by Photo via Tom Hauck/Getty Images
A lot has happened since Ohio State traveled to Oregon and lost in a 32-31 heartbreaker on Oct. 12. The Buckeyes, on one hand, have had their ups and downs, including suffering a horrific loss to Michigan and then emphatically crushing Tennessee in the first round of the playoffs. On the other hand, Oregon has been a model of consistency, cruising through their schedule and beating Penn State for a Big-10 Championship and a first round bye.
For the upcoming matchup in this budding rivalry, a point of optimism for Ohio State will be its defense. Two and a half months ago, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ group played its worst game of the season but have looked much better since then and haven’t given up more than 17 points in any of the previous seven games. Safety Caleb Downs looks like a superstar in the making and the veteran group finally looks like the unit many thought they would be.
Offensively, things are a bit more precarious. As we all know, the end of the first matchup was an utter disaster by Ryan Day, Chip Kelly and Will Howard and the group has had some highs and lows in the aftermath. The poor playcalling and gameplan reared its ugly head in the Michigan loss as the Buckeyes looked incapable of generating any momentum, but in the Tennessee game, they looked sharp and potent, dare I even say explosive. Perhaps the biggest key to this game will be to see which offense shows up and it will decide the fate of Ohio State’s season.
On a similar note, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel thoroughly outdueled Howard in the first game, and it’s a pretty safe bet to say that whoever plays better will see their team through to the semifinals. Additionally, both quarterbacks certainly have much to play for regarding their positioning for the upcoming NFL Draft. Neither is a cream of the crop type of talent, but both should see themselves drafted. Their situations are very fluid, as each could see themselves either as high as the fourth quarterback taken or as low as the 12th. The point is, many eyes will be on these two aging, experienced guys who know that a deep run in the playoff could propel them to immortality.
For Ohio State to win, the offensive line must at least do a decent job protecting Howard and paving the way for running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Josh Simmons, the offensive tackle who is among the best in the country, has been out for the year after the knee injury he suffered against Oregon the first time and Seth McLaughlin tore his achilles a few weeks later. That’s meant that there’s been major reshuffling in the unit including adding Carson Hinzman and Austin Siereveld into the starting lineup and shifting Donovan Jackson from guard to tackle. Luke Montgomery has seen reps at guard as well. We’ve witnessed this group fall apart before and to save the season, they absolutely cannot let that happen.
The wild rollercoaster that’s been this season continues tomorrow and the Buckeyes, the team that brought everybody back, will play in Pasadena on the biggest stage in the sport in a revenge game against the best team in the country. Buckle in, as college football doesn’t get much better than this.
