Ohio State vs. Oregon highlights: Buckeyes roll into CFP semifinals
The No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes had revenge on their mind against the No. 1 seed Oregon Ducks heading into the Rose Bowl.
The last time the two teams faced off in Week 7 of the regular season, Oregon narrowly defeated Ohio State 32-31, thanks to a late game blunder by Buckeyes QB Will Howard. The College Football Playoff quarterfinal on Wednesday was an entirely different story.
The Buckeyes blew out the Ducks 41-21 to advance to the CFP semifinal, where they will face No. 5 seed Texas. Ohio State jumped to a 34-0 lead over Oregon in the first half and weathered any attempts at a comeback from the Ducks.
‘We came out and we played angry and it showed. We jumped out to an early lead and it was hard for them to come back,’ Howard said postgame. ‘We got two more. We aren’t done yet.’
Howard completed 17 of 26 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 12.3 yards per play. Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, who finished with seven receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns, was named the offensive MVP. Running back TreVeyon Henderson had two scores of his own with eight carries for 94 yards and three receptions for 20 yards. Receiver Emeka Egbuka also had a touchdown with five receptions for 72 yards.
Ohio State dominated the line of scrimmage and Oregon’s run game was nonexistent as a result. Oregon registered minus-23 rushing yards the entire game, compared to 181 rushing yards from Ohio State.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel completed 29 of 41 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns, both to receiver Traeshon Holden, who finished with seven receptions for 116 yards. Running back Jordan James had seven carries for 14 yards and two receptions for seven yards before he exited the game in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury.
Here is how everything unfolded from Ohio State’s Rose Bowl victory.
Rose Bowl highlights: Watch Ohio State’s rout against Oregon
Rose Bowl defensive player of the game
Senior linebacker Cody Simon recorded two of Ohio State’s eight sacks against Dillon Gabriel and was named the Rose Bowl’s defensive player of the game. Simon had 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.
Rose Bowl offensive player of the game
Ohio State’s dynamic freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith was named the offensive player of the game after hauling in seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
Oregon forced to punt
The Ducks picked up one first down, but a sack on third down by Ohio State’s Cody Simon forced Oregon into a fourth-and-long situation. Coach Dan Lanning chose to punt the ball away with time running out on the Ducks’ season.
Ohio State milking the clock
The Buckeyes ran the ball on four of six plays of the ensuing drive, including 21 yards on three carries by Quinshon Judkins. An incomplete pass on third-and-9 stopped the clock, though, and Oregon will get the ball back with 6:07 left to play.
Oregon score: Traeshon Holden 27-yard TD pass from Dillon Gabriel
The Ducks are back on the board with a record-tying touchdown pass by QB Dillon Gabriel.
After hooking up with Traeshon Holden for a 27-yard score, Gabriel ties Case Keenum for the most TD passes in FBS history with 155.
The key play of the drive was a fourth-down conversion on a Gabriel-to-Tez Johnson pass play on fourth-and-11. Gabriel is up to 289 yards passing and two TDs. Ohio State 41, Oregon 21
Ohio State punts after sack
An offensive holding pass called on Ohio State set them behind the sticks and the Buckeyes couldn’t recover. On third-and-11, Ohio State QB Will Howard was sacked for the first time of the night for a 5-yard loss, bringing the Buckeyes to fourth-and-16. Ohio State subsequently punted.
Oregon punts after sack
The Ducks’ next drive stalled after Buckeyes safety Lathan Ransom sacked Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel for a 2-yard loss on Oregon’s 41-yard line.
Ohio State score: TreVeyon Henderson 8-yard TD run
Ohio State is back in the driver’s seat, thanks to TreVeyon Henderson’s 8-yard touchdown run. Buckeyes QB Will Howard found receiver Jeremiah Smith twice on the drive – for 10-yard and 16-yard receptions – and a face mask penalty called on Oregon against RB Quinshon Judkins set the Buckeyes up on the goal line.
