The first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff has presented some good matchups. Here is the 2025 Rose Bowl Preview.
Ohio State won 10 games to be selected as an at-large team for the CFP. They defeated six bowl-eligible teams this season: Western Michigan, Marshall, Iowa, Nebraska, Penn State and Indiana. Both of their losses, Oregon and Michigan, were to teams that went over .500. They defeated Tennessee, 42-17, in the CFP first round.
The Buckeyes score 37.8 points per game, ranking eighth in the country. They pass for 259.2 yards (ranked 35th) and rush for 168.2 yards per game (ranked 60th).
Kansas State transfer Will Howard started at quarterback for the Buckeyes this season. He has passed for 3,171 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions on 73.2 percent completion. Three receivers have over 500 yards on the season in Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate. Smith leads the team as a freshman with 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Two running backs make quite the tandem for the Buckeyes. Quinshon Judkins is the leading rusher with 839 yards and 10 touchdowns. TreVeyon Henderson has played well with 831 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Howard is a threat to find the end zone on the ground and has seven rushing touchdowns this season.
The Buckeyes have a stout defense that is the best in the country, allowing 11.4 points per game. They allow 101.1 rushing yards and 141.2 passing yards per game. Sonny Styles and Cody Simon have led the team in tackles with 81 and 86 a piece. JT Tuimoloau paces the team with eight sacks. Davison Igbinosun has been aggressive in the secondary with eight passes defended and two interceptions.
Oregon was the lone undefeated team at the FBS level this season. They defeated six bowl-eligible teams this season: Boise State, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan, Washington and Penn State.
The Ducks score 37.9 points per game, ranking seventh in the country. They pass for 278 yards (ranked 14th) and rush for 171.8 yards per game (ranked 52nd).
Dillon Gabriel transferred in from Oklahoma to play quarterback for Oregon this season. He has passed for 3,558 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions on 73.2 percent completion. Six players have at least 200 receiving yards on the season. Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart and Traeshon Holden each have over 600 yards this season. Johnson leads the pack with 78 catches for 866 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Jordan James has been the leading rusher for the Ducks this season with 1,253 yards and 15 touchdowns. Noah Whittington has played well behind him with 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Gabriel provides a rushing threat from the quarterback position with 192 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Defensively, the Ducks give up 17.8 points per game, ranking 12th in the country. They concede 175.7 passing yards and 126.2 rushing yards per game. Bryce Boettcher leads the team with 87 total tackles. Matayo Uiagalelei paces the team with 10.5 sacks. Jabbar Muhammad makes plenty of plays on the ball with 11 passes defended.
Ohio State lost by one point on the road to Oregon the last time they played. The Buckeyes seemed to be more aggressive on offense in the first-round matchup against Tennessee. If Ohio State utilizes their skill at wide receiver, they can win a close one.
Ohio State Buckeyes 35 Oregon Ducks 31
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