How would have Ohio State matched up against Ole Miss in the playoffs?

The Ohio State Buckeyes can only think about what could have been if they beat the Miami Hurricanes and were preparing to play the Ole Miss Rebels.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches from the sideline during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The sting from the Cotton Bowl loss to the Miami Hurricanes is being felt by everyone associated with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Ohio State turned the ball over twice with two interceptions by Julian Sayin, and the defense surrendered 153 rushing yards in the loss. It wasn't a bad performance from the Buckeyes, but there were plenty of missed opportunities for the program as they now shift their focus to the offseason.

As for the Hurricanes, they advance to the College Football Playoffs semifinals, as they have learned they will play the Ole Miss Rebels after upsetting the Georgia Bulldogs 39-34, storming back from a 21-12 deficit at the start of the second half. A 20-point fourth quarter from the Rebels made the difference in the win.

It leaves some Buckeyes fans wondering whether they would have taken down the Hurricanes and faced off against the Rebels instead. Would Ohio State match up well against Ole Miss?

The Buckeyes' defense would have had its hands full with Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss
, who threw for 362 yards and rushed for 14 more yards, with two passing touchdowns, against Georgia. Ohio State certainly has the athletes to compete with him, including Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Arvell Reese, to get pressure on him.

The advantage would have gone to Ohio State, with its pass defense, as the Buckeyes allowed only 138 yards against Miami. If enough pressure had been put on Chambliss, the secondary could have handled the rest and shut down the Rebels' passing game.

Sayin would have been the key for Ohio State, as the Buckeyes were not able to run the ball on Miami at all, with 45 yards on 24 carries. The last two games showed that Sayin isn't quite ready to carry the team on his back with three interceptions in that span.

Guys like Bo Jackson and C.J. Donaldson would have had to step up in the running game to take the pressure off of Sayin. It would have been helpful for the offensive line to play better, as the team surrendered 10 sacks in the last two games.

The speed of the SEC is so different from the physicality of the Big Ten that it might have hurt the Buckeyes in that regard.

There's no doubt the talent level is in Ohio State's favor and, probably, a game that would have been better to play than Miami. What could have been for the Buckeyes will never be known now.