Utah has ample motivation, but will Buckeyes be flat?
The last meeting
The teams have played only once, a 64-6 Ohio State blowout in 1986. Utah was then in the Western Athletic Conference before moving to the Mountain West and ultimately the Pac-12. The Utes were no match for OSU at the time. Ohio State scored a touchdown on its opening drive, recovered a Utah fumble on the ensuing kickoff, scored again, and the rout was on. Ohio State gained 715 yards and a Chris Spielman-led defense allowed only two field goals.
State of the Buckeyes
Very good question. Are the Buckeyes still reeling from the Michigan loss and unable to be at peak motivation for a non-college Football Playoff bowl game? Or are they hungry to make amends and finish the 2021 season with a victory in a prestigious bowl? This will be a test of the Buckeyes' pride because Utah is good enough and certainly tough enough to make Ohio State look bad.
State of the Utes
Pretty euphoric. Utah has been in the Pac-12 for only a decade and is thrilled to be making its first Rose Bowl appearance. The Utes have overcome a slow start to this season and the tragedy of having two players die in the past year. But two lopsided victories over Oregon propelled Utah to the Pac-12 title. Kyle Whittingham, who succeeded Urban Meyer as Utes coach in 2005, has built the program into a consistent winner. A victory over Ohio State would rank among Utah's best wins.
When the Buckeyes have the ball
Ohio State offense: The Buckeyes have relied mostly on their passing game, and it has dazzled behind C.J. Stroud. Ohio State wants to re-establish its run game after it was stuffed against Michigan. This is a chance for the offensive line to get redemption.
Utah defense: The Utes rank 11th in total defense, yielding only 315.4 yards per game. Against the run, Utah allows only 3.56 yards per carry. The Utes also have a knack for getting to the quarterback. They have 42 sacks this year, led by defensive end Mike Tafua's 91⁄2. The biggest strength of the Utah is at linebacker. Devin Lloyd is a statsheet stuffer and Nephi Sewell is a stout middle linebacker. Former Buckeye commit Clark Phillips was secondteam All-pac-12.
When the Utes have the ball
Ohio State defense: The progress that had been made since the Tulsa game was proved by Michigan to be at least partly a mirage. The Wolverines manhandled the Buckeyes in the trenches, and OSU wants to show that was an aberration against a Utah offense that will want to do what Michigan did.
Utah offense: The Utes will want to pound Ohio State on the ground. Utah ranks second nationally in yards per carry at 5.61. Tavion Thomas, a Cincinnati transfer, leads the way with 1,041 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. T.J. Pledger has added 671 yards and averages 6.9 per run. Quarterback Cameron Rising has thrown for 18 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Britain Covey (49 catches, 480 yards) and Brant Kuithe (44 catches, 534 yards and six TDS) lead a balanced receiving corps.
OSU player to watch
Treveyon Henderson. The Ohio State freshman running back was mostly contained by Michigan. Henderson is an explosive runner who's particularly gifted once he gets to the second level. Getting him there consistently became a challenge late in the season. If he has a big game, the Buckeyes should roll.
Utah player to watch
Devin Lloyd. The 6-foot-3, 235pound linebacker is expected to enter the NFL draft and is projected as a first-round pick. Lloyd is a force in both the run game and the pass game. Lloyd leads Utah with 62 tackles. That includes 22 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He also has four interceptions.
Bill Rabinowitz covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at brabinowitz@dispatch.com or on Twitter @brdispatch.