5 p.m. | ESPN
Rose Bowl Pasadena, California
INSIDE THE SERIES
All-Time: Ohio State leads, 9-2
In Eugene: Tied, 1-1
In Autzen: Tied, 1-1
In Columbus: Ohio State leads, 5-1
Neutral Site: Ohio State leads, 3-0
Current Streak: Oregon won 2
Most points scored by Oregon: 35 (9/11/21)
Most points scored by Ohio State: 42 (1/12/15)
Largest margin of victory by Oregon: 7 (9/11/21)
Largest margin of victory by Ohio State: 30 (10/7/67)
Longest winning streak by Oregon: 2 (2021-pres.)
Longest winning streak by Ohio State: 9 (1958-2015)
• Ohio State leads the series, 9-2, with wins in the first nine games, but Oregon has won the last two games between the two teams: 35-28 in 2021 at Ohio Stadium, and 32-31 on Oct. 12 this year in a thriller at Autzen Stadium. • The first meeting in the series came in the 1958 Rose Bowl, a 10-7 Ohio State win that capped Woody Hayes’ first national championship. • Ohio State’s last victory over Oregon came in the 2015 CFP national championship game in Dallas, 42-20, behind 246 yards rushing by Ezekiel Elliott. • The win secured for Ohio State its eighth national championship
Ohio State Buckeyes Notes
FIRST AND TEN
• Ohio State (11-2 overall, 7-2 in the Big Ten and the No. 8 Seed in the College Football Playoffs) and Oregon (13-0, 9-0, Big Ten champions and the No. 1 Seed) meet in the CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl Jan. 1 at 2:10 p.m. PST/5:10 EST. • The winner advances to the CFP semifinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. EST against the winner of the Jan. 1 quarterfinal at the Chick fil-A Peach Bowl between No. 5 Seed Texas (12-2) and No. 4 Arizona State (11-2). • Ohio State built a 21-0 first quarter lead and defeated Tennessee, 42-17, in a CFP first-round game Dec. 21 at Ohio Stadium. Oregon defeated Penn State, 45-37, in the Big Ten championship game Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium. • This is Game 2 between the teams. Ohio State and Oregon met in an Autzen Stadium thriller Oct. 12 … a 32-31 Ducks victory between Top-3 ranked teams that featured eight lead changes. • Each team has a Top 10 defense, as each did Oct. 12 when 43 points were scored in the first half alone and the teams combined for 963 offensive yards (Oregon 496; Ohio State 467). • This is Ohio State’s fifth game vs. a Top 10 team this season and fourth vs. a Top 5 team.
SIXTH CFP FOR OHIO STATE
• Ohio State is playing in the College Football Playoffs for a sixth time since the start of the CFP era in 2014 and is the only school to appear in four of the last six CFPs. Ohio State is No. 3 all-time in CFP appearances, trailing only Alabama (eight appearances) and Clemson (seven). • Georgia and Oklahoma round out the Top 5 with four appearances apiece. • Ohio State won the inaugural College Football Playoffs in 2014 and is 4-4 all-time in CFP games. Ohio State CFP Results: 2014 Season – Defeated No. 1 Alabama, 42-35, in CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl; Defeated No. 2 Oregon, 42-20, in CFP National Championship game at Arlington, Texas 2016 Season – Lost to No. 2 Clemson, 31-0, in CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl • 2019 Season – Lost to No. 3 Clemson, 29- 23, in CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl • 2020 Season – Defeated No. 2 Clemson, 49-28, in CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl; Lost to No. 1 Alabama, 52-24, in CFP National Championship game at Miami, Fla. • 2022 Season – Lost to No. 1 Georgia, 42- 41, in CFP Semifinals at the Peach Bowl • 2024 Season – Defeated No. 7 Tennessee, 42-17, in the CFP 1st-round at Ohio Stadium 52ND
OHIO STATE BOWL GAME
• The rich history of Ohio State football includes, officially, 51 prior bowl games starting with the 1921 Rose Bowl and including 12 different bowls and 37 games played at the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Cotton, Orange and Peach bowls, respectively. Ohio State has a 25-26 record in bowl games.
32-30 ALL-TIME IN POST-SEASON PLAY
• Ohio State’s all-time record in post-season games is 32-30, including a 5-4 record for head coach Ryan Day. The Buckeyes are: • 5-1 in Big Ten championship games; • 25-26 in bowl games; • 0-2 in BCS championship games not played at a bowl game; • 1-0 in CFP first-round games; and • 1-1 in CFP championship games.
ONLY TEAM IN CFP OR NY6 EVERY YEAR
• Ohio State is the only school to have played in either a College Football Playoff game or a New Year’s Six bowl game every year of the 10-year, four-team CFP era. During this time, Ohio State went to the CFP, Fiesta Bowl, CFP, Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, CFP, CFP, Rose Bowl, CFP and Cotton Bowl from 2014-23, respectively.
17th OHIO STATE ROSE BOWL GAME
• Ohio State is 9-7 all-time in Rose Bowl games, including four consecutive victories (20-17 over Arizona State in the 1997 game, 26-17 over Oregon in 2010, 28-23 over Washington in 2019 and 48-45 over Utah in 2022). • Ohio State and Oregon also played in the 1958 Rose Bowl (a 10-7 Ohio State win). • Ohio State’s 17 appearances are third behind USC (34) and Michigan (21) and its nine victories are topped only by USC’s 25.
