Our seniors had played their last game in the Horseshoe and it was a redemptive performance to remember. Next we send them off to the Grandaddy of Them All, the Rose Bowl, to face the undefeated Big Ten champion, Oregon. 

Going into the Quarterfinals

• Game Preview - In what many felt could be a de facto national championship game, Oregon had a tough draw, facing Ohio State in their first game. They got the better of the Bucks in their October meeting; had the Buckeyes evolved enough to get even? The defense had been elite all year, but Oregon was the lone exception. It remained to be seen whether the re-engineered defense could stop the offense that scored 32 points on them earlier. Star DE Jordan Burch returned to the lineup, making the challenge that much harder for our OL. What would happen if OSU was as aggressive as they were against Tennessee? Fans had begun to believe, but hope is a dangerous thing.
• Revenge - The team had always planned on winning the rematch against Oregon, they just envisioned it happening sooner. They were determined to end this game differently. Will Howard wanted redemption for the last play. Jeremiah Smith hates the bad call that moved Ohio State out of field goal range. Denzel Burke believes this time won't be like the last and Knowles co-signs this. The defense as a whole is hungry to right some wrongs. A common theme in all this? The Buckeyes were confident. 
• Across the Field - Oregon write James Crepea sees the true strength of each team being their offense, with their defenses mostly looking good due to poor competition. He expects the return of Jordan Burch to be a disruptive force. Their offense is multiple and can adapt to however OSU adjusts, especially with Dillon Gabriel at the helm. He and Oregon's fanbase were confident, and it's hard to blame them; they had about as good a year as you could hope for thus far, joining the Big Ten that many said they weren't tough enough to hang with, and beating the two torchbearers of the conference for the last 50 years to claim an undefeated conference title. 
• Pregame Picks - Most staff predicted the Buckeyes to win a relatively close game, with only Ramzy daring to predict a blowout: 42-24. 

Quarterfinals vs #1 Oregon in 150 Minutes

Open Threads: Q1 Part 1 | Q1 Part 2 | Q2 | Halftime | Q3 | Q4  

Coming Out of the Quarterfinals

This team is unstoppable. 

• Game Summary - Ryan Day said, "It doesn't have to be close." It wasn't. It was 34-0 in the second quarter. Like in Round 1, they came out guns blazing, taking just 3 plays and 58 seconds to score their first touchdown. They would continue slamming the trigger as they scored on every first-half possession but one. Oregon stole some momentum in the middle eight, with a walk-off TD in the first half and another TD to open the second half. They would get little else, however, while the Buckeyes put together two more touchdown drives and end the game victorious, 42-17. Besides the general jubilation, some fans had some things to get off their chest. 
• "We're Far From Done" - The players and coaches opened up after this game, sharing a lot about their motivations and their strengths. The confidence leaps off the page. These guys were locked in. Lanning took it on the chin tonight and was highly complimentary of Ohio State after the thorough dismantling. 
• -23 Yards - That was Oregon's rushing total for the game. In a complete reversal from the previous matchup, despite constant uncalled holding, the defense eviscerated Oregon's OL tonight. Even if you subtract the lost yardage from the eight sacks, Oregon's rushing total was still only 33 yards and 1.7 ypc. Oh, and did Denzel Burke deliver? Yeah. Per PFF: 29 coverage snaps, 1 target, 0 yards allowed. Jeremiah Smith continued his path of destruction through the record books as he took down Cris Carter's record of most receiving yards by a freshman in a single game. 
• Stock Up/Stock Down - It shouldn't have been possible to get much higher, but Jeremiah Smith's stock soared to even greater heights after a tremendous Rose Bowl performance. Will Howard was commanding this offense at an elite level, as he racked up 319 yards at 12.3 yards/pass attempt and 3 touchdowns. 

Up Next: Semifinals vs #5 Texas in the Cotton Bowl