was fired, and then the Jim Tressel era began in 2001.
Tressel’s second season brought Ohio State to heights never imagined, though it took many close scrapes to cap a perfect 13-0 regular season and reach the BCS title game against Miami, the undefeated defending national champions. Ohio State came in as an 11.5-point underdog, but sensational play from its defense and running back Maurice Clarett put the Buckeyes up 17-14. A controversial missed holding call that would have given the Buckeyes a nearly game-clinching first down on a pass targeted for Chris Gamble, one often forgotten about due to a much more controversial call involving Gamble later in the game, led to an Ohio State punt and a last-minute Miami drive for a game-tying field goal as time expired.
The Hurricanes came out and scored a touchdown in the first overtime period. Facing 4th-and-14, Ohio State wide receiver Michael Jenkins ran a crisp comeback route and quarterback Craig Krenzel connected with him for a 16-yard gain to keep hope alive. Miami was whistled for pass interference on 4th-and-3 four plays later – Glenn Sharpe against Gamble – a call still debated more than two decades later. It’d probably be less controversial if the official called a defensive hold (as he initially signaled) or facemask.
Miami started celebrating what it thought was a repeat national championship as the pass hit the ground. Krenzel plunged across the goal line three plays later, Ohio State scored another touchdown to start the second overtime and then stuffed the Hurricanes four plays in a row after they reached 1st-and-goal at the 2-yard line to win its first national title in over 32 years.
Ohio State has won two national championships, 10 Big Ten championships and made seven CFP appearances since then. Miami shared a Big East title in 2003, moved to the ACC in 2004 and accomplished none of those three objectives until making the 2025 CFP. For two decades, The U was broken by the Buckeyes. The aim is to do the same in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 31.
The Newest Freshman Receiving Sensation
Miami tried with all its might (and NIL dollars) to recruit last year’s freshman wide receiver phenom in college football, Jeremiah Smith, before he ultimately signed with Ohio State in December 2023. But the Hurricanes undoubtedly have the sport's best first-year wideout in 2025.
Malachi Toney should still be in high school. Originally a member of the recruiting class of 2026, he reclassified to 2025 and hit the collegiate ranks a year early. It hasn’t stopped him from tearing secondaries asunder. The No. 359 prospect and No. 49 receiver in the 247Sports composite has far outlived those rankings, collecting 89 receptions for 992 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He’s second in the ACC for catches and fourth for yards.
The Hurricanes have found myriad ways to put the ball in Toney’s hands, too. He has 20 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown rushing, and he’s a dangerous punt returner, returning 17 boots for 269 yards this year. That’s 15.8 yards per return. He came within a shoelace of his first career punt return touchdown against Texas A&M.
A shoe string tackle saves a Malachi Toney punt return touchdown
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 20, 2025
This kid is ELECTRIC pic.twitter.com/6zOVxHPWf0
Texas A&M showed that slowing Toney means slowing Miami’s passing offense, at least. Though Toney scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a jet sweep, he managed just 22 yards on five receptions vs. the Aggies. Hurricane quarterback Carson Beck finished 14-of-20, but only collected 103 yards, a measly 5.2 yards per pass attempt.
But Ohio State must know where No. 10 is on every play.
It Beckons Beck
Maria Lysaker – Imagn Images.
Speaking of Beck, Ohio State’s been a few shades of separation from playing the sixth-year senior quarterback in the CFP on two occasions.
In 2022, Beck was the backup to starting Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV when the No. 1 Bulldogs and No. 4 Buckeyes played in an all-time great CFP game during that year’s semifinals. Ohio State lost 42-41 after kicker Noah Ruggles missed a 50-yard field goal as time expired.
In Beck’s second year starting at Georgia in 2024, Beck suffered a season-ending injury in the SEC Championship Game heading into the CFP. The No. 2 Bulldogs were upset by No. 7 Notre Dame in the CFP quarterfinals, with the Fighting Irish falling to the Buckeyes in the national championship game a few weeks later.
Beck had a far worse 2024 than 2023 for Georgia. His completion percentage dipped almost 8%, and he tossed 12 interceptions in the latter year. He initially declared for the NFL draft, but then hopped in the transfer portal and quickly committed to Miami.
He’s enjoyed a resurgence in 2025, completing a career-high 74.5% of his passes for 3,175 yards and 26 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Beck is second nationally in completion percentage behind only Julian Sayin’s 78.4%, and tied for 20th in yards per attempt at 8.5. He did lay one of the biggest eggs of his career against Louisville on Oct. 17, however, throwing four picks in a 24-21 loss.
Ohio State’s No. 1-ranked pass defense will aim to shut down Beck as well as Texas A&M did.
The Bain of the Trenches
Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. is among the most terrorizing defensive linemen in college football. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive end is a consensus first-team All-American, recording 42 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2025. He had a monster outing against the Aggies, racking up five tackles, four TFLs and three sacks.
Even though Bain only recorded 4.5 sacks in the regular season, his gravity on the defensive line has often freed teammates up to get to opposing quarterbacks. The Hurricanes are fourth nationally with 41 sacks as a team this season. Per Pro Football Focus, he has the most total pressures (62) and the highest pass rush win rate (22.7%) among all Miami pass rushers.
Bain has a company of elite players joining him on the defensive line. Fellow defensive end Akheem Mesidor is a first-team All-ACC performer and leads Miami with 8.5 sacks this year, adding team-highs in TFLs (13.5) and forced fumbles (four). 300-pound defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. is a second-team All-ACC selection with 24 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks in 2025.
In the secondary, nickel Keionte Scott is fresh off a big game, recording 10 tackles with three TFLs, two sacks and a forced fumble. He has 53 tackles, 13 TFLs, five sacks and an interception this season.
The Hurricanes boast the No. 9 yard-per-carry run defense in the nation, allowing just 2.9 yards per attempt. Their pass defense doesn’t lag too far behind, ranked 10th nationally in opposing yards per pass attempt (6). Linebacker Mohamed Toure leads the team in tackles, but left the Texas A&M game with an injury and his status for the Cotton Bowl is unclear.
Diverging Paths
A former Ohio State commitment on the recruiting trail plays an integral role in Miami’s offense.
Mark Fletcher Jr. was an Ohio State pledge for seven months before he decommitted one month before Early Signing Day for the class of 2023 and flipped to the Hurricanes one month later. Hailing from the South Florida city of Fort Lauderdale, he’s helped guide his hometown team to its first CFP berth and the quarterfinals.
It’s been an emotional past 14 months for Fletcher after his father, Mark Fletcher Sr., died unexpectedly in October 2024. He was 53.
“That’s my why,” Fletcher said in September. “I don’t know what I would tell you what my ‘why’ was before. I just loved playing football, but this is definitely my why now and will forever be that way.”
Fletcher was far and away Miami’s best weapon during an otherwise brutal Miami offensive showing against a fierce Texas A&M defense. He finished with 17 carries for 172 yards, gaining 62% of the Hurricanes’ 278 total yards for the game on the ground. He set up Miami’s go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes with runs of 56 and 12 yards.
What a story Mark Fletcher is man.
— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) December 20, 2025
Was committed to Ohio State flipped to Miami so his family can watch him. Plays for his dad and mom drives to every single game.
Best game of his career on the biggest stage.
172 rushing yards & 10.1 YPC
pic.twitter.com/3wxpKqSisK
In 11 games this season, Fletcher has 158 carries for 857 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns. He’s playing inspired football at the perfect time, and is another player that Ohio State’s No. 1-ranked defense will need to account for.
