Mario Cristobal dropped the mic on how physical Miami was against Ohio State

Mario Cristobal is a former offensive lineman and line coach. Like most players who spent their careers in the trenches, he values toughness above all else. He understands that at times a player might not be the fastest or even the strongest on the field, but that's when physical and mental toughness can be the difference.

Miami's toughness came through in the fourth quarter in Wednesday's Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. The Buckeyes made some keen adjustments in the second half and gained almost 300 yards on offense. But it was those final 10 minutes when Miami's toughness came through. 

Toughness on offense showed up in all aspects

Whether it was the physical running of Mark Fletcher (19 carries, 90 yards) or when Carson Beck had to tuck the ball and rush or the blocking of the wide receivers when asked, Miami's offense answered the bell when toughness was needed.

Ohio State is a great team with multiple All-Americans on defense and a former Super Bowl champion making the calls. The Hurricanes knew they weren't going to get a lot on offense, but they got enough. And it was because of the guys up front, the running backs and the wide receivers playing hard-nosed with or without the football in their hands.

And a special shout out to Marty Brown, who has seen his usage drop considerably in the second half of the season. He made a big third-down catch late in the game and scored the touchdown that officially closed the door on Ohio State's season. Brown, a transfer from North Dakota State, showed the mental toughness to be ready when his number was called. 

The Hurricanes defense challenged Ohio State to punch back

We knew Miami's defensive line was going to challenge Ohio State, much like Texas and Indiana did. And, just as those teams had success, the Hurricanes did as well. The Buckeyes, however, made some adjustments and started playing downhill in the second half.

Miami spent much of the second half on its heels defensively, but the unit found its second wind after Smith's touchdown and Rueben Bain and Ahkeem Mesidor made sure that the 17-14 lead would hold. Cristobal runs his practices and conditions his team for excellence in the fourth quarter. He wants Miami to have the ability to regroup and fight when both teams are running on empty. That mentality came through Wednesday night.