The stage is set for Ohio State and Ryan Day, as the Buckeyes will be taking on the Miami Hurricanes in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. Miami stunned Texas A&M in College Station, but now things are going to get tricky for the Canes against OSU.
Former Ohio State commit looking to crush the Buckeyes' dreams in the CFP
As soon as Miami came out on top in stunning fashion, Ohio State opened favored by 10.5 points. However, almost immediately things have changed. As of this writing, the FanDuel sportsbook has Day and Co. favored by 9.5 points. Why the sudden drop?
Ohio State is now favored by 9.5 points going up against Miami
While this sudden shift might raise some eyebrows, it shouldn't be much to worry about for the Ohio State faithful. The Buckeyes are still expected to come out on top, though Miami and Mario Cristobal must be feeling extra confident after Saturday's road win vs. the Aggies.
It sure wasn't pretty, but Miami was able to make the necessary plays late to record a 10-3 victory. Malachi Toney was the hero in that win, as was fellow freshman Bryce Fitzgerald - Toney scored the game-winning TD, while Fitzgerald posted the game-saving interception to seal the W.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes are ready to silence the countless haters that have been throwing the team shade following the Big Ten title game loss to Indiana. Ohio State was off with its game that day, but it's safe to say the group is motivated to remind the rest of the country how special they can be.
The Miami defense is quite strong, with the pass-rush being quite head-turning. The Ohio State offensive line will need to be at its best to slow down Rueben Bain Jr., a projected Top 10 pick, and the other d-linemen up front. Offensively, Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will need to get back into a rhythm, while the ground game will need to get going too. Ohio State should post a win in this one, but Miami will look to make the Buckeyes sweat from start to finish.