The Miami Hurricanes are gearing up for a New Year’s Eve match-up against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoffs.
Marinate on that for a minute before kickoff is here and make some time to relive the past two-plus decades since these teams met head-to-head for all the marbles in Tempe, Arizona at the end of the 2002 season.
Hell, go back two years when Miami was losing a Pinstripe Bowl game to Rutgers after a slew of kids opted out year two under Mario Cristobal—or even last year’s post-season loss to Iowa State, when stars sitting out defined that one-point loss and—the Canes having to accept next-level failure, dropping two of three down the regular season stretch—playing themselves out of the CFP and into a mid-tier bowl game they dropped by one.
Honestly, just rewind to November 1st of this year—losing in overtime to SMU and falling to 6-2 on the year, feeling like the entire season went up in flames—only to see Miami close strong in November, playing themselves into this first-ever playoff run.
Fans looked ahead while this team took care of business last weekend; beating Texas A&M at Kyle Field in front of 104,122 rabid SEC fans—where defense was the name of the game; the complete opposite of Miami’s one-dimensional DNA last fall.
The minute the Canes drew the Aggies in that opening round, all eyes immediately shifted to December 31st and another trip to the Lone Star State, as the premise of getting to go toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes—who spent almost the entire 2025 season ranked No. 1—immediately became a focal point and the ultimate measuring stick in year four of this Cristobal rebuild.
What started out a pipe-dream became a reality—and the next step is Miami attempting to shock the world on Wednesday night, proving the doubters, haters and critics wrong.
Those sitting in Sun Devil Stadium all those years ago as that national title match-up went down as it did—it’s hard not to acknowledge the parallels, albeit the shoe being on the opposite foot, as it was Ohio State that was the double-digit underdog and Miami the defending national champs.
The Canes were also the ones who’d lost a slight step talent-wise in those back-to-back years; the offensive line not what it was a year prior, as the Buckeyes’ defensive line wound up determining the outcome—and damned if trench warfare isn’t the biggest talking point going into this “rematch” of sorts; Miami being give the slight edge regarding defense and offensive lines, which in itself is such a testament to what Cristobal is building.
MAKING UP FOR PAST GO-WRONG MOMENTS
Flash and sizzle were expected to be the name of the game in that 2003 Fiesta Bowl—not much different from that Miami thought it was going to do to Alabama in the 1993 Sugar Bowl; another year where the Canes were defending national champions, hamstrung with a lesser offensive line and going up against a more-physical football team—titles left on the field in both cases.
Miami’s struggles these past two decades are a separate conversation—the Hurricanes averaging 7-5 annually between 2006 and 2021—before Cristobal was hired to rebuild this thing proper from the ground on up; where the former offensive lineman and two-time national champion effectively built an underachieving ACC program in something that better-resembles the type of SEC program he coached and recruited at in Tuscaloosa for four seasons under Nick Saban.
As disheartening as it was to watch Cristobal’s teams struggle those first two years, purging the roster Manny Diaz left behind—so much conversation around ‘culture’ drove fans nuts—people hoping some fine-tuning and tweaking could right the ship; opposed to the full-blown tear-down it took to rework this thing from the inside out.
No shortcuts were taken in Cristobal’s efforts to make Miami relevant again—and that’s why the Hurricanes have more than a puncher’s chance to beat the Buckeyes in this highly-anticipated match-up.
Yes, it’s still Ohio State’s game to lose—to be the man, you gotta beat the man—but to be at a point where both these teams belong on the same field and where Miami isn’t some unmatched long-shot who needs everything to go right to play spoiler; that really is the takeaway from this season.
Go back to the opener where Miami pushed Notre Dame around all night in the trenches; the Irish last year’s runner up—having lost to the Buckeyes in the national title game—the Canes really set a tone with a 21-7 fourth quarter lead in a game they never trailed, but also didn’t put away they should’ve.
Same to be said for that 28-3 lead at Florida State, or some missed opportunities to bury Florida, before that game also got too close for comfort … momentarily, at least.
The killer instinct didn’t kick in for Miami until backs were to the wall and one more November loss would’ve derailed all playoff aspirations—the Canes finding another gear when smashing North Carolina State, 41-7 and then taking it to Pittsburgh on the road, 38-7—where Carson Beck recalibrated and found his form in a way the outsiders and opinionated antagonists refuse to acknowledge.
BECK: PERCEPTION TRUMPS REALITY
Not to re-litigate the Beck storyline again—but the stigma of leaving the SEC to come play for Miami; it not only resulting in TMZ-like media coverage and painting him as a villain this year—it truly put a microscope on the flaws, ignored any goodwill and erased the past; too many ignoring that after the 2023 season, Beck was slated to be the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft had he come out early.
Georgia as a whole was a bigger issue than Beck last fall, zero support from the 202nd-ranked ground game, while receivers led the NCAA in drops—the Bulldogs saw Beck pressing and trying to get everything back the ensuing possession—which proved to be the downfall when Miami lost to Louisville, amidst those quirky bye weeks and the Canes playing one football game over a 27-day span.
