The Oregon football team and Ohio State performed in the game of the year in mid October, with the Ducks coming away with a slender, one-point victory at Autzen Stadium that set the tone for the remainder of UO’s undefeated common season and Big Ten championship.
On New Yr’s Day in Pasadena, the No. 1 Geese will look to repeat the feat in opposition to the No. 8 Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Forward of the festivities and recreation, Ohio State coach Ryan Day spoke with media over Zoom on Monday in regards to the Geese and the matchup.
Whereas the Geese rode October’s prime 3 win over Ohio State into an undefeated common season marketing campaign and a convention title of their first season within the Huge Ten, the Buckeyes did not fairly have the identical fortune after the loss.
Although the Buckeyes picked up a few prime 5 wins, they finally fell to Michigan of their common season finale and had been held out of the Huge Ten title recreation, having to play their manner into the CFP quarterfinal.
Nonetheless, Day confused on Monday the Buckeyes are nonetheless fascinated with the small print come New Yr’s Day.
“It is about execution, it is about our preparation,” Day mentioned. “It is about how we go about our conferences, how we go about our walk-throughs, how we go about our practices, in order that once we get out to Pasadena we’re executing at a excessive degree. That is what it comes right down to.
“Is it tremendous thrilling? I assume not, however it’s what it’s. However our guys have performed this group earlier than, so there is a reference level. I feel each groups are somewhere else than they had been once we performed final time. I feel we’re totally different.”
By means of 13 video games this season, Oregon is the one group to attain greater than 30 factors in opposition to Ohio State. Actually, they’re the one group to attain greater than 20 factors in opposition to the Buckeyes.
After the loss, Day and his workers mentioned they made changes to their schemes and personnel, to sturdy success.
However Day additionally acknowledged Monday the Geese are a distinct beast from different opponents they’ve performed.
“They’ve a great steadiness,” Day mentioned of the Geese. “(Dillon) Gabriel may be very, very proficient and really correct in what he does, and he is additionally very athletic. And so they have weapons on the surface. So it is a problem. We have seen that stay and in coloration.
“So we have made changes coming off that recreation, and we labored exhausting to guarantee that we’re placing our guys in the perfect place to achieve success. We’ll try this once more in opposition to these guys this week and go compete our tails off.”
Following a 42-17 beatdown of Tennessee within the first spherical of the CFP in Columbus, Day mentioned the Buckeyes confidence is at a season-high heading right into a Rose Bowl rematch.
“You possibly can really feel the arrogance within the locker room,” Day mentioned. “You could possibly really feel the arrogance yesterday as we had our group conferences, determine the champions, watch the movie from the sport, confirmed clips of the sport with the group after which we broke up into place conferences and watched the movie.”
Day’s Buckeyes throttled the No. 9 Volunteers in an announcement recreation in opposition to a prime 10 opponent. Now, they’ll flip their eyes to the Geese in a impartial web site matchup in Pasadena.
“Must make some changes like we at all times do,” Day mentioned. “Points are at all times there. However there was simply an total steadiness and confidence in regards to the group coming off the sport to know that we have already got a playoff win beneath our belt. It’ll give us confidence going into the sport.”
Alec Dietz covers College of Oregon soccer, volleyball, ladies’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You could attain him at adietz@registerguard.com and you’ll observe him on X @AlecDietz.