Hurricanes arrive in Dallas ahead of Cotton Bowl. Final game preparations underway

The Miami Hurricanes have touched down in Dallas.

The football team, with players dressed in white travel hoodies and coaches in suits and ties, arrived at the Gaylord Texan Resort late Sunday afternoon ahead of their College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

Kickoff between No. 10 Miami (11-2) and No. 2 Ohio State (12-1) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, with the game broadcast on ESPN.

And while there was some natural pomp and circumstance with their arrival, the Hurricanes are maintaining their usual business-like approach to the next few days leading up to the game.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m just ready,” right guard Anez Cooper said. “We’re excited to be here. We’re just focused and we’re just ready to play.”

Final preparations for the Cotton Bowl are now underway.

The Hurricanes practiced on campus Saturday before flying to Dallas on Sunday. Miami will practice twice at AT&T Stadium — on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning — prior to the game on Wednesday night.

“We’re the same team every week, no matter who we play, where we play, what we’re playing,” safety Jakobe Thomas said. "We’re going to prepare the same way and be the same team we’ve been all year.”

This is just Miami’s second all-time appearance in the Cotton Bowl. The Hurricanes beat the Texas Longhorns 46-3 on Jan. 1, 1991, in their only other appearance in the game. Craig Erickson threw four touchdown passes in the game, including two to Wesley Carroll, while Leonard Conley added a 26-yard touchdown run, Darrin Smith returned an interception for a touchdown and Carlos Huerta hit a pair of early field goals to give Miami a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

But one of the lasting memories of that game was Randal “Thrill” Hill’s 48-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter that put Miami up 33-3. After scoring the touchdown, Hill ran up the tunnel just beyond the end zone before returning with finger-six-shooters firing.