As the Ohio State Buckeyes gear up for their College Football Playoff quarterfinal clash with the Miami Hurricanes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, few players are approaching the moment with more personal significance than defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
For Jackson, this isn’t just another bowl game-it’s a full-circle moment. The Ohio State standout grew up in Miami, surrounded by Hurricanes pride.
His family lived and breathed “The U,” cheering on the orange and green every Saturday. But since Jackson took his talents to Columbus, the Buckeyes have become the new family favorite.
And now, in a twist worthy of a Hollywood script, Jackson finds himself lining up against the team he once idolized.
“This is something I’ve always hoped for,” Jackson said recently, reflecting on the opportunity to face the Hurricanes. You can hear the excitement in his voice-a childhood dream now colliding with a championship pursuit.
The Buckeyes and Hurricanes haven’t shared the field in 14 years, with their last meeting coming in 2011. That one went Miami’s way, a 24-6 win early in the season.
Jackson would’ve been just a kid back then, probably watching from home, pulling for the Canes. Fast forward to now, and he’s the one on the field, wearing scarlet and gray, trying to flip the script.
This will be just the fifth time these two storied programs have met, but the history runs deep. Most fans remember the iconic 2003 Fiesta Bowl-technically the National Championship for the 2002 season-when Ohio State stunned a heavily favored Miami squad in a double-overtime thriller. That game is etched in college football lore, though Jackson wasn’t even born yet when it happened.
What’s not ancient history, though, is Jackson’s impact on this Buckeyes defense. He’s been a force off the edge, a key part of a unit that helped Ohio State capture last season’s national title. Now, with another championship run on the line, he’s eyeing a return trip to the mountaintop-and standing in the way is the team that once hung posters on his bedroom wall.
It’s a compelling storyline, sure, but make no mistake-Jackson is all business heading into this one. The Hurricanes may have been his childhood team, but now they’re just the next opponent. And if he has his way, they’ll be heading home early from the playoff.
The Cotton Bowl showdown on New Year’s Eve is more than just a playoff game-it’s a personal chapter in Jackson’s journey. And if he can help the Buckeyes punch their ticket to the semifinal, it’ll be one more memory in a career that’s already delivering on its promise.