In the 2025 Rose Bowl, the Ohio State Buckeyes delivered a commanding performance, defeating the previously unbeaten Oregon Ducks 41-21. This victory not only propelled Ohio State into the College Football Playoff semifinals but also served as redemption for their earlier narrow loss to Oregon in October.
Oregon’s head coach, Dan Lanning, acknowledged the Buckeyes’ dominance during the post-game press conference. He remarked, “They clicked tonight; we didn’t. I didn’t get our team prepared, and that’s a great team. When you play a great team like Ohio State, you can’t not be clicking on all cylinders.”
Lanning’s comments highlight the challenges his team faced against a well-prepared Ohio State squad. The Buckeyes’ offense was particularly effective, with quarterback Will Howard throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was a standout, recording seven receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ducks’ defense struggled to contain Ohio State’s explosive plays, conceding several long touchdowns, including a 66-yard run by TreVeyon Henderson. Lanning admitted, “We didn’t really have the ability to stop them, and we didn’t have the ability to get something going for us on offense.”
This loss ended Oregon’s 14-game winning streak and dashed their hopes for a national title. Despite the disappointment, Lanning expressed pride in his team’s accomplishments throughout the season, stating, “I don’t want to discredit what our players have been able to accomplish this year. We had a great team. We just ran into a great team tonight.”
Looking ahead, Lanning emphasized the importance of learning from this experience to better prepare for future high-stakes games. He noted, “We gotta find ways to prepare ourselves for these moments better as a coaching staff.”
As the Ducks regroup for the next season, the lessons from this Rose Bowl defeat will likely serve as a catalyst for growth and development, reinforcing the need for meticulous preparation and execution against top-tier opponents.
