Tick, tick goes the clock. We’re less than two days away from the 2022 Rose Bowl, the 108th edition of “The Granddaddy of them all.” And — cross your fingers — the game is still on, thus far dodging COVID-19 omicron variant cancellations. As is the parade by the way, so that’s all positive news.
But back to on the field, Ohio State is faced with a challenge I’m not sure most folks fully grasp. In fact, we already gave you three reasons why Utah could be a problem for the Buckeyes. If OSU wins, it will have to earn it against a team playing its best American football right now.
But clearly, Ohio State is talented enough to win the game. In fact, the talent on the Buckeyes’ roster will trump almost every other roster out there. Talent, and playing a well-executed game with that talent don’t always end in a perfect marriage, however. Yes, we’ve seen that on a few occasions this season.
At this point, the game plan is installed for this one, and now it’s all about fine-tuning things and hoping the players operate at peak capacity when the bright lights come on.
But what does Ohio State have to do to win this one and become the Big Ten program with the most Rose Bowl wins? We know you are wondering that very same thing, so we’re here to give you five keys to beating Utah as the sun goes down against the eye candy that is the San Gabriel Mountains Saturday night.
Let’s get to it, shall we?