Henderson is up to four carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State 41, Oregon 15
Oregon momentum stalls with three-and-out
Oregon’s offensive line surrendered back-to-back sacks, leading to a three-and-out of their own. Ohio State DE Jack Sawyer caught Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel for a 7-yard loss, followed by a sack from LB Cody Simon for a 6-yard loss. Facing fourth-and-23, Oregon punted the ball away on its own 12-yard line.
Three-and-out for Ohio State
Oregon’s offense is warming up, and so is the Ducks’ defense. Oregon forced Ohio State’s first three-and-out of the game after Buckeyes QB Will Howard failed to connect with WR Emeka Egbuka. Oregon gets the ball back with 7:15 left in the third quarter.
Oregon score: Noah Whittington 2-yard TD run
With the Ducks backed up on their own 13-yard-line, QB Dillon Gabriel scrambled on third-and-22 before connecting with receiver Justius Lowe on a 21-yard pass to set Oregon up with a manageable fourth-and-1. Gabriel kept the ball and rushed for one yard to move the sticks and keep their opening, second-half drive alive.
Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson had two catches on the drive – a 17-yard and 25-yard reception – to bring the Ducks to Ohio State’s 2-yard line. RB Noah Whittington punched the ball in the end zone to cap Oregon’s 11-play, 75-yard drive. The Ducks now trail the Buckeyes 34-15.
Halftime: Ohio State 34, Oregon 8
Ohio State has dominated all phases of the game through the first half. QB Will Howard completed 11 of 18 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 14.9 yards per play. Receiver Jeremiah Smith has five receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns, while Emeka Egbuka has four receptions for 68 yards and one touchdown. Running back TreVeyon Henderson added two carries for 70 yards and one touchdown.
Ohio State has recorded 390 total yards in the first half, compared to 139 total yards for Oregon.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel completed 15 of 23 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Traeshon Holden has four receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown. Running back Jordan James had seven carries for 14 yards and two receptions for seven yards before he exited the game in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury. Oregon has collectively rushed for only 13 yards through the first half.
There have been no penalties or turnovers by either team in the matchup so far.
Oregon score: Traeshon Holden 5-yard TD pass from Dillon Gabriel
The Ducks were able to get on the board before heading into the locker room at halftime. Instead of settling for a field goal on Ohio State’s 5-yard line with three seconds remaining in the half, Oregon went for a touchdown. QB Dillon Gabriel scrambled and prolonged the play at the goal line before finding receiver Traeshon Holden in the back of the end zone for Oregon’s first score of the night. Gabriel then connected with receiver Justius Lowe for a successful two-point conversion.
‘It’s great to get a score at the end of the half and build a little momentum as we carry this into halftime,’ Oregon coach Dan Lanning told ESPN as he was walking off the field.
Oregon gets the ball in the second half. Ohio State 34, Oregon 8
Ohio State score: Jayden Fielding 36-yard field goal
Oregon slowed down the Ohio State offense, if only slightly. The Buckeyes settled for a field goal after their 10-play, 43-yard drive stalled in the red zone. Ohio State leads 34-0 with 2:59 remaining in the first half.
Oregon has fourth three-and-out
Another drive, another three-and-out for the Ducks. Oregon’s RB Noah Whittington couldn’t get anything going on the ground and lost two-yards on a run attempt to open their sixth possession of the game. QB Dillon Gabriel couldn’t connect with Kenyon Sadiq and Traeshon Holden on the next plays, resulting in the Ducks’ fourth three-and-out of the game.
Ohio State score: TreVeyon Henderson 66-yard TD run
Ohio State needed only one play to reach the end zone again. QB Will Howard handed the ball off to TreVeyon Henderson at the Buckeyes’ own 34-yard line and Henderson exploded for a 66-yard touchdown along the sideline. Ohio State now leads 31-0 with 8:47 remaining in the first half. Henderson has two carries for 70 yards on the day.
