Smith, Ohio State Rout No. 1 Oregon in Rose Bowl 41-21

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PASADENA, Calif. — The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-2, 7-2 Big Ten Conference) had clock mismanagement issues that cost them in the final seconds of their Oct. 12, 2024 matchup against No. 1 Oregon (13-1, 9-0 Big Ten Conference) in Autzen Stadium. Those issues seemed to be non-existent at the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl as Ohio State cruised to a 41-21 win to advance to Dallas to take on SEC runner-up No. 5 Texas Longhorns (13-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl Jan. 10, 2025 in Dallas.

Ohio State offensively was as dynamic as it has been all season and was led by freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who finished with seven receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Smith wasn’t alone in the dynamic pursuit as running back TreVeyon Henderson set an Ohio State record for the longest rushing touchdown by any Ohio State player in the Rose Bowl. 

Game Summary

From the jump, Ohio State wanted to erase from their collective memories the dysfunction on offense that allowed time to run out and give Oregon a 32-31 victory on Oct. 12. Just as the game got into full motion, Ohio State was swinging for the fences early as quarterback Will Howard connected with Smith to put Ohio State up 7-0.

Ohio State’s first four touchdown drives each had scoring plays greater than 40 yards. Smith contributed on two of those scores, Henderson had his record breaker on the ground and senior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka scored on a 42-yard reception from Howard.

Conversely, Oregon could not gain any traction for much of the first half. On the Ducks' first six possessions, they went three-and-out four times and had a turnover on downs. Prior to Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel connecting with wide receiver Traeshon Holden to get the Ducks on the board, Oregon was outgained by Ohio State 390-96.

It seemed Oregon had glimpses of a comeback when they opened the second half with an 11-play, 75 yard drive that was capped by running back Noah Whittington’s 2-yard touchdown. The issue with the drive is it took nearly six minutes of possession time to score and Oregon used its first second-half timeout.

After their scoring drive to open the second half, Oregon had 62 yards of total offense for the remainder of the half that included rushing for a negative-36 yards overall.

Turning Point for Ohio State

The turning point occurred on the first drive of the game where Ohio State set the tone that shocked Oregon to the point where they didn’t recover until it was 34-0. In three plays, Ohio State drove 75 yards in just a minute to take a 7-0 lead.

The game opened when Howard connected with tight end Gee Scott Jr. for a 30-yard completion to open the Rose Bowl. After a Howard pass intended for Smith fell short, Ohio State dialed up another shot to Smith. This time, Howard connected for a 45-yard touchdown that took all the air out of the stadium for Oregon.

Ohio State would score on six of their first seven possessions, leaving Oregon bewildered and searching for answers that never came.

What it Means

After looking listless against Michigan to end the 2024 regular season, Ohio State has reinvented itself, finding another gear that neither No. 9 Tennessee (10-3, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) nor No. 1 Oregon could match.

After implementing a gap scheme with the offensive line to allow Judkins and Henderson to find holes and overcome injuries that have decimated the offensive line (notably losing Rimington Award winner Seth McLaughlin at center), the Ohio State ground game has averaged 168.5 yards per game since the shift.

An effective ground game has only made Smith even more impactful. The performance by Smith broke Cris Carter’s freshman receiving yards record in a bowl game at Ohio State. Carter set his mark in the Rose Bowl as well when he had 172 yards in the 1985 Rose Bowl against USC.

Smith also became the first freshman receiver in Ohio State history (12th overall receiver regardless of class) to have five or more games with 100 or more receiving yards. This has allowed Howard to continue his precision passing and amongst the nation’s leaders in completion percentage.

The big picture with Ohio State sets them up to be one game away from going to Atlanta and playing for a national championship. This should, for now, temper the Buckeye faithful who weren’t thrilled with Ohio State’s fourth straight loss to Michigan.

For No. 1 Oregon, it is a season that seems like a giant missed opportunity. While Oregon had issues from time to time with the run defense (entered Wednesday’s game ranked 34th in the nation), those issues once again reared its ugly head.

Between the Big Ten Championship against Penn State and the Rose Bowl, Oregon surrendered an average of 191.5 rushing yards. This wasn’t going to get them to the national championship.

It also signals the end of Oregon having the most experienced quarterback in the nation. Gabriel left, setting numerous NCAA marks but never achieved the team success he sought when he transferred to Oregon from Oklahoma.

While sophomore Dante Moore attempted a pass in the Rose Bowl, the former five-star product and transfer from UCLA is still an unproven commodity. Moore will either be a project or Lanning will once again use the spring portal period to upgrade the position.

Junior defensive linemen Jordan Burch and Derrick Harmon will be coveted by the NFL and both will have to make a decision rather quickly if they intend to bolt for the NFL or return for a senior season in Eugene.