Ohio State: 2024 College Football Playoff National Champions

 

The Buckeyes are back on top, as Ohio State took down Notre Dame, 34-23, to win the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night. 

Ohio State has now won nine college football titles, tying them with USC for fourth-most ever among NCAA's officially recognized championships. 

This is also the first title since the 2014 season, which was the inaugural College Football Playoff. 

The Buckeyes have been such a different team since losing to Michigan in their rivalry game. And after convincingly defeating Tennessee (42-17), Oregon in the Rose Bowl (41-21), and Texas in the Cotton Bowl (28-14), Ohio State used their high-octane offense to barrel its way past Notre Dame to win it all. 

But this game wasn’t like previous Ohio State wins during this playoff, as the Fighting Irish really made a statement on an opening drive that lasted 18 plays and killed over nine minutes of first quarter clock. 

And it was all thanks to the hard work by quarterback Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offensive line. 

Leonard ran nine times for 34 yards and scored after picking up a fourth-and-1 on Ohio State’s five-yard line. ESPN even reported that Leonard ran to the sideline, threw up and stumbled a bit before sitting on the bench. He also appeared to tell teammates that he landed on the ball on one of the runs, which could’ve caused the upset stomach. 

However, the tides of momentum quickly shifted to the Ohio State sideline, as Will Howard and his group of talented weapons didn't just respond, but took over when they had the ball in their hands. 

The ensuing drive went 11 plays and 75 yards, as freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith capped the drive with a perfect play call that saw him act like he was running behind Howard on pre-snap motion but planting in the ground and walking into the end zone with no one in sight. 

Ryan Day’s group not only tied the game, but the defense turned it up a notch as they forced back-to-back three-and-outs on Notre Dame’s second and third drive. And the Buckeyes’ offense used that to their advantage with two more touchdown drives before the end of the first half. 

Quinshon Judkins, the explosive running back that splits time with TreVeyon Henderson, scored both of those touchdowns, the first of which being a nine-yard run where he fought through multiple tackles to get across the line. Then, he was wide open in the end zone on a rolling throw by Howard with 27 seconds left in the second quarter to put the Buckeyes up 21-7. 

And if that wasn’t deflating enough, Judkins scored his third touchdown of the night on the first drive of the second half – a one-yard run that was set up by his 70-yard run on the second play of the half to immediately get the Buckeyes first-and-goal. 

Judkins finished the game with 100 rushing yards on just 11 carries as well as his two catches for 21 yards.

There was some concern for Ohio State, though, when Notre Dame cut it to a two-score game after Leonard found Jaden Greathouse for a 34-yard touchdown and converted the two-point try to make it 31-15. 

The concern was due to an Emeka Egbuka fumble after going 24 yards on a catch-and-run. It was the first Ohio State fumble since their game against Penn State on Nov. 2. 

Notre Dame used that turnover to drive downfield, and Leonard found himself knocking on the doorstep until an incomplete pass to Greathouse made it fourth-and-goal from Ohio State’s nine-yard line with 9:27 left to play in the game. 

Given the score, one would think head coach Marcus Freeman wanted to try his luck at another touchdown, but kicker Mitch Jeter and the special teams unit ran out onto the field. And the interesting play call backfired, as Jeter’s 27-yard field goal attempt ran off the left goal post – he hooked it. 

The game wasn't over entirely after the defense forced a punt, and Leonard was able to find Greathouse once again, this time on a beautifully thrown ball and an even better catch from 30 yards out. Needing another two-point conversion, Jordan Faison took a handoff and it looked like Ohio State sniffed it out, but he threw it to Beaux Collins for the successful try. 

Now a one-score game, the Buckeyes had to dig deep with the Fighting Irish knowing a stop gave them a chance to make the comeback complete. 

Backed up with third-and-11, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly called a gutsy deep pass from Howard to Smith, and despite the freshman not having a single reception in the second half, he secured the dagger – a 57-yard catch to place the Buckeyes on the nine-yard line at the two-minute warning. 

The Buckeyes could run out the clock at that point with the Fighting Irish using all of their timeouts, and the celebrating ensued.

In the box score, Leonard was 20-for-29 for 240 yards with two touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 40 yards on 17 carries with his score on the ground. Greathouse had 11 yards on five receptions as well. 

For the Buckeyes, Smith led the way with his 89 yards on five receptions, while Egbuka had six catches for 64 yards. Howard finished the game 17-of-21 for 231 yards, and he also rushed for 57 yards on 16 carries. 

Ohio State: 2025 Cotton Bowl Champions

 

ARLINGTON, Texas -- — Jack Sawyer had the kind of moment that will live on long past his playing days with Ohio State. Of course, one more victory would make it that much sweeter.

Sawyer stripped Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers — his former roommate — and returned the fumble 83 yards for the clinching touchdown in a 28-14 victory over the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night, giving the Buckeyes a shot at their sixth AP national title.

“We talked before the game about how do you leave a legacy is to become your old legend. And there’s some guys on this team today that I believe will become legends in Ohio State history,” coach Ryan Day said. “Now they get 10 more days together, and an opportunity to tell their story if they go win one more.”

Led by Ohio native Sawyer and Quinshon Judkins, who rushed for two touchdowns, the Buckeyes (13-2) posted the semifinal victory in the same stadium where 10 years ago they were champions when the College Football Playoff debuted with a four-team format. Now they have the opportunity to be the winner again in the first season with an expanded 12-team field.

Ohio State plays Orange Bowl champion Notre Dame in Atlanta on Jan. 20. It could be quite a finish for the Big Ten Buckeyes after they lost to rival Michigan on Nov. 30.

Sawyer got to Ewers on a fourth-and-goal from the 8, knocking the ball loose before scooping it up and lumbering all the way to the other end zone with 2:13 left. It was the longest fumble return in CFP history.

“I saw the ball pop out right to me after I tackled him, I was just thinking, I’ve got to stay on my feet, because I almost blacked out when I scooped it and saw a bunch of green grass ahead of me,” Sawyer said.

Ewers and Sawyer were roommates in Columbus for one semester before the quarterback transferred home to Texas. Ewers helped lead the Longhorns (13-3) to consecutive CFP semifinals, but next season will be their 20th since winning their last national title with Vince Young in 2005.