Another three-and-out for Oregon
The Ducks had no answer for the Buckeyes and surrendered another three-and-out, marking Oregon’s third of the game. In five total possessions in the Rose Bowl, the Ducks have punted four times and turned the ball over on downs once.
Ohio State score: Jeremiah Smith 43-yard TD pass from Will Howard
Yes again.
The flood gates have opened and Ohio State extended its lead over Oregon. QB Will Howard found receiver Jeremiah Smith wide open for a 43-yard touchdown to go up 24-0 over the Ducks. The drive lasted all of 42 seconds. The Buckeyes had great field position after the Ducks failed to convert fourth down at their own 48-yard line.
Howard is up to 255 yards and three touchdowns on the day, averaging 18.2 yards per play. Smith has five receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
Oregon turns ball over on downs
Oregon turned over the ball on downs at their own 48-yard line. Trailing 17-0, Oregon attempted to convert a fourth-and-3 to keep their drive alive, but QB Dillon Gabriel’s pass intended for Terrance Ferguson was broken up.
The Ducks have struggled to get anything going in the air or on the ground so far. Ohio State has held Oregon to only 60 total yards, compared to 238 for the Buckeyes. Gabriel has completed 8 of 12 passes for 47 yards and the team only has 13 rushing yards as a whole.
Rose Bowl view from above
Check out this impressive view of the Rose Bowl Stadium before kickoff of the Ohio State-Oregon College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
Ohio State score: Jayden Fielding 46-yard field goal
The Buckeyes are rolling. QB Will Howard connected with receiver Jeremiah Smith for a 32-yard pass on third down to move the chains and set Ohio State up on Oregon’s 47-yard-line. Howard hit receiver Emeka Egbuka for a 15-yard completion, but the Buckeyes’ drive stalled. Ohio State settled for a 46-yard field goal from kicker Jayden Fielding to extend their lead to 17-0 with 14:50 remaining in the second quarter.
End of first quarter: Ohio State 14, Oregon 0
The Buckeyes red-hot offense is moving the ball again as the first quarter comes to an end in Pasadena. Will Howard already has 212 yards passing and Jeremiah Smith already has 118 yards receiving. They connected again on a 32-yard pass pass during the most recent possession.
Oregon gets first first down, but has to punt again
Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks offense moved the ball much better in this possession, but it ended the same way: punting. Oregon got two first downs and even crossed into Ohio State territory, but stalled out at the Buckeyes 49. Ohio State resumes possession with a 14-0 lead and 3:38 left in the first quarter.
Ohio State score: Emeka Egbuka 46-yard TD from Will Howard
Will Howard and the Ohio State offense is on absolute fire to start this Rose Bowl. On the third play of the Buckeyes’ third possession, Howard hit Emeka Egbuka with a perfectly placed pass for a 46-yard touchdown. After the PAT, the Buckeyes have a 14-0 lead over undefeated Oregon. Howard is 6 for 9 for 165 yards and two touchdowns already.
Another three-and-out for Oregon
Ohio State’s defense is looking awfully stout early. Dillon Gabriel completed a first-down pass to Jordan James for just two yards, and then Gabriel threw two incompletions to bring out the punting unit. A 31-yard punt went out of bounds and gives Ohio State the ball at its own 47.
Ohio State’s offense stalls during second possession
Jeremiah Smith made a spectacular 29-yard catch on the first play and a 12-yard reception on the third play to give the Buckeyes a first-and-10 from the Oregon 36. But the Ducks’ defense stood its ground after that, forcing the Buckeyes to punt. Oregon will have the ball with 9:17 left in the first quarter.
Jeremiah Smith Big Ten touchdown record
Jeremiah Smith’s touchdown gives him the most receiving touchdown by a freshman in Big Ten history with 14.
Oregon’s first possession: Three and out
Dillon Gabriel completed his first two passes for 10 yards, but the Ducks fell a yard short of a first down and were forced to punt during their first possession. Ohio State will get the ball back with 11:53 left in the first quarter.
