Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon sacks Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the fourth quarter of the Buckeyes’ 41-21 Rose Bowl victory on Wednesday in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
In an instant, Oregon’s dream of a perfect season vanished.
Throughout the lead-up to the Rose Bowl, Oregon coach Dan Lanning emphasized preparation at every opportunity. Yet, in the heavyweight rematch, his team took the punch to the mouth and never recovered, suffering a lopsided 41-21 loss.
“They clicked tonight, and we didn’t,” Lanning said. “I didn’t get our team prepared.”
“Clicking” on offense may be an understatement. The Buckeyes looked unstoppable.
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Ohio State’s high-powered offense scored quickly and often, racking up 34 points by halftime. Oregon, on the other hand, struggled to sustain drives, scoring only once before the half and failing to get much going against Ohio State’s stifling defense.
It was a showcase of the Buckeyes’ talent. The Ducks’ talent helped them earn the No. 1 seed as the only undefeated team in the country, including an October victory over Ohio State. But in the biggest game of their season, “We didn’t have the ability to stop them,” Lanning said.
The Ducks’ difficulty performing at the level they had all season was frustrating for Lanning and his team.
Could it have been the nearly monthlong break between the Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl? Lanning dismissed that as an excuse, saying, “I thought our guys prepared well going in. Obviously, they had a better plan than us.”
Did Ohio State’s Ryan Day outcoach Lanning, who was hailed as a master strategist after his team edged the Buckeyes 32-31 in October?
“Coach Day and his staff have done an unbelievable job,” Lanning said. “We have to find ways to prepare ourselves for these moments better as a coaching staff.”
Or perhaps Ohio State was simply that much better and proved it.
“When you play a great team like Ohio State, you can’t not be clicking on all cylinders,” Lanning said.
Lanning said his team never gave up as it tried to mount a comeback.
“There wasn’t a second we stepped on the field where I felt our guys were disheartened,” he said.
This was especially true of quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Despite the seemingly insurmountable deficit and eight sacks, he popped right back up and searched for answers.
Just before halftime, Gabriel led the Ducks on a 75-yard scoring drive, capping it with a touchdown pass. He opened the second half with another 75-yard scoring drive.
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Ultimately, he was outdueled by Will Howard, who ended Gabriel’s best chance at winning a national championship.
“Dillon did an unbelievable job there at the end of the half creating a spark for our team,” Lanning said. “It was this guy busting his tail.”
The clock ran out on the senior quarterback’s college career — an unceremonious end to a journey that took him across the nation to Central Florida and Oklahoma before he became a Heisman Trophy finalist after steering Oregon to a Big Ten title in its first season in the conference.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith points to Oregon safety Kobe Savage after scoring a touchdown during the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The Ducks came up short of winning their first football championship, fumbling their best chance to overcome that hurdle since 2015, a season that also ended with a loss to Ohio State in the title game.
Will this loss serve as the fuel needed to drive them forward, building on the program’s success to win that elusive title? For now, the wounds are too fresh for Lanning and his crew.
“We’re probably not there yet,” Lanning said. “There’s disappointment. … Adversity happens in life. And we’re going to get an opportunity in life to continue to attack and move forward.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
