Ohio State vs. Miami in Cotton Bowl today. Beat writers make their picks Matthew Glenesk, USA TODAYDecember 31, 2025 at 3:55 AM 0 The College Football Playoff quarterfinals kick off tonight in Dallas with the Cotton Bowl between Ohio State and Miami. Writers from Columbus Dispatch and Palm Beach Post, both part of USA TODAY Co., provided their predictions for Wednesday night's CFP quarterfinal matchup. The winner advances to the Fiesta Bowl for a semifinal showdown with either Georgia or Ole Miss.
- - Ohio State vs. Miami in Cotton Bowl today. Beat writers make their picks
Matthew Glenesk, USA TODAYDecember 31, 2025 at 3:55 AM
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The College Football Playoff quarterfinals kick off tonight in Dallas with the Cotton Bowl between Ohio State and Miami.
Writers from Columbus Dispatch and Palm Beach Post, both part of USA TODAY Co., provided their predictions for Wednesday night's CFP quarterfinal matchup. The winner advances to the Fiesta Bowl for a semifinal showdown with either Georgia or Ole Miss.
Ohio State vs Miami predictions
∎ Ohio State 24, Miami 10: Ohio State will need to clean up any lingering protection issues from the Big Ten championship game as Miami collapsed the pocket on Texas A&M during its first-round win, resulting in seven sacks of quarterback Marcel Reed. But even if the Buckeyes continue to spring a few leaks as it attempts to keep the pocket clean for Julian Sayin, the Hurricanes aren't dynamic enough on offense to punish them for it. They did not score a touchdown until the final minutes against the Aggies as they finished with a season-low 10 points. — Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch
∎ Ohio State 20, Miami 16: One thing's for sure: Points will be at a premium. Ohio State's defense ranks No. 1 in the nation in both points (8.15 per game) and yardage (213.5 per game), while Miami's isn't far behind at No. 6 (13.83 ppg) and No. 11 (277.8 ypg). The Buckeyes have a bigger stable of playmakers who could bust a few big plays, so the odds are in their favor, but a longer layoff between games might work against them — it certainly worked against Oregon in Ohio State's Rose Bowl blowout last year.
The game will come down to whether Carson Beck can capitalize on the limited big-play chances he'll get and whether he can avoid the big mistakes that led to Miami's losses this season (six of his 10 interceptions have come in those two games). You can bet Malachi Toney will be the focus of Caleb Downs and the Buckeye defense, and Mark Fletcher won't be able to wear down Ohio State's sixth-ranked run defense the way he did Texas A&M. Beck's 103-yard game against the Aggies didn't do much to alleviate the fears around his ability to come up in the clutch. — Dan Rorabaugh, Palm Beach Post
∎ Ohio State 21, Miami 13: It's all about defense. The Hurricanes' 11th-ranked defense held Texas A&M's 20th-ranked offense to three points on the road in a first-round win, and the Canes return to the Lone Star State Dec. 31 to see what the Buckeyes can do against that same "D." The U's problem won't be containing OSU's offense, which managed just 10 points against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game. The issue for Miami will be Ohio State's No. 1 defense. The Buckeyes will have their hands full with Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney, but otherwise will clamp down enough to send OSU to the semifinal in Arizona. — Rob Oller, Columbus Dispatch
∎ Ohio State 14, Miami 7: It took Miami until the final two minutes of its first-round matchup against Texas A&M to score a touchdown and secure a spot in the Cotton Bowl. The Hurricanes will have an even smaller margin of error going against Ohio State's defense, which is the top-ranked in the country. If Miami repeats its slow start offensively, the Buckeyes should be able to capitalize, whether it is the defense turning an error into a touchdown or the offense finding a moment to break through the Hurricanes' top-10 ranked defense. — Brianna Mac Kay, Columbus Dispatch
∎ Ohio State 24, Miami 14: Miami had an impressive game-winning drive and red-zone stand against Texas A&M in the first round of the playoff. They also averaged 6.3 yards per carry and forced three turnovers against the Aggies, proving they can hang with opponents outside the ACC and Notre Dame. Ohio State can get over its red-zone and third-down struggles, flexing its muscle on defense against Miami quarterback Carson Beck to advance to the semifinals. — Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch
When is Miami vs Ohio State today in Cotton Bowl? -
When: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 31
Where: Dallas, Texas
What TV channel is Miami vs Ohio State today in Cotton Bowl -
TV: ESPN
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio State vs Miami predictions: CFP Cotton Bowl beat writer picks
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: December 31, 2025 at 12:27PM on Source: RED MAG
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