The Ohio State Buckeyes weren’t about to let a newcomer to the Big 10 conference steal all the limelight this season.
With a dramatic 41-21 victory over top-ranked Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, the Buckeyes are headed to the CFP semifinals.
Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard’s three touchdown passes during Ohio State’s 34-point first half. Howard passed for 319 yards, Emeka Egbuka also had a long TD catch, and TreVeyon Henderson had a 66-yard touchdown in the Rose Bowl’s rescue. the Buckeyes (12-2, CFP No. 8 seed), his big-game execution has at times been no match for their impressive talent this season.
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Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Gee Scott Jr. takes a first down in the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Ohio State took advantage of the second chances created by the first 12-team CFP, clinching the tournament’s No. 1 seed. The Buckeyes scored six of the first seven points and took a 34-0 lead late in the second quarter on the nation’s remaining undefeated team in the Granddaddy of Them All.
Ohio State heads to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 to face No. 4 Texas for a spot in the national title game. The Longhorns didn’t advance Wednesday, holding off Arizona State 39-31 in a Peach Bowl doubleheader.
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Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) runs for a touchdown in the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1, 2025. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel passed for 299 yards and hit Traeshon Holden with two touchdowns for the Ducks (13-1, CFP No. 1 seed), whose dreams of their first national title were pushed to the prestigious -Rose Bowl. Oregon’s 14-game winning streak is also over.
Eleven days after routing Tennessee in the playoff opener, Ohio State headlined the Big Ten’s most exciting regular-season encounter, with a 32-31 win over the Ducks in Eugene on Oct. 12.
Smith, the Buckeyes’ freshman quarterback, had an impressive haul of seven receptions for 187 yards — including five catches for 161 yards in the first half alone, hauling in 45 scores and 43 yards.
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Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a pass in front of Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
For Oregon, a sensational first season in the Big 10 will end with a loss. It also marks the end of Gabriel’s six-year college career.
Gabriel has been one of the best quarterbacks this season. He was named a first-team All-American, Big 10 MVP and Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024. He also led the Big 10 in both passing yards, 3,558, and completions, 297, this year.
The linebacker began his career at the University of Central Florida, where he played for three years before transferring to Norman to play for the team. Fast forward to Oklahoma. In December, with one year of eligibility remaining, Gabriel decided to travel to the Pacific Northwest to play with the Oregon Ducks.
Now, Gabriel will look to the NFL Draft, where he is expected to be a second-round quarterback.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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