The Ohio State Buckeyes fell in the Cotton Bowl to the Miami Hurricanes, continuing their unlucky streak on New Year's Eve in the College Football Playoff. Before the final game of 2025, the Buckeyes had also lost their other two matchups in the final holiday of the year back in 2016 and 2022. There was hope Ohio State could break the streak, but unfortunately, it has just gotten longer.
The Buckeyes struggled the entire way to their 24-14 defeat and never got a chance to lead in the game. While it is not like Ohio State lost by the margin of a field goal, the kicking woes for the Buckeyes continued against Miami. Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding missed what would have been a game-tying field goal in the Big Ten Championship.
Against Miami, Fielding missed yet another field goal, this one from 49 yards out, and it was just the icing on the cake for his career thus far with the Buckeyes.
Former Ohio State QB Cardale Jones states the obvious after Cotton Bowl loss
When Fielding missed the game-tying field goal in the Big Ten Championship, some former Ohio State greats took to social media to call him out. It felt a bit misplaced as nothing was going right offensively for the Buckeyes in that game.
However, now with Fielding's miss in the Cotton Bowl as well, it feels like the blame should be squarely placed on his shoulder. Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones, who called out Fielding before, didn't just call out the kicker, but his former head coach, Ryan Day, with his latest tweet after the missed field goal attempt.
Might wanna invest in a kicker
— Cardale Jones (@CJ1two) January 1, 2026
With four years under his belt with the Buckeyes, it seems like Fielding will be moving on from Ohio State. So, it seems Jones and the fans would get what they want with a new kicker, but Day may want to be a little more careful with who he chooses.
It pays to invest in a kicker because they can be the heroes in the biggest moments, but they can also be the downfall of a team when it matters most.