The Miami Hurricanes (11-2, No. 10 CFP) head into the Cotton Bowl Classic as underdogs against the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1, No. 2 CFP), listed about 9.5 points behind in most books. Despite the spread favoring Ohio State, the Canes have momentum and defensive strength t hat make Miami a live dog. Miami’s defense has tightened significantly over the last half of the season, highlighted by their gritty 10-3 win over Texas AM in the first round of the College Football Playoff, where they forced stops even against a top-tier offense. The depth and discipline on that side of the ball should allow the Canes to stay competitive in a game expected to be low-scoring and tight throughout. ...read more read less