Oregon Ducks' Tez Johnson 'Not Surprised' Ohio State Is Haunted By Loss

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day in the College Football Playoff. Oregon receiver Tez Johnson is not surprised Ohio State is still haunted by its regular season loss to Oregon. Johnson has noticed a chip on the Buckeyes shoulder.

Oregon Ducks receiver Tez Johnson Not Surprised Ohio State is Haunted by Loss / bri amaranthus

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are preparing to face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. It's a must-see rematch, after Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 on October 12 in Autzen Stadium during the Big Ten conference regular season.

The Ducks bring a perfect 13-0 record into "The Granddaddy of Them All," and will look to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals for the second time in program history. The Big Ten champion Ducks are led by wide receiver Tez Johnson, who is fresh off earning MVP honors in the Big Ten Championship game. Johnson, who transferred from Troy as a junior, is a lifelong Ducks fan turned fan favorite.

Johnson's bubbly and honest personality is refreshing.

Oregon Ducks receiver Tez Johnson Not Surprised Ohio State is Haunted by Loss / bri amaranthus

Two days before the Rose Bowl, the entire Oregon football team sat down for interviews with media. I asked Johnson to address Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith's comments about being "haunted" by the loss to Oregon, in which Smith was called for an offensive pass interference penalty that was met with some controversy.

"Not surprised at all because it would have haunted us too. You lose a game that close, by one point like that, it's going to haunt you a little bit," Johnson said. "Ask Ashton Jeanty which game he would want back, it's Oregon - it's the Oregon game he would want."

In arguably the most significant regular-season win in program history, the Ducks upset the Buckeyes in front of a record crowd in Autzen Stadium almost three months ago. Obviously, Johnson and the Oregon team are very familiar with Ohio State's tape but Johnson has noticed key differences in the Buckeyes team now, compared to October.

"They play with a little bit of chip on their shoulder right now. And we see that." Johnson said. "They're a really good team. They're a hot motor team. They got really good coaches behind them."

"We play with a chip too. They're not the only ones," Johnson added.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, left, and coach Dan Lanning embrace after defeating Maryland at Autzen Stadium. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Despite earning the No. 1 seed in the playoff, Oregon is underdogs to Ohio State. National media doubts the Ducks abilities to beat the Buckeyes twice in one season.

"Nobody believed us in us in the first place so why believe now? We don't care. Underdogs, No. 1. It doesn't matter. We go 1-0 each week," Johnson said.

Johnson has been prepared for this rematch since the seeding was announced.

"We knew it was coming the whole time," Johnson said. "We knew exactly who was going to match up against. As soon as they said Tennessee vs. Ohio State, we prepared for Ohio State. So we knew exactly. We prepared for both, but we knew it was going to be Ohio State. I think I watched the first quarter of the game, turned it off. I knew exactly who was going to win. "

If the Ducks beat the Buckeyes, they would be the first team to beat Ohio State twice in the same season since 1894. A victory would also extended the Ducks' winning streak to 15 games dating back to last season, the longest active streak in the nation.

Oregon would then advance to the College Football Playoff Semifinals in Arlington, Texas, to play the winner of Arizona State vs. the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

For Johnson, Wednesday's game is a chance to extend his Oregon career. The receiver gets emotional as he talks about his Duck legacy. Upon arrival in Los Angeles for the game, Johnson's girlfriend sent him a photo of his face on a Rose Bowl billboard in the City of Angels, and he said he couldn't help but cry.

"I'm like, there's no way I'm here right now," Johnson said. "I literally have the Rose Bowl jacket on."

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches from the sideline during the first half of the College Football Playoff first round game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Johnson also leads the Ducks in both receiving yards (866) and receiving touchdowns (10), and he has caught double-digit passes four times with four 100-yard performances. He became the first receiver ever to be named MVP of the Big Ten Championship Game, and his 181 receiving yards were the most ever in the game.

Despite missing nearly three full games due to injury, Johnson has a chance to etch his name further into Oregon's history. Johnson is only eight receptions away from the Oregon single-season receptions record of 86 he set in 2023.

The Rose Bowl kicks off at 2 p.m. PT on New Year's Day.

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