Mario Cristobal was hyped up after his Miami Hurricanes knocked off the reigning national champions.
Following Miami’s 24-14 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday night, Cristobal praised his team’s resilience and physicality after advancing in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
“Hats off to (Ohio State), first and foremost, Coach Ryan Day and his team, awesome,” Cristobal told Scott Van Pelt on ESPN's SportsCenter. “But hats off to our guys for being some tough ass sons of b--ches.”
Mario Cristobal “hats off to our guys for being some tough ass sons of bitches” pic.twitter.com/tYwn3cod71
— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) January 1, 2026
Miami backed up the attitude with a dominant defensive showing. The Hurricanes held Ohio State to 3-of-10 on third down and limited the Buckeyes to 45 rushing yards.
OSU quarterback Julian Sayin threw two interceptions, including a 72-yard pick-six by senior defensive back Keionte Scott that shifted momentum in the second quarter.
“We pointed at was being physical and playing with relentless effort,” Cristobal said. “You’ve got to be willing to take the hits and get right back up.”
Miami quarterback Carson Beck completed 19-of-26 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown, while the Hurricanes rushed for 153 yards, capped by a late score from CharMar Brown.
Miami moved to 12-2 and validated the selection committee’s decision to include the Hurricanes as the final at-large bid. Miami will face the winner of Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Jan. 8.
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