If there’s one mismatch in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, most would state that it’s the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. the Miami Hurricanes. On paper, it may seem like the Buckeyes are easily going through as they attempt to bounce back after their loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. However, the Hurricanes’ head coach, Mario Cristobal is trying out some pre game tactics. In fact, what he is doing can be indirectly referred to as what Nick Saban would call “rat poison.”

Rat poison is basically a term for excessive hype or praise from the media and fans that can make a team overconfident.

Even though, it feels good to hear how great you are, it could destroy a team’s focus and discipline before big games. Teams like Alabama have fallen victim to this in the past. Nick Saban coined this term so Alabama could eliminate external influences and avoid the mental trap.

Cristobal wasted no time piling on the compliments. He started by praising college football’s best athlete, Jeremiah Smith:

“He’s an NFL prototype player right now and probably was last year,” Cristobal said. “He and the entire receiving corps pose those types of challenges. Big, explosive, fast, create separation, beat man coverage, find the soft spots in zone, great blockers in the run game, play hard the entire game.”

And to be fair, everything he said is true. Jeremiah Smith already looks like a Sunday player and nearly won the Biletnikoff Award. With Ryan Day back to calling plays, you can expect Smith’s playoff numbers to skyrocket, as Day tends to lean into a more aggressive, pass-first approach.

He even doubled down on rat poison praise with Julian Sayin: “Very poised, accurate, buys time, great pocket presence, great decision maker, knows exactly where to go with the ball,” Cristobal said. “Obviously, he’s very much in command of the system, doesn’t get frazzled, has shined in big moments.” (Ohio State insider Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors reported on X).

Again, earned praise.

In his first year as a starter, the redshirt freshman dominated, leading the nation in completion percentage (an NCAA-record 78.4%) and passer rating while throwing 31 touchdowns. The former Nick Saban-recruited quarterback finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

With that being said, the last thing Julian Sayin or Jeremiah Smith and that receiving corps need to do is watch Mario Cristobal’s press conference and get comfortable.

Cristobal may be pouring rat poison without realizing it, and the Buckeyes could consume it without knowing. That, unfortunately, could be the downfall of Ohio State. College football is as much a psychological battle as it is a physical one.

Still, if we go band for band, does Miami actually have any chance of beating the Buckeyes?

Miami’s legitimate shot against the Buckeyes

When it comes to the playoff game against the Buckeyes, most people don’t give the Miami Hurricanes much of a chance. The analysts and betting markets are all heavily favoring Ohio State. Right now, the Buckeyes are a 10-point favorite.

Most projection models give Ohio State about a 70% to 73% chance of taking the win next weekend. But does that mean the Canes have no shot? Not exactly.

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Miami’s best shot lies entirely with its defense, which is really tough up front. They have some great pass rushers, like Rueben Bain Jr., who can cause serious problems for Ohio State’s O-line.

Additionally, their defense has been performing well since their loss to Louisville in the regular season. They carried that roster to the first round, manhandled and shut down the Texas A&M Aggies’ offense. That too at College Station, in front of the 12th man.

Well, here’s where the problem lies for Mario Cristobal. Ohio State’s defense is actually even better, ranked number one in the country in almost every defensive statistic. On top of that, it’s common knowledge that the Buckeyes’ offense is simply better than Miami’s.

That’s why most experts would say Ohio State will eventually break down Miami’s defense in the third quarter and win this one comfortably.