The Miami Hurricanes opened up as a major underdog against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl Classic after sneaking by the TAMU Aggies in a 10-3 first-round slog of a College Football Playoff matchup on Saturday. It's hardly a stretch to say that it'll take a miracle for "The U" to take down The Ohio State University on New Year's Eve in Dallas.
Saturday Blitz's Nicholas Rome sees Miami's Hail Mary having to be quarterback Carson Beck, who threw for 103 yards on 14/20 passing and a score on a touch pass that was essentially all Malachi Toney in the final two minutes.
"The Hurricanes will need a massive game from Carson Beck if they're going to have any chance of winning this game. Beck and the offense struggled against Texas A&M, but playing a neutral site game may help the offense find a rhythm as Kyle Field was incredibly loud the entire game," Rome wrote.
There might be more to the Canes' chances than Beck. Especially after how Miami was able to win.
Ohio State must be wary of Miami secondary and RB Mark Fletcher Jr.
TAMU's Marcel Reed may have made the Hurricanes' secondary look better than it is, since he's thrown six interceptions against his last three FBS opponents. Then again, they rank in the top half for takeaways, with strong safety Jakobe Thomas and split safety Bryce Fitzgerald accounting for five interceptions in their last four matchups.
Miami's secondary could be like the Indiana Hoosiers' and disrupt Julian Sayin with athleticism and disciplined coverage, in a world where Canes defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman has his druthers, anyway.
Meanwhile, the offensive savior on Saturday, Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr., is their best antidote to a Buckeyes defense that's built to contain opposing quarterbacks with the most talented secondary in the country. TTUN RB Jordan Marshall had Ohio State's run defense on alert for a few minutes before "The Game" turned completely in the Buckeyes' favor. If anyone outside of the literal Heisman trophy winner can threaten OSU, it's a physical downfield runner like Fletcher.
Beck may need to play out of his mind on NYE, but it's hard to visualize him actually being the guy to lead "The U" to what'd be a seismic upset over the consensus most talent-rich team in the field.
A collective effort from Fletcher and the secondary? That's what should keep Buckeye fans up at night, if anyone.