Tosh Lupoi breaks down what went wrong for Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State

The Oregon Ducks had an incredibly successful season in 2024, going undefeated in the regular season for just the second time in program history and winning the Big Ten Championship in their first year as league members. However, the final game of the year, a 41-21 blowout loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl, will be the lasting memory for most Oregon fans and players, whether fair or not.

While Dan Lanning and the Ducks kicked off a new season this past week with the start of the 2025 spring football season, questions about what happened on January 1 still resonate. As we talk to coaches and coordinators, we’re starting to learn what exactly went wrong for Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

According to defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, the Ducks’ biggest problem in Pasadena wasn’t a lack of preparation but a miscalculation in their preparation.

“I think first, I’ve always got to look myself in the mirror,” Lupoi said on Saturday. “From a preparation standpoint, you know, we probably utilized too many things that helped us win the first time we beat them. (We need to) always be asking ourselves, you know, the what ifs, if they’re getting to specific looks or moving around guys that they didn’t do in the past.”

Back in October of last year, Oregon had a thrilling 32-31 win over Ohio State at home. They saw a strong defensive performance in shutting down the running and passing games, limiting Jeremiah Smith to 100 yards and a touchdown on nine catches while keeping the tandem of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson to a combined 110 yards rushing.

In January, it was a different story, though.

Smith was the most dynamic player in the game, and it was evident from the opening drive where he took a pass from Will Howard 45 yards for a touchdown on the game’s third play. The freshman WR had…

Source link : https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2025/03/17/oregon-ducks-tosh-lupoi-ohio-state-rose-bowl/82474077007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-17 12:27:00

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