“I felt him. I started drifting away, thought I was going to be able to get the ball off before he got there,” Ewers said. “I saw Jack running with the ball down the sideline. ... Jack’s a good player made a great play.”

Texas had moved to the 1, helped by two pass-interference penalties in the end zone, before Quintrevion Wisner was stopped for a 7-yard loss. Ewers then threw a third-down incompletion while being pressured by Sawyer on the play before the defensive touchdown.

“He’s everything that we possibly ask for in a captain,” Day said. “To make a play like that in that moment ... He just became a legend at Ohio State.”

Judkins, a transfer from Mississippi, had a 1-yard touchdown for a 21-14 lead with 7:02 left, capping an 88-yard, 13-play drive over 7:45. That score came four plays after quarterback Will Howard converted a fourth-and-2 from the Texas 34 with a stumbling 18-yard run that probably should have been a score.

“That fourth down was huge. ... I fell on purpose. I'm joking,” Howard said. “A statement drive. We needed that.”

Howard was 24-of-33 passing for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He played his first game at AT&T Stadium since leading Kansas State to a win over undefeated TCU in the Big 12 championship two years ago. He was 0-3 as a starter against the Longhorns while at K-State, including an overtime thriller in Austin last season.

Ewers finished 23 of 39 for 283 yards with two TD passes to Jaydon Blue and an interception after getting the ball back one final time. It might have been his last play for the Longhorns since he could go into the NFL draft.

Texas won the Big 12 title last season before moving to the SEC.

Not so fast

The Buckeyes went ahead on their opening drive of the game when Judkins scored on a 9-yard run. It looked as if they could get off to another fast start, after jumping ahead 21-0 and 34-0 in their first two playoff games.

But Ohio State then punted on four consecutive possessions before Texas tied it at 7 on Ewers' 18-yard touchdown pass to Blue with 29 seconds left in the first half. Arch Manning, the backup and future starting quarterback, kept that drive alive when he converted fourth-and-1 from midfield with an 8-yard keeper — his only play in the game.

Right after Texas' first TD, Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson turned a screen pass into a 75-yard touchdown, following a wall of blockers before shooting through an open gap and sprinting to the end zone.

A great escape

Blue had a tying 26-yard TD catch with 3:12 left in the third quarter. The drive featured a terrific play by Ewers, who was being dragged down by Sawyer on third-and-10 when he managed to scoop the ball underhanded to Wisner for a 13-yard gain.

Up next

While Ohio State prepares for the CFP title game, Texas waits for a rematch with the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in the previously scheduled 2025 season opener Aug. 30.

Ohio State: 2025 Rose Bowl Champions

PASADENA, Calif. -- — Second chances don’t come around often in life, Ohio State coach Ryan Day told his players in a team meeting before the Rose Bowl.

After a season in which they fell short at too many key moments, the Buckeyes all knew they had one of those second chances when they stepped onto this famous turf for another shot at the top-ranked, unbeaten Oregon Ducks.

Ohio State seized it with a vengeance.

Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard’s three long touchdown passes during a sensational 34-point first half, and the No. 6 Buckeyes roared into the College Football Playoff semifinals with a 41-21 victory in the 111th Rose Bowl on Wednesday night.

“You can see the potential of where we’re at, when we play in all three phases the way we did,” Day said.

Howard passed for 319 yards, Emeka Egbuka also caught a long TD pass and TreVeyon Henderson made a 66-yard touchdown run in a redemptive Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes (12-2, CFP No. 8 seed), who lost a 32-31 heartbreaker to the Ducks in Eugene in October. Ohio State then lost to archrival Michigan in humiliating fashion to conclude a regular season in which its performances didn't always measure up to its formidable talent.

The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff created a way for the Buckeyes to erase their mistakes — and from the opening minute in Pasadena, they took out every frustration on the outclassed Ducks.

“I think nobody has gone through more scrutiny than probably the team here," Egbuka said. "Five weeks ago, you know, people on the scene getting death threats, our head coach getting cussed out, people saying he should never come to Ohio again, all that type of stuff. And I’m sure by the end of (tonight), when you scroll Twitter, Instagram, everyone’s going to be singing our praises. We just know what to say true to in our building.”

Facing the tournament's No. 1 seed in the Granddaddy of Them All, the Buckeyes scored on six of their first seven drives — with four scoring plays longer than 40 yards — to take a 34-0 lead late in the second quarter on the nation’s only remaining unbeaten team.

Henderson's second TD run late in the third essentially put it away for Ohio State, which is headed to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 to face No. 4 Texas for a berth in the national title game. The Longhorns barely advanced earlier Wednesday, holding off Arizona State 39-31 in a double-overtime Peach Bowl.

“I’m proud of the resilience of these guys,” Day said. “Still got a lot of football ahead of us.”

Smith, the Buckeyes’ standout freshman playmaker, had a remarkable bowl debut with seven receptions for a season-high 187 yards — including five catches for 161 yards in the first half alone, hauling in scoring passes of 45 and 43 yards. Egbuka compared Smith favorably to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had a record 347-yard, three-touchdown Rose Bowl performance three years ago.

“I would say legendary," Egbuka said. “I was able to witness Jaxon’s game in the Rose Bowl and the pure dominant performance that that was, but even though (Smith's) stats might not reflect the exact same thing that Jaxon has, I don’t think it was too far off in terms of dominance. He’s a very special talent, and I’m so excited to keep watching him grow.”

Dillon Gabriel passed for 299 yards and hit Traeshon Holden for two touchdowns for the Ducks (13-1, CFP No. 1 seed), whose dreams of their first national title were flattened on the famed Rose Bowl turf. Oregon's 14-game winning streak also ended.

“We really didn’t have the ability to stop them, and we didn’t have the ability to get something going for us on offense,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We haven’t faced a lot of moments like this all year. (Ohio State) is an unbelievable team.”

Eleven days after routing Tennessee to open the Playoff, Ohio State dominated the Ducks. Along with the Buckeyes' offensive fireworks, the Ohio State defense that couldn’t sack Gabriel in the teams’ first meeting dropped the Heisman Trophy finalist eight times in the rematch.

