In a disappointing turn of events for the Ohio State Buckeyes, head coach Ryan Day placed the blame squarely on himself following their College Football Playoff loss to the Miami Hurricanes. The game, held on Wednesday night, concluded with Miami securing a 24-14 victory, thereby advancing to the playoff semifinals.
From the outset, the No. 10 Hurricanes dominated their matchup against the second-ranked Buckeyes, taking an early lead that they maintained throughout the game. Ohio State had multiple chances to tie or take the lead, but crucial errors and untimely sacks thwarted their efforts. In the aftermath of the loss, Day remarked, “I think it took us a while to get into the rhythm of the game. I think we did in the second half… We put ourselves behind the eight ball, but at the end of the day, we didn”t get it done. And that starts with me and it goes down from there. I take responsibility for not getting the guys ready.”
The Buckeyes found themselves in a 14-0 deficit early in the game, with Miami scoring first. A pivotal moment occurred when Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin threw a pick-six while the Buckeyes were poised to score. This sequence proved critical, as Ohio State”s attempts to recover were hindered by a missed field goal just before halftime, leaving them trailing by two touchdowns.
After halftime, Ohio State showed signs of life, executing a successful drive that culminated in a touchdown, and they managed to outscore Miami 14-10 in the second half. However, the early damage proved too great to overcome. Sayin endured a challenging night, being sacked five times, and the Buckeyes also incurred two penalties in the fourth quarter, while Miami faced none.
Looking ahead, Miami is set to find out their next opponent, who will be either No. 6 Ole Miss or No. 3 Georgia, potentially leading to an intriguing matchup where Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck could face his former team with a shot at the national championship on the line.
