Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson isn't pretending his unit was a well-oiled machine in the Hurricanes' 10-3 win over Texas A&M. But with Miami headed to the Cotton Bowl to face Ohio State, he also isn't buying the idea that the Hurricanes' first-round performance was some kind of fake win while other low-scoring results are graded differently.
Speaking during Miami's CFP media availability, Dawson fired back at the criticism that followed Miami's defensive battle against the Aggies, pointing to Ohio State's most recent game as a comparison.
"They didn't win their last game. How many points did they score? I mean, Indiana won 13-10, and nobody is saying anything about that. That's just a great win by them, you know? It's an unbelievable win by them. We win 10-3, and it's like, the win sucks. We really lost. I don't buy into that. I don't pay attention to idiots, so it doesn't matter."Miami OC Shannon Dawson
Shannon Dawson responds to the narrative surrounding Miami’s Offense after only scoring 10 points against Texas A&M. pic.twitter.com/Fwwr9JdYTp
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Shannon Dawson calls out double standard ahead of Cotton Bowl
Ohio State's last game was a 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. Indiana's win was celebrated as program-defining, and rightly so, as it delivered the Hoosiers a conference title.
Miami's last game, meanwhile, was its CFP debut, a 10-3 win at Kyle Field that looked ugly at times but still accomplished the only thing that matters: survive and advance. The Hurricanes held Texas A&M without an offensive touchdown for the first time all season, sacked quarterback Marcel Reed seven times, and got the winning score on Malachi Toney's 11-yard touchdown with less than two minutes left.
The conditions mattered too, with swirling wind that impacted the passing and kicking games and forced Miami to live and die by the run game.
Dawson's frustration comes from the evaluations changing depending on the logo. Indiana wins 13-10 over Ohio State and it's a gutsy, big-boy game that proves the Hoosiers belong — and the Buckeyes also walk out with a tough guy title. Miami wins 10-3 in its playoff debut on the road, and Dawson feels like the reaction is closer to "Miami clearly doesn't have enough to compete beyond that game."
None of this is Dawson claiming Miami can stroll into the Cotton Bowl and win with 10 points again. Ohio State is the defending national champion and it is built to make low-scoring games miserable for opponents. But, Miami's offense should get more credit.