PASADENA, California – It was supposed to be the most anticipated game of the College Football Playoff yet.
It was difficult to see.
It was supposed to be a quarterfinal clash worthy of the national title game.
It turned out to be a beating.
Ohio State roared into the College Football Playoff semifinals with a show of strength that should solidify the Buckeyes as the favorites to hoist the trophy in Atlanta in less than three weeks. They throttled undefeated top-seeded Oregon in the Rose Bowl, avenging an earlier one-point Big Ten loss to the Ducks in a late-October instant classic.
The final score of 41-21 barely gives an idea of the magnitude of Wednesday night’s carnage. It was 7-0 when most viewers switched from the end of the Peach Bowl. It was 14-0 when Oregon recorded a first down. It was 34-0 when the Ducks’ powerful offense finally crossed midfield for the first time.
Three times, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning called Ohio State a “great team” during his opening remarks to reporters after Wednesday’s game. He added that the Buckeyes are “a team that has the ability to win it all” if they play like they did against the Ducks.
“They were clicking on all cylinders,” Lanning said. “We didn’t have the ability to stop them and we didn’t have the ability to do anything offensively. “We haven’t faced many moments like that this season.”
As Oregon (13-1) comes to terms with another sensational season that fell short of the program’s first national title, Ohio State returns to Columbus with, as head coach Ryan Day put it, “a lot more football to play.” The Buckeyes will face Texas in the semifinals with a spot in the national title game at stake.
“We believe that when we perform at a high level, we can play with any other team in the country,” Day said.
Ohio State being one of the last four college football teams standing is equal parts predictable and surreal. After all, it was just a month ago that the Buckeyes suffered a loss that shook the program to its foundation.
Michigan came to Columbus as a 20.5-point underdog and emerged with a stunning 13-10 upset. The five-loss Wolverines extended their winning streak to four in a row in the rivalry despite passing for just 62 yards in the entire game.
As the final seconds ticked away, chants of “F*** Ryan Day” rained down from the stands of The Horseshoe. Day’s future remained a topic of intense speculation that athletic director Ross Bjork felt compelled to address, telling reporters he was “absolutely” confident Day would return in 2025.
In the three weeks between Michigan’s loss and Ohio State’s College Football Playoff opener against Tennessee, Day says he met with his team to emphasize the opportunity the Buckeyes still had in front of them. He admitted that the way Ohio State advanced to the postseason “wasn’t what we expected, it wasn’t what we planned,” but he also reminded the Buckeyes that their goal of winning a national title was still achievable.
“These guys are resilient,” Day said. “We’re in a place where you can hear a lot of noise, but they didn’t do that.”
The biggest change since the Michigan game, according to Day, is a renewed focus on the small details, on players doing their jobs, being situationally aware and executing the game plan. That was evident in Ohio State’s opening touchdown, a 45-yard catch and run by sublimely talented freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Everything about the play was perfect, from quarterback Will Howard getting the entire Oregon defense flowing in the wrong direction by faking a handoff, to Smith running a precise route and other receivers holding their blocks down the field. The result was Smith dancing into the end zone with his finger pressed to his lips to silence the Oregon crowd.
The other area Ohio State appears to have improved in since the Michigan game is finding creative ways to get its group of playmakers more involved. Smith had just two second-half targets against Michigan and 35 receiving yards in the game. On Wednesday, against Oregon, Smith had five catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns with more than 10 minutes left in the second quarter. He finished the day with seven grabs for 187 yards.
“He’s strong and attacks the ball in the air as well as any receiver I’ve ever seen,” Lanning said. “The kid is ready for the NFL. “He is that talented, that special.”
On offense, Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was aggressive and creative in putting the ball in the hands of Smith and his standout receiver Emeka Egbuka. On defense, the Buckeyes constantly pressured Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, sacking him eight times and forcing numerous other hurried throws.
The result was brilliant for Ohio State fans. Not so much for neutral viewers expecting a compelling game.
Oregon had a brief flash of life, scoring a touchdown and a two-point conversion before halftime and then opened the second half with another scoring drive. Oregon linemen waved towels and ran behind their bench cheering the crowd on. Ducks fans responded with a “Go Ducks” chant. You could feel social media users searching for the famous GIF of the The undertaker emerging from his coffin.
It wasn’t like that. Ohio State sacked Gabriel twice on Oregon’s next possession to force a three-pointer and then put the game away for good with a six-play, 56-yard touchdown drive.
When asked how Ohio State has improved since the Michigan loss, Lanning said simply, “Sometimes it’s not your day.”
“Today was not our day,” Lanning continued. “It wasn’t their day against Michigan. But what’s unique about college football right now is that you have to play your best ball at the end. I think anyone who watches Ohio State recognizes that they are playing very good football right now.”