Alex Bauman is about to play the biggest contest of his career in the same game where he had his biggest individual moment.
As a freshman, the Red Bank Catholic grad made the game-winning touchdown catch with nine seconds remaining to give Tulane a 46-45 victory over USC in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.
On New Year’s Eve, Bauman and 10th-seeded Miami University meet 2nd-seeded, defending national champion Ohio State in the second round of the College Football Playoffs, which also doubles as the Cotton Bowl Classic (each playoff quarterfinal is a bowl game).
“It’s really full-circle moment,” said Bauman, the Hurricanes tight end. “Obviously with the history it’s really exciting. At the same time, I’m with a different team and we have a different mindset, but with the same goal of winning the game. As great as the Cotton Bowl with Tulane was, we’re dealing with what we need to do to beat the Buckeyes.”
Alex Bauman looks for running room after making a catch against Texas A&M in a College Football Playoff first-round game, won by Miami 10-3. Photo from Instagram
The senior doesn’t dwell on his historic catch at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.; saying he will enjoy it after his football career finishes. But he did admit that after the excitement of upsetting 7th-seeded Texas A&M in a first-round playoff game subsided, it hit him that he was returning to the site of his heroics.
“It took a little bit; we were celebrating in the locker room and it was mentioned at some point, friends on my team said we’re going to the Cotton Bowl,” Bauman said. “It’s just a crazy experience. So many things had to happen for that to happen. It could have been the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, whatever. So for it to lineup like that is pretty crazy. It’s awesome.”
Awesome is the best way to describe Bauman’s experience in south Florida. He transferred after last season to a program known for great tight ends; and wanted to compete against top-flight players and play nationally ranked teams. The former Casey became an integral part of Miami’s running game with his blocking, and its passing game with 15 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.
With every game potentially his last, Bauman is cherishing it all – waking up for practice, pre-practice treatment, every rep.
“Just the littlest things mean a lot,” he said. “I’m trying to take it day by day, hour by hour and just enjoy. It doesn’t last forever.”
But his memories of this season will last that long.
“It’s been everything I hoped for and more,” Bauman said. “Miami has a big brand, so people make us their Super Bowl. People will give you their best. Every single game is a big game, that makes you a better competitor, a better teammate, a better football player in general. That’s one part that I didn’t factor in when I transferred. It’s awesome.”
The Hurricanes opened the season with a huge win over Notre Dame, which would become a key factor in their making the playoffs. A 5-0 start looked like it would go off the rails when Miami lost two of three. But the Canes (11-2) have won five straight since an Oct. 13 setback to Southern Methodist.
“The biggest message throughout the season was ‘What are you gonna do when you face adversity? Are you gonna back down or are you gonna stand up to it and get the job done?’” Bauman said. “We were down after that loss to SMU. We knew we had to do something good. We still had a shot at the playoffs; we had a lot left to prove and we did it. That’s a testament to our coaches and the discipline and the culture we have.”
It got them a first-round date at A&M, whose student section “The 12th Man” is legendary. Battling in front of 110,000 frenzied fans, Bauman called it the best road environment he ever played in.
“Their whole 12th Man thing, they were rocking the whole game,” he said. “It was really unbelievable. I never played in front of a crowd that big. The first play of the game you can’t hear in the huddle. You really got to lock in and basically look at what the quarterback (Carson Beck) is saying instead of trying to hear what he’s saying. You have to read his lips.”
With the Aggies driving, Bryce Fitzgerald’s second interception of the game clinched the win. Bauman said the Hurricanes were not surprised at their upset, as they felt they passed some strict tests throughout the season.
Their toughest one is coming up next, but Miami doesn’t worry about the other team’s jersey or reputation.
“It’s all about us,” Bauman said. “If we play the best football we can play, we’re gonna beat any team in the country. For us it’s a nameless, faceless opponent. We’ve been having a good week of practice. We just got to keep continuing that and work hard and play our game.”
Bauman feels Ohio State’s defense is comparable to Notre Dame but, with a bevy of potential first-round draft picks, it will be the toughest unit Miami’s offense sees this year.
“We’re going to have to take that challenge for us to be able to run the ball, that’s what opens up the passing game,” Bauman said. “We take pride in that and we’ll try and get after it.
“It’s pretty exciting. We’re pretty amped. We had Christmas day off so we relaxed and went out for dinner. It’s a tight-knit group.”