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Oregon and Ohio State have already produced one heck of a game this season.
Now, the top-seeded Ducks (13-0) and No. 8 Buckeyes (11-2) are gearing up for a rematch more than 10 weeks later in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Of course, both teams have had ample time for evolution since that 32-31 Oregon win on Oct. 12. But they also have that game and players’ familiarity with each other, not to mention common opponents in the Big Ten.
“Sometimes when you’re playing against a team maybe from another conference in the playoffs, there’s a little bit of an unknown, how can you expect this guy to play?” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said Monday. “What am I really looking at when I look at the teams they’re playing?
“This team’s not that way because we played them already and they played in the conference. So there’s again a reference point as we move into this one. So our guys know what they’re up against, but they also know that they’ve evolved and we’ve evolved, and so two very different teams heading into this game. And the team who prepares the best is going to win.”
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who went on to become a Heisman Trophy finalist, passed for 341 yards and ran for a 27-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the first meeting.
Then, Atticus Sappington made the game-winning 19-yard field goal in the final two minutes.
The then-No. 2 Buckeyes were the highest-ranked opponent that Oregon has beaten during the regular season. After the Oregon fans’ field-storming celebration, Ducks coach Dan Lanning quipped: “Anyone have a heart-rate monitor?”
Now, the questions include will they need one for this game? Or will it fail to provide the same thrills?
Ohio State opened the playoffs with a 42-17 win over…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/no-1-oregon-no-8-171847546.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-12-24 17:18:00
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