Fresh off a defensive clinic in a 10-3 College Football Playoff first-round win on the road over No. 7 Texas A&M, the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes head into a rematch of the 2002 national championship when they face No. 2 Ohio State in Wednesday night’s CFP quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Hurricanes (11-2) looked like legitimate national title contenders for much of the season, but a pair of losses to Louisville and SMU in a three-week span dropped them out of the playoff picture, only to leap ahead of Notre Dame for the final spot when the 12-team field was announced.
In order for Miami to have a shot to pull the upset over the Buckeyes (12-1) in the first of the four CFP quarterfinal games, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes there is a “recipe” it should follow.
Paul Finebaum points to how Miami can upset Ohio State
“There is a recipe. What Miami has to do is replicate what it did on the road at Kyle Field against Texas A&M and then do a little bit of stealing, stealing Indiana’s recipe against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game,” Finebaum said during an appearance on Tuesday’s edition of “First Take.” “In both cases, Miami and Indiana harassed the quarterback, and I think that’s what the Miami defense, which is very good by the way, has to do to (quarterback) Julian Sayin.”
There is no denying that Miami was sensational in the win over Texas A&M, holding the Aggies to a season-low 326 yards. Quarterback Marcel Reed was sacked seven times after coming into the game with 10 all season and threw two interceptions, including the one in the end zone to end the game.
With two of the nation’s top receivers in Jeremiah Smith (1,086 yards, 11 TDs) and Carnell Tate (838 yards, nine TDs) at Sayin’s disposal, Finebaum believes “it’s a narrow path” for Miami to pull the upset despite the success it found against Texas A&M.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen, and I’m not crazy about Carson Beck,” Finebaum said. “He’s probably ranked at the bottom of the quarterbacks in the CFP field… He has been good, but he is not elite and I think to win this game, Miami is going to need near flawless play from him.”
Beck has the second-best completion percentage (74.3%) in the country, but he has does have 10 interceptions on the season, including a season-high four in the loss to Louisville. That does not bode well going against the best defense in the country, putting even more emphasis on Miami’s defense.
Indiana forced Sayin into his sixth interception of the entire season and constantly had the Buckeyes under pressure in the Big Ten title game. If Miami can put together a performance similar to its first-round win and replicate what Indiana did when it handed Ohio State its only loss of the season, the Hurricanes could have a chance.
Even if the defense plays well, though, 10 points will not be enough against this Ohio State team. Keeping the Buckeyes out of rhythm will be key, but Miami must put up more points if it is going to punch its ticket to the CFP semifinals and take out the defending national champions.
