As New Year’s Day approaches, the bluster and banter over the Rose Bowl quarterfinal game between the No. 1 Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes has reached a fever pitch. Last weekend, the Buckeyes’ 42-17 throttling of the Tennessee Volunteers in a first-round College Football Playoff game at the Horseshoe changed the conversation in favor of Ohio State, while also serving as a palate cleanser for the team’s hilarious meltdown against Michigan to cap the regular season. Mr. FishDuck had to take a break from his fun at Pin Up Casino to share his thoughts with me on these “changes.”
Broadcasters, ex-coaches and players, and online wingnuts, dingbats and goofballs have now firmly jumped aboard the scarlet and gray bandwagon, pointing to the Buckeyes’ dismantling of the overrated Vols as justification to project a win over Oregon, the only undefeated team in college football.
The talking point parroted repeatedly by these prisoners of the moment? It’s hard to beat the same team twice. Really? Firstly, it’s hard to beat a good team. Period. But defeating the same team twice in the same season is not rare; it happens regularly. The Washington Huskies, en route to a national title game appearance, beat the Ducks twice last year. This season, Georgia beat Texas twice.
This hokey narrative is the last gasps of a desperate fanbase and bootlicking media eager to convince themselves Ohio State and its $20 million roster is the superior team, despite nearly losing to Nebraska and getting owned by its hated rival at home in embarrassing fashion.
The bottom line? The Bucks have been all over the place, flying around like a hamster in a wind tunnel, while Oregon is Cool Hand Luke, quietly handling business and improving every week. Yet, despite finishing third in the Big Ten and failing to make the conference title game, Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, brimming with confidence, took to Instagram after defeating Tennessee, quoting from HBO’s Game of Thrones: “When people ask you what happened here, tell them the North remembers. Tell them Winter came for the Volunteers.”
Cheesy comments aside, Howard’s pompous buffoonery is staggering. This arrogant remark comes from a man who has repeatedly fallen short of expectations on the biggest stages, cementing his legacy of failure. Perhaps this quote from GOT is more apt to describe the Buckeyes and the media narrative backing them: “Power resides where men believe it resides. It’s a trick, a shadow on the wall. And a very small man can last a very large shadow.”
Or maybe this line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: “I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Oregon’s Derrick Harmon holds the ball after ripping it away from OSU’s Quinshon Judkins in the Ducks’ 32-31 victory earlier this year. Photo by Eric Becker
Revisiting Oregon’s Victory Over Ohio State
Before we take a flamethrower to much of the national media narrative inflating Ohio State’s ego, let’s revisit that October clash in Eugene, a 32-31 thriller that saw the Ducks’ resilience and explosiveness triumph over the Bucks’ supposed pedigree.
Howard delivered a statistically impressive performance, completing 28-of-35 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Yet, it was a faux masterpiece, as the former Kansas State play-caller’s heroics fell short when it mattered most, infamously flubbing the final drive to seal the win for the Ducks.
Contrast this with Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, who threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns while averaging a scintillating 10 yards per attempt. Gabriel’s deep strikes to Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson shredded Ohio State’s vaunted secondary, lowering All-American cornerback Denzel Burke’s NFL draft stock and forcing him to promise to play better in the future.
Indeed, it couldn’t get much worse for Burke, who allowed 179 yards on eight catches and two touchdowns in the loss to Oregon, which was his worst performance of the season. Can Burke run faster, play smarter, and defend Oregon’s elite receivers? Smart money says no. Once bitten, twice shy.
Oregon’s passing attack and deep-ball threat pose significant obstacles for Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Photo by Eric Becker
Oregon’s Offensive Firepower vs. Ohio State’s Inconsistent Defense
The Ducks’ offensive line, anchored by All-Big Ten talents Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius, held Ohio State’s pass rushers, JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, sackless in the first matchup. This dominance up front enabled Gabriel to connect on explosive plays — including a 69-yard bomb to Stewart and a 48-yard touchdown to Johnson — that made Burke look overmatched and cowering in the shadow of Oregon’s towering receiving corps. On the ground, the Ducks averaged an impressive five yards per rush compared to Ohio State’s 4.3, with Jordan James and Gabriel each finding the end zone.
Ohio State’s defense, under coordinator Jim Knowles, has tightened up since that loss, leading the nation in scoring defense and total defense (the Buckeyes haven’t allowed a passing touchdown since losing to Oregon). Kudos. Yet, these accolades ring hollow when considering the defense’s previous collapse against Oregon.
The Ducks showed the OSU secondary is vulnerable to elite receivers, as evidenced by Burke’s struggles and the pass interference calls against similarly outgunned cornerbacks Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock. While safety Lathan Ransom has been a bright spot, his pass-rushing prowess will be neutralized if Oregon’s offensive line continues its stellar play.
Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Photo by Steven Chan
The Buckeyes’ Offensive Stars: Overrated or Underperforming?
Wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka are undoubtedly talented, combining for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns in October. Yet, Smith’s critical offensive pass interference penalty, like Howard’s ill-fated scramble, was emblematic of Ohio State’s inability to execute under pressure.
Furthermore, Oregon’s defensive stands in crucial moments overshadowed Egbuka’s 10 catches for 93 yards, making much of his performance forgettable.
While not statistically dominant, Oregon’s defense has risen to the occasion when needed in every contest this season (See Oregon’s 16-13 win over Wisconsin). Disregard the numbers except for one – zero (0) losses.
Defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei delivered a game-sealing sack in the first meeting, and the Ducks forced critical turnovers. With linebackers Jeffrey Bassa and Devon Jackson patrolling the middle, nickelback Nikko Reed providing steady coverage, and cornerbacks Kobe Savage and Jabbar Muhammad limiting the deep shots, Oregon’s opportunistic unit has the tools to frustrate Howard and Ohio State’s offense again.
And don’t forget linebacker Bryce Boettcher, the nation’s fourth-highest-graded linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus. Farewell and adieu to you fine Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain…
Ohio State’s offensive line performance landed somewhere between lukewarm and hot garbage, with Donovan Jackson and Seth McLaughlin being the only offensive linemen receiving PFF grades slightly above 60, considered average. While some of them missed part of the game due to injury, Josh Fryar (52.0), Tegra Tshabola (41.7), Josh Simmons (38.3) and Zen Michalski (37.6) each had their worst performance of the season. Is that merely a coincidence? Me thinks not.
Ohio State’s $20 million roster didn’t live up to expectations this season. Now, fans and media pundits think they can win it all. Photo by Steven Chan
National Media Bias: A Love Affair with Ohio State
Despite their blemished record and apparent flaws, the Buckeyes have been showered with adulation by national pundits. Joel Klatt, Fox’s resident Ohio State apologist, predicted a Buckeye victory in October, citing their supposed ability to dominate the ground game. Reality disagreed. Ohio State mustered 141 rushing yards, 53 of which came on a single run by TreVeyon Henderson. (To be fair, Klatt has since predicted an Oregon-Georgia national championship game).
Similarly, Urban Meyer’s vacillating championship predictions, shifting from Oregon to Ohio State after one impressive playoff win, reflect a bias rooted in recency bias rather than logic. Other lesser-known, mouth-breathing homers on social media have voiced similar takes in support of the Bucks following the Tennessee game.
That’s all fine and good, but this squishy narrative ignores the Ducks’ consistency all season. Only a few things were certain this year: death, taxes and Oregon football. The Ducks are 13-0 for a reason, boasting the nation’s most-balanced offense and a quarterback who thrives in high-pressure situations. Yet, Oregon is a -2.5-point underdog, a paper tiger in the eyes of analysts who cling to doughy notions of Buckeye supremacy.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks are poised to pummel Ohio State again, punching their ticket to the CFP semifinals. Photo by Eric Becker
The Prediction: Ducks Win Big
Oregon’s superiority lies in its ability to exploit Ohio State’s weaknesses while masking its own. The Ducks’ offensive line will once again neutralize the Buckeyes’ pass rush, giving Gabriel the time he needs to dissect the secondary. Expect Stewart, Johnson and Traeshon Holden to feast on deep routes while James churns out consistent gains on the ground. Defensively, Oregon will capitalize on the Buckeyes’ reliance on big plays, forcing turnovers and frustrating Howard into costly mistakes.
Final Score: Oregon 38, Ohio State 24. Hot take? This game won’t be close. Mark my words: The Ducks will soar into the semifinals, leaving no doubt about their legitimacy. I have my ticket to Dallas, but I’m not getting a refund. While apologists have argued that the Buckeyes won’t repeat the same poor individual and team performances in October, few have acknowledged the other half of the equation — Oregon’s performance.
The Ducks left points on the table with a missed field goal and PAT, endured self-inflicted wounds and were inexplicably robbed of an early turnover (that somehow no one reviewed…), all of which could have made for a much more decisive Oregon victory over the Buckeyes. Even fewer still have admitted that maybe, just maybe, Oregon’s talented squad simply outplayed Ohio State and made their best players look pedestrian.
The Ducks’ victory next week will be a humbling reminder for the national media that narratives, no matter how many times you repeat them, don’t win football games; execution does. And when it comes to execution, no team in the country does it better than the Oregon Ducks.
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Jordan is a lifelong Duck fan currently living in San Diego. Jordan graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, after serving a prestigious fellowship with the Washington State House of Representatives. Upon graduation, he worked as an English language teaching assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Ambassadorial Program in Monforte de Lemos, Spain. Jordan has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California, covering a wide range of topics, including sports, local politics, and crime. He is VERY excited to be writing about his beloved Oregon Ducks.