Ohio State woke up, and flipped the College Football Playoff on its head
It was 34-0 midway through the second quarter.
In a game that was billed to be a thrilling rematch between two of the top teams in the nation, Ohio State flipped the script on both their season and their perception this year in a 41-21 demolition derby of the Oregon Ducks that sent them to the semifinals of the 2024 College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes dominated both sides of the ball, overwhelming an Oregon team that simply looked outmatched from the first play of the game.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this game was Ohio State’s defense, which played the Ducks a lot differently than their first matchup. Since the loss to Oregon in the regular season, Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was given the freedom to run his defense, a hybrid look that plays more three safety looks compared to the more static defense Ohio State played before Knowles got to Columbus. By spreading out his linebackers and allowing safeties Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom to play more downhill from the middle safety position, the Buckeyes eliminated most of the RPO stuff the Ducks love to run, funneling all their runs to the edge where secondary guys fit the run.
When the Buckeyes hired Knowles away from Oklahoma State, they expected this caliber defense, a defense that would be maximized by their quality of recruiting. Oregon finished the game with -23 rushing yards, and it was largely due to the changes in their defense shutting off all the space to get any traction on the ground.
2 plays from Ohio State's defense against Oregon stand out in the run game: this one is out of the 3-hi shell, with Downs as the middle safety. You get the play side EDGE stemming to the inside to squeeze all the space there, forcing this to the edge, where Downs is unaccounted for in the run fit
— JP Acosta (@acosta32jp.bsky.social) 2025-01-02T17:26:23.106Z
The Buckeyes sacked QB Dillon Gabriel eight times, but never really sent pressure very much. This was more about the coverage shutting off most of the space Oregon wanted to create and then the Buckeyes closing in on Gabriel en route to their defensive destruction.
On the offensive side of the ball, it’s hard to believe that this Ohio State team is the same one that only put up 10 points against Michigan. The Buckeyes remembering they have the best receiver and receiving core in college football sure helped them in their win. Oregon just simply didn’t have anyone who could cover WRs Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. The superstar pairing combined for 12 catches, 269 yards and three touchdowns, with Smith looking like the dynamic player he’s proven himself to be this season.
There’s no doubt in my mind that if he were available Jeremiah Smith would be the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the best player on the field in the Rose Bowl at 19 years old, and when Ohio State feeds him the ball in various ways, they’re simply unstoppable.
Obviously, he's a physical freak. But the subtle body lean and head bob to manipulate the DB on this route is so, so good, esp for a freshman.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 2, 2025
It's more than just size/speed w/ Jeremiah Smith. pic.twitter.com/OgTqA8JdSe
The Buckeye offensive line played their best game of the season as well. After shifting players around to account for the losses of LT Josh Simmons and C Seth McLaughlin, the Buckeyes are peaking at the right time, which is terrifying for every other team in college football.
Ohio State now faces Texas for the right to play for the national championship.
In their dominant win, Ohio State woke up, and that’s a problem for the remaining teams in the College Football Playoff.
