Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was distraught in the aftermath of the Buckeyes' 32-31 loss at Oregon on October 12. Howard made a mental mistake by sliding to the turf as time ran out, preventing what could have been a game-winning field-goal attempt. All he could think about was getting another opportunity to play the Ducks.
Howard received his second chance, and his No. 8 seed Buckeyes were more than ready on Wednesday. Ohio State scored the game's first 34 points and delivered a convincing 41-21 victory over No. 1 seed Oregon during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Howard passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns to finally put those pesky demons to rest.
"We came out and we played angry and it showed," said Howard, emphasizing how badly he wanted redemption. "We jumped out to an early lead and it was hard for them to come back." Offensive MVP Jeremiah Smith had two long touchdowns, catching seven passes for a career-high 187 yards, and TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 94 yards and two scores on just eight carries as the Buckeyes (12-2) outclassed their Big Ten rival.
With this resounding win, Ohio State will now face No. 5 seed Texas (13-2) in the CFP semifinals on January 10 in the Cotton Bowl at Arlington, Texas. The Longhorns defeated Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime earlier Wednesday. "We have two more (games). We're not done yet," Howard said. "We have unfinished business."
Dillon Gabriel completed 29 of 41 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns for Oregon (13-1). Gabriel finished his career with 155 touchdown passes, tying Houston's Case Keenum (2007-11) for the all-time FBS record. Miami's Cam Ward set the Division I mark (FBS and FCS) with 158 last week. Traeshon Holden caught seven passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks.
Oregon star Jordan James was injured in the first half and sat out the second. He had 14 yards on seven rushes during the Ducks' first game since December 7. Coach Dan Lanning didn't want to entertain any chatter about the long layoff affecting his troops, stating firmly, "That's an excuse." He added, "I thought our guys prepared well going in. An opportunity we had to recharge...I just don’t think our plan was good enough."
Howard completed 17 of 26 passes during the rematch as the Buckeyes outgained the Ducks 500-276. The Buckeyes also previously routed No. 9 seed Tennessee 42-17 in their CFP opener on December 21. They have won their two playoff games by an average of 22.5 points. "You can see the potential of where we're at," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. "We played with all three phases the way we did. I’m proud of the players and the resilience of these guys. We have a lot of football still ahead of us."
Ohio State harassed Gabriel throughout the contest, recording eight sacks. Defensive MVP Cody Simon, Jack Sawyer, and JT Tuimoloau each had two. "Anytime you get eight sacks, that's huge," Day said, expressing respect for Oregon's successful season. "We knew we had to be at our best today to win this game."
The Buckeyes scored their four first-half touchdowns on drives totaling just nine plays. Their opening drive took three plays to cover 75 yards, with Smith catching a short pass from Howard and turning it to a 45-yard touchdown just one minute in. Later in the quarter, Howard completed another three-play drive, this time connecting with Emeka Egbuka on a 42-yard touchdown pass. Jayden Fielding kicked a 46-yard field goal, extending the Ohio State lead to 17-0 ten seconds after halftime.
Just over four minutes later, the Buckeyes executed two plays with Howard finding Smith again for another 43-yard touchdown. Then, Henderson dashed off for a 66-yard scoring run on the first play of another possession, making it 31-0 with 8:47 left until halftime. Fielding capped off the half with a 36-yard field goal, giving Ohio State a commanding 34-point margin.
Oregon finally got on the board right before halftime, as Gabriel connected with Holden for a 5-yard touchdown pass, followed by a two-point conversion to Justius Lowe. The Ducks managed to score on Noah Whittington's 2-yard run early on, closing the gap to 34-15. Yet, Henderson’s 8-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes left in the third quarter restored some order to the game and continued the Ducks' long afternoon beneath the San Gabriel Mountains.
"Sometimes it’s not your day," Lanning remarked. "I think today was us." Following the game, much like the silence in their locker room, the weight of this loss hung heavily on the Oregon program, which had started the season 13-0 and had lofty expectations. Jabbar Muhammad, Ducks cornerback, offered his analysis, stating, "None of us should come out of here with our head held low. We should definitely have our head held high." He went on to highlight their remarkable achievements, but with the clear admission of disappointment after such a premature postseason exit.
The focus for the Buckeyes shifts to the Texas matchup, where they will aim to continue their impressive playoffs. Meanwhile, the Ducks will use this experience to rebuild and aim for future success, as they look to bounce back from the setbacks of this game and retain their status as strong competitors moving forward.