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#10 Miami vs. #2 Ohio State: Cotton Bowl Preview | December 29, 2025
Written by: Colby Marchio
Last Update: Wed Dec 31, 2025, 2:29 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
ncaaf
FINAL
Miami Hurricanes
24
Ohio State Buckeyes
14
The College Football Playoff always brings heightened stakes, and the second round has short history of delivering chaos, drama, and statement performances. This year is no different as No. 10 Miami meets No. 2 Ohio State in a matchup loaded with storylines.
Miami arrives with confidence after a road upset that turned heads, while Ohio State enters with expectations that have not changed despite a recent stumble. Styles clash, narratives collide, and national title implications loom large. This is a game that will define how both teams are viewed for the rest of the postseason, and one side is far better positioned to seize the moment.
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Bowl Games Results: 3-2 (+0.22u)
2025 Season Record: 64-57-2 (+12.62u)
#10 Miami vs. #2 Ohio State Odds
Does Miami stand a chance against Ohio State?
You can find all of these great College Basketball odds on Lucky Rebel. Get a $1,250 deposit bonus & 50 Slot Spins when you sign up!
Spread
- Miami: +9.5 (-112)
- Ohio State: -9.5 (-108)
Moneyline
- Miami: +265
- Ohio State: -345
Total
- Over: 42.0 (-108)
- Under: 42.0 (-112)
#10 Miami vs. #2 Ohio State – December 31
Welcome to the first game of the second round of the College Football Playoffs. The second round last year was one of the better rounds, and hopefully this matchup between No. 10 Miami and No. 2 Ohio State can kick off the round with some fireworks. Miami comes into this matchup after upsetting Texas A&M on the road. The question is whether they have enough juice to upset the current odds leader to win the national championship, or if Ohio State will respond with a chip on its shoulder after falling to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship? I have thoughts…
After what I witnessed Saturday in College Station, there was no way I was leaning in any direction other than the Ohio State Buckeyes. I grabbed them at -9.5 as soon as the line opened, and I have no intention of looking back.
National Champion > Big Ten Championship
The loss in the Big Ten Championship means nothing to this Buckeyes team. Entering the season, two goals were clear, beat Michigan and win another national title. Beating Michigan for the first time since 2019 felt like a Super Bowl victory for this group, which helps explain the letdown in the conference championship.
Despite that loss to Indiana earlier in the month, this is still without question one of the best teams in college football. They dominated nearly everyone in their path throughout the regular season. You can argue about strength of schedule, but Miami's path was as soft as it gets. The win over Texas A&M is easily their best of the season, and I am still not impressed. Neither team deserved to advance from the first round.
Miami's Offense vs. Ohio State's Defense
Miami's run game was impressive against a strong Aggies front seven. Now that same offense that put up 175 yards on the ground has to deal with arguably the best rush defense in the nation. Ohio State ranks fourth in yards per rush allowed at 2.8, and they sit fifth in rush yards allowed per game at just 83.7.
When Miami is forced to throw, they will be met by a pass defense that ranks first in pass yards allowed. Opponents are not even reaching 135 yards per game against this unit. Quarterback Carson Beck attempted only 20 passes against the Aggies this past weekend. Beck is one of the highest paid college athletes in the country, yet it felt like the coaching staff did not fully trust him to make plays with his arm. If he is asked to throw more in this spot, a mistake feels inevitable.
That is why this matchup sets up perfectly for Ohio State to reestablish itself as one of the true heavyweights in college football. Miami's biggest strength, the run game, runs directly into one of the best rush defenses in the nation, which immediately shifts the balance. Ohio State already checked its biggest box by beating Michigan, and the loss in the Big Ten Championship changes nothing about their ceiling. With superior depth, speed, and physicality on both lines, this feels like a game the Buckeyes control early and never give back.
Best Bet: Ohio State -9.5 (-115) odds via Lucky Rebel
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Former D1 (club) baseball player, Colby has been betting since his college days at DePaul, where he had to endure the worst collegiate basketball the Big East has ever seen. He is an advanced analytics nerd and has never seen an underdog he has not liked. Hot. Corn. Bull. It does not matter the dog he loves them all.
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