Ohio State overwhelms Oregon to win the Rose Bowl and secure a matchup against Texas in the College Football Playoff

On By Littum

No one can stand in Ohio State’s way if the Buckeyes keep playing like this.

The No. 8 Buckeyes absolutely shut down No. 1 Oregon in the first half en route to a 41-21 Rose Bowl victory Wednesday, earning a matchup with No. 5 Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Ohio State led 31-0 midway through the second quarter as Oregon was simply outmatched. It was a remarkable sight; Oregon was the only team in college football to finish the regular season without a loss and beat three playoff teams — including Ohio State in October — en route to a Big Ten title.

But the Buckeyes’ offense continued the masterful form it found over a week ago against Tennessee in the first round. And freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was a big reason why. Smith took a short pass on the third play of the game for a 45-yard TD and a 7-0 lead just a minute later.

The lead was quickly two touchdowns when Emeka Egbuka made a great catch between two defenders midway through the first quarter.

And Smith gave Ohio State a 24-0 lead less than five minutes into the second quarter when he somehow found himself wide open near the end zone for a 43-yard TD. Oregon’s defense was confused as soon as Ohio State went into motion at the snap, leading to Smith being passed to a safety all alone in the middle of the field. It didn’t work so well. Just look at how far Oregon’s defenders were from him.

Smith warned during the week that Ohio State would take shots at Oregon’s defense if it saw man coverage. That TD came against a zone look, but Smith also beat man coverage many times. He was nearly unstoppable and has a claim to be the best wide receiver in the country despite playing high school football just 12 months ago.

And if Oregon didn’t have enough trouble trying to defend Ohio State’s passing game, the Buckeyes also cut through the Ducks on the ground. TreVeyon Henderson made it 31-0 when he rushed 66 yards for a score. Henderson’s TD came with 8:47 left in the second quarter.

While Ohio State racked up yards and points, Oregon was stuck in the mud offensively. The Ducks had 139 yards of offense in the first half, and 75 of those came on the final drive of the second quarter when Oregon got a TD just before halftime.

The Ducks also found themselves shorthanded in the first half. Leading rusher Jordan James went to the locker room and was unable to return, while WR Evan Stewart was unable to play after suffering an apparent injury in pregame warmups. Leading receiver Tez Johnson, who missed time late in the season with a shoulder injury, was also seen on the sideline receiving treatment in the second quarter.

Ohio State had 390 total yards at halftime. QB Will Howard threw for 269 yards in the first 30 minutes, going 11-of-18 with three scores. It was the best half of football Howard had played in an Ohio State uniform and more than made up for his late wear as time expired during the Buckeyes’ 32-31 loss in Eugene.

Oregon flirted with making it a game with a TD to start the third quarter, cutting the lead to 34-15, followed by a stop by the Buckeyes on their first possession. But Ohio State’s defense stepped up and Henderson’s second TD of the day with 2:19 left in the third made the rest of the game a formality.

The Ohio State defense finished with seven sacks of Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks finished with minus-7 rushing yards.

Ohio State finds itself in the Cotton Bowl for the second straight season. And this time the efforts are very different. A year ago, Ohio State’s playoff hopes were dashed with a loss to Michigan at the end of the regular season. When Michigan won the Big Ten and went on to win the national title, Ohio State missed out on the four-team College Football Playoff altogether and instead went to the Cotton Bowl, where it lost 14-3 to Missouri.

The performance in that game after the loss to Michigan was the impetus for the push for 2024. Before the bowl game, 2023 starter Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal, and the inept offensive showing in Dallas made it clear that Ohio State needed a new quarterback at list for 2024.

Howard became that guy after transferring from Kansas State. The Buckeyes added Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins and Alabama DB Caleb Downs while bringing back most of a defense that was one of the best in college football. Throw in the addition of Smith as a five-star recruit, and you can understand why the Buckeyes were favored to win the national championship before the season began.

But Ohio State hasn’t looked like this tumor until now. The regular season was filled with far too much inconsistency — and the pesky losses to Oregon and Michigan — to see the Buckeyes as many did before the season. But we now have two postseason games to prove why Ohio State might be the best team in the country. And the Buckeyes need two more wins to stake that claim.