Embattled Ohio State Star Gets Honest on Revenge Against Oregon

This Ohio State Buckeyes star has opened up on getting revenge against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.

Sep 28, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke (10) returns the ball after intercepting a pass in the second half at Spartan Stadium on Saturday. / Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There may not be a single Ohio State Buckeyes player that needs revenge on the Oregon Ducks more than cornerback Denzel Burke.

Sure, quarterback Will Howard slid and accidentally ran out the clock in the first meeting back in Week 7, but it was Burke who was absolutely shredded throughout the contest.

The star defensive back surrendered eight catches for 179 yards and a couple of touchdowns in Ohio State's 32-31 loss in October, and now, Burke will get the chance to right his wrongs when the Buckeyes face Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

However, Burke is insisting that he isn't making this personal.

“I've been trying to stay away from that word vengeance,” Burke said, via Eleven Warriors. “Really just go out there and be me, man. Have fun and be me.”

Burke entered 2024 widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the country and was viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, his shoddy performance against the Ducks severely damaged his reputation, and he has been on the road to recovery ever since.

“It's kind of like basketball on grass, so you've just got to get ready to get off blocks and just play fast, line up and play ball,” Burke said. “I'm really happy to be able to play them again. It kind of left a little bad taste in my mouth the last game, but here we are now in the Rose Bowl and I'm looking forward to just having fun and playing hard.”

Burke was smart to avoid giving Oregon any bulletin-board material (unlike Howard), so it will certainly be interesting to see how he plays on Wednesday.

One thing is for sure: if he has another showing like he did in Eugene, Ohio State is going to be in some major trouble.