Ohio State's Jayden Fielding is one of the most accurate kickers in Big Ten history, but you wouldn't have known that from surveying the Buckeye state after Dec. 6.
During the No. 1 Buckeyes' much-anticipated Big Ten championship showdown against No. 2 Indiana, Fielding drained a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter but bricked a 27-yarder that would've tied the game. The miss caused much soul searching within Ohio State's special-teams room, and afterward Fielding said he received ugly harassment.
On Tuesday, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said Fielding will start the Cotton Bowl against Miami Wednesday evening.
"We'll keep a close eye on it but we're going to go with Jayden to start the game," Day said.
Ryan Day says Jayden Fielding will start at kicker for Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl- his last kick being a miss in the Big Ten Championship Game against Indiana pic.twitter.com/KVRwnwSQqd
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 30, 2025
Fielding has made 45 of his 56 career field-goal attempts, an 80.4% clip that trails only two-time All-American Mike Nugent among Ohio State kickers all-time. This season, 2025, has been his most accurate.
However, kicking is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business. Fielding's miss against the Hoosiers will be held against him until he redeems himself; after flubbing two attempts against Michigan last year, he nailed two field goals against Oregon in the Rose Bowl and two more—including the de facto clincher—against Notre Dame in the national championship.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ryan Day Names Ohio State Kicker for Cotton Bowl After Costly Big Ten Title Miss.
