Even before facing each other on the field, Miami already began playing mind games off it against Ohio State. After a remarkable 10-3 win against Texas A&M, Mario Cristobal’s squad looks to repeat that. That momentum is giving confidence to Miami’s legendary wide receiver Michael Irvin as he takes a blunt take at Ohio State before the game.

“At offensive and defensive line, Ohio State’s never seen anything like what we have,” Michael Irvin said on Wake Up Barstool. Then host Dave Portnoy chimed in “So what do you say to a guy like me? I’m rooting for Miami, but I say I don’t trust Carson Beck as far as I can bowl him. I think he’s going to throw two to three interceptions in the game and be the difference.” Irvin was quick to respond, “I trust him totally. I trust him totally because I’ve been with him all year.”

Ohio State enters the Cotton Bowl game with the most talented roster in the country, with players like Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs, and Jeremiah Smith. But their offense doesn’t seem to find momentum against the top defenses. They scored just 12 points per game against the top 20 defenses of Texas and Indiana. Whereas Miami’s defense ranks No. 6 nationally as per ESPN’s FPI, placing them between Texas and Indiana, making it the second-best defense Ohio State will face this season.

Michael Irvin’s confidence comes from Miami’s exceptional showing against the Aggies, where they hold an offense averaging 36.3 points per game to just three points while recording seven sacks, nine tackles for loss, and three turnovers. On top of it, Miami’s pass rush, led by Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr., generated 28 quarterback pressures in that game.

Even their offense looks strong under quarterback Carson Beck as he avoided his turnovers by not throwing a single interception against Texas A&M. He completed 70% of his passes. And he also had back-to-back completions in the first drive of the second half to wide receivers Keelan Marion and CJ Daniels.

Well, Michael Irvin isn’t new to controversy and trash talk, as back in September on ESPN’s First Take, after the Cowboys’ 40-40 tie with the Green Bay Packers, he unleashed a furious rant over game clock management. He targeted the clock operator about the last play in overtime when QB Jordan Love threw an incomplete pass near the end zone. The game clock should have run out, but it stops with one second left. That extra second gave the Packers a chance to kick a field goal and tie the game.

“Wait a minute. Let me start with this joker!” Irvin said on air. “Who the hell ran that clock last night?!”

However, with Ryan Day calling plays for the offense, things might get tough for Miami. The last time Day ran the offense full-time, Ohio State erupted for 41 points against Georgia in the 2022 Peach Bowl. With that, let’s not forget that when performing under pressure, Beck’s completion rate falls dramatically from 76.8% to 53.7%, as per PFF grades.

So, let’s wait and see if Irvin’s trash talk actually makes an impact against Ohio State. With that, Miami is ready to face Ohio State.

Mario Cristobal gets real on facing the Bucks

Miami Hurricanes rising to the playoff seemed like a dream come true moment for Mario Cristobal and his team. After carrying an underdog status for a long time, Cristobal stresses Miami’s growth that helped them to get a win against Texas A&M.

“Our messaging always takes place behind closed doors, and we like to keep it that way,” Cristobal said to the media. “But certainly, we’ve progressed a lot as a program, and these guys have worked really hard to keep earning that progress, and now we find ourselves with an opportunity here in the College Football Playoff. So, we’re really excited about that opportunity.”

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Ohio State enters the game as a 9.5-point favorite, but that underestimation fuels the Canes to make an instant impact on the field. And Cristobal recalls the SMU loss that served as a team turning point and forced them to choose growth.

“And there’s nothing more powerful than the power of choice,” Cristobal said. “So, we chose to regain our form and actually improved down the stretch and played our best football those last four weeks, and that’s where things changed. As simple as just choosing to do better.”

Now, with that mindset, do you think Miami is ready to take down Ohio State?