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A few weeks ago there was a lot of debate about whether Miami Hurricanes belonged to the College Football Playoff, and they proved the naysayers wrong Wednesday night.
The Hurricanes pulled off a 24-14 upset win over the defending national champions. Ohio The Buckeyes will advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Miami is the first double-digit seed to achieve this feat.
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Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (center) is hit by Ohio State defensive end Devin Sanchez (right) during the first half of the Cotton Bowl college playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Miami refused to stop on one of its final drives. Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown dug deep to find the energy and will to keep the ball moving. Carson Beck found receiver C.J. Daniels for another first down with less than two minutes to play.
Brown scored with 55 seconds left in the match. Ohio State defensive back Julian Sain intercepted their top pass.
It was persistent game with both teams hit big hit after big hit. The Hurricanes finally broke through in the second quarter when Beck faked a run and found Fletcher for a short pass. Fletcher threw a touchdown to put the lead up 7-0 early.
On the next drive, Keyontae Scott picked off Sayin and returned an interception for a touchdown. Ohio State missed a field goal before halftime, and Miami headed into the locker room with a 14-0 lead.
Ohio State will fight back.
Jeremiah Smith #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes tries to catch the ball in front of O.J. Frederick Jr. #29 of the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter during the quarterfinals of the 2025 College Football Playoff at the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 31, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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Sain started the third quarter with an 11-play, 82-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock. It ended with a Bo Jackson touchdown. Ohio State then scored a touchdown on a Jeremy Smith catch on its next drive and cut the deficit to three points on a Miami field goal.
Ohio State punted on the next drive and then turned the ball over on the top drive.
Beck changed the game with his feet as much as he did as a passer. Ohio State was forced to respect his ability to succeed in football. He had 23 yards but made a few kicks.
He was 19 of 26 through the air, passing for 138 yards and a touchdown pass.
Miami defensive end Carson Beck, right, prepares to pass the ball to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Ohio State on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortes)
Fletcher, despite turning the ball over in the first quarter, ran the ball 90 yards on 19 carries. Brown started getting carries late in the game and scored the game-tying touchdown at the end.
Ohio State scored more than 20 points in a game for the first time since its national championship win over Notre Dame on Jan. 20.
The defense was able to do enough to knock Sain out of the game. Sahin intercepted the game twice and was sent off five times.
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Miami will play the Georgia-Ole Miss winner.
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