Ohio State routs Oregon in College Football Playoff, advances to semifinals vs. Texas

Posted by author January 2, 2025 Football

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PASADENA, Calif. – By the time the sun set over the San Gabriel Mountains, Ohio State had little worry about the outcome of their College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Oregon.

The No. 8-seeded Buckeyes rolled to a 34-8 first-half lead in the Rose Bowl and beat No. 1 and undefeated Oregon 41-21 in front of 90,732 spectators.

Ohio State (12-2) will play Texas in the semifinals at the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10. The Longhorns survived double-overtime against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl to advance.

Ohio State’s win was sweet revenge after the Ducks‘ 32-31 victory over OSU in October at Autzen Stadium.

The Buckeyes hoped for a rematch in the Big Ten championship game. The upset loss to Michigan foiled that chance.

But whoever those impostors on Nov. 30 were, this is not the same Ohio State team. The 42-17 demolition of Tennessee in the first round at Ohio Stadium proved a mere appetizer.

Freshman Jeremiah Smith did his best Jaxon Smith-Njigba Rose Bowl impersonation by catching seven passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns.

Quarterback Will Howard, who was haunted by his split-second-late slide in the first Oregon game, completed 17 of 26 passes for 319 yards.

The defense was mostly as dominating as the offense. When Ohio State took the 34-0 lead, it had outgained Oregon 390-64.

And yes, even the kicking game came through. Jayden Fielding made 46- and 36-yard field goals in the first half.

Explosive gains broke it open early for Ohio State

The Tennessee game reversed the Buckeyes’ trend of slow starts this season, but this was a turbo-charged beginning.

It was paved with explosive plays.

Ohio State needed only three plays after getting the opening kickoff to score. A 30-yard pass to tight end Gee Scott Jr. on the first snap preceded a short pass to Smith that he turned into a 45-yard touchdown.

The Buckeyes made it 14-0 on a beautiful 42-yard pass from Howard to a well-covered Emeka Egbuka down the seam midway through the first quarter.

A 32-yard completion to Smith set up Fielding’s first field goal, and then the receiver caught a deep pass for a 43-yard touchdown for the third Buckeye touchdown.

TreVeyon Henderson then broke the longest run ever by an Ohio State player in the Rose Bowl when he got loose down the right sideline for a 66-yard touchdown to make it 31-0 with 8:59 left in the second quarter.

Ohio State defense limited Oregon’s big plays

Meanwhile, Ohio State’s defense limited the big gains that doomed the Buckeyes in its October loss, at least until the game was in hand. It helped that Ducks receiver Evan Stewart didn’t play after reportedly getting hurt in pregame and running back Jordan James left after he was hurt in the first half.

But the Buckeyes’ defense suffocated the Ducks early. OSU forced three-and-outs on the first two possessions to set the tone.

The Buckeyes prevented Oregon from a gain longer than 12 yards until the Ducks got a 44-yard completion on a broken coverage late in the second quarter to set up a touchdown.

The Ducks (13-1) opened the third quarter with a touchdown drive to make it 34-15 and create some mild drama, especially after Ohio State’s offense had a rare three-and-out.

But then the defense forced a three-and-out on a tipped pass by defensive end Jack Sawyer and sacks by Sawyer and linebacker Cody Simon.

The Buckeyes sacked quarterback Dillon Gabriel seven times, two apiece by Sawyer and Simon. That’s a season-high for Ohio State, which failed to sack the elusive quarterback in the October loss.

This story was updated to correct for an inaccuracy.