Ohio State beat Utah to win the Rose Bowl. 5 thoughts and analysis of the game, and what it all means.
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Ohio State beat Utah 48-45: Rose Bowl 5 Things That Matter
Prediction: Ohio State 36, Utah 30
Line: Ohio State -4, o/u: 64
Final Score: Ohio State 48, Utah 45
5. Ohio State still had guys
The narrative before this was all about the opt-outs.
Ohio State lost a few key defensive players, and not having NFL-caliber WRs Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson was supposed to be a problem, but …
It’s Ohio State. There are more stars waiting for a turn.
That’s the difference between an Ohio State and just about everyone outside of the Alabamas and Georgias of the world. Of course the opt-outs matter to a certain extent, but the Next Man Up is often the Next Five-Star Talent Up.
The defense finally meshed in the second half, the underused star parts like WR Marvin Harrison Jr. – 6 catches, 71 yards, 3 touchdowns – and Emeka Egbuka made a whole slew of big plays, and when it came down to it, Ohio State had the talent to overcome the energy, toughness, and fight of Utah.
Oh, and then there’s this …
Rose Bowl 5 Thoughts
4. The Jaxon Smith-Njigba performance
3. Utah couldn’t deliver the knockout punch
2. It might not have been a CFP game, but …
1. The Rose Bowl is still the Rose Bowl