The Ohio State football team will begin its march to winning back-to-back national championships on New Year's Eve against Miami. The Buckeyes will meet them in the Cotton Bowl. It will be a game in which several Buckeyes have some extra motivation to win.
After a great season, the Ohio State Buckeyes were the second seed in the College Football Playoff, earning a first-round bye. After the Hurricanes won their first-round matchup against Texas A&M, they have earned the right to face the defending national champions.
While Miami fans are very confident they can win this game, the Buckeyes have no fear of losing. In fact, former Buckeye head coach Urban Meyer gave a prediction that shows why Ohio State has no real fear of losing this game.
Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer gives prediction for Cotton Bowl
While speaking on The Triple Option Show, Meyer gave a very pointed prediction on how he believes the game will play out.
"Ohio State scores two touchdowns, they win. I just don't see Miami scoring. This could be a low-scoring game."
Meyer has a lot of faith in the Buckeyes to win this game. He clearly has a ton of faith in Matt Patricia's defense if he believes they will shut out the Hurricanes. Miami struggled offensively against the Aggies, only managing to score 10 points. They will likely struggle even more against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State has the best defensive player in college football in Caleb Downs, even though Miami fans believe Reuben Bain is better. His presence on the field makes it much harder for opposing offenses to execute, and he can roam all over the field.
Meyer is right, though. If Ohio State is able to score at least two touchdowns, which shouldn't be a problem, Ohio State's offense has the possibility of scoring anytime, anywhere. Miami won't be able to keep them out of the end zone.