The Ohio State Buckeyes have had three long weeks to sit with the sting of their Big Ten Championship loss to Indiana - a game that left more questions than answers for a program with national title aspirations. Now, they finally get a shot at redemption, and that opportunity comes in the form of a Cotton Bowl matchup against the Miami Hurricanes.
Despite the setback in the conference title game, Ohio State enters this one as 9.5-point favorites - a testament to the talent still stacked across their depth chart. We're talking about one of the most complete rosters in college football, from a defense that can suffocate opposing quarterbacks to an offense that, when firing, can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country.
But not everyone’s convinced the Buckeyes are ready to bounce back.
A few national analysts have raised eyebrows by picking Miami to pull off the upset. Most notably, Jordan Rodgers - an analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network - went against the grain during a segment on Get Up, standing alone in his belief that the Hurricanes could knock off the Buckeyes.
Rodgers pointed to Miami quarterback Carson Beck as a potential difference-maker, citing his recent stretch of play as evidence that he’s maturing into a more composed, efficient signal-caller.
“I think this version of Carson Beck that we've seen the last five games has shown the experience of protecting the football,” Rodgers said. “Making smart decisions - and that has to be the Carson Beck we see against Ohio State.”
It’s a bold take, especially considering Beck’s performance against Texas A&M, where he managed just 86 passing yards. Rodgers and fellow analyst Josh Pate chalked up the struggles to windy conditions, but that excuse won’t fly in the controlled environment of the Cotton Bowl. And even if the weather isn’t a factor, Ohio State’s defense certainly will be.
This Buckeyes unit thrives on pressure - and Beck has yet to prove he can consistently handle it. Expect Ohio State to bring heat early and often, testing Beck’s poise in the pocket and forcing him to make quick, accurate decisions under duress. That’s where this game could swing.
Ohio State, for its part, is well aware of the noise. They hear the doubts.
They know how difficult it is to chase back-to-back national championships - the margin for error is razor-thin. But this team also knows that the journey back to the top starts with one thing: taking care of business against Miami.
And if they can play their brand of defense - fast, physical, and relentless - they’ll be one step closer to silencing the skeptics and rewriting the ending to a season that still holds championship potential.