4. The Jaxon Smith-Njigba performance
Ohio State QB CJ Stroud completed 37-of-46 passes for 573 yards and six touchdowns with one pick that didn’t turn out to matter all that much, and this will forever be known as the Jaxon Smith-Njigba game.
Not eligible to turn pro yet, Smith-Njigba – acknowledged by Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson as the star of the receiving corps – was asked to take over as the new main man for the passing game, and he did just that.
It’s not that the Utes adjusted. The 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns were spread out through the whole game – and it could’ve been more. He had a possible touchdown punched out for a fumble and a touchback, but that was a mere blip on a masterpiece.
Olave led the team with 13 touchdown catches, and Wilson was second on the team with 12 receiving scores, but Smith-Njigba led the team with 80 catches for 1,259 yards and six scores before this.
He didn’t have his top guys around him to take the heat off. Utah had to cover one guy, and it had no prayer of doing it.
Rose Bowl 5 Thoughts
5. Ohio State still had guys
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