Ohio State defeated Oregon 41-21 to win the 2025 Rose Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes took a 34-0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith broke Ohio State’s freshman yardage record in a single game with 187 yards. He also added seven receptions and two receiving touchdowns, earning him Rose Bowl Offensive MVP honors.

The man who threw the ball to Smith, quarterback Will Howard, completed 65 percent of his passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. However, it was only the air attack where Ohio State dominated; Running back TreVeyon Henderson ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries (11.8 YPC) and running back Quinshon Judkins ran for 85 yards. Overall, it was a 500-yard performance from the Buckeye offense.

Ohio State’s defense was dominant in its own right, allowing only three drives to cross the 50-yard line. The Buckeyes harassed Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel with eight sacks, and the running game didn’t help them Negative 23 yards and only 20 yards without Gabriel’s negative sum. Linebacker Cody Simon earned Rose Bowl Defensive MVP honors after leading Ohio State with 11 tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss.

In the loss, Gabriel tied Case Keenum for the all-time FBS career passing touchdown record of 155.

With the win, 8th seed and No. 6 Ohio State advances to face 5th seed and No. 3 in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas on Friday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN Playing Texas. It will be the fourth time the historic programs have met on the gridiron.

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