Cotton Bowl Breakdown: Miami’s Pressure Stifles Sayin, Buckeyes' Offense Falters in 24-14 Loss
ARLINGTON, Texas - Pressure has a way of revealing everything-flaws, strengths, and sometimes, just how far a young quarterback still has to go. For Julian Sayin, the Cotton Bowl was one of those moments.
Ohio State’s freshman signal-caller was sacked five times by a relentless Miami front, marking the second straight game he was taken down five times-Indiana did the same in the Big Ten Championship. That’s 10 sacks in two games, and 16 total on the season.
Two teams, half the damage. And in the Cotton Bowl, it was the Hurricanes’ pressure that tilted the field.
Sayin finished the game completing 62.8% of his passes-his lowest mark of the season-on 35 attempts, totaling 287 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The numbers tell a story of a quarterback constantly under siege, and the tape backs it up. Despite the chaos, he still earned a solid 77.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, a testament to his poise and ability to make plays under fire.
But the real standout? Jeremiah Smith.
Once again, the true freshman wideout proved he’s not just Ohio State’s top target-he’s one of the most dynamic players in the country. Smith hauled in seven of his eight targets for 157 yards and a touchdown, earning an 81.6 PFF grade, the highest on the team.
He’s now strung together back-to-back games as the Buckeyes’ top offensive weapon, and his chemistry with Sayin is already something to build around for the future.
Offensive Grades Snapshot
Let’s dig into how the rest of the Buckeyes’ offense fared, according to PFF’s grading scale (0-100, with 90+ being elite and 70-84 considered starter-level performance):
Quarterback
- Julian Sayin (77.4, 60 snaps): Under siege all night, but still showed flashes of the elite traits that made him a five-star recruit.
His ability to stay composed under pressure is impressive for a freshman, but the two interceptions hurt. Still, a respectable grade given the circumstances.
Running Backs
- Bo Jackson (70.6, 28 snaps): The most effective of the trio, showing solid vision and burst.
- CJ Donaldson (60.7, 19 snaps): Limited impact.
- Isaiah West (60.0, 1 snap): Too small a sample to evaluate.
Wide Receivers
- Jeremiah Smith (81.6, 60 snaps): He’s not just good-he’s already great.
OSU’s offense ran through him, and he delivered.
- Brandon Inniss (67.0, 34 snaps): Quiet but efficient.
- Carnell Tate (56.0, 59 snaps): Struggled to get separation and make an impact.
- Mylan Graham (59.5, 1 snap): Not enough playing time to assess.
Tight Ends
- Will Kacmarek (77.3, 33 snaps): One of the more consistent performers.
Solid in both blocking and the passing game.
- Bennett Christian (59.8, 2 snaps): Limited action.
- Max Klare (54.8, 51 snaps): Struggled in pass protection, which hurt the offense’s rhythm.
Offensive Line
This is where things get dicey. The Buckeyes’ front five couldn’t handle Miami’s pressure, and it showed in both the sack total and the run game inconsistencies.
- Luke Montgomery (63.3, 60 snaps): Best of the group, but that’s not saying much.
- Carson Hinzman (62.1, 60 snaps): Serviceable, but overwhelmed at times.
- Ian Moore (60.6, 31 snaps): Rotational piece who held his own in spurts.
- Joshua Padilla (59.8, 42 snaps): Inconsistent.
- Phillip Daniels (53.9, 60 snaps): Struggled mightily in pass protection.
- Gabe VanSickle (53.4, 18 snaps): Couldn’t anchor against the rush.
- Austin Siereveld (52.4, 29 snaps): Another lineman who had trouble with Miami’s speed and strength.
Big Picture
Ohio State’s offense had its moments, but the inability to protect Sayin and establish a consistent ground game made it tough to sustain drives. Sayin’s numbers were solid, but they don’t tell the full story of how often he was running for his life. And while Jeremiah Smith continues to look like a future All-American, the supporting cast has to be better-especially up front.
For a young quarterback like Sayin, development is going to hinge on what’s around him. The Buckeyes have their guy under center. Now it’s about building the line and surrounding him with reliable playmakers who can take some of the weight off his shoulders.
The Cotton Bowl loss stings, but the flashes of promise-especially from Sayin and Smith-are real. And for Ohio State, that’s something to build on heading into 2026.