the Ohio State Buckeyes We weren't about to let a newcomer to the Big Ten Conference steal all the spotlight this season.
With a resounding 41-21 victory over Oregon ranked top In the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, the Buckeyes are headed to the CFP semifinals.
Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard's three long passes during Ohio State's thrilling 34-point first half. Howard passed for 319 yards, Emeka Egbuka also caught a long TD pass, and TreVeyon Henderson had a 66-yard touchdown run in the redemptive Rose Bowl for Box (12-2, No. 8 seed in CFP), whose execution in big games has sometimes not matched his immense talent this season.
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Ohio State Buckeyes tight end J. Scott Jr. jumps into first place during the first half of a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Oregon Ducks at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2025. (Adam Kearns/The Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Ohio State took advantage of the second chances created by the first 12-team CFP, eliminating the No. 1 seed in the tournament in certainty. The Buckeyes scored six of their first seven drives and took a 34-0 lead late in the second quarter over the only remaining undefeated team in the country in the Granddaddy of Them All.
Ohio State heads to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 to face No. 4 Texas for a spot in the national title game. The Longhorns barely took the lead earlier Wednesday, beating Arizona State 39-31 in a Peach Bowl double overtime game.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Trevon Henderson (32) runs for a touchdown during the first half of a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2025. (Adam Kearns/The Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel She passed for 299 yards and hit Traeshon Holden for two touchdowns for the Ducks (13-1, No. 1 seed in the CFP), whose dreams of capturing their first national title were dashed on the famed Rose Bowl turf. Oregon's 14-game winning streak also ended.
Eleven days after defeating Tennessee to open the playoff, Ohio State took control in a thrilling regular-season rematch of these Big Ten teams, which the Ducks won 32-31 in Eugene on Oct. 12.
Smith, the Buckeyes' standout freshman playmaker, had an impressive debut with seven receptions for 187 yards — including five catches for 161 yards in the first half alone, where he caught scoring passes of 45 and 43 yards.
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Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a pass in front of Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during the first half of a college football playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2025. (Adam Kearns/The Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
For Oregon State, a thrilling inaugural season in the Big 10 will end in a crushing defeat. It also marked the end of Gabriel's six-year college career.
Gabriel has been one of the best midfielders this season. He was named first-team All-American, Big 10 MVP and Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024. He also led the Big 10 in both passing yards, with 3,558, and completions, with 297, this year.
The quarterback began his career starting at the University of Central Florida, where he played for three years before heading to Norman to play for the team Sooner in Oklahoma. In December, with one year of eligibility remaining, Gabriel decided to head to the Pacific Northwest to play for the Oregon Ducks.
Now, Gabriel will look forward to the NFL Draft, where he is projected to be a potential second-tier quarterback.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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