Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) receives the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP award after scoring twice and tallying 187 yards for seven receptions during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Oregon Wednesday in Pasadena. The Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 41-21. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
PASADENA, Calif. — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day may have preached “leaving no doubt” since the beginning of the season, but the Buckeyes left plenty of doubt in their two regular-season losses to Oregon and Michigan.
Absolutely no doubt, however, was left by Ohio State Wednesday at the Rose Bowl, as the Buckeyes annihilated the previously undefeated Oregon Ducks 41-21 to advance into the College Football Championship semifinal.
“You’re a sum of your experiences,” Day said. “This team has had great wins this season; [we’ve] had some tough losses, and we’ve learned from those. You’ve gotta grow, you’ve gotta build, you’ve gotta make sure you’re focusing on your strengths and making sure you understand what your weaknesses are.”
On a picture-perfect, 69-degree California day, freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s performance was just as breathtaking, as he hauled in seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns en route to offensive player of the game honors. Smith also broke Cris Carter’s freshman record for most receiving yards in one game (172), set in the 1985 Rose Bowl.
“Jeremiah Smith is one of the best wide receivers I’ve ever seen in my life,” Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke said. “He’s amazing.”
Ohio State has faced recent criticism for its use of NIL money and high-priced coaches with sometimes underwhelming results. But against the Ducks, the Buckeyes maximized their different weapons both offensively and defensively, making it impossible for Oregon to contain them.
In the first half alone, Ohio State found the endzone four times and scored on six of its first seven drives, while the Ducks punted on six of their first seven offensive chances.
A minute into the game, quarterback Will Howard found Smith for a 45-yard touchdown and nearly seven minutes later, Howard delivered a perfect pass to wideout Emeka Egbuka for a 42-yard score.
Smith ended the first quarter with 118 receiving yards, while Howard threw for 212 yards through the air, as the Buckeyes amassed nearly 200 more yards of offense than Oregon.
“We knew we were gonna come out firing,” Howard said. “Coach [Chip] Kelly told me we’re gonna take some shots early. And so, I want to say I’m surprised [we came out firing], but no, not really.”
And during the first frame, the Buckeye defense held Oregon to a mere 7 rush yards and 37 total yards.
Ohio State refused to let the Ducks back into the game in the second quarter, as the Buckeye defense forced an Oregon incompletion on fourth down near midfield, paving the way for Smith to haul in his second touchdown, that time a 43-yard score.
The Ducks, desperate for a positive gain, were held to three plays that combined for negative 2 yards, resulting in yet another Oregon punt.
On the ensuing play, running back TreVeyon Henderson took a hand-off 66 yards to push the Buckeyes’ lead to 31-0.
But there’s a reason Oregon was undefeated up until this game, and the Ducks showed their mettle at the end of the first half. Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel snuck the ball to wide receiver Traeshon Holden in the back of the endzone, and a successful two-point conversion made the score 34-8.
Day has emphasized the importance of “the middle eight minutes,” meaning the end of the first half and the beginning of the second.
The Ducks capitalized on that pivotal stretch, driving 11 plays to open the third quarter and punching in a touchdown from running back Noah Whittington. The score cut Oregon’s deficit to 34-15, also marking the first touchdown Ohio State’s top-rated defense has allowed in the third frame all season.
“They made plays, they scrambled around, and we gave up some long third down scrambles which you can’t do,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “I think what happens is guys try to make a play and get out of their assignment in those situations.”
Though Ohio State needed to respond quickly and reclaim momentum, the Buckeye offense went three-and-out and was forced to punt the ball back to the energized Ducks.
Two of Ohio State’s defensive captains then delivered for the Buckeyes.
Defensive end Jack Sawyer deflected a ball at the line of scrimmage, before sacking Gabriel on the next down. Then, on third down, linebacker Cody Simon, defensive player of the game, tallied another sack to give the ball back to the Buckeye offense.
Six plays later, Henderson secured another Ohio State touchdown, a gut-punch for Oregon that pushed the Buckeyes’ lead to 41-15.
To open the final quarter, Gabriel found Holden for a 27-yard touchdown but it was too little too late for Oregon as Ohio State punched its ticket to the semifinal game.
“This game just shows everything that we thought we were,” senior defensive tackle Ty Hamilton said. “We go out there, play as hard as we can, play the best that we can, there’s no team that can stop us.”
The Texas Longhorns will be the next team to try to slow down and beat Ohio State, as the two programs will face off in the Cotton Bowl Jan. 10 in Arlington, Texas.
