PASADENA — Two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Rose Bowl sound system blasted “Shout,” the famous Animal House song played during every Oregon home game. Tens of thousands of fans dressed in green sang in unison as the shadows grew long and the sun set behind the San Gabriels. But on Oregon’s sideline, players stood motionless or huddled quietly with coaches.
The scene was quite different across the field, where Ohio State’s star defensive ends, Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, immediately recognized “Shout” and began dancing to the music.
Ohio State had taken everything else from the Ducks over the course of a remarkable Wednesday afternoon. Why not hijack their beloved tradition, as well?
And so the team that didn’t play for the Big Ten title laid waste to the conference champions with a 41-21 victory in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal that was far more lopsided than even the score suggests.
The outcome propelled eighth-seeded Ohio State into a matchup with Texas next week, eliminated the top-seeded Ducks and undoubtedly left one interested onlooker with mixed emotions.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti attended the game but was not available for interviews, according to a conference spokesperson. So we’re left to guess his reaction.
In one regard, Petitti is probably delighted: Penn State will join Ohio State in the semifinals after a decisive victory over Boise State on Tuesday in the Fiesta Bowl.
But Petitti might have walked away from the Rose Bowl frustrated that his conference couldn’t place a third team in the semifinals — that Oregon and Ohio State were matched against each other because of a flawed CFP process that prioritizes conference championships.
Had the CFP’s selection committee seeded the 12 teams based on the final rankings, the Ducks and Buckeyes would not have played an elimination game in the quarterfinals.
Ohio State would have been the No. 6 seed, not the No. 8, and faced Texas in the quarters. And as the No. 1 seed, Oregon would have faced the winner of the Nos. 8-9 game, Boise State or Indiana.
Both the Buckeyes and Ducks could have advanced to the semifinals, along with Penn State, which would have been the No. 4 seed in a bracket based on ranking.
Petitti and the other conference commissioners who make up the CFP management committee are scheduled to gather in Atlanta in three weeks.
It stands to reason that Petitti will push for the format change. Over the course of years, the top teams in the Big Ten are likely to be ranked higher than the champions of the ACC, Big 12 and Group of Five.
Our hunch: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey will agree with Petitti, perhaps in exchange for Petitti’s support on whatever issue is nearest and dearest to Sankey’s heart.
In order to make format changes in time for next season, the Big Ten and SEC would need unanimous support from the other FBS conferences (and Notre Dame).
But that’s not the case with the 2026 postseason. There is no agreed-upon format. There are no unanimity requirements. The Big Ten and SEC can — with ESPN’s blessing, of course — ram through whatever changes they desire.
Eliminating the seed deference given to conference champions could be atop the list.
Other reactions from the Rose Bowl:
— The Ducks looked slower and more out of sync than they have all season — and not by a little. Clearly, the 24-day break impacted their performance.
That has been the case with numerous playoff teams in the past. It’s not an Oregon-specific issue. The layoff creates rust and heavy legs.
The difference this time: Oregon’s opponent didn’t have a 24-day break. The Buckeyes played 11 days ago, in the CFP’s opening round.
In other words, the No. 1 overall seed faced a competitive disadvantage against the No. 8.
That, too, must change.
(Of note: The higher-seeded quarterfinalists with multi-week breaks, Oregon, Boise State and Arizona State, were outscored 42-3 in the first quarter by lower-seeded opponents that played 10 or 11 days ago.)
— The scores of Oregon’s last two playoff games are as follows:
Ohio State 42, Ducks 20 (2014 championship)
Ohio State 41, Ducks 21 (2024 quarterfinals)
The opponent is part of the problem, of course — Ohio State is as talented as any team in the country on an annual basis. But the endgame is unchanged: The Ducks remain in pursuit of a national championship for 86-year-old benefactor Phil Knight.
Was 2024 their best chance?
Yes and no.
This team was a stellar combination of talent, experience, coaching and circumstance. The Ducks were better prepared for life in the Big Ten than Washington and USC and benefitted from Michigan’s substandard season.
But it’s entirely possible that a slightly lesser regular season will produce a more successful postseason — that tweaks to the CFP format and not having 24 days off and not playing with the pressure of an unbeaten season will combine to generate an unexpected run through the postseason.
Playoff expansion has created a tournament environment akin to March Madness, where momentum comes from nowhere and dynamics are fluid.
Don’t forget: The year the Ducks reached the Final Four, they were a No. 3 seed.
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