Watching the clock bleed out at AT&T Stadium on December 31 felt surreal for anyone wearing scarlet and gray. After a regular season that basically looked like a video game on "Rookie" mode, the Buckeyes finally hit a wall. A big, fast, orange-and-green wall.
The Ohio State game stats from that 24-14 loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl tell a story that the final score barely scratches. Honestly, it was a weird night in Arlington. We’re talking about a team that averaged nearly 38 points a game suddenly looking like they were stuck in mud.
If you just looked at the total yardage—332 for Ohio State and 291 for Miami—you’d think the Buckeyes won. But college football doesn't work that way. Stats can be liars, and this game was a masterclass in how to outgain an opponent and still lose by double digits.
The Quarterback Pressure that Broke the Rhythm
Julian Sayin has been the golden boy all year. He finished the season with 3,610 passing yards and 32 touchdowns, which is wild for a young guy. But against Miami, the protection just evaporated. Sayin was under fire from the first whistle.
The Hurricanes didn't just sack him five times; they rattled him. You could see it in the way he was bailing out of the pocket early. Even though he managed to throw for 287 yards, the efficiency wasn't there. He went 19-of-26, which looks okay on paper, but a massive chunk of those yards came from Jeremiah Smith just being a superhero on 50/50 balls.
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Speaking of Smith, the kid is a freak of nature. He hauled in 7 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown. Without him, this game is a blowout by the third quarter. But one receiver, no matter how talented, can't fix a run game that completely disappeared when it mattered most.
The Disappearing Run Game
This is where the Ohio State game stats get truly ugly.
- Total Rushing Yards: 45
- Rushing Average: 1.9 yards per carry
- Bo Jackson’s output: 11 carries for 55 yards (with a long run making up most of that)
You simply cannot win playoff games in the modern era when you're netting less than two yards every time you hand the ball off. Miami’s defensive front played with a chip on their shoulder that the Buckeyes' offensive line couldn't match. It’s a bitter pill to swallow after seeing this team rush for over 200 yards against Rutgers and UCLA just a few weeks prior.
Why the Big Ten Championship Loss Was a Warning Sign
Looking back, we probably should have seen the Cotton Bowl struggle coming. The Big Ten Championship game against Indiana was a 13-10 defensive slugfest that felt like Big Ten football from 1924.
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In that game, the Buckeyes only managed 58 rushing yards. See a pattern? Indiana's defense, much like Miami’s later, realized that if you take away the easy yards for Bo Jackson and force Julian Sayin to win the game under constant duress, the Ohio State engine starts to sputter.
During that Indy loss, the Buckeyes went 4-for-13 on third downs. In the Cotton Bowl, it wasn't much better. When you can't stay on the field, your defense—as good as Sonny Styles and the boys are—eventually cracks. Sonny Styles had 85 tackles on the season, and he was flying all over the place in both post-season games, but he can't cover for an offense that keeps punting.
Defense Kept the Door Ajar
It's actually a testament to the defense that both the Indiana and Miami games stayed close as long as they did.
- Sacks: Caden Curry finished the year with 11.0 sacks.
- Scoring Defense: Before the postseason, they were basically a brick wall.
- Third Down Stops: They held Miami to a 33% conversion rate.
But the turnovers were the nail in the coffin. Two turnovers against Miami, including a back-breaking pick-six, turned a tight game into a mountain the Buckeyes couldn't climb.
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Moving Forward: Lessons from the 2025 Stats
So, what do we actually do with these numbers? If you're Ryan Day, you're looking at that offensive line first. The talent at the skill positions is undeniable—Jeremiah Smith (1,243 receiving yards) and Carnell Tate are arguably the best duo in the country. But stats don't win trophies; physicality does.
The gap between the regular season dominance (the 70-0 drubbing of Grambling or the 34-0 shutout of Wisconsin) and the postseason struggles suggests a team that thrives on momentum but struggles when the game turns into a street fight.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season:
- Rebuild the Trenches: The 1.9 yards per carry in the Cotton Bowl is a flashing red light. Expect a heavy focus on the transfer portal for experienced interior linemen.
- Diversify the Target Share: While Smith is a legend in the making, the offense became too "Smith-dependent" late in the year.
- Sayin's Development: Julian Sayin's 76.9% completion rate is elite, but he needs to work on his internal clock when the pocket collapses.
The 12-2 record is nothing to sneeze at, especially with a win over Michigan (27-9) in the books. But for a program that measures success only in gold pants and national titles, the 2025 stats serve as a blueprint for what needs to change before next September.