Miami survived, but Carson Beck didn’t silence anyone. In a playoff win defined by defense and discipline, the Hurricanes advanced while fresh questions followed their quarterback into the next round.

Despite the Aggies trailing, Kyle Field was roaring throughout the night. While that atmosphere is expected in a playoff game, it also disrupts on-field communication. The noise can limit a quarterback’s ability to call plays, forcing adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Pate said Kyle Field was ‘insanely loud’ and that Miami had to make in-game adjustments just to operate cleanly, but avoided the procedural breakdown you’d expect in that environment.

“I didn’t see any pre-snap issues, and that place was insanely loud. I talked to Miami a little bit after the game, and they were discussing changes they had to make to ensure they could function in that environment, because you could easily see five or six false starts.” Pate said on his show. “You could see a procedural mess and miscommunication. You could have seen all that being an issue, and it wasn’t, for Miami and that staff and those players deserve a ton of credit for that.”

Carson Beck completed 14 out of 20 throws for just 103 yards, which is low considering his average yardage throughout the season. He also scored one touchdown and was sacked two times. Considering the play-calling difficulties due to the loud environment, Beck and Miami would gladly take the win.

However, the job is far from finished. The win simply set up a trip to the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, a powerhouse coming off a Big Ten title appearance with just one loss all season.

How does the playoff road look for Carson Beck and Miami?

The first round was neither pretty nor impressive by any standard for the Canes, but they did enough to reach the quarterfinals. However, Ohio State is not Texas A&M. Miami now faces a far tougher challenge against one of the nation’s most complete defenses, along with a likely motivated Julian Sayin after losing out to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in the Heisman Trophy race.

Mario Cristobal’s side enters the Cotton Bowl matchup as 10-point underdogs, reflecting the gap between surviving and truly contending. That comes as no surprise, especially with the Buckeyes entering the matchup with championship expectations, aiming to become the first program to win back-to-back national titles since Georgia in 2021 and 2022.

Head coach Ryan Day’s team has suffered just one loss all season, a defeat at the hands of the Hoosiers, which left a sour taste in their mouths. If Miami is to have any chance against Ohio State, Carson Beck will need to deliver a far more productive performance and operate the offense efficiently. A repeat of the Texas A&M game would likely see the Buckeyes walk over the Canes.

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