Ohio State Faces the Challenge of Staying Sharp During Long Layoff Before Cotton Bowl Clash
Winning a national championship in college football is never easy. But throw in nearly a month between games, and it gets even tougher. That’s exactly what Ohio State is dealing with right now.
The Buckeyes haven’t played a snap since their December 6th matchup against Indiana. And they won’t take the field again until December 31st when they face the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
That’s a 25-day layoff - a full three and a half weeks without game action. For a team trying to stay sharp and playoff-ready, that kind of gap is more than just inconvenient.
It’s a real obstacle.
This isn’t new territory for Ohio State. Just last year, the Buckeyes benefited from a shorter turnaround between the end of the regular season and their first playoff game.
They rolled into the postseason with momentum and caught an Oregon team that looked like it hadn’t played in weeks - because it hadn’t. That rust was obvious, and the Buckeyes took full advantage.
This time, the roles are reversed. Ohio State is the team coming off an extended break, while Miami already has a playoff game under its belt. That’s a big edge in terms of rhythm and readiness.
And that’s where the challenge lies.
College football is a sport built on routine. From Sunday film sessions to Monday weight rooms, Tuesday and Wednesday practices, Thursday walk-throughs, and Friday travel - everything is structured.
Players’ internal clocks are set to peak every Saturday. It’s a rhythm that builds over months.
Then, just before the most important game of the season, that rhythm is interrupted.
There’s no excuse to be made - every team in the playoff field knows this is how the schedule works. But that doesn’t make it any easier to manage.
Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia addressed this exact issue earlier in the week.
“The intensity of practice has really been pretty high,” Patricia said. “Also, trying to balance how long we have been out there.
Really try to hit it as hard as we can and then get off. Making sure that we are getting the proper rest...
Some of those really competitive periods kind of keeps everyone with their edge, for sure.”
Those “competitive periods” Patricia mentioned? That’s when things get real in practice - full-speed, best-on-best.
It’s not about running scout team looks or mimicking Miami’s schemes. It’s Ohio State’s starters going at each other, iron sharpening iron.
These periods can take many forms - two-minute drills, red zone situations, goal-line stands, or any scenario head coach Ryan Day dreams up. The goal is simple: keep the team’s edge sharp, even when there’s no opponent on the immediate horizon.
For quarterbacks, those sessions can be especially tricky. When you’ve spent the season locking in on one opponent’s tendencies each week, suddenly flipping to face your own defense - which runs a completely different scheme - can throw you off. But in a long layoff like this, it’s necessary.
Ohio State has used the downtime to focus inward. No opponent prep. Just a chance to fine-tune their fundamentals, build back their edge, and stay mentally locked in.
Because when December 31st rolls around, they’ll face a Miami team that’s already been through the playoff fire once. That kind of experience matters. The Buckeyes will need to be ready from the first snap - no time to shake off the rust.
The road to a national title is never smooth. But for Ohio State, the path starts with overcoming the calendar. And if these intense, competitive practices are any indication, they’re doing everything they can to be ready when the lights come on in Dallas.