Ohio State Rally Falls Short in 24-14 Loss to Miami

Wednesday, December 31

Arlington, Texas // Goodyear Cotton Bowl // CFP Quarterfinals

7:30 p.m.

Ohio State

12-2 , 9-0

Miami (Fla.)

12-2 , 6-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Miami (FL)

Ohio St.

Ohio State Rally Falls Short in 24-14 Loss to Miami

12/31/2025 11:00:00 PM | Football

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 2 Ohio State (12-2) fell 24-14 to No. 10 Miami (12-2) Wednesday in the 2025 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Buckeyes trailed 14-0 at the half before cutting into the Hurricane lead with a touchdown to open the third quarter. After a Miami field goal, Ohio State scored again in the fourth quarter to make it 17-14 Hurricanes. Miami then scored late in the game to secure the win. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 287 yards and a touchdown while completing 22-of-35 passes. Jeremiah Smith led the Buckeye receivers with seven catches for 157 yards and a score. Bo Jackson led the running backs with 11 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Davison Igbinosun had 10 tackles, including five solos.

First Quarter

No. 2 Ohio State 0, No. 10 Miami 0

Ohio State won the pregame coin toss and deferred to the second half. Miami opened with the ball at its 25 following a touchback. The Hurricanes punted after a three-and-out on their first possession. Ohio State, behind quarterback Julian Sayin, took over at its 24 following a 3-yard Brandon Inniss return on a 51-yard Dylan Joyce punt. The Buckeyes punted on its first possession after Sayin was sacked back to the OSU 17 on third down. Joe McGuire entered and delivered a 44-yard punt to the Miami 39. The Hurricanes, behind quarterback Carson Beck, moved to the Ohio State 41 on a 16-yard pass play to Mark Fletcher Jr. Beck then connected with CJ Daniels over the middle for 13 to the OSU27 for another first down. The Hurricanes rushed on the next two plays for a total of 8 yards to the OSU19. Miami then fumbled on a rush up the middle that was forced and recovered by Ohio State’s Payton Pierce at the OSU19. Sayin started Ohio State’s next possession with a 10-yard completion to Jeremiah Smith to the OSU29. After a loss of 2 on a Bo Jackson rush, Jackson went for 8 yards on the next play on a run up the middle to the OSU35. The Buckeyes were stopped on third down and punted it away, a 48-yard McGuire kick to the Miami16. Beck scrambled for 8 yards up the middle to start the Hurricanes’ next drive. Fletcher rushed for 6 up the middle for a first down before another Fletcher rush for 13 to the Miami44. The Hurricanes moved to the OSU39 after a 9-yard completion to Daniels on third down. Miami added another first down on a 7-yard pass to the right side to Joshisa Trader at the OSU28. Girard Pringle Jr. rushed the Hurricanes to the OSU18 on gains of 7 and 3 yards to end the quarter.

Second Quarter

No. 10 Miami 14, No. 2 Ohio State 0

Miami stayed on the ground to open the second with a 5-yard Fletcher rush to the OSU13. Beck hit Daniels for a 4-yard completion to the left sideline before connecting with Fletcher for a 9-yard touchdown to the left corner of the endzone. The scoring drive covered 83 yards on 13 plays while using more than eight minutes. After a touchback, Sayin quickly connected with Smith for 59 yards down the middle to the UM16. Sayin was sacked for a loss of 6 on the next play back to the UM22. Miami’s Keionte Scott then intercepted Sayin at the UM28 and returned it 72 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown and 14-0 Hurricanes lead. Sayin went to Smith for 13 yards to open Ohio State’s next possession. CJ Donaldson Jr. then carried for 12 yards over the left side to midfield. Sayin was sacked two plays later for a loss of 13 back to the OSU37. Donaldson then caught a Sayin offering for 12 yards to the OSU49. McGuire then came in and delivered a 40-yard punt to the UM11. Beck moved Miami to the Hurricanes 31 before Miami was forced to punt, a 60-yard Joyce boot to the OSU9. Ohio State was not able to move the ball on the next possession and punted it back to Miami. A 50-yard McGuire punt gave the Hurricanes the ball at its 42. Miami called timeout facing a third-and-3 at the OSU37. After the break, the Ohio State defense held the Hurricanes to a 1-yard rush to set up a fourth-and 2. Miami went for it and Beck connected with Malachi Toney for a 6-yard gain and a first down at the OSU 30 just before the two-minute timeout. Kenyatta Jackson then sacked Beck for a loss of 4 on the first play after the break. Ohio State called timeout before Sonny Styles tackled Malachi Toney for a loss of 6 back to the OSU40. The Hurricanes then punted and pinned the Buckeyes deep in their own territory after a 38-yard kick to the OSU2. Donaldson rushed for a gain of 4 before a Hurricane timeout with 1:30 left in the half. Sayin found Donaldson for a gain of 6 and a first down at the OSU12. Carnell Tate then caught a Sayin pass over the middle for a gain of 15 to the OSU27. Donaldson added another catch, this time for 8 yards out to the OSU35. Inniss went over the middle again for an 11-yard catch to the OSU46. After an incompletion, Sayin connected with Donaldson for a gain of 7 to get into Miami territory at the UM47. Inniss added another catch for a first down after a gain of 8 to the Miami39. Miami called its final timeout with 22 seconds left. Tate then caught a pass for 8 yards to the UM31 before Ohio State called a timeout with 16 seconds left. After a pair of incompletions, Jayden Fielding came in for a 49-yard field goal attempt that missed wide to the left. Miami then took a knee to end the half.

