What to know about Ohio State's matchup with Miami in Cotton Bowl quarterfinal

Ohio State’s next College Football Playoff game is set. The Buckeyes will face Miami in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinals following Saturday’s first-round matchup between the Hurricanes and Aggies. Here’s what to know about how the matchup stacks up.

Miami advanced after taking down Texas A&M 10-3. After a scoreless and physical first half, Miami scored first with a field goal in the third quarter. The Hurricanes’ kicker Carter Davis finished 1-for-4 on field goal attempts.

Malachi Toney scored Miami’s first touchdown with under two minutes remaining. The Hurricanes’ defense kept the Aggies out of the end zone altogether.

Facing the Hurricanes is the more favorable matchup for the Buckeyes. The Hurricanes mirror the Buckeyes’ defensive identity, but they’re elite by ACC standards and not at the national level. Ohio State is able to execute its defense at a much higher level across the board.

From defensive efficiency to offensive balance, the Buckeyes match up cleanly and are well-equipped to dictate the pace of the game. That advantage grows if Miami is forced into a pass-heavy game, an area where quarterback Carson Beck tends to struggle. Against the Aggies, Beck only threw for 103 yards.

What will the Buckeyes need to improve?

One thing is clear — Ohio State’s offense will need to execute at a much higher level in the Cotton Bowl than it did in the Big Ten Championship. Brian Hartline, who was in the midst of being named head coach at USF during championship week, faced added distractions yet still called the Buckeyes’ offense. That may have contributed to Ohio State reaching the end zone just once — a performance further limited by Indiana’s No. 2-ranked defense.

Ryan Day confirmed that Hartline will continue to call Ohio State’s offense through the playoffs, while emphasizing that he and the rest of the coaching staff will be involved.

Given that the Buckeyes haven’t played since Dec. 6, Day said the extra time gives them a substantial opportunity to look everything over and make the necessary changes. However, that extended layoff could also make Ohio State less sharp compared to Miami, who will be coming off a first-round win.

If you look back to last year’s quarterfinals, Ohio State came out with a vengeance in the Rose Bowl, dominating Oregon 41–21. That playoff run followed a disappointing loss to Michigan at the end of the regular season — a situation that mirrors this year, after the Buckeyes fell 13–10 to Indiana. If this season continues to follow that pattern, that final loss could once again serve as fuel for Ohio State’s postseason push.

The winner of the Cotton Bowl will advance to the CFP semifinals, where they will face Georgia or the winner of the Tulane–Ole Miss matchup.