A.J. Hawk explains why Buckeyes fans shouldn't overreact to Miami loss

Ohio State didn't get the result it was looking for against Miami in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31, losing 24-14.

The Hurricanes played a physical game, dominating on both lines of scrimmage. Even though there is a feeling around Columbus that the sky is falling, former Buckeyes star A. J. Hawk isn't ready to hit the panic button.

"It's weird one or two plays, and we could've found a way to win, but Miami made some unbelievable plays when they needed to, and they were able to run the ball," Hawk said during the "Bobby Carpenter Show" on Thursday, via BIGPLAY Sports Network.

.@OfficialAJHawk gives his thoughts on the Cotton Bowl

"It's weird one or two plays, and we could've found a way to win, but Miami made some unbelievable plays when they needed to, and they were able to run the ball."

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— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) January 8, 2026

Anytime Ohio State loses a big-time game, some of the fanbase gets worried that something might be wrong within the program and that it could spiral out of control.

However, the loss to Miami seemed more about the Hurricanes dominating the line of scrimmage and preventing the Buckeyes from getting anything done.

There were a few opportunities for Ohio State's offense, but quarterback Julian Sayin either got rushed or panicked early, thinking pressure was coming, which threw off his rhythm.

Ohio State struggled at the line of scrimmage early in December in its loss to Indiana in the Big Ten title game. The Buckeyes had three weeks to prepare for Miami and address their issues, but it seemed the problems stemmed more from roster challenges than scheme concerns.

Ohio State's loss to Miami started in offseason

The Buckeyes went out in the transfer portal last offseason and brought in two big-time offensive linemen in Minnesota's tackle Phillip Daniels and Rice's tackle Ethan Onianwa.

Daniels secured the right tackle position after training camp, while Onianwa, who many anticipated would be a starter, ended up not earning a spot on the offensive line.

Ohio State shifted Austin Siereveld from guard to tackle, which ultimately weakened the guard position and hurt the Buckeyes in their game against Miami.

Starting right guard Tegra Tshabola missed the game against Miami, which took a toll on the Buckeyes' offensive line depth. Tshabola had been the weakest link on the offensive line all season, but had Ohio State not moved Siereveld from guard to tackle, the offensive line could have performed better if the Buckeyes had capitalized on some of their transfer portal players.

Ohio State needs to take a hard look at its performance against Miami as a crucial lesson: its offensive line must improve to have a chance at winning playoff games. What the Buckeyes displayed against the Hurricanes won't cut it.