The Big Ten champion Ducks failed to create any of the big plays that carried them to victory last time. Oregon also played without receiver Evan Stewart, who caught seven passes for 149 yards in the first meeting, but was ruled out of the Rose Bowl with a back injury.

“They brought the fight, and we got hit in the mouth,” Oregon receiver Tez Johnson said. “They won the game from the first snap.”

Following the usual pregame pageantry in Arroyo Seco's 70-degree sunshine, Ohio State needed just three plays and 49 seconds to strike first. Howard threw a short play-action screen pass to Smith, who motored through Oregon’s secondary for a 45-yard score.

On the Buckeyes’ third drive, Howard feathered an exceptional long pass over three Ducks to the sprinting Egbuka for a 42-yard TD. Howard finished the first quarter with a career-best 212 yards passing, surpassing his 160 yards against Tennessee.

Early in the second quarter, Smith got so open near the Ducks’ goal line that he had two seconds to settle under Howard’s long throw like an outfielder with a fly ball, scoring a 42-yard TD untouched.

When Henderson broke a 66-yard TD run down the Oregon sideline for a 31-0 lead, both sides of the Rose Bowl stands rippled with disbelief.

Oregon finally got moving on its final drive before halftime. Gabriel found Holden for a 5-yard TD pass at the gun to salvage something from its horrific half.

Takeaways

Ohio State: It was the Buckeyes' biggest margin of victory over a No. 1 team in school history. No doubt about it, they look like the best team still playing.

Oregon: Having 3 1/2 weeks off with their first-round bye proved to be dangerous. This disconcerting flop doesn't completely ruin a breakthrough Big Ten debut, but the season will always loom as a missed opportunity in Oregon history — and a good argument for changing the CFP rules to introduce reseeding between rounds.

Up next

Ohio State: The Cotton Bowl will be a preview of both teams’ 2025 season opener, with Texas visiting Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30.

Oregon: The 2025 season opener is at home against Montana State, which faces North Dakota State in the FCS title game Monday night.

Ohio State: 2022 Rose Bowl Champions

PASADENA, Calif. -- — C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba put on a passing performance that obliterated a multitude of records during one of the biggest offensive days in Ohio State's storied history.

The Buckeyes still barely did enough to hold off resilient Utah and its backup quarterback in one spectacular Rose Bowl.

Stroud capped his record-setting offensive day by leading a 56-yard drive ending in Noah Ruggles' 19-yard field goal with nine seconds to play, and No. 7 Ohio State beat No. 10 Utah 48-45 on Saturday night in the wild 108th edition of the Rose Bowl.

Stroud passed for a school-record 573 yards and a record-tying six touchdowns for the Buckeyes (11-2), who won the Granddaddy of Them All for the second time in four years while toppling one long-standing offensive record after another. Stroud's yards passing and touchdowns both are Rose Bowl records, and he finished 3 yards shy of the record for yards passing in any bowl game.

"It's emotional for me," said Stroud, from nearby Rancho Cucamonga. "It's like I'm dreaming right now. I was able to come home and win the Rose Bowl like this. ... This is the Rose Bowl, man. This is where the legendary games are being played."

Ohio State created a few more legends on this trip.

Smith-Njigba set the record for any FBS bowl game with 347 yards receiving while catching a school-record 15 passes and scoring three touchdowns. Marvin Harrison Jr. also caught three TD passes for the Buckeyes, who set a Rose Bowl and school bowl record with 683 total yards.

Yet the Buckeyes were the ones playing from behind for nearly all of the first three-plus quarters in Arroyo Seco until they summoned the will for three fourth-quarter scoring drives.

"Our team is built on fighting," Smith-Njigba said. "It doesn't matter if we're up, down. We were down the first half, but we just had to stay level headed and keep fighting."

Ohio State had to rally from 10 points down late in the third quarter to get past the Pac-12 champion Utes (10-4), who got off to an electrifying 35-point first half in their first school's first trip to the Rose Bowl. They even stayed competitive after star quarterback Cameron Rising went down with an injury while getting sacked with 9:56 to play.

The Utes had to turn to backup Bryson Barnes, who grew up on a pig farm in central Utah and had never thrown a collegiate pass. He he led them on a tying drive, capped by a 15-yard TD pass to Dalton Kincaid with 1:54 left.

Stroud coolly drove the Buckeyes back downfield in the waning seconds, and Ruggles hit his easy field goal. Ohio State kicked off to Britain Covey, who already had a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown earlier, but the Buckeyes smothered his cutback as time ran out.

"All we needed was 30 more seconds, if that," Barnes said. "Get down the field, tie it and head to OT. But we didn't get enough time. ... A lot of dudes are sad, but there's not a lot to hang our heads on. We've been through the lowest of lows and highest of highs, but we made Utah football history today."

In front of a raucous crowd dominated by Utah fans in the venerable stadium that opened in October 1922, the schools matched the 2012 Oregon-Wisconsin matchup for the highest-scoring first half in Rose Bowl history, combining for 42 points and 443 yards in the second quarter alone.

Ohio State trailed 38-31 entering the fourth quarter despite the pyrotechnics of its passing game, but the Buckeyes immediately stopped Utah on downs at the Ohio State 31, and tied it on Harrison's 5-yard TD catch with 10:12 left. After Rising's injury, Smith-Njigba made a 30-yard, over-the-shoulder catch for his third touchdown with 4:22 to play.

"To come out in the second half and play the way we did says a lot about this team," said Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who earned his second bowl victory. "We were short-handed, and for us to respond the way we did at halftime says a lot about the character of this team."

Rising passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 92 yards and a score while leading the Utes to a 35-21 halftime lead, but he left the game with an apparent head injury. Utah played without three of its top four cornerbacks, even forcing running back Micah Bernard to play defensive back for the first time since high school.

"At some point, we have to play defense," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We didn't play very well all night long on defense. It wasn't our usual. Not sure we'd be able to get a stop."

JAXON DRIVE

With two top Buckeyes receivers opting out, Smith-Njigba had a landmark day that included TD receptions of 50 and 52 yards made 30 seconds apart — albeit with Covey's TD return in between.

He broke Cris Carter's 1985 school record of 172 yards receiving in a bowl game in the first half alone. He snapped Keyshawn Johnson's 1996 Rose Bowl record of 216 yards receiving and then Terry Glenn's 1995 single-game school record of 253 yards after halftime. Smith-Njigba finished his season with 1,606 yards, blowing past David Boston's 1998 school record.