Fast in that 14-0 hole to the Cardinals, Beck ignored easy check-downs and tried to play home-run ball—and the game fast went off the wheels—while a suspect offensive game plan at SMU derailed Miami in that road game; Beck with a respectable 274 passing yards and two touchdowns, while a receiver bobble cost him a pick in regulation, while the overtime turnover was the result of that same receiver yanked down and a forced pass to Malachi Toney, after Shannon Dawson had called five running plays in a row and then went to Beck on a third-and-long.
Down the stretch, Beck threw for 1,125 yards, 11 touchdowns and one pick—as the Canes survived and advanced and are now 5-0 since that stumble against the Mustangs—while the 5-0 start to the the seasons and clutch play against Notre Dame, South Florida and Florida State should better-define Beck than a game-manager role dealing with swirling winds in College Station last week.
The narrative around Beck almost sells any success through the air as some mini-miracle, while his counterpart Julian Sayin—a Heisman candidate—gets a pass for Indiana sacking him five times, while there’s little focus on the fact the freshman quarterback hasn’t faced a defense like Miami’s since Ohio State opened with Texas back in August.
Sayin is the one expected to play with the chip on his shoulder and something to prove, while everyone seems to gloss over the fact that Beck is a 23-year old, sixth-year senior and third-year starter—now 35-5 overall at Miami and Georgia, while doing two years in the SEC in some big-time football games.
The current narrative has Beck running for his life as Ohio State brings the heat with their front four, while too many still want to downplay the talent, size and experience Miami boasts on its offensive line.
The implication is that the Canes’ passing game is Toney and nothing else—no mention of a veteran like CJ Daniels as a threat, or a healthy Elijah Lofton at tight end—who has been making pays and factoring in later in the year.
RUN THE ROCK WITH POWER & PASSION
Miami’s ground game also doesn’t seem like it’s getting enough love after Mark Fletcher had such a hard-nosed performance at Texas A&M—the Canes finding success running him out of the pistol, while the line opened up running lanes and the Aggies couldn’t corral the tough back.
Could there be a one-two punch on the ground and some ChaMar Brown in this one—another great blocker and hard-nosed runner—as well as the burst from Gerald Pringle, as the freshman came on strong late; he just didn’t factor into the ground-and-pound against Texas A&M.
Much like that final game of the 2002 season between Miami and Ohio State, it felt like pre-conceived storylines had replaced reality—the masses expecting the Hurricanes to slice and dice their way to the end zone, while the Buckeyes were expected to be slow, slugging and no match team speed-wise.
Stories have since come out as part of Hurricanes’ folklore; former offensive line head coach Art Kehoe sharing with many that week he had some concerns about Miami’s offensive line handling the pressure from Ohio State’s front four—and damned if that wasn’t where the game was lost.
Ken Dorsey looked great all season with time to throw; but under duress and with 43 attempts when Miami couldn’t get the running game going early—it was a one-touchdown, two-interception night in a game that was 17-17 in regulation and off to overtime—which begs the question, what can this Hurricanes’ defensive line to a Buckeyes offensive line (with some issues on the right side) and how does an untested, true freshman respond on this grand stage?
Lest not forget the key to a national title run for Ohio State certain came from a lot of different places, but the stoic Will Howard was rock for the Buckeyes—a fifth-year grad student last year after four seasons at Kansas State—Howard was even less battle-tested than Beck, but his experience and steady hand proved a difference-maker in a four-game postseason gauntlet.
Going this far into the storyline without bringing up Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate seems silly, but what’s there to say about two of the better receivers in all of college football, if not the best?
The world knows what these two are capable of—and is also aware that getting after the quarterback to disrupt timing and to make a gunslinger uncomfortable; no bigger way to negate what those all-world guys can do.
Again, Dorsey was a two-time Heisman candidate in that aforementioned Fiesta Bowl—trying to throw to future NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson, speedster Roscoe Parrish and freak-of-nature tight end Kellen Winslow II all night—but with enough heat and pressure, the easy connections of the regular season weren’t the case in a high-stakes title game.
LEAVING THE PAST WHERE IT BELONGS
For all the chatter about the last time these two met on the main stage, it should be reiterated that even a sixth-year senior like Beck—he was barely two months old when that infamous showdown took place—so while lifelong fans might be driven by a revenge narrative, safe to say these Miami players are focused on the present-day threat Ohio State has been and a desire to advance to next week’s quarterfinals.
That’s not to say these Hurricanes don’t understand the history—or the fact their older Miami ‘brothers’ have openly talked about part of their legacies being stolen that night, while the program itself was deprived of a sixth ring—these are football players, after all and young men writing their own history.
Cristobal knows this as well; despite the orange and green-bleeding head coach spending the 2002 season on Rutgers’ staff, having follow former defensive coordinator Greg Schiano to the Scarlet Knights in 2001.
