Miami football gets another chance for top 25 win vs. OK State in Cheez-it bowl
The Miami football team has a chance to finish the 2021 season with a victory over a top 25 team when they play number 21 Oklahoma State in the Cheez-it Bowl in Orlando on December 29.
The Miami football team will have a chance to finish with its best record since 2003 when they play in the Cheeze-it Bowl on December 29 against number 21 Oklahoma State. A victory would give Miami a 9-2 record which would be its best winning percentage since finishing the 2003 season 11-2.
The game against the Cowboys gives Miami a chance to finish the 2020 season with a victory against a ranked team. Miami defeated then number 18 Louisville in September and have a victory over North Carolina State who finished the regular season ranked 23rd in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Miami has losses this season to number two Clemson and number 13 North Carolina. Miami will return to Orlando to the site of their last bowl victory. Miami defeated West Virginia 31-14 in the 2016 Champs Sports Bowl which is the same game as the now Cheez-It Bowl. That was the only Miami bowl victory since 2006.
Oklahoma State finished the regular season 7-3 which like Miami is their best record since 2017. The Cowboys lost to Texas A&M in the 2019 Texas Bowl which ended a three-game bowl winning streak. Miami defeated Oklahoma State 40-3 in their only meeting in 1991 during the Hurricanes fourth National Championship season.
The biggest win for Oklahoma State this season was over Iowa State who won the Big XII in the regular season, finished 8-3 and ranked 10th in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Cowboys three losses were to Oklahoma, Texas and TCU. Miami and OK State have had similar seasons.
Miami and Oklahoma State share the legend of Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson. Johnson was 29-25-3 from 1979-1983 at Oklahoma State and 52-9 at Miami from 1984-88 before leaving for the Dallas Cowboys where he won two Superbowls.