OLD MAN STRENGTH

The 24-year-old Covey's sensational 97-yard romp through the Buckeyes' coverage unit was the first kickoff return for a touchdown in Utah's entire bowl history. Covey, who also caught a 19-yard TD pass for the Utes' first points, arrived at the school in 2015.

DOWN STATE

The Buckeyes' loss to Michigan in November knocked them out of the national title picture, four key starters opted out to preserve their health for the NFL draft: Receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, starting left tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett.

THE TAKEAWAY

Ohio State: A win in Pasadena is always never taken for granted by a Big Ten power. The Buckeyes overcame the instinct to relax after their national title dreams died, and they put on a performance that showed Day's program has tenacity.

Utah: The Utes were agonizingly close to their third New Year's Six victory during their two-decade transformation from a mid-major overachiever to an elite Power 5 program. Despite the loss, the impressiveness of their fight and the size of their traveling fan base confirms Utah has arrived.

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Ohio State: 2021 Sugar Bowl Champions

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney might need to consider moving Ohio State into the top 10 of his Coaches Poll ballot next week after No. 3 Ohio State dominated No. 2 Clemson 49-28 in the 2021 Sugar Bowl semifinal behind a heroic performance from quarterback Justin Fields. The junior signal caller thrilled by completing 22 of 28 passes for 385 yards and a Sugar Bowl-record six touchdowns with more highlights than one could count as Ohio State advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Most of the damage came after Fields took a big hit to the ribs that left him in a lot of pain late in the first half. Clemson linebacker James Skalski lowered his head and hit Fields directly in the ribs. Skalski was ejected for targeting and Fields achingly walked off the field only to return one play later and continue his dominant play.

Fields and Ohio State torched the Clemson defense for 639 yards of offense. When it wasn't Fields launching bombs down the field, it was running back Trey Sermon grinding out yards on the ground. He finished with 191 yards rushing on 30 carries with a touchdown, adding 61 yards receiving on four catches. Wide receiver Chris Olave, who missed the Big Ten Championship Game, spent the night consistently getting massive separation behind the Ohio State secondary. He finished with six catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

The Ohio State defense chipped in by limiting the Clemson offense. After Clemson opened the game with 14 points and 167 yards of offense in the first quarter, the Buckeyes defense put the clamps down. The Tigers finished with 444 total yards and couldn't get anything going on the ground as star RB Travis Etienne totalled 32 yards and a short touchdown on 10 carries. 

Most notable was the play of Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. The Heisman Trophy finalist completed 33 of 48 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns but was rattled the entire game. In addition to his fourth-quarter interception, Lawrence fumbled multiple times, lost one of them and was held to -8 yards rushing despite the Tigers purposely using him as a runner.

The win gives Ohio State its first victory over Clemson all-time after the Buckeyes lost each of the first four meetings, including in two previous College Football Playoff games. Ohio State now moves on to the CFP National Championship for the first time since 2014 when it won the national title . That 2014 season was also the last time Ohio State faced Alabama, whom it will meet in this year's title game.

2021 Sugar Bowl semifinal takeaways

1. Justin Fields is who we thought he was: Before the 2020 season began, all the talk was about Lawrence and Fields being the top two quarterbacks in the country, the two favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and the two best bets to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. And then 2020 happened. Lawrence came out and played like he always played, and even after contracting COVID-19 himself and missing a couple of games, he returned quickly to his magnificent form.

The season wasn't as easy for Fields. The Big Ten got off to a delayed start, and it allowed other QBs to take a bit of the spotlight. Alabama's Mac Jones put up huge numbers, Florida's Kyle Trask surpassed those and BYU's Zach Wilson put up video game numbers of his own. It felt as if Fields was behind the 8-ball from the start. He started the year well, but then the Buckeyes had a game canceled against Maryland due to COVID-19. They returned a week later against the best Indiana team in decades, and he struggled a bit, though the Buckeyes won.

Then, after another canceled game, he destroyed Michigan State despite missing a large chunk of his offensive line, but after a third game was canceled due to COVID-19, Fields struggled against Northwestern in the Big Ten title game. People were happy to ignore that Northwestern has one of the best defenses in the country and that Ohio State was missing several starters in the game, including its big-play threat in Olave.

Questions arose about whether or not Fields was as good as the hype and if he deserved to be the second QB taken in the NFL Draft. Well, Fields answered a lot of those questions against Clemson. To throw for 385 yards and a Sugar Bowl-record six touchdowns while dealing with a painful rib injury should silence a lot of the doubters. At least, it will for a while. There's still the Alabama game to get through.

2. Trey Sermon has made a massive difference: Sermon has been a godsend to the Buckeyes offense in recent weeks. The Ohio State offense struggled to find consistent footing in the ground game for much of the season unless Fields used his legs. Then Sermon exploded in the Big Ten Championship Game, rushing for a school-record 331 yards after rushing for only 344 yards in the first five games.

Sermon was just as big Friday night. He didn't set any records, but he did finish with 193 yards rushing and 61 yards receiving. The Ohio State offense was already difficult to stop, but now that defenses have to respect the ground game, it becomes a lot more complicated. Considering the offense that the Buckeyes will have to compete with against Alabama, it's critical that Ohio State can run the ball if it wants to beat the Tide.

Ohio State: 2019 Rose Bowl Champions

PASADENA, Calif. -- Urban Meyer says he decided to end his remarkable coaching career at Ohio State partly because of the stress inherent in this high-intensity job.

After his Buckeyes blew most of a 25-point lead in the fourth quarter and had to recover a last-minute onside kick to win the Rose Bowl, anybody could understand why this 54-year-old coach can't wait to retire.

But the stress is over. Meyer is going out at the top of his profession. And for the first time, he is a Rose Bowl champion.

Dwayne Haskins passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and Meyer headed into retirement with a 28-23 victory after the fifth-ranked Buckeyes held off No. 9 Washington's thrilling comeback in the 105th Rose Bowl on Tuesday.

