From start to finish on Wednesday night, the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes controlled their matchup against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, and it ultimately paid off with a 24-14 victory to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
The Buckeyes had several opportunities to put themselves in position to tie the game or take the lead, but costly mistakes and untimely sacks proved to be the difference.
Despite the struggles on the field, head coach Ryan Day took full accountability for Ohio State’s performance after the game.
“Well, I think it took us a while to get into the rhythm of the game,” Day admitted. “I think we did in the second half… We put ourselves behind the eight ball, but at the end of the day, we didn’t get it done. And that starts with me and it goes down from there. I take responsibility for not getting the guys ready.”
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The Buckeyes fell into a 14-0 hole after Miami opened the scoring with a touchdown, followed by a costly pick-six thrown by quarterback Julian Sayin while Ohio State was on the cusp of putting points on the board. That sequence proved decisive, as the 14-point deficit held through halftime after the Buckeyes missed a field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter.
Coming out of the break, Ohio State responded by marching down the field for a touchdown and ultimately outscored Miami 14-10 in the second half. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the early damage. Sayin was sacked five times, and Ohio State committed two penalties—both in the fourth quarter—compared to zero for Miami.
Miami will now await its opponent, which will be either No. 6 Ole Miss or No. 3 Georgia, potentially setting up a matchup in which Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck could face his former team with a trip to the national championship on the line.
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