Ohio State 48 Utah 45 Rose Bowl January 1, 2022

[Omega]

Ohio State will accept a Rose Bowl bid and will face off against Utah , the PAC 12 champion, this coming New Year's Day.

For the Buckeyes, the game will be a consolation prize after failing to win the Big 10 championship and not qualifying for the playoffs. The task at hand for Coach Day will be motivating his team to play like they did against Michigan State as opposed to the beat down they suffered at Ann Arbor. That task may be complicated as several Buckeyes who are NFL draft eligible may opt out and not play as the game has no championship implications.

Utah on the other hand is on a mission. The Utes have won six straight, twice destroying Oregon, the same team that defeated OSU 35-28 back in week two.

Utah plays a style that is similar to Michigan and have been highly motivated since the September death of team member Aaron Lowe due to gun violence. Throw in the possible looming retirement of Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, and you have the recipe to beat Ohio State: physical play and desire.

The two teams have only one prior meeting, with OSU defeating the Utes 64-6 way back in 1986.

Statistically, OSU averages 45.5 points per game while giving up 20.9 points per game. Utah scores 35.5 points per game allowing 20.6. As Michigan and Oregon proved, the secret to beating Ohio State is to run the ball and stop the run, which fits into Utah's strength.

Surprisingly, OSU has opened as 7.5 point favorites. The game will be televised on E$PN at 5:00 pm on January 1st.

[OHHS old timer]

Very stunned at 7.5 favs from the start. This will change soon. I kinda like the Utes in this one at first glance...

Utah just stymied the Ducks running game. They were able to run over Oeegon...making play action passes a killer in both games.

[Omega]

Very stunned at 7.5 favs from the start. This will change soon. I kinda like the Utes in this one at first glance...

Utah just stymied the Ducks running game. They were able to run over Oeegon...making play action passes a killer in both games.

Yeah, this game has all the makings of a Utah victory. Ohio State's program at the moment seems in disarray from the Michigan loss. Football is about more than talent and X's and O's. A team also needs positive chemistry and cohesion among players and coaches, something that seems to be missing from the 2021 Buckeyes. OSU has the skill to win and win big. The question becomes can Coach Day restore their will to win over three weeks of practice.

[Omega]

10 days out from the Rose Bowl and the silence about the game coming out of Columbus is deafening. No word about game prep. No word if players will opt out. The point spread is holding at 6.5 points with the Buckeyes as favorites, so I guess silence is golden.

One bit of Buckeye news is that Ohio St hired Jim Knowles to be their new defensive coordinator starting January 2nd. Knowles most recently was DC at Oklahoma St, where his team performed as the nation's third best in total defense in 2021.

Also Ohio State claimed the nation's 5th best recruiting class during the just completed early signing period. Of course the question becomes can OSU convert their highly ranked recruits into championship players under Coach Day.

[noreply66]

The Rose Bowl is sort of a jinks the Buckeyes.

[Omega]

The Rose Bowl is sort of a jinks the Buckeyes.

You got that right. OSU is only 4-6 in Rose Bowls played after January 1, 1969. Losses in 1971, 1973, 1976, and 1980 cost OSU claims to a national championship.

https://buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/lists ... rose-bowl/

[OHHS old timer]

1969....

Was that the one where Rex Kern led the Buckeyes to victory over USC and OJ?

I remember Kern playing a few years in the NFL as a safety for New England if I recall correctly.

[Omega]

1969....

Was that the one where Rex Kern led the Buckeyes to victory over USC and OJ?

I remember Kern playing a few years in the NFL as a safety for New England if I recall correctly.

You are correct. The Jan1, 1969 Rose Bowl gave OSU the national championship for the 1968 season. Kern, Otis, and Tatum led the Super Sophs over USC and OJ Simpson. I was fortunate to have attended that game. That was followed over the next decade by the Bucks blowing championship opportunities against Stanford, USC, and UCLA in the Rose Bowl.

Simpson broke one 80 yard run that was a thing of beauty. (3:48)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pRFquqrw4jo

[Omega]

So much for the theory that the Buckeye nation can be counted on to travel well. OSU has sold only 13,000 of its 20,000 ticket allocation for the Rose Bowl. I am sure the pandemic has something to do with it but maybe TOSU fans have come to see any season where the Bucks fail to make the playoffs as a failure.

https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/fo ... -utah-utes

[82nd]

omega is this the beginning of the end of BOWL MANIA. Playoff or bust

[Omega]

omega is this the beginning of the end of BOWL MANIA. Playoff or bust

As long as there are wealthy business people who desire to rub shoulders with college football programs there will be bowl games.

As long as television broadcasters and streaming services need content, there will be bowl games.

I think what we will see with legal pay for play and one time player free agency, coupled with the push for expanded playoffs, the major bowls and the CFP games will become one and the same. The schools with the commitment of going all in to compete for national championships in this new environment will eventually form their own super conference and governing body, leaving behind the rest of college football to carry on as is.

[Omega]

Garrett Wilson becomes the first Buckeye to publicly opt out of playing in the Rose Bowl:

https://www.on3.com/teams/ohio-state-bu ... nfl-draft/

Other Buckeyes rumored to be opting out of the game include TE Jeremy Ruckert, DL Haskell Garrett, and OL Nicholas Petit-Frere. WR Chris Olave has been sighted with the team in California but his name keeps popping up as a possible game day last minute opt out.

Old school me does not like this but I recognize the players have every right to make decisions to protect their economic future.

EDIT: All of the above mentioned players except Ruckert have officially opted out of the Rose Bowl, officially ending their Buckeye careers

[OHHS old timer]

Well.....

That changes things a bit...kinda glad I picked Utah now

[Omega]

Well.....

That changes things a bit...kinda glad I picked Utah now

I think Utah should have been considered the favorite from the get go, with or without these OSU opt outs. It will be interesting to see how the Bucks respond with these defections and after being curb stomped by Michigan.

[TRENCHFOOT]

Well.....

That changes things a bit...kinda glad I picked Utah now

I think Utah should have been considered the favorite from the get go, with or without these OSU opt outs.

Agree Omega.

[cbolt]

Hard to imagine the Rose Bowl being tossed aside like yesterdays garbage by these players now days. Woody and Bo are rolling in their graves!

[cbolt]

Somehow I think the Bucks will win this even with the loss of players, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them lose after that deflating loss in November.

[Omega]

Somehow I think the Bucks will win this even with the loss of players, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them lose after that deflating loss in November.

No outcome or margin of victory in this game would surprise me. Honestly I would not be upset with a Buckeye loss in this game as long as the team and coaching staff performed with effort and motivation.

[Omega]

Apparently Ohio State had only 63 scholarship players available for practice today. There are rumors that the Buckeyes will have at least a few players held out of the game due to covid protocols. Throw in the opt outs and about a dozen players with injuries, the Buckeyes have some serious depth problems for the Rose Bowl.

[noreply66]

If Ohio State wins the Rose Bowl they will pass Michigan for the most Rose Bowl wins for a Big Ten Team at nine.