After the confetti flew in the north end zone, the Buckeyes gathered around Meyer for one last celebration of their coach. He is walking away after going 83-9 at Ohio State with one national championship, three Big Ten titles and this Rose Bowl victory, the Buckeyes' eighth overall in the Granddaddy of Them All.

"I'm a very blessed man," Meyer said. "I'm blessed because of my family, (but) this team, this year, I love this group as much as any I've ever had."

Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Rashod Berry caught TD passes in the first half for the Buckeyes (13-1), who took a 28-3 lead into the fourth and seemed to be cruising to a blowout.

But star running back Myles Gaskin threw a touchdown pass and rushed for two more scores for the Huskies (10-4), scoring from 2 yards out with 42 seconds left.

The Huskies got no closer, however. Defensive player of the game Brendon White intercepted Jake Browning's pass on the 2-point conversion attempt, and Dixon recovered Washington's onside kick.

"We're going down as one of three teams in Ohio State history to win 13 games," Buckeyes defensive end Chase Young said. "Legendary team. Legendary coach. We're all legendary right now."

Meyer cited his health last month in his decision to step down. A cyst in Meyer's brain causes severe headaches that are even worse for a man who says he gets not just nervous, but "deathly ill" before big games.

Meyer largely refused to reflect publicly on his career during the month since he announced his plans. After he shook Washington coach Chris Petersen's hand, raised the trophy and walked off the Rose Bowl turf, Meyer finally thought about the journey that brought him back to his home state for a stellar seven-year tenure capped by this late-breaking thriller.

"Every week, every yard, every down, when we recruited these players, I just wanted to make sure that we made the great state of Ohio proud," Meyer said. "And once again, we weren't perfect, but we did a lot of good things."

After Southern California's epic win over Penn State and Georgia's double-overtime thriller with Oklahoma over the past two years in Pasadena, the Rose Bowl got another matchup packed with late-game fireworks.

Browning passed for 313 yards and Gaskin rushed for 121 in the final game of the four-year starters' landmark careers at Washington, which has lost three straight New Year's Six bowl games.

But after three poor offensive quarters, the Pac-12 champions made it awfully interesting late. The Huskies racked up 170 yards of offense while making three strong drives in the fourth, but they had fallen too far behind in their first Rose Bowl game appearance in 18 years.

"It was too little, too late, but we're always going to keep swinging," Browning said. "That's how we are as a team. We're never out of it."

Petersen dropped to 1-4 in bowls during his otherwise remarkable tenure at Washington, including consecutive defeats in the Peach, Fiesta and Rose.

"Very frustrating when you start the first half like we started," Petersen said. "I have no idea why. It's on me. It's not these kids. ... We'll go back to the drawing board on how to prepare these guys better to come out of the gate a little bit faster. But I am proud of how hard these guys play, and I never doubt that."

While Petersen likely will get more chances for his first Rose Bowl win, Meyer insists his three-decade collegiate coaching career is over. After starting out as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, he has been a head coach since 2001, achieving huge success at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida before his stellar run in Columbus.

These Buckeyes are Meyer's eighth team to finish with one loss or fewer in his 17 seasons as a head coach.

"He's a really tough guy," said Ohio State running back Mike Weber, who rushed for 96 yards. "Sometimes you never really know what he's thinking. He really doesn't show a lot of emotion, but I felt him today. You could tell he was giving his all. It felt a little different."

Although Meyer's final season began with an embarrassing three-game suspension over his mismanagement of domestic abuse accusations against former assistant Zach Smith, he propelled the Buckeyes to another dominant regular season despite missing out on the College Football Playoff.

This game could be Haskins' farewell to Ohio State as well, if the sophomore goes pro. The offensive player of the game and Heisman Trophy finalist became the sixth FBS quarterback to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season while picking away at the vaunted Washington secondary minus injured Taylor Rapp, the second-team All-American safety.

Gaskin became the fourth running back in NCAA history with four 1,200-yard seasons during the third quarter, but Ohio State increased its lead with J.K. Dobbins' TD run.

The Huskies finally scored their first offensive touchdown since the Apple Cup when Gaskin threw a TD pass to Drew Sample with 12:17 to play.

THE TAKEAWAY

Ohio State: The offense did enough to win despite punting on five straight late drives. Fans can only wonder whether this bunch of Buckeyes would have done better than overmatched Notre Dame or Oklahoma in the playoff semifinals.

Washington: The defeat wrapped up an unimpressive Pac-12 football season. The Huskies were the class of the conference, and they showed tremendous heart in the fourth -- but they'll be frustrated with a campaign bookended by losses to national powers Auburn and Ohio State.

UP NEXT

Ohio State: Ryan Day is now the 25th head coach in program history. Haskins could be the first quarterback drafted if he leaves, and he's just one key contributor who must be replaced. But Meyer has built a fierce machine in Columbus, and he seems certain Day is the man to drive it forward.

Washington: Replacing the most prolific quarterback and running back in program history isn't easy, but many Huskies fans are excited to see who's next. Petersen has built a powerhouse in Seattle, and Washington should be in position to contend for a trip to Pasadena almost every year.

Ohio State: 2017 Cotton Bowl Champions

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Playoff-snubbed Ohio State got to raise another trophy in the building where the Buckeyes won a national championship.

While the streaming confetti this time was for a Cotton Bowl victory instead of a title celebration like three seasons ago, coach Urban Meyer still got a special feeling from the fifth-ranked Buckeyes' defensively dominant 24-7 win over No. 8 Southern California.

"The mindset was obvious. We wanted to go down as one of the great teams at Ohio State, Big Ten champions, obviously a top five finish," said Meyer, 73-8 in six seasons at Columbus. "This will go down as one of the best teams I've ever coached and one of the best groups of young people I've ever been around."

With Buckeyes All-America junior cornerback Denzel Ward sitting out after deciding to go into the NFL draft, fellow defensive back Damon Webb returned an interception for a touchdown after recovering a fumble to set up an early score.

The Big Ten and Pac-12 champions would usually play New Year's Day in Pasadena instead of deep in the heart of Texas, but the Rose Bowl is a College Football Playoff semifinal game this season.

Ohio State (12-2) instead quickly settled in at the NFL stadium where it won the first national championship in the four-team CFP format. The Buckeyes -- with that bad loss at Iowa after an early setback to playoff team Oklahoma -- were the first team left out this season.

