When the Miami Hurricanes walked off the field in Dallas after a gut-wrenching overtime loss to SMU, their season felt like it was teetering. Two losses in three games.
A tumble down the rankings. A once-promising campaign that started with five straight wins and a top-two national ranking was suddenly in jeopardy.
Outside the walls of their facility, the noise was deafening - critics questioning the coaching, doubting the players, and writing off Miami’s shot at the ACC title, let alone a College Football Playoff berth.
Inside the program, though, head coach Mario Cristobal wasn’t ready to let the season slip away. He went back to the basics - not with a fiery speech or a tactical overhaul, but with a reel of film.
No sound. No commentary. Just five weeks of dominant football, projected onto a screen in a dark room.
“We had to change and get better,” Cristobal said. “It came down to the simplicity of taking all the clips of us in our first five games and putting it on a reel and just letting it play.
There was no audio, no one talking, no nothing. Just shut the lights, remind ourselves of who we are.”
That moment - a quiet but powerful reset - became the turning point. The Hurricanes chose to respond, not retreat. And the results speak for themselves.
Four straight wins to close the regular season. A combined scoring margin of 151-41.
A climb back up the rankings. And, ultimately, a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Quarterback Carson Beck, who transferred in with big-game experience, felt the impact of that film session immediately.
“We watched that, we saw that, and we met about it,” Beck said. “It was like, ‘Guys, this is who we are.
We’ve done this. We’ve beat very talented teams, and this is what we’re capable of.’”
Now, Miami is preparing for its biggest test yet - a Cotton Bowl showdown with second-seeded, defending national champion Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 12-1, loaded with talent, and enter as the favorite.
But the Hurricanes aren’t shying away from the moment. They’ve already proven they can respond when the stakes are high.
“They’re arguably the most talented team we’ve played all year,” said center James Brockermeyer. “Studs all over the field and at the same time, they’re coached really well.
Their coaches do a great job of putting them in spots and taking advantage of their strengths. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us, and we’re excited to face that challenge.”
Defensive end Akheem Mesidor echoed that sentiment. “As the whole country knows, Ohio State is a great team,” he said.
“They have a really good offensive line, good running backs, quarterbacks. The receivers speak for themselves.
They’re a good team and I’m ready to get after it.”
And make no mistake - this Buckeye offense is no joke. They’re averaging 429.5 yards per game, good for 24th in the nation, and are led by freshman quarterback Julian Sayin, who’s playing with the poise of a seasoned vet.
Sayin was just named the 2025 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year after throwing for 3,323 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just six picks. His 78.4% completion rate leads the country.
He’s got weapons, too - starting with Jeremiah Smith, a Miami Gardens native and consensus All-American who’s posted 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns. Tate Carnell, despite missing time late in the year, has chipped in 838 yards and nine scores. And running back Bo Jackson has added over 1,000 yards on the ground.
Slowing down that attack will be priority number one for defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman.
“They do a very good job of staying on track,” Hetherman said. “They run the ball well, the quarterback is very efficient, and they’re not behind the sticks a lot.
So we have to get them off track - stop the run, affect the quarterback, win at the line of scrimmage. We’ve got to win up front in the front seven.”
But Miami brings a defense that’s more than capable. The Hurricanes are giving up just 281.5 yards and 13.0 points per game - both top-10 marks nationally. And on the other side of the ball, the offense has found its groove again.
Beck has been steady all year, completing 74.5% of his passes - second only to Sayin. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. is coming off a monster game against Texas A&M, racking up 172 yards in a gritty 10-3 win that punched Miami’s ticket to the quarterfinals.
And freshman phenom Malachi Toney has been electric all season, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors with a unique skill set that’s made him a threat as both a receiver and a passer. He enters the Cotton Bowl just eight yards shy of 1,000 receiving on the year.
As far as the matchup goes, this one’s got everything: tradition, talent, and plenty of storylines. Yes, there’s history between these two programs.
Yes, Ohio State is the reigning champ. But Miami isn’t interested in the past - they’re locked in on the opportunity in front of them.
“We really don’t look too much into that,” Toney said. “We just know, at the end of the day, everyone’s still got to play football. We just want to stay focused, make sure everybody does their 1 through 11.”
Beck put it simply: “They’re very well coached and disciplined in the structure in what they do. I’m sure they’ll have a few wrinkles for us, but it gives us a challenge - and with challenge comes opportunity. We’re excited for that opportunity.”
From nearly written off to one of the final eight standing, Miami’s journey has already been one of resilience and resolve. Now, the Hurricanes will try to ride that momentum one more time - against one of college football’s giants - with a shot at the semifinals on the line.