The Ohio State Buckeyes made a resounding statement in the Rose Bowl Game on Wednesday night, crushing the previously unbeaten Oregon Ducks by a score of 41-21. In a matchup of college football heavyweights, it was the Buckeyes who landed all the haymakers, racing out to a stunning 34-0 halftime lead and never looking back.
A Shocking Beatdown
Many expected a tight battle between the nation’s consensus top team in Oregon and an Ohio State squad hitting its stride late in the season. Instead, the Buckeyes delivered a first-round knockout, outgaining the Ducks 500-276 in total yards and stifling Oregon’s usually potent offense.
Ohio State scored early and often, notching touchdowns on each of its first four drives to build a 28-0 advantage. Quarterback C.J. Stroud shredded the Oregon secondary, tossing four touchdowns of 40 yards or more in the first half alone. By the time the Ducks finally got on the board late in the third quarter, the outcome had long been decided.
“They clicked tonight and we didn’t. I didn’t get our team prepared.”
Dan Lanning, Oregon Head Coach
No Excuses From Oregon
For Oregon, it was a bitter end to an otherwise stellar season. The Ducks went 13-0 during the regular season, notching marquee wins over Ohio State in October and Penn State in the Big Ten Championship. But on the big stage under the bright lights, they simply couldn’t match the Buckeyes’ speed and explosiveness.
To his credit, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning offered no excuses for the lopsided result. Lanning shouldered the blame, refusing to attribute the loss to the Ducks’ long layoff or their difficult path as a top seed in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
- Didn’t take advantage of our opportunity
- No complaints about the playoff structure
- Ohio State just took advantage and we didn’t
Onto the Semifinals
With the resounding win, Ohio State punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Buckeyes will await the winner of Texas vs USC, a matchup of college football blue bloods in their own right.
But after witnessing the scarlet and gray buzzsaw carve up Oregon, the remaining playoff contenders have been put on notice. Ohio State is playing as well as anyone in the country and will be a tough out in their chase for a national title. As Lanning put it plainly after watching his team get dominated, “Sometimes it’s not your day.”