USC (11-3), the Rose Bowl champion last season, lost for only the third time in its last 23 games. The Trojans had four turnovers that led to 21 Ohio State points in what could have been third-year sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold's final game.

"We kind of shot ourselves in the football in this game," USC coach Clay Helton said. "You're putting a hurt on your defense, and it led to points early in the game, and separation early in the game."

Ward was on the sideline in his No. 12 jersey over street clothes while Webb had a fumble recovery on the third play of the game. That led to J.T. Barrett's 1-yard keeper for a score that put the Buckeyes ahead to stay.

Webb's 23-yard interception return for a TD put Ohio State up 17-0 less than a minute into the second quarter. It was the first pick-six this season for the Buckeyes, and the team-leading fifth interception for Webb.

Ohio State was up 24-0 when Barrett ran 28 yards for another touchdown after the first of Darnold's two fumbles when stripped while being sacked. Darnold was sacked eight times overall.

"The strip fumbles, when I'm in the pocket, those are though," Darnold said.

"That defensive line took a quarterback that we have a tremendous amount of respect for and he didn't set his feet all night," Meyer said. "That's the way we won that game."

TAKEAWAY

Ohio State: Barrett, playing his final college game only about a two-hour drive from his hometown of Wichita Falls, Texas, broke Drew Brees' Big Ten career record for total offense with 12,697 yards. Barrett played 50 games and was 38-6 as a starter. His 147 touchdowns (104 passing, 43 rushing) are also a Big Ten record, 41 more than Brees at Purdue.

"It's pretty crazy. I mean, since I was little I looked up to Drew Brees," Barrett said. "To pass a record like that, just very grateful to the people that were around me."

USC: Darnold, who became the first Trojans quarterback ever with more than 4,000 yards passing in a season, has until Jan. 15 to decide if he will head to the NFL or return to USC for another season.

"I'm really just focused on just hanging out with my teammates for the next couple of days," Darnold said. "But it's tough. I'll look at everything and make my decision after that."

Darnold was 26 of 45 for 356 yards passing, but his turnovers were costly.

NOT FOR THE ROSES

This was the eighth time Ohio State and USC met in a bowl game. The first seven were in the Rose Bowl. The Trojans had won seven straight in the matchup of powerhouse programs, including four regular-season matchups since their last meeting in Pasadena 33 years ago.

LATE SCUFFLE


There was a bit of a scuffle in the final two minutes after Buckeyes linebacker Malik Harrison delivered a late hit on Darnold, who was getting out of bounds along the USC sideline after scrambling for 7 yards. Several Trojans went to Darnold's defense, including one ejected for coming off the bench. Harrison was assessed a personal foul penalty.

UP NEXT

Ohio State will play its 2018 opener at home against Oregon State on Sept. 1, the same day Southern Cal is home against UNLV. The Buckeyes and Trojans both return to the Lone Star State for games next Sept. 15. Ohio State will be back in AT&T Stadium to play TCU, and USC will be at Texas that day to take on the Longhorns.

Ohio State Buckeyes: 2016 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz.—Ezekiel Elliott ran for 149 yards and matched a Fiesta Bowl record with four touchdowns, sparking Ohio State’s prolific offense ast he No. 7 Buckeyes downed eighth-ranked Notre Dame 44–28 in the BCS bowl game Friday afternoon.

The Buckeyes (12–1) were left out of the College Football Playoff thanks to an inopportune loss. They may leave the desert wondering what could have been after blowing past another playoff contender.

Ohio State rolled past the Fighting Irish (10-3), quick-hitting its way to one scoring drive after another and 496 total yards.

Elliott was Ohio State’s drive capper in the first half, scoring on three short runs. He turned into the show stopper in the second, leaving Notre Dame defenders flailing as he raced for a 47-yard score.

The Fighting Irish had some good offensive moments behind DeShone Kizer, but couldn’t keep up with the Buckeyes. Kizer threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-37 passing, but had an interception and lost a fumble.

Ohio State star defensive end Joey Bosa was ejected for targeting in the first quarter.

Notre Dame top linebacker Jaylon Smith, the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s best linebacker, had to be helped off four minutes in after suffering an apparent leg injury and did not return.

Will Fuller caught an 81-yard touchdown reception for the Fighting Irish.

Ohio State: 2014-15 College Football Playoff National Champions

ARLINGTON, Texas – The promise of returning the Ohio State Buckeyes to national prominence was enough for Urban Meyer to end a brief coaching sabbatical back in 2011.

Three seasons later, the job is done, although the program is just getting started.

Ohio State won the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship here Monday, defeating Oregon 42-20.

The Buckeyes overcame four turnovers thanks to the power running of Ezekiel Elliott (36 carries, 246 yards, four touchdowns), the brilliant play of quarterback Cardale Jones (16-of-23 passing for 242 yards, a passing TD and a rushing TD) and a defense that swallowed the vaunted Ducks attack, forcing six punts.

"This goes down as one of the great stories in college football history," Urban Meyer said in regards to Buckeyes' improbable championship run.

For Meyer, a 50-year-old native of Ashtabula, Ohio, this is his third national title, adding to his two at Florida (2006, 2008). He also posted non-championship undefeated seasons at Utah (2004) and Ohio State (2012).

The most remarkable thing about this team is that it arrived seemingly a year ahead of schedule, full of talented sophomores Meyer believed would form a title contender next season. OSU will certainly open the year at No. 1 in the polls and a favorite to repeat.

The dominance of these Buckeyes (14-1) opens up the question whether Meyer is college football’s top coach, a title most often given to Alabama’s Nick Saban.

It’s a subjective title that spurs debate online and through talk radio. Saban’s four national titles (three at 'Bama, one at LSU) still trumps Meyer by one.

However, these Buckeyes showed Meyer at his best, recruiting and then meshing talent into a cohesive unit, developing players to maximize their ability and finally instilling them with confidence and motivating them to victory.

Ohio State was a betting underdog in each of its past three games against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon. Jones, a redshirt sophomore, started the season as the third-stringer but was more than ready to step in immediately and, if anything, improve the offense when needed.

