Los Angeles – The last time Oregon and Ohio State faced off, Ducks coach Dan Lanning‘s shrewd understanding of rules allowed him to run precious time off and escape with a win.

Following its narrow victory over Ohio State during Big Ten play, Oregon knows it can't underestimate the Buckeyes in a rematch at the Rose Bowl.

The Rose Bowl won’t get a Big Ten vs. Pac-12 anymore, but this Midwest vs. West Coast meeting in the CFP quarterfinal has a similar spirit. The Buckeyes lost the first time these new Big Ten foes met but are favored for the rematch in Pasadena.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be facing the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl next Wednesday, which is enough of a doozy in and of itself. After all, a legitimate argument can be made that Ohio State and Oregon are the two best teams in the nation.

Ohio State players had been thinking about a rematch with Oregon long before the Buckeyes crushed Tennessee in a first-round playoff game.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day has a rare smile on his face near the end of the game during action in the CFP game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus on Saturday, December 21, 2024. The Buckeyes won 42-17 and head to the Rose Bowl to play Oregon in the next round. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com