Third Quarter

No. 10 Miami 17, No. 2 Ohio State 7

Ohio State opened the second half with the ball. Sayin brought out the offense to the OSU18 after a James Peoples return to open the third quarter. The Buckeyes started with Jackson rushes for 7 and 6 yards for a first down to the OSU31. An Inniss reception for 6 led to a Jackson rush for 18 up the middle to the UM45. Sayin was sacked for a loss of 4 on the next play but he recovered to find Smith for a gain of 23 at the UM26. Donaldson rushed up the middle for 4 yards before Tate took a short pass to the right for 14 yards to the UM8. Sayin connected with tight end Will Kacmarek for a 4-yard gain to the UM4. Jackson then carried for 3 yards to the UM1 before carrying again for the score up the middle to make it 14-7. The opening drive covered 82 yards on 11 plays over 6:49 to put the Buckeyes on the board. Beck and the Hurricanes started from their 25 after a touchback. On third-and-5, Beck connected with Keelan Marion for 12 yards down the left sideline for a first down at the UM42. Rushes for 6 and 12 yards by Fletcher put the Hurricanes at the OSU40 with a first down. After a short gain, Beck was sacked by Styles for a loss of 1 at the OSU39. Beck connected with Malachi Toney for a 6-yard gain that fell just short of a first down at the OSU32. Miami’s Carter Davis then kicked a 49-yard field goal to up the Hurricane lead to 17-7 with 3:01 on the clock. Donaldson opened Ohio State’s next drive with a 4-yard gain from the OSU25 after a touchback. After a break for an injured Miami player, Sayin connected with Kacmarek for a gain of 12 to the OSU34. Following a short rush by Donaldson, Sayin connected with Inniss for 9 yards for a first down to the Miami 48. Jackson rushed for 4 leading to a 22-yard catch by Smith at the UM22 with 16 seconds left in the quarter. The quarter ended after a 1-yard Smith gain to the UM21.

Fourth Quarter

No. 10 Miami 24, No. 2 Ohio State 14

Ohio State opened the quarter with a Jackson rush for 6 to the UM15. On third-and-3, Donaldson carried for a yard to the UM14. The Buckeyes went for it on fourth down and scored on a 14-yard pass play from Sayin to Smith over the middle to make it 17-14 Hurricanes with 13:28 left. Miami opened from its 25 after a touchback. Beck opened with an incompletion before a Fletcher carry for a loss of 1 to the UM24. Beck then scrambled for an 11-yard gain and a first down at the UM35. Ohio State forced another third and long after a pair of short gains to the UM39. The Hurricanes were forced to punt after a Beck incompletion. The Buckeyes took over at their 25 after a Joyce punt of 36 yards went out of bounds. Sayin started the drive with a 12-yard pass to Kacmarek to the OSU37. Donaldson then rushed over the left side for 4 yards before Sayin was sacked for a loss of 9 back to the OSU32. Smith got the Buckeyes a first down on the next play with a 16-yard catch at the OSU48. After an incompletion, Ohio State was called for holding to move the ball back to OSU38. Another incompletion on second down led to a loss of 2 on a pass play to Donaldson. The Buckeyes punted it away after a 5-yard penalty for illegal formation, a 39-yard McGuire effort to the UM30 with 5:56 left. Fletcher broke free for 19 yards out to the UM49 to start Miami’s next drive. Another Fletcher rush for 4 led to a Beck scramble for 3 yards to the OSU44. On third-and-3, Beck found CharMar Brown for 5 yards and a first down at the OSU39. Brown got the nod on the next play for a rush of 13 yards over the right side to the OSU26. A short gain led to the two-minute timeout. Brown carried again after the break for a gain of 5 to the OSU20. Ohio State took a timeout with the Hurricanes facing third-and-4 with 1:53 left. Beck then hit Daniels for a 13-yard gain to the OSU7 before another Ohio State timeout with 1:46 to go. The Hurricanes rushed for 2 and then scored on a 5-yard Brown rush up the middle for the final score of the game to make it 24-14.