Miami football’s Mario Cristobal shows Jimmy Johnson love after beating Ohio State

The No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes have done it, and Mario Cristobal surely deserves all the praise for successfully steering the Canes to a 24-14 victory over the No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

But Cristobal was also quick to show love to legendary football coach Jimmy Johnson, who was in attendance to watch his former team take on the Buckeyes.

While doing a postgame interview on the field, Cristobal spotted Johnson and acknowledged the 82-year-old College Football and Pro Football Hall of Famer.

You can watch the incredible interaction between them here:

Mario Cristobal shouting out Jimmy Johnson after the game @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/ZZyPbGN10E

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 1, 2026

Johnson and everyone rooting for Miami football certainly loved how it all went down in the Cotton Bowl.

The Hurricanes’ defense stepped up big time. Ohio State failed to score in the first two quarters of the contest

. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 287 passing yards and a touchdown on 22-of-35 completions, but also got picked off twice, including one that the Hurricanes turned into a pick-six by defensive back Keionte Scott in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Miami football quarterback Carson Beck did not have flashy numbers either, but he was steady and did not turn the ball over, finishing with 138 passing yards and a touchdown on 19-of-26 pass completions.

Miami has now taken two teams down in the College Football Playoff, as the Canes defeated the No. 7 seed Texas A&M Aggies on Dec. 20 in the first round, 10-3.

Up next for the Hurricanes is a matchup against the winner of this Thursday’s showdown between the No. 6 seed Ole Miss Rebels and the No. 3 seed Georgia Bulldogs.

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