Ohio State score: Jeremiah Smith 45-yard TD from Will Howard
The Buckeyes got on the board quickly, with Will Howard finding tight end Gee Scott Jr. for a 30-yard pass on the first play of the game, and then getting Jeremiah Smith a short pass that the freshman turned into a 45-yard score. The PAT was good. Ohio State 7, Oregon 0
Rose Bowl Grand Marshal
Tennis legend Billie Jean King is the 2025 Grand Marshal of the Rose Bowl. Her coin toss went Oregon’s way, and the Ducks deferred. Ohio State chose to get the ball to open the game.
Ohio State uniforms in Rose Bowl
The Buckeyes are wearing white jerseys with gray pants. They have their traditional gray helmets with a thick scarlet stripe, but roses are included within the stripe to pay homage to playing in the Rose Bowl.
Oregon uniforms in Rose Bowl
Oregon is wearing green jerseys with yellow lettering and white pants. They’ll go with silver helmets the include green ‘feather’ stripes.
What channel is Rose Bowl between Ohio State and Oregon?
Since the Chick fil-A Peach Bowl between Texas and Arizona State has gone to overtime, the broadcast for the Rose Bowl will begin on ESPN2. It will move to ESPN at the conclusion of the Peach Bowl.
When is Rose Bowl between Ohio State and Oregon?
The Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks kicks off at 5 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
How to watch Ohio State and Oregon in Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Live streaming is available on Fubo, which has a free trial.
Watch Penn State take on Boise State with a Fubo subscription
Ohio State vs. Oregon: Rose Bowl odds
The Ohio State Buckeyes are favorites to defeat the Oregon Ducks, according to BetMGM.
Odds as of Wednesday, Jan. 1
Spread: Ohio State (-2.5)
Moneyline: Ohio State (-135); Oregon (+115)
Over/under: 55.5
Predictions for Rose Bowl, Ohio State vs. Oregon:
USA TODAY: No. 1 Oregon over Ohio State
Paul Myerberg writes, ‘Oregon’s been here before, scoring a 32-31 win during the regular season, and can use the same blueprint to score a second victory against the Buckeyes. While the Buckeyes can shift this narrative with a strong game against Tennessee, these resemble two teams moving in different directions: Oregon up, Ohio State down. Beating the Ducks would demand a major uptick in production and explosiveness from an offense that has scuffled since late October.’
Cory Pappas, Sports Illustrated: Oregon 31, Ohio State 28
Pappas writes, ‘In their last meeting in October, it came down to the last play, and the same could be true this go around. Despite the game being a much closer proximity to Oregon, Ohio State fans will still travel and the crowd will likely be a 50/50 split. Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel has earned the trust of Ducks fans, and Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard and the Ohio State offense scored at will against Tennessee.’
FOX Sports: Ohio State 26, Oregon 25
FOX Sports believes the Buckeyes have a slight advantage, pointing at Ohio State’s 56.7% chance to win based on implied probability. That said, the Ducks have won each of the past two meetings against Ohio State.
Jaren Kawada, ClutchPoints: Oregon to win
Kawada writes, ‘The biggest discrepancies seem to favor Oregon. It is hard to see (Ohio State quarterback Will) Howard throwing for 300 yards against this secondary a second time, especially with (Oregon defensive end Jordan) Burch now in the lineup. Oregon should expect a bigger impact from the Buckeyes’ backfield, but Ohio State has not topped 180 rushing yards since losing star tackle Josh Simmons for the year in the first matchup.’
Bowl game picks
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for all of the college football bowl games.
Ohio State vs. Oregon all-time record
The Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes have faced each other 11 times in their history. Ohio State owns a 9-2 record in the series.
The Ducks beat the Buckeyes in the most recent matchup, 32-31, on Oct. 12, 2024
College Football Playoff bracket: Quarterfinals updated results, schedule
The CFP quarterfinal games are being played over the course of two days, with No. 6 seed Penn State kicking the action off on New Year’s Eve by beating No. 3 seed Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The final three quarterfinal games will all take place on Wednesday, New Year’s Day.
