Should Ohio State Buckeyes fans be worried that head coach Ryan Day is suddenly back in charge of calling plays as first-year offensive coordinator Brian Hartline juggles both his Buckeyes duties and his new role as South Florida head coach? After all, Ohio State could never win the biggest games until Chip Kelly took over the Buckeyes’ play-calling last year.
Against the Miami Hurricanes’ pass rush, Day’s conservative nature could be a worry. Then again, my Miami vs. Ohio State props see possible Cotton Bowl value in Day’s conservative nature.
For further analysis of this CFP Quarterfinal, check out Andrew Caley's Miami vs. Ohio State predictions.
Miami vs Ohio State props for the Cotton Bowl Classic
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Julian Sayin |
Under 236.5 passing yards | -114 |
| Bo Jackson |
80+ rushing yards | +118 |
 Malachi Toney |
Anytime TD | +180 |
Julian Sayin Under 236.5 passing yards
It is not solely Ryan Day’s conservative nature that should discourage you from believing in Ohio State Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin in the Cotton Bowl. It is also the Miami Hurricanes' pass rush.
The best way to neutralize the Hurricanes’ dynamic defensive ends will be to run the ball.
Sayin is certainly capable of clearing this prop. He did so even in the pedestrian Big Ten title game, throwing for 258 yards in a 13-10 slog. But Sayin fell short of this number in the three games prior to that, as well as against perhaps the two best teams Ohio State faced in the regular season, Texas and Illinois.
Do not be surprised at all if Day opens up cautiously on Wednesday night, just as the Buckeyes did to open the season against Texas. And do not be surprised at all if Day keeps Sayin under wraps for longer than expected to minimize the damage against Akheem Meisdor and Rueben Bain.
Bo Jackson 80+ rushing yards
If Ohio State is likely to take the ball out of Julian Sayin’s hands, then it is also likely to emphasize freshman running back Bo Jackson. He has become the quiet engine behind the Buckeyes’ offense since the start of November.
In five of Ohio State’s last six games, Jackson has rushed for at least 80 yards, three of them cracking 100 yards. The sole exception still featured 75 rushing yards in a blowout at Purdue.
Miami is plenty good against the run, ranking No. 7 in expected points added (EPA) per rush against, according to CFB-graphs.com. But emphasizing Jackson will fit both the Buckeyes’ clearest successes of late as well as Ryan Day’s usual preferences.
Malachi Toney anytime TD
This does not need to be complicated. Malachi Toney has scored in each of the last four games, Miami’s most important games of the season, as well as in six of the Hurricanes’ last nine contests.
Even at Texas A&M against a Top-10 passing defense, Toney found the end zone on a jet sweep. Miami knows it needs to get the ball to its best player.
The Hurricanes will find a way to include Toney no matter how the Buckeyes defend him.
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