And a defense that was physical enough to go toe-to-toe with 'Bama, proved versatile enough to contain a tricky, fast-paced Oregon offense led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who played well (23-of-34 passing for 310 yards and two touchdowns) but after the game’s first drive couldn’t get the Ducks moving like they often do.

A combination of old-school, smash-mouth strength and modern spread principles make the Buckeyes offense a nightmare to prepare against. The defense is both physical and fluid. And the team just doesn’t rattle, overcoming an early season loss to Virginia Tech and running off 13 consecutive victories to give the Big Ten much-needed national credibility.

Meyer is now 142-26 overall and 37-3 in Columbus, where he coveted the chance to revitalize a program he grew up rooting for under legendary coach Woody Hayes.

He left coaching for a year to concentrate on his health and spend more time with his family. He returned, in part, because the possibilities at Ohio State were too great. He vowed to bring an SEC mentality to the Big Ten, stepping up recruiting and competitiveness.

Now he has the title to signal the return to excellence.

And who knows how many more are coming to Columbus, where he is just getting started.

Ohio State: 2015 Sugar Bowl Champions

NEW ORLEANS -- Urban Meyer had barely sat down after the Allstate Sugar Bowl when someone told him the score from the other semifinal game.

He started to bolt from his chair, feigning a sense of urgency with another game left against a team that wiped out the defending national champion.

"We've got to go get ready for that one,'' Meyer said.

Actually, he's not intimidated in the least. Meyer knows he's got a pretty good team, too.

Cardale Jones turned in another savvy performance in his second college start and Ezekiel Elliott ran for a Sugar-Bowl record 230 yards Thursday night, leading Ohio State to a 42-35 upset of top-ranked Alabama in the second semifinal of the College Football Playoff.

The No. 4 Buckeyes (13-1) kicked off at the Superdome right after No. 2 Oregon finished its 59-20 rout of reigning champ Florida State in the Rose Bowl Presented by Northwestern Mutual.

Now, it's on to the Jan. 12 College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T in Arlington, Texas.

Denied a shot at his fourth national title in six years, Alabama coach Nick Saban has no doubt Ohio State can hang with the high-scoring Ducks.

"They're capable of playing with any team in the country,'' he said.

Meyer also likes his team's chances.

"We're good enough,'' he said. "That was a sledgehammer game. That was a classic.''

This is what Meyer had in mind when he took over at Ohio State in 2012, having taken a year off from coaching after leading Florida to a pair of national titles. Coming from the Southeastern Conference, Meyer knew what he had to do. Recruit more speed. Bring a more athletic style to the plodding Big Ten. Turn Columbus into the SEC North.

After just three years on the job, he's one win away from a national championship. And, for the first time in nine years, the SEC won't be part of the championship game.

"Maybe the Big Ten is not that bad,'' said Meyer, whose team rallied from a 21-6 deficit. "Maybe it's pretty damn good.''

Jones threw for 243 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown to Devin Smith that put the Buckeyes ahead for good early in the third quarter. He also ran for 43 yards and converted a crucial third-down play with a spinning, 1-yard dive and Ohio State clinging to a 34-28 lead.

On the next play, Elliott took a handoff, broke one feeble attempt at a tackle and was gone for an 85-yard touchdown that essentially clinched the victory with 3:24 remaining. Ohio State snapped an 0-for-10 futility streak against the SEC in bowl games, its only victory vacated by a scandal that cost former coach Jim Tressel his job.

Alabama (12-2) didn't go down quietly.

Blake Sims threw a 6-yard touchdown pass toAmari Cooper with 1:59 remaining. The Buckeyes recovered the onside kick, but Alabama got it back one more time after some questionable clock management.

The Tide's final shot ended when a desperation heave into the end zone was picked off by Tyvis Powell as time ran out, Sims' third interception of the game.

"I feel like I'm going to Disney World,'' a giddy Powell said.

Not yet. The next stop is Jerry's World in Arlington.

Or maybe Cardale's World would be more appropriate.

Jones started fall practice as Ohio State's third-string quarterback, moved up the depth chart when star Braxton Miller sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and became the starter for the Big Ten championship game after J.T. Barrett went down with an injury.

A 59-0 rout of Wisconsin showed that Jones was up to the job. His performance against Alabama gives him a chance to go down as one of the greatest replacement players in college football history.

Alabama hardly looked like the defensive powerhouse that coach Nick Saban is used to sending out, giving up 537 yards to the Buckeyes. Elliott scored on a 3-yard run with 2:55 left in first half to spark the comeback, and he wound up averaging a staggering 11.5 yards on 20 carries to earn the award as the most outstanding offensive player.

"He's probably the most underrated back in the United States," Meyer said.

For the second year in a row, Alabama's season ended at the Sugar Bowl.

This one was especially painful, costing the Tide a chance to advance in college football's first playoff.

"I'm proud of this team," Saban said. "They excelled all year long and kept Alabama at the forefront of college football."

But he never liked the feel of the game, even after Alabama raced to its early lead, taking advantage of a pair of turnovers and coming up with a pair of red zone stops.

"We really weren't stopping them. We had the momentum of the game because of the turnovers," Saban said. "We did not control the football game like we usually do."

Shaking off an interception, Jones led one of the biggest drives of the game at the end of the first half. He completed three straight passes for 37 yards, then broke off a 27-yard run up the middle when his receivers were covered. After a timeout with 19 seconds remaining, Ohio State pulled out a trick play -- and Michael Thomas pulled off one of the most spectacular catches of the season.

Jones handed off to receiver Jalin Marshall on an apparent end-around, Marshall flipped it to Evan Spencer coming the other way, and Spencer suddenly pulled up and threw toward Thomas. He leaped up to make a twisting catch and somehow got his left foot down just inside the line for a 13-yard score that gave the Buckeyes all the momentum going into halftime.

Ohio State kept right on going, scoring two more touchdowns to complete a stunning 28-0 spurt that pushed the Buckeyes ahead 34-21.

Ohio State: 2012-13 Big Ten Champions

The Ohio St. Buckeyes defeated the Wisconsin Badgers, 50-43, on Sunday afternoon at the United Center in Chicago to win the 2013 Big Ten Tournament. The win should lock the Buckeyes in for a No. 2 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, according to SB Nation bracketology expert Chris Dobbertean.