ROSE BOWL OPPONENTS
• Ohio State has played against eight different Rose Bowl opponents: the team is 1-1 vs. Cal; 3-4 vs. USC; 2-0 vs. Oregon; 0-1 vs. Stanford; 0-1 vs. UCLA; 1-0 vs. Arizona State; 1-0 vs. Washington and 1-0 vs. Utah.
No. 1 IN COLLEGE GAMEDAY STATS
• Ohio State has a 43-20 all-time record playing at a College GameDay locale. Ohio State is No. 1 in GameDay appearances (the Rose Bowl will be its 64th), wins and times hosting (25).
OHIO STATE IN 2024 – DEFENSE
• Ohio State’s 11-2 record includes three wins over teams that qualified for the CFP: 20-13 at then-No. 3 Penn State, 38-15 over thenNo. 5 Indiana in Columbus and 42-17 Dec. 21 over No. 7 Tennessee at Ohio Stadium. • The Buckeyes have been led by one of the nation’s top defenses as Jim Knowles’ unit ranks No. 1 in total defense (242.2 yards allowed per game), No. 1 in scoring defense (11.4 points allowed per game), No. 1 in passing defense (141.2 yards allowed per game) and No. 8 in rushing defense (101.1 yards allowed per game). • Over the second half of the season (seven games since the Oregon game), Ohio State has allowed just seven total touchdowns with none of them coming via the pass. • The 16 TDs allowed: fewest in the nation. • The unit is also No. 1 in red zone scoring and TD pct. at 59.3 (19-32) and 37.5 (12-32). • LBs Cody Simon (86) and Sonny Styles (81) lead the Buckeyes in tackles with SAFs Caleb Downs (69) and Lathan Ransom (62) right behind. • DE JT Tuimoloau leads in sacks (8-58) and TFLs (14-78) with Simon (8.5 TFLs), Ransom (7-14), Styles and Downs (6.5 apiece), and Jack Sawyer (6-40) and Tyleik Williams (6- 17) providing support. • Sawyer’s TFLs are all sacks to rank second to JT with Simon (5-44) and Styles (4-29) right there, as well.
OHIO STATE IN 2024 – OFFENSE
• On offense, quarterback Will Howard is tied with Dillan Gabriel for second nationally in completion percentage (73.2 pct.) with Howard tied for fifth with 29 touchdown passes. • His top targets have been Emeka Egbuka (65 receptions, 824 yards, nine TDs), Jeremiah Smith (63 receptions, 1,037 yards, 12 TDs) and Carnell Tate (42 receptions, 601 yards, four TDs). • On the ground, running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins combined for 1,670 yards and 18 touchdowns. • TreVeyon Henderson (23-189) and Quinshon Judkins (17-118) are dangerous as receivers, as well. • The tight ends, led by Gee Scott Jr. (20-189- 2), have combined for 33 catches for 363 yards and four touchdowns. • The offensive line has had two senior starters, each with more than 30 starts, lost for the season with injuries – LT Josh Simmons in the Oregon game and All-American center Seth McLaughlin the week of the Indiana game – and has had five different line-up changes and eight different starters. • The O-line is 10th nationally in fewest sacks allowed (12.0) and 14th in fewest TFLs (48).
MORE ON OHIO STATE’S GROUND GAME
• TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins rank in the Top 10 of active Power 4 running backs with 3,576 and 3,564 career rushing yards, respectively. • The players are also among the Top 5 active scorers in the nation with 45 touchdowns scored a piece. Judkins has 41 rushing and four receiving TDs and Henderson has 40 and 5, respectively. • Henderson’s 45 TDs tie him with Eddie George for third-most at Ohio State behind Pete Johnson (58) and Keith Byars (50). • Henderson was tied for fifth at 43 TDs with JT Barrett and JK Dobbins before the Tennessee game but then passed Ezekiel Elliott (44) with his two scores.
Oregon Ducks Notes
TALKING POINTS
THE GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALL
After earning a first-round bye to open the College Football Playoff, No. 1 seed Oregon will square off with No. 8 seed Ohio State in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential. The Ducks bring a perfect 13-0 record into “The Granddaddy of Them All,” and will look to advance to the CFP semifinals for the second time in program history. Oregon is making its first CFP appearance since reaching the inaugural CFP national championship game in 2014-15. The New Year’s Day showdown will also mark UO’s ninth all-time appearance in the Rose Bowl, and fifth since 2010. The Ducks have won their last three Rose Bowl appearances, including a 59-20 win over Florida State in the CFP semifinals on Jan. 1, 2015, and a 28-7 win over Wisconsin on Jan. 1, 2020.
HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH
Oregon and Ohio State will face each other for the second time this season, in a rematch of arguably the best game of the 2024 regular season. The Ducks outlasted the Buckeyes, 32-31, in an instant classic on Oct. 12, in front of an Autzen Stadium record crowd of 60,129 fans. It was the first top-five showdown in stadium history, and the win over No. 2 Ohio State matched the highest-ranked win in program history. Oregon beat Ohio State for the second time ever and second time in a row, after claiming its first win over the Buckeyes in 2021 in Columbus. UO and OSU will face each other in the Rose Bowl for the third time, with the Buckeyes coming away victorious on Jan. 1, 2010, and Jan. 1, 1958.
13-0 AND BIG TEN CHAMPS
After completing an undefeated, 12-0 regular season for the second time in program history, Oregon reached 13-0 for the first time with its 45-37 win over Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 7. The Ducks ran the table and won the Big Ten title in their inaugural year in the league, winning a conference championship game for the fifth time in program history and first since 2020. Oregon enters the College Football Playoff as the only undefeated FBS team, and its 14 consecutive wins since last season is the longest active streak in the nation.
