College football has a long memory, and on New Year’s Eve, it came full circle.

More than two decades after Miami Hurricanes were on the wrong side of one of the most painful upsets in the old BCS era, the program authored a moment that will live forever in the modern playoff age. As fireworks cracked the Dallas sky, the No. 10 Hurricanes stunned No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 24–14 in the Cotton Bowl, delivering the largest upset in College Football Playoff history.

Miami entered as a 9.5-point underdog. They left as history-makers.

Before Wednesday night, the benchmark for CFP shockwaves was Ohio State’s own win over Alabama as a 7.5-point underdog back in 2015. This one went further. It was louder. And for the Buckeyes, it hurt more — because it came with everything on the line.

A first half Ohio State won’t forget

The warning signs were there early. Miami struck first, setting a physical tone that felt uncomfortable for a Buckeyes team accustomed to dictating games. But the defining moment came just as Ohio State appeared ready to steady itself.

With the Buckeyes driving and momentum beginning to shift, defensive back Keionte Scott jumped a pass and sprinted untouched for a pick-six. Instead of a tie game, Miami went into halftime with a stunning 14–0 lead — and Ohio State staring at a mountain they never quite climbed.

It was the kind of play that flips a postseason narrative instantly. One second, the favorite is breathing again. The next, the underdog owns the night.

Miami closes it the old-school way

Ohio State did show life after the break. The offense finally found rhythm, trimming the margin and forcing Miami to answer. And answer they did — not with flash, but with force.

Behind a relentless power run game, Miami leaned on Mark Fletcher and CharMar Brown, pounding the Buckeyes late when everyone in the stadium knew what was coming. Six straight plays. Five runs. One defense slowly breaking.

A short screen to CJ Daniels pushed the Hurricanes inside the Ohio State 10-yard line with under two minutes remaining. With the Buckeyes down to a single timeout, Miami held the script.

Ohio State, desperate for clock, appeared to allow Brown to score with 55 seconds left. The touchdown made it a 10-point game — but the gamble backfired immediately. On the ensuing possession, quarterback Julian Sayin threw an interception with 43 seconds remaining, sealing the upset and sending the Hurricanes into celebration mode.

The bye curse lives on

If there’s a cruel twist to the modern CFP, Ohio State just reinforced it. Teams with first-round byes in the expanded 12-team playoff are now 0–5. A year ago, all four bye teams lost. This season, the Buckeyes became the biggest favorite yet to fall.

The irony runs deep. The last time a favorite this large lost a postseason game was January 2003 — when Miami entered as an 11.5-point favorite against Ohio State in the BCS title game. That night, the Buckeyes won 31–24 in double overtime.

Wednesday night, history flipped jerseys.

What’s next for Miami — and a familiar storyline

Less than a month after sneaking into the playoff field ahead of Notre Dame in the final rankings, Miami now awaits the winner of Georgia Bulldogs vs Ole Miss Rebels in the Sugar Bowl, with a semifinal date set at the Fiesta Bowl on January 8.

There’s a delicious subplot, too. Miami quarterback Carson Beck transferred from Georgia after suffering an elbow injury late in the 2024 season. A showdown against his former team? It’s now very much on the table.

Ohio State’s familiar questions return

For Ohio State, the loss guarantees one thing: there will be a new national champion this season. The Buckeyes had been favorites to join Georgia and Alabama as repeat champions of the 2000s. Instead, their season ended with old concerns resurfacing.

Head coach Ryan Day took back play-calling duties for the playoff after offensive coordinator Brian Hartline departed to become head coach at South Florida. The results were troubling.

Seventeen points across the last 120 minutes of football with Day calling plays is not the standard Ohio State fans expect. Even before this loss, the Buckeyes managed just 10 points in the Big Ten title game. Whether it was offensive line injuries, schematic edges uncovered by Miami and Indiana, or timing at the worst possible moment, Ohio State’s offense sputtered when it mattered most.

And in a playoff built to reward depth, adaptability, and nerve, that hesitation proved fatal.

A night that changed the CFP conversation

Miami didn’t just win a game. They reshaped how we talk about playoff favorites, first-round byes, and the thin line between dominance and disaster.

On a night meant for countdowns and resolutions, the Hurricanes delivered a reminder college football never gets old: no spread is safe, no crown is permanent, and sometimes, the loudest statements come from the teams nobody expected to still be standing.