In Arlington, Texas, the Ohio State Buckeyes faced a formidable challenge in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday night, emerging on the losing end with a 24-14 scoreline. The defeat dashed Ohio State's hopes of securing the first back-to-back national championships in the school's history.
The game unfolded after a 25-day hiatus for Ohio State, following their 13-10 loss to the top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten championship. This extended layoff was a point of focus for head coach Ryan Day and his staff, who dedicated significant effort to addressing the challenges posed by the long break before playoff action resumed. Nonetheless, their preparation did not yield a victorious outcome.
Miami, seeded tenth in the playoff despite not participating in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and entering as an at-large team, managed to take an early lead and maintain their advantage throughout the game. Holding a two-touchdown lead by halftime, the Hurricanes capitalized on Ohio State's difficulties and earned their first-ever College Football Playoff win, triumphing 13-10 over Texas A&M in the first round on December 20.
The Buckeyes, holding the number two seed and ranked third in the nation, had aspirations to build upon their undefeated regular season from the previous year when they played through more consecutive playoff rounds to claim the championship. However, this season's new 12-team playoff structure, which granted the top four seeds a first-round bye, proved challenging as these rested teams are currently 0-5 in the playoffs' second year.
Early in the quarterfinal, Ohio State's redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin experienced a difficult start, throwing a 72-yard interception returned for a touchdown that put Miami ahead 14-0 early in the second quarter. Sayin was also sacked three times during the game. Despite this, the duo of Sayin and All-America receiver Jeremiah Smith connected on a 59-yard pass during a scoreless first half for the Buckeyes, a glimpse of their potential synergy.
Ohio State's efforts to rally came after halftime, with Smith catching a 14-yard touchdown on a crucial fourth-and-two play early in the fourth quarter, narrowing Miami's lead to 17-14. However, subsequent offensive drives stalled, and Miami maintained control of the ball for much of the final six minutes, effectively managing the clock against an Ohio State defense known for its strength.
The game's concluding moments saw Ohio State in desperation mode, as Sayin threw his second interception late in the game, sealing the outcome in favor of Miami. Reflecting on the team's performance, safety and two-time All-American Caleb Downs acknowledged that the Buckeyes fell short in execution, stating, "At the end of the day, we didn't execute the way that we needed to to win the game. That's what it is. We can't change it now."
Coach Ryan Day assumed responsibility for the loss, reflecting on the preparation challenges posed by the long layoff. "We worked really hard during the last three weeks leading up to this game to come out of the gates and win the first quarter, win the first half, be ready to go. At the end of the day, we didn't get it done. I take responsibility for not getting the guys ready," Day said.
Senior defensive end Caden Curry, a key contributor in last year's semifinal victory, expressed the emotional weight of the loss, noting the finality it brings to his collegiate career. Meanwhile, Jeremiah Smith's performance was a highlight, with 157 yards on seven receptions, accumulating 538 yards in five playoff games—just 21 yards shy of the College Football Playoff receiving record held by former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
Sayin, noted as a Heisman Trophy finalist and the FBS leader in completion percentage, showed improvement during the second half, though the initial sloppy start proved too large a deficit. Day summarized the team's predicament, "When you have a start the way that we did, you put yourself at risk of having to be really darn near perfect in the second half to go win the game. We put ourselves behind the 8 ball."
With Miami's victory, they advanced further in the College Football Playoff, while Ohio State's season—and aspiration for consecutive national titles—came to an end after a promising but ultimately unfulfilled run.