The Miami Hurricanes went on the road on Saturday and upset Texas A&M, giving the program it's biggest win since the early 2000's. The Hurricanes' defense was dominant, holding a Texas A&M offense with elite talent to just 3 points. While the defense was incredible the offense had far from a solid showing scoring just 10 points.
The win for Miami sets up a showdown between the Hurricanes and Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The Buckeyes are coming off their first loss of the season as they fell against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, keeping the team from earning the top seed.
The initial line for the Cotton Bowl puts little faith in Miami
Whenever the next game is set, it's always interesting to see how the oddsmakers stack the teams. Following Miami's big win over Texas A&M, the oddsmakers weren't moved as FanDuel Sportsbook made the Buckeyes 10.5 point favorites with their initial line for the game. In a clash between two loaded defenses, the points total was set at just 41.5 points.
All odds are subject to change
While the Hurricanes just went on the road and won a big game, the oddsmakers still aren't showing a ton of faith in this team. Given the offensive performance we just saw paired with how good Ohio State's defense is, it will likely be hard for Mario Cristobal's team.
The biggest concern for Ohio State should be the fact that it will be close to a month since they last played. The Buckeyes demolished an Oregon team who suffered from the same layoff last season with their bye so Ryan Day needs to find a way to overcome his team coming out sloppy.
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.