Every former players know the emotions and energy that Ohio State conjures up—and while Cristobal won’t put the pressure of the past on this current crop of players, there’s an obvious unspoken that this really is a watershed moment on so many levels for the Miami Hurricanes.
Will it hurt to lose to Ohio State in this showdown? Absolutely.
Will there be any moral victory or solace taken regarding falling short in a game of this magnitude? Absolutely not.
Miami is playing to win and keep this dream season alive; make no mistake—but whether this thing ends in Arlington tonight, Phoenix next week or at HardRock in three weeks in a national championship game—the relevancy the Hurricanes established is the story of this season.
Yes, there will always be that championship-or-bust energy that hovers, as that’s what happens when a program wins four national titles between 1983 and 1992—leaving a few on the field and having another opportunity stolen.
There was no going back to average seasons in that era, just like the Hurricanes want to believe a hurdle was cleared and this program is going to be a title contender and College Football Playoffs mainstay moving forward.
A dozen teams get in, one wins it and 11 others fall short—a three- or four-game gauntlet to win a championships these days; a far cry from an era of football with no conference title showdowns or one big bowl game to bring it all home.
Punching your ticket to the dance, notching a few wins and giving the program something big to sell future recruits and transfer portal options—Miami has been working to cross that threshold where the big time is no longer theory; where the Canes someday hope to get over the hump.
That hurdle has since been cleared; Cristobal and staff able to point to the 2025 as where and when that corner was turned and a new norm was established.
Of course that storyline gets even bigger and better with a win against hated Ohio State in this highly-anticipated Cotton Bowl throw down.
TAKE THE POWER BACK, CANES
Beck has a chance to silence more doubters tonight, leaning into his experience and strengths—while Dawson needs to call the game of his life; the margin for error beyond slim if Miami is going to slay a giant this evening.
Rueben Bain and Ahkeem Mesidor need to play up, while David Blay, Justin Scott, Armondo Blount and Ahmad Moten need to quietly disrupt—creating havoc that allows the more marquee names to feast.
Keionte Scott and Jakobe Thomas need to remain those violent, disruptive forces they’ve been all year—while Miami’s cornerbacks need to stay head down and up for the challenge; Xavier Lucas, OJ Frederique and the boys back there just doing work and not having their names called like last year’s secondary that constantly missed assignments.
Cristobal preached toughness, winning in the trenches and leaned on that ground-and-pound against talented Notre Dame, Florida and Texas A&M rosters—but when a Florida State loaded the box daring Miami to run, Dawson unleashed Beck and it was a four-touchdown performance through the air as the veteran surgically picked apart the Noles’ secondary.
The premise alone that Miami can get into a street fight tonight and battle Ohio State in the trenches—again, not to be taken for granted.
Not after two decades of irrelevance, or years of the Hurricanes simply not having the horses up front to dictate the pace, style and strength of a big time football game like this.
It’s been a hell of a season and nobody in Miami is ready to hop off this ride yet.
Ohio State is a hell of a football team, but they’re also not an immovable object or the juggernaut they were on last year’s title run.
The Hurricanes can win this game if they run the football, protect Beck and limit mistakes—which sounds cliche, obvious and on-the-nose—but it doesn’t make it any less true.
Miami saw Indiana’s formula for a low-scoring defensive win over Ohio State; have two believe the Hurricanes will chase some of that—while hoping to do more damage offensively, in a world where too many seem to expect a repeat performance of that quirky offensive outing at Texas A&M in the wind.
It’s all there for the taking if Miami plays its game, the Canes live up to their potential and Ohio State’s pedestrian schedule and minimal challenges this year are exposed against the all-around best defense they’ve faced all season.
It won’t be easy, but nothing good ever is.
This isn’t about revenge for 2003 or former players’ legacy—as you can’t get back what was stolen so long ago, or right those kinds of wrongs—but a win over this opponent and in this moment can certain turn the tables, helping Miami establish a fresh identity in this new world of college football.
Trusting the trenches, the talent, the game plan, the defense, the ground game, an experienced quarterback and the overall will of a Miami program that has been in playoffs-mode since getting decked in Dallas two months ago.
These Hurricanes have been reborn since, but it seems Miami fans are the only ones who have been fully paying attention week-in and week-out regarding a rise from the ashes; us against the world—others try to claim that role, but only ‘The U’ can authentically own it.
Jokes are over; buckle in for a special one tonight.
The Call: Miami 20, Ohio State 17
Christian Bello has been covering University of Miami athletics since the mid-nineties. Getting his start with CanesTime, he eventually launched allCanesBlog—which led to a featured columnist stint with BleacherReport. He’s since rolled out the unfiltered, ItsAUThing.com where he’ll use his spare time to put decades of U-related knowledge to use for those who care to read. When he’s not writing about ‘The U’, Bello is a brand storyteller for some exciting companies and individuals—as well as a guitarist and songwriter for his Miami-bred band Company Jones, who released their debut album “The Glow” in 2021. Hit him on Twitter for all things U-related @ItsAUThingBLOG.