Much has been said about the fact that it’s entirely possible if OSU had not lost to Michigan in 2024, they may not have had the fuel they needed to go on to win a national title.
Now, as they gear up for
their showdown with Miami in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, history could be repeating itself. Coming off their Big Ten Championship loss to Indiana, Ohio State remains hungry and fired up, especially on defense, which has proven to be a dangerous combination for opponents.
Miami’s offense was always going to face an uphill battle against the Silver Bullets. The Buckeyes’ defense has been elite all season, leading the country in total defense while holding opponents to an average of just 213.5 yards and 8.8 points per game.
Third-down defense, red-zone defense, you name it and the Buckeyes have surely made short work of nearly every opponent they’ve faced this season.
The only exception? Indiana.
In Monday’s press conference, several defensive players, including Sonny Styles and Kayden McDonald, indicated the team was “angry” about their performance against the Hoosiers but were feeling even more motivated to take on the Hurricanes now because they know what they are capable of.
This could spell big trouble for the Hurricanes. Offensively, the Hurricanes’ bread and butter is their passing game, thanks to quarterback Carson Beck. Beck finished third in the ACC and 19th overall in total yardage, with 3,175 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to-date.
The problem? Beck can be somewhat inconsistent, boasting QBRs as high as 95.3 or as low as 51.2 this season.
They also have a strong weapon on the ground in Mark Fletcher Jr., who was the single most dominant force in the Hurricanes’ win over Texas A&M in the first round of the CFP and who has run for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. His longest rush of the year, a 56-yarder, was easily last Saturday’s play of the game, setting Miami up for the game’s only touchdown.
But like Beck, Fletcher and the running game have not been without their issues. The team is averaging 150.8 rushing yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry, but in their loss to Louisville, for example, they were held to just 2.6 yards per carry and 63 yards in the game.
Louisville’s rushing defense ranks No. 21 in the country compared to Ohio State’s No. 5, so it could be an interesting matchup. If Fletcher manages to go off, it could cause problems for the Buckeyes, but the more likely scenario is that the Buckeyes will shut him down.
What has set the Silver Bullets apart all season is their ability to force teams out of their rhythm. Beck is prone to mistakes when he’s under pressure, so if the running game gets shut down, Miami could be forced into some predictable play-calling or risk making costly errors. Add the extra fuel of their internal motivation to prove themselves after a loss, and there’s a good shot Miami is forced out of its comfort zone altogether.
Now, just to play devil’s advocate, Miami’s defense ranks No. 11 (which is nothing to scoff at), and Ohio State’s offense has had inconsistencies of its own, especially on the rushing front. So it’s possible we’ll see both teams completely unravel offensively, setting up a defensive showdown for the ages.
But even if that happens, my money is on the Silver Bullets. Their ability to wear down their opponents and keep them out of the endzone has turned the tides in more than one game this season, so if one defense is going to force a game-changing, or even game-ending, mistake, it’s OSU’s.
When you tack on the intangible hunger the players are talking about in the face of adversity, that’s a kind of power I wouldn’t mess with, and frankly, I don’t think Miami will be able to either.
