Buckeyes’ South Florida Stars Ready for a Personal Playoff Showdown vs. Miami
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The moment Miami sealed its College Football Playoff win over Texas A&M, Jeremiah Smith didn’t need a postgame interview to express how he felt. He let a single emoji do the talking - a purple devil, dropped on social media just minutes after the final whistle. Simple, bold, and unmistakably personal.
Smith’s message was clear: the Buckeyes now know who’s next, and for him, it’s more than just another game.
Ohio State had been idle since its narrow 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game back on Dec. 6.
As one of the top four seeds, the Buckeyes earned a first-round bye and spent the opening playoff weekend as spectators. But once Miami punched its ticket to the Cotton Bowl, the waiting ended - and the emotions started to build.
For Smith, this matchup hits close to home - literally. He grew up in Miami Gardens, just minutes from Hard Rock Stadium where the Hurricanes play.
He knows the players. He knows the coaches.
And he knows what this game means.
“A lot of guys on this Miami team I played with or played against in high school,” Smith said. “I know I have to keep my emotions very high because it’s gonna be a little chippiness out there. I know Coach Day, Coach Hartline and everybody’s gonna tell me to keep my emotions in check and don’t get a 15-yard penalty.”
That edge - the mix of familiarity and pride - is what’s fueling Smith and a handful of Buckeyes with South Florida roots heading into this playoff clash. It’s not just another game; it’s a homecoming with stakes that go far beyond the scoreboard.
Smith isn’t the only Buckeye who could’ve been wearing orange and green. Wide receiver Brandon Inniss and defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson also grew up in the Miami area and were heavily recruited by the Hurricanes. All three chose Columbus over Coral Gables - and none of them looked back.
“Actually, they don’t like it,” Inniss said with a grin during fall camp. “They wanted us to go to Miami so bad.
The young guys down there, they like it. Not so much the older fans.
Me and JJ have played against each other all our lives.”
That shared history - from youth football fields to Friday night lights - now carries over to the national stage. And while they’ve already made their mark in Columbus, helping power Ohio State to another playoff run, this game gives them a rare chance to show their hometown exactly what it missed out on.
Smith has been nothing short of electric since arriving on campus. A top-tier recruit in the 2024 class, he’s lived up to every bit of the hype, becoming a dominant force as a freshman and a key figure in Ohio State’s offense. His decision to commit to the Buckeyes in December 2022, and then reaffirm that choice a year later on Signing Day, was a major win for Ryan Day and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline - and a gut-punch for Miami’s rebuild under Mario Cristobal.
Now, that decision comes full circle.
The Cotton Bowl quarterfinal on Dec. 31 will be more than a playoff game for Smith, Inniss, and Jackson. It’s a collision of past and present - of what was, what could’ve been, and what is.
The Buckeyes are chasing a national title. The Hurricanes are trying to prove they’ve rebuilt without the local stars who got away.
“He’ll be wired this week, that’s for sure,” Day said of Smith. “He’s gonna be fired up.
Brandon Inniss will be fired up. Kenyatta Jackson.
These guys, they know a lot of the players on the other team and they’ve got a lot of guys on their team that we recruited, so it’s gonna be great.”
The stage is set. The stakes are massive. And for a few Buckeyes with deep South Florida ties, the motivation is personal.