Oregon faces Ohio State in Rose Bowl rematch, vying for spot in College Football Playoff semifinals

The College of Oregon’s soccer group has loved a storybook season to date. The No. 1-ranked Geese have gone undefeated of their Massive 10 convention debut. On Wednesday, they kick off the brand new yr by taking up the Ohio State Buckeyes within the Rose Bowl – and the quarterfinals of the Faculty Soccer Championship playoffs.

Tyson Alger runs the Oregon sports activities e-newsletter, The I-5 Hall.

“I feel that is the rematch that everyone’s been hoping and ready for. It’s going to be a fairly epic Rose Bowl matchup as a result of it’s type of the old fashioned, of what was once the Pac-12 versus the Massive 10,” Alger stated. “It’s obtained these two conventional colleges — and by my cash, it’s the 2 greatest groups within the nation proper now.”

The Geese notched one of many solely wins towards Ohio State throughout the common season, profitable by only one level — and want to knock out the Buckeyes for a spot within the Faculty Soccer Playoff semifinals.

OPB “All Issues Thought of” producer Donald Orr spoke with Alger to preview the extremely anticipated recreation in Pasadena.

This dialog has been edited for size and readability.

Donald Orr: The final meetup between the Oregon Geese and Ohio State was a nailbiter in Autzen Stadium this October. The Geese received in one of the crucial explosive video games throughout the common season. What’s modified for these two groups since then?

Tyson Alger: Should you ask everybody on the Ohio State facet, they’ll inform you: “Every part.” Ohio State was a group that got here into the season with simply as excessive of expectations as Oregon did. They performed that recreation in Eugene in October, and it was a one-point recreation and was extremely tight. It was most likely one of many higher video games that I’ve lined in my 12 years of being on this beat.

Listening to from the Ohio State gamers and coaches this week down right here on the Rose Bowl, they’ve actually been attempting to make up for the one actual blemish on their file. They did have a loss at Michigan throughout the common season, too.

I feel that is the rematch that everyone’s been hoping and ready for. It’s going to be a fairly epic Rose Bowl matchup as a result of it’s type of the old fashioned, of what was once the Pac-12 versus the Massive 10. It’s obtained these two conventional colleges and by my cash, it’s the 2 greatest groups within the nation proper now. Having to face Ohio State isn’t the simplest factor on the earth, however hey, they did it as soon as.

Orr: What do you assume the keys to victory are for Oregon?

Alger: A pair issues. One, it’s with the ability to create explosive performs towards Ohio State’s protection. I feel lots of people most likely assume that the Buckeyes are this large offensive juggernaut, however they’re a really disciplined defensive group that doesn’t let groups actually beat them excessive, if you’ll. They simply don’t permit large performs all that usually, and that was the one space that Oregon did reach that October win. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel had considered one of his greatest and best video games of the season. It was most likely probably the most environment friendly recreation by a quarterback towards Ohio State all season, from the Massive 10 Championship recreation to now.

Oregon’s gotten a good quantity more healthy. They’ve some fairly vital gamers coming again, particularly on protection. It’s type of somewhat little bit of that, ‘Do you need to be wholesome, or do you need to have momentum?’ And proper now Ohio State has a little bit of momentum — however Oregon’s obtained well being, and so they even have an undefeated season on their facet as effectively.

Orr: For longtime Geese followers, this matchup is fairly acquainted. The Geese confronted the Buckeyes within the Rose Bowl in 2010 throughout the Chip Kelly period. Now right here we’re 15 years later, and the Geese face Chip Kelly as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. How has Oregon soccer modified since Kelly’s time at UO?

Alger: Oh man, it’s modified considerably. That’s type of the enjoyable nugget to this recreation. Chip Kelly is likely one of the a number of individuals standing in the best way of the Geese and one other run in the direction of the nationwide title. If you wish to return to the Chip Kelly period, that was when Oregon was identified for its flash and its pace and the way shortly the offense performed. He actually took benefit of the unfold offense and with the ability to get performs off shortly, and with the ability to simply make the most of the foundations that they provide you.

Whereas this 2024 model of the Oregon Geese is type of inbuilt a extra conventional mould. They’re a group that’s constructed up by recruiting, the switch portal period of faculty soccer we’re in now. They’re not a complete lot completely different if you take a look at them in comparison with the Georgias and the Ohio States and the Michigans — these conventional blue bloods of the school soccer world. So that is actually type of a strength-on-strength matchup, and I feel that’s why that is most likely probably the most anticipated recreation of the school soccer playoffs to date.

Orr: Win or lose, what do you assume this landmark yr has meant for the Geese, and for Dan Lanning’s tenure as head coach?

Alger: It’s fairly loopy, as a result of I keep in mind sitting down in Lanning’s workplace about three weeks earlier than the season started. He simply obtained again from a household trip in Idaho, and the Lannings’ large low season purpose was to attempt to discover the West Coast. They’re from Missouri, they’re nonetheless type of getting a style for issues out right here, and it was similar to this random quiet downtime that Lanning had earlier than all of this began.

Now that every one of this has began the place the Geese have but to lose, Lanning has been one of the crucial talked about coaches in America; for not solely being a brand new coach and with the ability to do that so early in his profession, however taking a program like Oregon and establishing them the place they’re at. Lanning and the Geese have actually turn out to be the middle of the school soccer universe in 2024. In my thoughts, I’ve fairly this juxtaposition of the week earlier than it began, the place Lanning was nonetheless simply type of this up-and-comer, to the place they’re at now. [With] Lanning and Ryan Day, Ohio State’s coach doing the ultimate Rose Bowl information convention, it’s similar to, boy, these are the 2 stars of the game proper now.