Ducks Digest

Ohio State's Caleb Downs Wins MVP In Win Over Oregon Ducks In Rose Bowl

The Oregon Ducks storybook season ended at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes 41-21. While there were many exceptional performances, including some by Oregon players, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was the best player on the field and earned MVP.

Kyron Samuels

Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) catches a ball during warm ups prior to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025.
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) catches a ball during warm ups prior to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Rose Bowl quarterfinal matchup between the No. 1 seed Oregon Ducks and No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes was regarded as one of the most anticipated matchups in the history of the College Football Playoff. A rematch of the 2024 regular season game of the year contender, the stakes were set this time in Pasadena with a National Championship dream on the line. In a shocking turn of events for anyone who took the time to tune in, the Oregon Ducks were completely run off the field within the first twenty minutes of the game.

Ohio State went up 34-0 before the Ducks responded with their own score. The viewing experience was inexplicable. Both viscerally moving and surreal at the same time. The Ducks clawed their way back to make it semi-interesting in the third quarter, but ultimately, it was never a close game, and the Buckeyes finished strong for a 41-21 victory. In a game laden with NFL talent and potential, the player that stood out the most to me was Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Downs gets the instant game MVP. 

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is an indescribable talent as a freshman. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard played one of the best games of his life. Oregon cornerback Jabbar Muhammad played a phenomenal game. Still, the most impressive player was Caleb Downs. Downs, an Alabama transfer, was named a unanimous All-American for the Buckeyes this season after an All-American season for the Crimson Tide as a true freshman during the 2023 campaign. 

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While his raw numbers aren’t as impressive as his counterparts at safety across the country, or even as they were his freshman season, make no mistakes about it: he’s the best safety in the country. If not for a player by the name of Travis Hunter, calling him the best player in college football wouldn’t be a stretch. Downs was credited with three tackles and three incredible pass breakups, but the raw statistics don’t do his play justice.

Downs is an eraser. He erases portions of the field in zone coverage. He erases your best pass catcher in one-on-one situations. He erases your opportunity to run on the edges with his ability to run the alley and tackle on space. He erases windows that may seem open post-snap from a quarterback’s viewpoint. Most importantly, he erases the mistakes of other defenders. Oregon’s explosive offense couldn’t get anything going in the first half because of the eraser that is Caleb Downs.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel only threw three interceptions in the last nine games of the season. Downs got his hands in the ball three times in this game alone. It’s those types of plays that force a player like Gabriel to be as apprehensive as he was to push the ball downfield. When there’s an eraser roaming, second-guessing becomes the norm. Even experienced players like Gabriel will hold the ball too long, and that’s what happened.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is a heck of a ball coach. He deserves credit for the game plan that stymied the vaunted Oregon offense. However, it probably wouldn’t have mattered much what the scheme was. The Buckeyes could’ve played base and let Downs roam. He was, and as long as he’s healthy, he will be that good. 


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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

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