Mario Cristobal’s Miami pulled off the most significant upset in CFP history with a 24–14 win over OSU. Even though it was a festive occasion, Miami made history as the first team seeded in double digits to win a CFP game, with the coach immediately acknowledging Jimmy Johnson, a college football icon.

“Coach Johnson, this is for you, brother!” said Cristobal after the Cotton Bowl victory. “There you go! Green Tree practice field. Let’s go!”

Here, Cristobal pointed to Green Tree, Miami’s outdoor practice field, as the secret sauce. All season long, the Canes honed their skills there, and now it paid off in a big way. While Green Tree helped fuel two massive CFP wins, first over Texas A&M, then Ohio State, Cristobal hasn’t forgotten Johnson’s impact on his life and on Miami’s program.

Jimmy Johnson coached the Hurricanes from 1984 to 1988, bringing Miami a national title in 1987 before leaving for the Dallas Cowboys. Now, while the ACC Network did capture that moment between the current head coach and the former one, they captioned it perfectly.

With the win against OSU, while the Hurricanes have advanced to the CFP semifinal, they are just two wins away from their first national title since 2001. Now, with their dominance in the first two rounds, they look ready for a tough fight. But OSU’s performance on New Year’s Eve added to a growing curse, continuing their losing streak on that date.

The Buckeyes also have two other New Year’s Eve losses in recent history: in the 2016 season at the Fiesta Bowl, they lost to Clemson 31–0, and in the 2022 season at the Peach Bowl, they fell to Georgia 42–41. Now, their loss in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, against the Hurricanes only amplified that streak.

While credit also goes to the 82-year-old, there’s a good reason for it. Cristobal’s journey with Miami began under the guidance of this former Hurricanes head coach.

“He (Jimmy Johnson) changed our lives. My brother and I,” mentioned Cristobal in the post-game conference.

Johnson recruited both Mario Cristobal and his older brother, Lou. Although Mario enrolled after Johnson left for the Cowboys, the Cristobal family still takes pride because Johnson offered both brothers scholarships.

“Fast forward, man, you know, almost 40 years later, and he’s out there on the sidelines supporting us. He set such a high standard,” added Mario Cristobal. “So, really proud that this team is making him proud. Also, the first thing he says is, ‘Let’s keep getting better.'”

Though Johnson’s presence on the sideline for the Cotton Bowl made the victory memorable, Cristobal recognizes that progress is the only way to achieve the ultimate goal. But their dominance of the Buckeyes is really turning heads.

Mario Cristobal’s Miami is nearly making history

Miami shocked the CFB world on New Year’s Eve, pulling off the most significant upset in CFP history. Miami entered the game as a 9.5-point underdog, making their victory even more stunning.

Over the years, the biggest playoff upsets had been relatively minor, such as Ohio State beating Alabama as a 7.5-point underdog in 2015, but Miami rewrote the record books.

Against OSU, the Hurricanes set the tone early, racing to a 14–0 halftime lead. While a pick-six by Keionte Scott flipped the game on its head just as OSU looked poised to tie, Miami’s power run game, led by Mark Fletcher and CharMar Brown, sealed the deal in the second half.

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While clever clock management left the Buckeyes with little chance to mount a comeback, a late interception by Julian Sayin ended any hope of an Ohio State rally. Moreover, the win also extended a bizarre streak.

Teams with first-round byes in the CFP have struggled, and Ohio State became the fifth straight to fall.

Less than a month after sneaking into the playoffs over Notre Dame, Miami now awaits the winner of Georgia vs. Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, setting up a showdown that could see QB Carson Beck face his former team.