Now that we know Ohio State will face Miami in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, it’s time to look across the field to see which Hurricanes the Buckeyes will need to keep under wraps if Ryan Day’s team
is going to advance to the semifinals in the College Football Playoff.
Miami squeaked past a turnover-prone Texas A&M side on Saturday to reach the Cotton Bowl, but several Canes had standout games and showed they’re ready for these types of big games.
QB Carson Beck (No. 11)
The Georgia transfer fumbled once and was sacked twice, but he was poised and mostly efficient Saturday in extremely windy conditions on the road. Beck went 14-for-20 for 103 yards and the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Aggies.
He got the ball out quickly enough to avoid Texas A&M’s overload pass rushes, and if not for a couple of drops by the receivers, his numbers would have been better. The Buckeyes can’t count on misfires, although Beck has an off game now and then, and they’ll have to try to pressure the veteran quarterback to speed up his process and limit the time he has to go through his progression.
RB Mark Fletcher Jr. (No. 4)
Fletcher was a monster against Texas A&M, rushing for 172 yards on just 17 carries for a stellar 10.1 yards per carry. The junior was instrumental in moving Miami into position for the winning score on Saturday, and Aggies seemed to be bouncing off of him all day.
Fletcher sat out two games this season and Miami used him sparingly in the two contests immediately after his return, but he still racked up 857 yards on 158 carries and averaged 5.42 yards per attempt, scoring 10 touchdowns this season. Ohio State’s defense must be physical and be sure to wrap up when Fletcher has the ball, because he won’t go down easily.
Much of Fletcher’s success on Saturday was attributable to a good job by the offensive line to take advantage of Texas A&M’s run-fit angles, effectively driving a wedge between two anterior lineman and getting just enough of a body on a second-level defender to force the Aggies’ secondary to try to bring Fletcher down.
The Canes’ run blocking augmented good pass protection, as Miami allowed only two sacks and ranks 11th nationally in fewest sacks allowed.
WR Malachi Toney (No. 10)
Toney is an electrifying freshman who leads the Canes in receiving with 992 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. His touchdown was the difference in the first-round game against Texas A&M and made up for his fumble on a drive not long before his game-winning score.
The freshman caught five passes against the Aggies, and although he only gained 22 yards in total, it was a difficult day for the passing game with a constant and swirling wind and a good (ranked 16th nationally) Texas A&M pass defense.
Toney can also be effective on jet sweeps, averaging nearly five yards per attempt on the season.
DE Akheem Mesidor (No. 3), Rueben Bain Jr. (No. 4)
Mesidor, a senior, and Bain, a junior are going to be a handful for Ohio State’s offensive line. Both were active against Texas A&M and have been so all season for Miami.
With five tackles and three sacks Saturday, Bain ended up with the more impressive statistical day, but both were effective. The 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year has 7.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries this season to go with 11.5 tackles for loss.
Mesidor flashed often against the Aggies. He was a menace to Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed all afternoon on Saturday and leads Miami with 8.5 sacks on the season to go along with five quarterback hurries. He was beating both Texas A&M tackles badly all day in the first-round matchup with the Aggies.
Mesidor, who recorded five tackles and 1.5 sacks against Texas A&M, mostly lined up on Miami’s defensive left but switched sides at times and was equally able to beat his man on the rush. Phillip Daniels will have to move his feet and keep his leverage, as Mesidor’s speed rush and strenth allow him to get outside leverage to collapse the pocket.
Miami didn’t get this far in the season without having a formidable team, so the Buckeyes will have to deal with a lot more than those listed above, but these are the five players who impressed me the most on a windy afternoon in College Station, Texas.
They are Miami’s leaders and rose to the occasion on the big stage in a difficult environment to start their playoff run. Ohio State will need to be aware of a lot more than these five guys on New Year’s Eve, but if the Buckeyes keep the five players above contained, it will greatly enhance their chances of advancing a step closer to college football’s ultimate prize.
