Buckeyes have high hopes after bowl
Editor’s note: After each Ohio State football game, beat reporters Joey Kaufman and Bill Rabinowitz discuss the lasting storylines and other key developments.
A lot of the season’s biggest goals were no longer at stake.
Ohio State was not playing for a national championship or a Big Ten title on New Year’s Day.
But the Rose Bowl was far from a meaningless exhibition for the Buckeyes, who prevailed in a back-and-forth shootout with Utah, an instant classic that was one of the most memorable games of the college football postseason.
The Buckeyes’ 48-45 triumph, the third-highest scoring game in the history of “Granddaddy of Them All,” made for some thrilling drama.
Kaufman: For as much as the College Football Playoff has come to captivate the attention span of the sport in recent years, it’s funny how often other bowl games prove to be more entertaining.
This season was only the latest example. While both of the semifinal games on New Year’s Eve were blowouts, three other New Year’s Six games, including the Fiesta, Rose and Sugar, were all much closer the following day. It’s a good reminder that the spectacle of college football still spans beyond the playoff race.
Rabinowitz: In the first half, we saw what a lot of OSU fans feared — a depleted and seemingly unmotivated team being overwhelmed. It was 35-21 at halftime and felt worse. The decidedly proutah crowd was in a frenzy. Then came the seniors’ locker room talk, continued brilliance from the passing game and a defense that showed its pride. The result was that what seemed destined to be a forgettable Rose Bowl could serve as a springboard for 2022.
Kaufman: There were a lot of points in that game that required gut checks for the Buckeyes. I think one of the biggest plays came early in the third quarter. Quarterback C.J. Stroud had thrown an interception in the end zone on the opening series of the half, handing possession over to Utah at its 20-yard line. Then linebacker Tommy Eichenberg snuffed out Tavion Thomas in the backfield for a loss of 5 yards. Getting off schedule, the Utes go three and out, line up to punt and bobble, giving the ball back to the Buckeyes, who score and cut the two-touchdown lead in half. The resolve from a gashed defense then set the stage for the show by Stroud and Jaxon Smith-njigba.
Rabinowitz: What a show it was.
Without Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, Smith-njigba stepped into a starring role and set a record for all bowls with 347 receiving yards. We knew all season that Stroud had chemistry with Smith-njigba. That he established it with Marvin Harrison Jr. (three touchdowns), Julian Fleming and Emeka Egbuka is encouraging for next year.
Kaufman: A big contributor to the success of the passing game was the protection Stroud received. According to Pro Football Focus, he was pressured on only seven of his 48 dropbacks (14.6%) and sacked only once against the Utes. Contrast that to the loss at Michigan five weeks earlier, when he was facing pressure on 25 of his 53 dropbacks (47.1%), resulting in four sacks. As was the case all season, Stroud and his receivers overwhelmed secondaries when he wasn’t under duress in the pocket.
Rabinowitz: The passing success papered over the continuing deficiencies in the run game. Treveyon Henderson didn’t find running room really until the game-winning drive. The run game will have to be addressed in the next eight months because the talent is there. If both elements of OSU’S offense can click consistently, next year’s offense could be close to unstoppable. As for the defense, that unit must continue the resolve it showed in the second half. It’ll be fascinating to see what new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has up his sleeve.
Kaufman: It was pretty clear Ryan Day didn’t fully trust the rushing attack by the end of the season. Remember Ohio State’s first touchdown? It was fourth-and-1 early in the second quarter, and instead of trying to sneak or hand off to Henderson to gain a yard, Day called for a pass. Stroud went to Harrison for a 25-yard touchdown. There are definitely some structural issues for the program to address if it is going to win its second national title of the playoff era, as you outlined. The ground game and the whole defense. The Rose Bowl only reinforced that, but it was also a reminder of how fun the 2021 Buckeyes could be to watch, especially if you liked an aerial display.
Rabinowitz: That’s why Knowles is so important. He turned Oklahoma State into a top-ranked defense, which is no easy feat. If he can engineer a transformation as effectively as Jeff Hafley did in 2019, Ohio State will be a serious national championship contender. Many of the pieces are in place. If Eichenberg can play all year the way he did Saturday, when he had 17 tackles, that would ease much of the concern about the linebackers. The expected return of safety Josh Proctor also should help. Denzel Burke is already a lockdown corner. But Knowles has to find a way to get the defense to jell.
Kaufman: In some ways, the Day era feels about where it began three years ago. The Buckeyes are coming off a feelgood win in the Rose Bowl after missing the playoff and are in desperate need of revamping their defense. Tapping Hafley and co-coordinator Greg Mattison did the trick. Now will see if Day is again pressing the right buttons.