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15 hours ago
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According to national analyst Josh Pate, college football fans are drooling over Oregon's matchup against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Both teams last played each other in October, as Oregon ended Ohio State’s then-undefeated season in a 32-31 thriller.
The Ducks' head-to-head victory ultimately made the difference in their quest for a Big Ten title. Oregon ended up finishing unbeaten and meeting Penn State in the conference title game in Indianapolis, prevailing 45-37 earlier this month.
Meanwhile, despite finishing 10-2, the Buckeyes struggled through the end of the season with close victories against Penn State and Nebraska. They entered Week 14 against Michigan needing a win against the Wolverines to clinch a spot in the Big Ten title game but lost 13-10 to open the door for the Nittany Lions after all.
With a trip to the semifinal on the line, Pate said there is no room for error for either side. The Buckeyes rolled past Tennessee, 42-17, while Oregon was one of four conference champions enjoying a first-round bye.
"Oregon, the last time they played Ohio State, the precision of the passing game was everything," Pate said. "Dillon Gabriel was 23-of-34, 341 [yards], two touchdowns. Evan Stewart goes off. Tez Johnson goes off. They had seven catches apiece. If they can duplicate that, you're talking about an instant classic 2.0 here. It's tough to do, but they've been doing that virtually all year. It was not a mirage when they played Ohio State."
The winner advances to the Cotton Bowl semifinal against the No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas Peach Bowl victor. Texas knocked off Clemson 38-24, while Arizona State had a week of rest following its Big 12 title win.
Oregon vs. Ohio State is the third all-time Rose Bowl game between the two schools, the first since a New Year's Day 2010 victory for Ohio State.
Kickoff begins at 5 p.m. ET, one of three College Football Playoff semifinal games on the same day.
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