Ohio State vs. Miami (Fla.): Time, TV channel, preview for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal
No. 2 Ohio State and No. 10 Miami have only met five times, the last time being 2011, but there’s a good bit of history between the two renowned programs. For older college football fans, you remember the 2002 BCS national championship game between them, both undefeated at the time, ending in a double overtime victory for the Buckeyes.
Nearly 23 years later, here’s a look at how both teams got to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals:
🌰 Ohio State (12-1)
What isn’t there to rave about this year’s Buckeyes team?
Ohio State sat atop the AP poll nearly the entire season. The Buckeyes earned the No. 1 ranking after defeating then-No. 1 Texas in the opening weekend of the season, and they kept that mark into conference championship weekend, going undefeated in the regular season with more ranked wins against Illinois and Michigan. The Buckeyes’ only blemish was their 13-10 loss in the Big Ten championship to Indiana, stripping away their projected No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and first conference title since 2020.
Yet, OSU only dropping one spot reflects how good this team is. Heisman finalist quarterback Julian Sayin led the nation in completion percentage (78.4%) and recorded five games with over 300 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. A major reason for his success is the two-headed monster he has out wide in receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate — arguably the best one-two punch in the country.
The defense has been stellar too, allowing the least amount of yards per game (213.5) nationally and just 10 touchdowns. Impact players are threaded throughout the bunch, as four players received All-Big Ten first team selections, the most by any team in the conference.
Although they limited the Hoosiers to just 13 points at Lucas Oil Stadium, Sayin and the offense struggled against Indiana’s elite defense. They should expect a similar, high-octane defense from Miami.
🙌 Miami (11-2)
Energy is currently high in Miami-Dade County after the Hurricanes walked into College Station and took down Texas A&M, 10-3, for their first-ever CFP victory. Defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald’s game-sealing interception, his second of the game, was a glimpse into how good Miami’s defense was against the Aggies and during the first few weeks of the season.
Both teams were held scoreless in the first half partly due to Kyle Field’s windy atmosphere, but that doesn’t take away how good the defensive play was. By the end of the game, Miami forced three turnovers, collected seven sacks and allowed TAMU just two red zone opportunities on 11 drives. Star defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. wreaked havoc all game, finishing with three sacks, four tackles for loss and a blocked field goal.
And offense showed up when needed. They jumped on the back of running back Mark Fletcher Jr., who rushed for a career-high 172 yards — 75 on the Hurricanes’ fourth quarter scoring drive. Freshman phenom Malachi Toney redeemed himself after his late-game fumble by scoring the game-winning touchdown.
Although the victory was ugly, it showed Miami’s ability to win without scoring a lot of points, which is something they produced early in the 2025 campaign. The Hurricanes averaged 34.6 points per game in its three ranked wins during the first six weeks of the season.
They now hold a five-game winning streak ahead of their biggest, most difficult matchup of the year in Ohio State.
