The scoreboard at AT&T Stadium didn't lie, even if it felt like a bad dream for the thousands of fans in scarlet and gray who made the trip to Arlington. Ohio State football score: 14, Miami 24. That was it. The 2025 season, which had looked so dominant for three months, ended not with a trophy but with a thud in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Honestly, the way this one ended was kinda jarring. You’ve got a team that went 12-0 in the regular season, absolutely steamrolling Big Ten opponents and looking like a juggernaut. Then, in the span of two games—the Big Ten Championship and the Cotton Bowl—the wheels didn't just come off; they basically vaporized.
The Cotton Bowl Disaster: Breaking Down the Numbers
If you just look at the final Ohio State football score, a 10-point loss doesn't seem like a total blowout. But anyone who watched that first half knows better. Miami’s defensive line, led by Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain, lived in the Buckeyes' backfield. It was ugly.
Ohio State couldn't string together a drive longer than five plays until the very end of the second quarter.
Julian Sayin, the freshman phenom who had been surgical all year, looked human for the first time. He finished the season with 3,610 passing yards and 32 touchdowns, which is insane for a kid his age. But against Miami? He was under siege. The Hurricanes racked up three sacks in the first half alone.
By the time the Buckeyes tried to mount a "furious" fourth-quarter comeback, they were already staring at a double-digit deficit.
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- Final Score: Miami 24, Ohio State 14
- The Turning Point: A third-down conversion by Miami's CharMar Brown late in the fourth that iced the clock.
- The Stat that Hurts: Ohio State’s offense, which averaged over 33 points per game during the season, was held to its lowest output of the year.
Why the Big Ten Championship Was a Warning Sign
Before the Miami debacle, there was the Indiana game. That’s the Ohio State football score people are still arguing about in Columbus bars. A 13-10 loss to the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game.
How does a team that beats Michigan 27-9 just one week prior only manage 10 points against Indiana?
It was a defensive slugfest. Matt Patricia’s defense—yes, that Matt Patricia—actually did its job, holding Indiana to just 13 points. But the offense went cold. It was the first sign that the Buckeyes might struggle against elite, disciplined defensive units that didn't bite on the spread-option looks Brian Hartline was dialing up.
The 2025 Season: A Massive Success or a Failure?
It’s hard to call a 12-2 season a failure, but at Ohio State, the standards are different. Ryan Day is now 7 seasons in. He’s won a lot of games. But these late-season stumbles are starting to define the conversation.
Think about the highs, though. They beat Texas 14-7 in a Week 1 game that 16.1 million people watched. They shut out Wisconsin 34-0 in Madison. They held every single regular-season opponent to 16 points or less. That hasn't happened in college football since the '70s.
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Then the post-season hit.
The defense was the story for most of the year. Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles played like future first-rounders. And they were! The NFL Draft results showed just how much talent was on this roster.
Buckeye Stars in the NFL Draft
The 2026 draft reflected the 2025 roster's dominance. Emeka Egbuka went 19th to the Bucs. Donovan Jackson followed at 24. Even Will Howard, who played his part before the Sayin era truly took over, got a look in the 6th round.
But all that NFL talent couldn't fix the offensive line issues that Miami exposed. If you can't block Rueben Bain, you aren't winning a national title. Simple as that.
Misconceptions About Julian Sayin and the Offense
A lot of people wanted to blame the freshman quarterback for the playoff exit. That’s sort of the easy way out. Honestly, Sayin was the only reason they were in the position to be a No. 2 seed anyway.
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The real issue was the "slow start" syndrome.
Against Miami, the Buckeyes looked like they were running in sand for thirty minutes. By the time they adjusted the tempo, the Hurricanes had the momentum and the crowd. It’s a recurring theme. When the Buckeyes play fast, they’re unbeatable. When they get into a "chess match" with a defensive coordinator who has three weeks to prepare, they struggle.
What’s Next for Ryan Day?
The pressure isn't going away. 2026 is going to be a massive year for the program. They lose a ton of veteran leadership—guys like Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, and Denzel Burke are all gone to the pros.
But the cupboard isn't empty. Jeremiah Smith is back. He had 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman. He’s a legitimate freak of nature. If Sayin continues to develop and the offensive line gets a facelift through the transfer portal, they’ll be right back in the mix.
The 2025 Ohio State football score history shows a team that was elite but not quite "finishers."
Actionable Steps for the Offseason
- Hit the Portal for O-Line Depth: The Miami game proved that the current unit couldn't handle elite interior pressure.
- Evaluate Play-Calling Duties: There’s a lot of chatter about whether Ryan Day should hand over the keys entirely to Hartline to focus on "big picture" game management.
- Address the "Big Game" Psych: Losing back-to-back post-season games as a favorite is a trend that needs to stop before it becomes a permanent label.
The Buckeyes finished the year ranked No. 3 in the AP poll, which sounds great on paper. But in Columbus, if you aren't No. 1 at the end of January, there's work to do.