Between offensive line struggles, Julian Sayin's pick-six and another missed field goal from Jayden Fielding, two key fourth-quarter plays might be forgotten from Ohio State's loss to Miami.
Twice on Miami's game-sealing drive, the Ohio State defense had a chance to get off the field on third down and give its offense one last shot to win the ballgame. Twice, it failed.
This isn't to pin the Buckeyes' season-ending defeat in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl on the defense. Not in the slightest. The defense kept Ohio State afloat for much of the game as the offense – ultimately, too late – found its footing. But when Miami needed third-down conversions with the game on the line, it got them. OSU's contrasting struggles on third down were part of what cost it the game.
"It was frustrating," Ohio State safety Caleb Downs said of the defense's final drive. "We didn't get the stop that we needed to have, and it just lost us the game."
For the game, Ohio State went just 3-of-10 (30%) on third down while Miami finished 7-of-14 (50%). The two Hurricane conversions on its final drive were especially backbreaking.
Both were simple plays, but executed with precision. With just under four minutes remaining, Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson got the ball out of quarterback Carson Beck's hands quickly, sneaking running back CharMar Brown out to the flats behind a bunch to his left. Beck zipped the throw into a tight window just before Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese arrived.
Then, 3rd-and-4 was a great play design that Ohio State simply wasn't ready for. Dawson dialed up a tunnel screen to CJ Daniels, giving Miami a dagger first down with less than two minutes left. Defensive end Caden Curry, dropping to the flats on the play, was the only Buckeye with a chance to stop him short but he whiffed on his tackle in space.
"We were keeping them in front of us and (they) worked it down the field, but we definitely just got to get stops at more critical points," Curry said.
Miami also converted a pair of third downs on its lone other touchdown drive of the game, a 13-play, 83-yard journey that put the Hurricanes up 7-0. Again, Dawson had a great play dialed up: A 3rd-and-1 wheel route to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. when the Ohio State defense had its mind on the running game.
"I think the early-down drive in the beginning of the game, just really kind of adjusting game speed," Patricia said. "It had been a minute since we had been on the field, and those guys obviously were playing really fast and I didn't think we were quite there yet. So I think once the game settled down and we made a couple of adjustments, it felt like it was good after that. But give credit to Miami, they were flying around."
MARK FLETCHER JR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 1, 2026
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Ohio State's game plans were far less successful when it needed to convert third downs. Much of it was the scheme and execution on first and second down. Of the 10 third downs the Buckeyes faced, five were 3rd-and-7 or longer.
It's also hard to complete passes beyond the sticks when a team's quarterback is under duress, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin came under constant pressure in the Cotton Bowl. He took five sacks against the Hurricanes, one of them coming on a third down, but the bodies flying by his face certainly affected other third-down throws. In total, he finished 3-of-6 for 21 yards on the money down, converting first downs through the air just twice.
"I did my best to try to step up and try to give the guys juice," center Carson Hinzman said about the offensive line's struggles. "It's really leading better, which I should have started in the first half. I think we came out a little flat, didn't start fast as we wanted to. Luckily, we woke up in the second half and gave ourselves a chance. But if we would have started fast, we wouldn't have had to be in that situation."
Converting a 3rd-and-2 before halftime also could have put Ohio State in better range for Jayden Fielding's leg, as the kicker missed a 49-yard field goal before halftime. How a potential make might have swung the game will forever be a mystery.
In any case, Miami's better execution on third down in critical situations is one of the many factors that now leave Ohio State watching from Columbus for the rest of the CFP.
