Heading into the Cotton Bowl, the Ohio State football team has been preparing to face two different opponents. After a gross game, the Buckeyes have found out that they will be taking on the Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes earned that right after beating Texas A&M 10-3.
In that first-round game, both the Hurricanes and the Aggies struggled to move the ball consistently and score points. It was something that Miami was not pleased with throughout the game, especially the issues they had with special teams. In fact, that's the one area where the Buckeyes have a decided advantage.
Jayden Fielding has struggled to make kicks in big moments. He missed two field goals against TTUN last season, which cost them the game. He missed another short field goal against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, costing them that game as well. Yet, he might be better than what Miami has to offer.
The Ohio State football team has the edge in the kicking game
Against Texas A&M, Carter Davis, Miami's kicker, missed three field goals. One of them was fewer than 35 yards, too. That performance showed that the Hurricanes shouldn't have as much faith in their kicking game as they did in College Station.
Fielding, for all of his warts in big games in the last couple of years, was able to hit all of his kicks in the snow at Michigan. He won't have to face any weather concerns against Miami. Still, that was the biggest game of the season to that point, and Fielding equipped himself nicely.
Of course, the Ohio State Buckeyes would love for this game not to come down to a field goal. They would prefer for this game to be a blowout, just as most of the other games this season have been. That will come down to how well they are able to execute in the red zone.
Ryan Day showed he can create a great offensive game plan in the CFP. It would help if he could count on his kicker, too.