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The first round of the College Football Playoff took place last week, and a lot of people were disappointed with the results as there were a lot of blowouts. Now, the quarterfinals are set, and there are supposed to be some terrific matchups as the teams that originally had byes will be in action. Perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the round will take place in Pasadena as the Ohio State football team will take on Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
Ohio State was in action in round one of the College Football Playoff as they hosted Tennessee. The Buckeyes and Volunteers battled it out under the lights in Columbus, and it ended up being a blowout as Ohio State cruised to a big win. Now, they will take on #1 seed Oregon for a spot in the semis.
Before we get into predictions for this contest, let’s take a deeper look at both the Ducks and the Buckeyes.
Oregon is the only undefeated team in the College Football Playoff
The Oregon football team is the top seed in the CFP, but they are actually underdogs in this game against Ohio State. The Ducks are 13-0 and they won the Big Ten, but they didn’t get rewarded with a very good path. Yes, they got a bye, but this Rose Bowl matchup is not going to be easy.
Oregon and Ohio State did already play this season, and the Ducks were able to get the win at home. However, the game could’ve gone either way, and the Buckeyes probably would’ve won the game if it weren’t for some late mental mistakes.
Now, we get to see a rematch between these two great teams. A lot of people think that the winner of this game is going to end up winning the national championship. It should be a great game, and it will be tough for Oregon to knock off Ohio State again.
Ohio State is an interesting team
The Ohio State football team came into their CFP game against Tennessee in an interesting spot. The Buckeyes were hosting a playoff game, but their fanbase was a little bit out of it after their shocking loss against Michigan. It was the fourth loss in a row to the Wolverines, and Ohio State fans weren’t happy about it.
Despite the loss, Ohio State was a comfortable favorite at home against Tennessee, and they easily cruised to a big win. The Buckeyes got up 21-0 early, and they never looked back. They will be tough to beat if they play like that.
This Ohio State team is an interesting one. They can destroy a team like Tennessee, but they can also score just 10 points against a team that won seven games this year. The key is protecting Will Howard. Michigan was able to get pressure on him all day long, and it ruined their passing attack. That’ll be an important aspect of the Rose Bowl.
Ohio State and Oregon will kick off at 5:00 ET on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California, and the game will be airing on ESPN. The Buckeyes are currently favored by 2.5 points.
One player that will be crucial for Ohio State in this game is wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, but he is the not the X-factor. The X-factor for the Buckeyes is…
Will Howard
Quarterback Will Howard is the most important player for the Ohio State football team. Howard has done a lot of good this season and he has played like an elite QB at times. However, there have also been instances where he has struggled, and it has cost his team.
Howard did not play well at all against Michigan, and that is a big reason why the Wolverines won. Michigan was able to get a lot of pressure on Howard, and that completely changes how he plays. There's a chance that Oregon makes that happen in the Rose Bowl, and if they do, Howard has to find a way to handle it better.
Ohio State has the best WR room in the country and when Will Howard is hitting his targets, the Buckeyes are tough to beat. However, if the Ducks can find a way to stop him from getting into a rhythm, Ohio State can look like a completely different team. That will be a crucial aspect of this game.
College Football Playoff quarterfinal preview
The first round of the College Football Playoff was a bit disappointing, but the quarterfinal round should provide some more excitement. Here is a rundown of what will be going down on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Six seed Penn State and three seed Boise State will get things started on New Year’s Eve in the Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions smoked SMU in the first round while the Broncos had a bye. The two teams will kick off at 7:30 on Tuesday night and Penn State is a big favorite as they are favored by 11 points.
New Year’s Day action will get started with five seed Texas taking on four seed Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. The Sun Devils got a bye in round one while the Longhorns took down Clemson at home. The Peach Bowl will kick off at 1:00 ET and Texas if favored by 13.5 points.
Game three of the round will be this Rose Bowl matchup that we have already discussed between eight seed Ohio State and one seed Oregon.
The final game will go down in the Sugar Bowl between two seed Georgia and seven seed Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish took down Indiana in round one while the Bulldogs got a bye. This should be a good one as the Bulldogs are favored by two points. The two teams will kick off at 8:45 ET.
Hopefully the quarterfinal round provides some more excitement than round one, and it’s looking like it will.