Deshaun Thomas scored 14 points to lead Ohio State, which knocked out Nebraska, Michigan State and Wisconsin as the No. 2 seed on the way to winning its third Big Ten Tournament title in four years.

The Buckeyes, ranked No. 10 in the nation, could be in line for a boost in seeding after their impressive performance in the Big Ten tournament. Wisconsin, meanwhile, has a shot at a No. 4 seed, but could have jumped up to the three-line with a win, per Dobbertean.

The Indiana Hoosiers, who won the Big Ten's regular-season championship but lost to Wisconsin in the semifinals, still looks primed to earn a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance, although Miami winning the ACC Tournament title on Sunday could affect the Hoosiers' chances.

New Year's Day 2010 Quick hits

Kobe Bryant knows how to open a new year in dramatic fashion. A buzzer-beater against the Sacramento Kings lifted the Los Angeles Lakers to a 109-108 win. Heh. Old hat for the Black Mamba come playoff time?

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People on deviantART can't tell me that my gallery is just desktop screenshots now. I took plenty of photos of the Rose Parade for your enjoyment/web design use because those folks special (aside from those ungrateful art-thief-hunting bastards who I choose not to tolerate), nuff said.

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AFC Wimbledon and Melbourne Victory wasted their games to open the new year with defeats, but Long Beach State's men's basketball team took the cake in terms of futility. This team is on a dangerous path, losing in overtime to UC Riverside 68-66.

Dan Monson, how dare you waste the nonconference gauntlet tonight. Epic fail. Again, I say, EPIC FAIL! When you cannot beat the Sisters of Mercy with your team's shooting (and on top of that, not learning your lesson from the LMU disasterfest), the Changi Prison guards need to give your players a caning or two.

One last time: E.P.I.C. F.A.I.L. Make 'em run suicides for the plan backfiring on you.

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Ohio State was going to win the Rose Bowl. Oregon fell victim to the SI jinx, 26-17.

USC Steals Ohio State's Soul

The embattled Ohio State football program -- losers of five straight against elite programs -- made its stand. Saturday night was going to be the place where they bucked history and reclaimed some former glory in toppling No. 3 USC. Over 106,000 fans, most in Ohio Stadium history, made life hell for the visitors from sunny California. The Buckeye defense made stop after stop, harassing the Trojan run game and freshman quarterback Matt Barkley over four solid quarters. They made their stand, but in soul-crushing fashion, they once again failed.

Trailing 15-10 and looking ready to wilt, USC mounted a 14-play, 86-yard, six minute touchdown drive to go ahead 18-15 with just over a minute left. Same. Old. Story. Not enough.

The anatomy of a marque game between national powers:

Tressel Ball -- Ohio State played Tressel Ball to perfection, locking USC and its freshman quarterback in bad field position literally the entire evening. Chris Galippo's early interception aside, here was USC's starting position the rest of the game

USC 22
USC 20
USC 18
USC 14
USC 20
USC 20
USC 10
USC 21
USC 14
USC 18

Long fields every time out, absolutely amazing. From there Ohio State didn't relent, its defensive line neutralizing USC's offensive line, shutting things down on first down and forcing all kinds of punts.

Pryor's early interception was the Buckeyes' only turnover.

Classic Tressel Ball

Terrelle Pryor -- His numbers on Saturday weren't great, but make no doubt about it he's arrived. USC's defense was lights out nearly the entire night but had to play incredibly sharp to keep Pryor contained. He still snuck in several long passes totaling 177 yards on the night.

Pryor is so good that even when contained by a top five defense having a great night, he moved the ball and dominated in a role that has me calling him the Human Field Position Machine. In the absence of many touchdowns, he taxed the USC defense and played right into the hands of Tressel Ball in never offering USC a chance for a short field. When it clicks this guy might be better than Vince Young, capable of completely controlling all but the best defenses.

Matt Barkley -- USC freshman quarterback Matt Barkley came into the game beaming, convinced he would not get distracted by the setting and the raucous crowd. In a postgame news conference he admitted to his ears still buzzing minutes later.

For most of the night he did little to help move USC's offense, but was a maestro at the end of both halves in guiding USC to a field goal and then what will go down this year as The Drive among USC fandom. Running back Joe McKnight did most of the heavy lifting on The Drive, but Barkley stayed poised in completing several third down passes and converting a fourth down run. Like Pryor he, too, has arrived after the 195 yard effort.

Of some interest, Barkley admitted that a fourth quarter hit 'jacked up' his shoulder and he was shown grimacing through the rest of the game but refused to be replaced. Its that kind of toughness that screams leadership and poise.

The Numbers -- Ohio State's defense deserves enormous credit Saturday, shutting USC's offense down for long stretches and embarrassing its vaunted offensive line. That said, USC's offense still outplayed Ohio State's. USC gained 18 first downs to 10, and had a 47 yard edge, 313 to 266. USC's defense allowed just 89 rushing yards, the Trojans themselves netting a modest 118.

The star for me was USC linebacker Chris Galippo. Even without his first quarter interception, Galippo was stellar, routinely displaying uncanny instincts arriving at several plays before they could materialize. Even in coverage where he was beat, he made two tremendous plays on perfectly thrown balls that otherwise would have gone incomplete. The guy deserves All America mention after his showing the last two weeks.

The Drive -- After the game, Barkley reportedly said of The Drive "We're Trojans, that's what we do." Sounds about right. On a night USC certainly should have lost and had shown little offensive life in the second half where they normally come to life, something clicked.

The clock read 7:29, ball on their own 14. It would be either their last or second to last possession, assuming they could even acquire a rare first down before giving the ball back to Pryor to grind more clock away while set up in great field position with a five point lead. The Trojans set about on a long drive, draining clock despite a five point deficit and unsure returns. Risky, and inevitably right.

Somewhere they summoned that uncanny poise the program's becoming famous for, a freshman leading the charge. It started off like much of the game, with a Barkley sack. Adding insult to injury, Barkley was tagged with a five-yard delay of game penalty, setting up second and 19. Joe McKnight took over from there, rushing for 11 yards and then beating a linebacker on third and eight for a 21-yard weaving reception.

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Ohio State's Etienne Sabino (6) stops Southern California's C.J. Gable (2) on a kick off return in the first