All times Eastern
Tuesday, Dec. 31
Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State def. No. 3 Boise State, 31-14
Wednesday, Jan. 1
Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31 (OT)
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, postponed
Thursday, Jan. 2
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)
College Football Playoff first round results
Friday, Dec. 20
No. 7 Notre Dame def. No. 10 Indiana, 27-17
Saturday, Dec. 21
No. 6 Penn State def. No. 11 SMU, 38-10
No. 5 Texas def. No. 12 Clemson, 38-24
No. 8 Ohio State def. No. 9 Tennessee, 42-17
When are the College Football Playoff semifinals?
The CFP semifinal games will be played on Jan. 9-10.
Thursday, Jan. 9
Orange Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. Sugar Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
Friday, Jan. 10
Cotton Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. Rose Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
CFP national championship game schedule
Monday, Jan. 20
Game: Orange Bowl winner vs. Cotton Bowl winner
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
CFP rankings
Oregon (Big Ten champion, No. 1 seed)*
Georgia (SEC champion, No. 2 seed)*
Texas (No. 5 seed)
Penn State (No. 6 seed)
Notre Dame (No. 7 seed)
Ohio State (No. 8 seed)
Tennessee (No. 9 seed)
Indiana (No. 10 seed)
Boise State (MWC champion, No. 3 seed)*
SMU (No. 11 seed)
Alabama
Arizona State (Big 12 champion, No. 4 seed)*
Miami
Mississippi
South Carolina
Clemson (ACC champion, No. 12 seed)**
*first-round bye; **automatic bid
Ohio State’s Will Howard gets second chance
A quarterback’s lowlights are remembered as much as his highlights, depending on a game’s outcome, and that might influence perception of Howard. He threw two interceptions in Ohio State’s loss to Michigan. One set up the Wolverines at the 2-yard line for their lone touchdown. The other occurred inside the red zone and thwarted a Buckeyes scoring opportunity. Howard played at his worst in Ohio State’s biggest regular-season game.
That wasn’t the case when the Buckeyes lost to Oregon. Howard threw for a season-high 326 yards, but the play most remembered most was his moment-too-late slide at the end of a scramble, while time expired. If he had slid a couple of steps sooner, the Buckeyes would have had an attempt at a long game-winning field goal.
‘The way that last (game against Oregon) ended doesn’t sit right with me,” Howard said. “It still doesn’t. It still bugs me. And I’m just thankful for the opportunity that we get another crack at them.’ — Blake Toppmeyer
College football bowl game schedule: Entire postseason lineup
College football bowl season began Dec. 14 and will run through Jan. 20 with the College Football Playoff championship game in Atlanta. Click here for the schedule of all upcoming bowls, including the College Football Playoff, and the results of already completed games.
College football 2024 season predictions
The experts at USA TODAY Sports offered predictions for the 2024 season before it started, including which 12 teams would make the College Football Playoff.
Scooby Axson: Ohio State
Jordan Mendoza: Oregon
Paul Myerberg: Georgia
Erick Smith: Georgia
Eddie Timanus: Ohio State
Dan Wolken: Ohio State
Bowl seasons change: What to do about college football’s postseason?
The timing is good to think about changes. In 2026, when all the current agreements expire, the College Football Playoff is likely to expand to 14 teams. That will undoubtedly have a downstream impact on the bowls, of which there are currently 35 outside of those tied to the playoff.
The reality check here is bowl season, for all its problems, is inexorably linked to ESPN’s December programming schedule. In fact, ESPN owns and operates 17 of those games itself and has broadcast agreements with nearly all of the others. Good luck convincing college football’s most important business partner that bowl games are no longer worthwhile when they’re filling television windows over the holidays that generate more viewers than the NBA, college basketball or NHL regular-season games that would likely take their place. — Dan Wolken
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