Miami Should Try to Win Ugly. Will it Work Against Ohio State?
- Sheehan Planas-Arteaga
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
A gritty New Year's Eve game between Miami and Ohio State gives the Canes their best chance.
Fans of classic Big Ten football, or anyone over the age of 70, likely loooved Miami’s win over Texas A&M last Saturday. Defensive battle. Not a lot through the air. War in the trenches. Ground and pound. You’d think you were watching Iowa-Wisconsin circa 1991, not a game featuring two teams averaging over 32 PPG. But that’s what we were served in the Hurricanes’ 10-3 victory over the Aggies.
Miami now moves on to play the big bad Ohio State Buckeyes in the CFP Quarterfinal Cotton Bowl. OSU has allowed 8.2 PPG, the best in the country. They are opening as 9.5-point favorites, as Ryan Day’s squad has no real weaknesses.
But Miami can still win. Even as someone who despises UM, and who only watched the game Saturday because my wife went to school there and my friends were all going out to watch it, I still believe they can win. The manner in which they won the game against A&M showed me something that I think should be replicated against OSU.
Let the Big Dogs Eat
Miami’s offensive line is enormous and dominant. Winning the battle up front is a staple of winning football, as I’m sure you’ve heard your dad say a million times. It’s true, though. 6’2” 225-lb Mark Fletcher Jr. turned 17 carries into 172 yards against the Aggies, largely inside the hashmarks (apparently based on QB Carson Beck's suggestion). I was perplexed as to why Mario Cristobal wasn’t giving him the ball more often, but that must change against Ohio State if Miami is going to have a chance.
Feed Mark Fletcher Jr. Feed him until the Buckeyes prove he can be stopped. Mario loves to outsmart himself. Having a running back go for 172 on over 10 yards per carry should not have equaled 10 points. If the Canes lean on their junior running back more, thus forcing the Buckeyes to sell out to stop the run, big plays will open up in man coverage, as well as the jet sweep to Malachi Toney. This is the 5th-ranked rushing defense in the country (86.6 YPG), just so we’re clear. It’ll be the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. But it might give Miami their best chance.
Carson Beck: Game Manager
Carson Beck can be a rollercoaster. His picks tend to come in bunches, and when he loses it, he hardly ever finds it again. Beck led the ACC in interceptions this year and the SEC in interceptions last year. He threw for just 103 yards against the Aggies, but to be fair, the wind was a significant factor in that game, as he was dealing with gusts over 30 MPH. That won’t be an issue inside AT&T Stadium in Dallas, but Miami can ill afford a bad Beck game.
Hand the ball off to Mark Fletcher Jr. Take low risk shots in single coverage. Don’t try to be a hero. Miami’s defense will have their hands full against the Buckeyes’ three-headed monster of Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, and Bo Jackson. But if you control the clock with methodical, 15+ play drives, you ensure that guys like Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr., who combined for 4.5 sacks against Texas A&M, are fully rested and ready to pin their ears back.
Miami’s other “ugly” win of this season came against Florida, a game in which Fletcher Jr. carried the rock 24 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. They had the ball for 36:30, compared to 23:30 for the Gators, which helped them put the game away in the 4th quarter with 13 points against a gassed defense. The playbook is there for Mario.
Ugly should be pretty for the Miami Hurricanes when they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on December 31st.
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