Cote: Canes’ ‘violent, relentless’ CFP win Miami’s biggest in 23 years | Opinion
This was the Miami Hurricanes’ biggest football victory in 23 years.
Symbolically, it was even bigger than that.
On Jan. 3, 2003, the Ohio State Buckeyes ended the Canes’ dynasty. Wednesday night, as New Year’s Eve fireworks welcomed the turn of the calendar, it was Miami’s triumph over Ohio State that signaled — for the first time since — that a new chapter of UM glory days may have begun.
For nearly a quarter century the question has been, “Is The U back?”
Finally, the answer might truly be yes.
No. 10-ranked Miami defeated and upset No. 2 Ohio State 24-14 on Wednesday night at the Cotton Bowl outside of Dallas in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. (And, oh by the way, the oft-maligned ACC just schooled the mighty Big Ten.)
Does this signal a Tectonic shift in college football? We shall see.
Now the Canes are in the semifinals against the winner of Thursday’s game between favored Georgia and Ole Miss, in a possible reunion between Miami quarterback Carson Beck and his former Bulldogs. Win that — win one more — and the Hurricanes will be playing for their sixth national championship and first since 2001 ... at home ... at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami played the reigning college football champions and betting favorite to win it all again in Ohio State, and came close to dominating, leading 14-0 and never trailing.
Canes coach Mario Cristobal, before the game, of his team’s intentions, said, “Play fast, physical, violent and relentless — whatever it takes.”
And then they did just that.
The Canes dominated the first half and led 14-0. It was the stuff of a Cristobal dream ... especially considering a rare lost Mark Fletcher Jr. fumble aborted Miami’s second drive.
Miami held Ohio State to minus-3 yards rushing in the first quarter, the Buckeyes’ worst output in 20 years.
Fletcher atoned for that early fumble with a 9-yard scoring catch from Beck early in the second quarter on a brilliant play call. On third-and-2 UM had seven offensive linemen in as Ohio State prepared for a run, only to find Fletcher — the eventual game MVP — open in the left flat.
The Buckeyes threatened on the very next series, but Keionte Scott ended that with an interception and 72-yard TD return.
“I confirmed in my head I was going [after the ball] in that moment,” said Scott of what may have been the play of the game. “I took a little moment to peek at the sideline. Let ‘em know what was goin’ on.”
After a late Buckeyes field goal try swung wide left Ohio State was shut out in a first half for the first time since 2016. And the 14-point deficit was OSU’s largest in three years.
Miami gut-punched Ohio State early. It was intentional. That physicality produced 153 yards rushing on the night in a balanced attack.
“Coach relayed he wanted us to be the most physical team, the most violent team,” Fletcher said. “We took that and just went out there, played loose and had fun.”
After halftime the Canes followed an Ohio State touchdown with a big 49-yard field goal.
The Buckeyes drew within 17-14 on a TD catch by Jeremiah Smith, a Miami native who turned down a UM scholarship offer for OSU.
Miami sealed the watershed win with 55 seconds remaining on a 7-yard scoring run by CharMar Brown.
“Our players kept responding, coming with their counter punch,” said Cristobal. “Left hooks to the body and the head.”
A huge representation of UM fans at the game went crazy, as did some of the living ghosts of UM glory days including Michael Irvin and Ray Lewis on the sideline as well as championship coach Jimmy Johnson up in a suite, and on the field afterward to embrace Cristobal.
“At end of the day he changed our lives,” said Cristobal of Johnson. “Fast forward almost 40 years later, he’s back on the sideline supporting us. Proud that this team is making him proud.”
It was in the 2002 season Fiesta Bowl when reigning champion Miami lost to Ohio State 31-24 in double overtime in the title game, on a controversial late pass interference call.
Miami has not played for a championship since.
With this New Year’s Eve win, they are close as they have been since ... with the semifinal upcoming in the same stadium back in the Fiesta Bowl.
“We’re not looking back, we’re looking forward,” Cristobal said afterward Wednesday, of the then-and-now link. “We love the old days, but we’re making our own path now.”
The impressiveness of this UM victory cannot be overstated.
Ohio State after a close season-opening win against Texas and before a narrow Big Ten conference title-game loss to Indiana won 11 games by an average score of 39-8. The Buckeyes were seen as the most talented team in the land.
Miami, on Nov. 1, after two dispiriting losses, was given a 5 percent chance of making the college playoff.
Now, Ohio State’s season is done, and it’s the Miami Hurricanes the team you probably don’t want to play next, or bet against. With a defense that shut down Texas A&M in the CFP’s first round and has now humbled mighty Ohio State, the idea of a long-elusive sixth national championship is now within sight, within reach.
Cristobal won’t have any of that. Not yet.
“We don’t think we have arrived by any stretch,” he said Wednesday.
His postgame press conference with the media happened to end almost exactly at midnight Wednesday, as fireworks exploded as if to celebrate the Canes.
The celebration he returned to his alma mater to have is still two victories away.
Still, can we forgive him if he popped a bottle of champagne to toast the new year and what might be ahead?
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 11:24 PM.
