Wednesday night the CFP kicks into high gear as the #2 Ohio State Buckeyes and the #10 Miami Hurricanes meet in Dallas for the privilege of moving on to Glendale and the Fiesta Bowl. Neither team won their respective conference. Miami didn’t even play for their championship because of some crazy, convoluted tiebreaker. Ohio State let Indiana off the hook in Indianapolis because they screwed up a QB sneak, missed a chip shot FG, and didn’t feed the beast Jeremiah Smith. Let’s get to the first look.
Series record: The overall series is tied at 2 with Miami holding a 1 game streak in the series
Last meeting: In 2011, the Canes beat the Buckeyes 24-6 in Miami. The Miami defense holds Ohio State to 209 yards while gaining 363 yards including 240 on the ground. 2 1st half interceptions prevent the game from getting out of hand early. Here is anOSU’s passing line:
Gambling degenerate facts: Caesar’s has Ohio State as a 9.5 point favorite with a -360 on the money line and a point total of 42.0.
How should a refugee watch this game: Of course, refugees should be interested in this game. If the Dawgs win on Thursday night, we’ll face the winner in Arizona for a chance to play for a national championship. Ohio State’s offense has struggled to score points against the 2 teams who could match them with a total of 24 points against Texas and Indiana. Is the Ohio State everyone thought would run roughshod through college football going to show up as it did last year? Can Carson Beck play a clean game for 60 minutes against a defense similar to the ones he saw in practice in Athens?
Interesting statistic: 2.87 and 2.83 (rushing yards allowed per attempt)
Both teams have NFL quality front 7s and are extremely difficult to run on. The team that finds some semblance of a running game probably wins. The Buckeyes gave up 166 yards to Texas, 100 to Michigan, and 118 to Indiana. Miami gave up 93 to Notre Dame and 89 to Texas A&M while Louisville gained 119 in their win over the Canes. The troubling stat here for Miami was the 194 given up to Virginia Tech.
Early outlook: The previous section shows my key to the game. Miami’s path to victory means taking some pressure off Carson Beck to win the game with his arm and to use the running game to stay out of 3rd and medium to long. On defense, it means getting Sayin into uncomfortable situations that force him to make plays. Ohio State has shown they can win when they lose the rushing battle (see the Texas game), but they also lost the ground game to Indiana. On defense, the best way to force Beck into mistakes is keep the Canes behind the chains.
I like the team that has the best player on the field, and that’s Ohio State with Smith. Will the Just for Men spokescoach force feed him the ball now that it’s win or go home time? I would, but the Ohio State defense is the reason I like them.
Final Score: Ohio State 24, Miami 17
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
I have the feeling an oHiO college will win the contest but I selfishly am pulling for the U. I want Beck to face the team he cut and ran from.
Those are my thoughts.
I can’t pull for anOSU, therefore I’ll pull for Beck to have a good game and upset the Suckeyes.
I’m torn on who to pull for. I’d love to see Miami pants tOSU because I can’t stand coach hair dye. OTOH I’d love the chance to beat both tOSU and Indiana to win a natty.
I’m betting (a princely sum of $11, lol) Miami AND Alabama. Traffic on this site is gonna be “worse than bonkers.” I don’t want to look forward: Dawgs have a motivated opponent in Ol Miss and their fans in the sUGAr Bowl (I can’t go but maybe the viewing at Creatures or Ga Theater will be my play). The script writers will set the reality show up for us to face Beck and then Bama. Get ready for a wild ride, Refugees!!
#GoDawgs
Last year OSU’s regular season ended on a disappointment and they rallied in the playoffs and won the thing.
Logic tells me they start down that same path.
Rather see a Miami team with no fan support in Phoenix on the 8th.
Tickets to the cotton bowl are by far the cheapest of the 4 games for a reason.
We’ll see. Go Canes.
BIG D LINE = little c beck!
Not a chance I’d ever want to see the most arrogant fanbase in CFB win. I’ll be rooting for the U.
If the U was rolling like they were during their golden era, the comment would be a push between the 2 for an air strike game.
Otto your totally correct that would make it a meteor game. No question the U fans when they are winning big are obnoxious.
I’m not giving the U their due. This fanbase has the special ability to be more than just obnoxious. They take low class to no class and glorifying criminal behavior. Look at their last game Ms. Danger became even more infamous as their head fan.
Agreed
98% of the U’s fans are bandwagon fans and don’t exist if the U is not winning.
I hardly knew a Bama fan from the mid 90s until year 2 of Saban.
Miami has played games to show who they are which is pretty good. Bucknuts lost to only team with a pulse and only beat Texas 14-7 in an opening snooze fest. I think that young’un for the Canes goes off and Beck stays clean in the pocket for a 31 – 17 Hurricane win.
Bold – I like it!
Mickey’s promo for this matchup is pure nauseating and supports any rational premise of bias…some wanna’ believe the head Fucknut in charge, Agent Herbstreit is an sec shill, it’s more B.S. to run cover for their “anyone but the sec” program…GO DAWGS!!
I want to Beck and the U to beat the Bucks and then Gunnar and the Dawgs to show them all who’s boss. Nothing personal, just bidnizz!
I want Beck and the U to beat the Bucks and then Gunnar and the Dawgs to show them all who’s boss. Nothing personal, just bidnizz!
You can say that again!
Oh. Nevermind.
I like your take! Hope it happens.
Sorry, it didn’t look like it went through the first time. Now I feel like a tool for typing it twice. Please forgive – go Dawgs!
well the posts are back2back! GO DAWGS!
lol and I’ve posted dupes as well thinking the post went into a cyber blackhole.
Would love to see Miami win this but which Miami team shows up? The dominant one that showed up at times or the one that face-planted against SMU and UL? I think anOSu wins this going away sadly.
Canes moneyline!
Good luck! I hope you’re right.
Should either team or both, beat themselves into oblivion, plus, a final score of 5-3, I, personally, would Laff out Fucking Loud, accompanied with a side of enjoyment…GO DAWGS!!
Cristobal blew a game he had won to Brent Key. I also don’t have faith in Beck winning on the big stage. On top of that I think Ohio State is just a better team. So money would be on Ohio State. I think Ohio State will be able to go into clock killing mode early in the 4th.
However, I can’t stand Ohio State and not that UGA should need motivation but… I think the D would be that be much more focused on destroying Beck. I’d love to see if he would be laughing on the bench getting destroyed by UGA.
Go Canes. Let’s see how that Buckeye OL holds up against the Canes pass rushers.
Their front 7 could be the equalizer.
Only to be equalized by the multiple INTs thrown by Beck…
Personally I hope he saves those for the game with us.
Beck as you know is streaky. He’s fully capable of throwing four touchdowns one week and four picks the next. If I get my choice the U in a blow out or a heartbreaker of a loss for state.
I like Miami’s tackles against OSU front 7, but not sure the interior can hold up and I do think Beck will be chased a few times. What he does on the run will be the key on that side of the ball. That said, if they can run it I think they’ll win. I just think they’ll cover.
Unfortunately, Ohio State runs the ball better. (which is funny because the announcers in the aTM v Convict game talked about Miami having one of the best O Lines in Football…. they averaged less that 4 YPA in conference)