Ohio State Stuns Everyone With Vengeful First Half vs Oregon

The Ohio State Buckeyes absolutely dominated the Oregon Ducks in the first half of the Rose Bowl.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) runs with the ball against the Oregon Ducks in the first quarter in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes entered the Rose Bowl as favorites over the Oregon Ducks, but nobody—not even the most diehard Ohio State fan—expected this.

Will Howard and Jeremiah Smith opened the scoring with a 45-yard touchdown connection, and from that point moving forward, the Buckeyes put on a first-half clinic.

Ohio State went into the break leading Oregon 34-8 in an absolute stunner and appear primed to hand the Ducks their only loss of the season.

The Buckeyes could not do any wrong over the vast majority of the first 30 minutes, and on both sides of the ball.

Howard (11-for-18 with 269 yards and three touchdowns) was throwing darts while the offensive line provided him with pristine protection. Smith (five catches for 161 yards and two scores) was burning defenders with impunity.

TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both ripped off huge chunks of yardage, including a 66-yard touchdown scamper by the former.

And defensively, Ohio State made Oregon look like a JV unit offensively, with the Buckeyes' defensive linemen winning just about every battle in the trenches. As a matter of fact, the Ducks did not even cross into Ohio State territory until there were 30 seconds left in the second quarter, which was when they finally got on the board with a touchdown at the buzzer.

Remember: the Buckeyes lost to Oregon in Eugene back in October. That now feels like ancient history and then some, as both squads looked entirely different in the first half on New Year's Day.

There is still another half of football left to play, but there appears to be an absolutely massive gap between these two teams, and it's hard to see the Ducks overcome this gargantuan deficit.

Ohio State is 30 minutes away from a Cotton Bowl showdown with the Texas Longhorns.