How Ohio State has performed in recent Rose Bowls, games against Oregon
Dec 26, 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State will escape the bitter cold of Columbus for the sunny warmth of Pasadena, California, for college football's greatest bowl game.
Ohio State is set to face Big Ten champion Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. Wednesday. This former Big Ten-Pac-12 game is now an intraconference matchup between programs that have played in plenty of Rose Bowls.
The Buckeyes are making their 17th trip and hope to win for a fifth straight time. Ohio State, however, is on a two-game losing streak to Oregon, a former Pac-12 member in its first Big Ten season, with the most recent loss coming in October.
Here is a look back at the Buckeyes' previous games against the Ducks and their recent Rose Bowl victories.
Ohio State-Oregon history
The Buckeyes' first game of 2025 will mark the 11th time they play the Ducks, with the teams playing twice in the Rose Bowl and once for a national championship.
1958 was the first meeting in the Rose Bowl, with the Buckeyes winning 10-7 before winning six straight regular-season games over Oregon. The two played in the Rose Bowl again in 2010 to begin what has become a budding rivalry.
Ohio State won the 2010 Rose Bowl 26-17 behind 338 yards of total offense from quarterback Terrelle Pryor and 101 receiving yards and a touchdown from DeVier Posey. The next game came in 2015 in the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game in Arlington, Texas. The underdog Buckeyes steamrolled to a 42-20 win to claim their most recent national championship.
Oregon came to Ohio Stadium in 2021 for a nonconference game it won 35-28, marking its first victory over the Buckeyes. The Ducks' next victory came less than three months ago when Oregon won 32-31 on Oct. 12 in Eugene. That victory caused an NCAA rule change after Oregon staged an intentional penalty to run down the clock.
EUGENE, OREGON - OCTOBER 12: Will Howard #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs the ball for a touchdown during the first quarter of the game of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on October 12, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)Ohio State defensive back Cameron Brown, left, knocks the ball away from Oregon receiver Devon Williams during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 12: Running back Ezekiel Elliott #15 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs the ball in the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium on January 12, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)01 January 2010: Ohio State #2 Terrelle Pryor during the Rose Bowl game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
Jan. 1, 2022: Ohio State 48, Utah 45
The Buckeyes' last trip to the Rose Bowl was three years ago and was by far the most entertaining bowl game of the season.
Regular season losses to Oregon and Michigan sent Ohio State to Pasadena to face Pac-12 champion Utah. After the Utes jumped out to a 14-0 lead, the Buckeyes began traded touchdowns with them in the second quarter, with each scoring three.
Ohio State scored 17 straight points to take a 45-38 lead going into the last two minutes. Tight end Dalton Kincaid scored a Utah touchdown with 1:54 to go to tie the score before Ohio State kicker Noah Ruggles hit the winning 19-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining.
Numerous Rose Bowl records were set. Quarterback C.J. Stroud had records for passing yards (583) and touchdown passes (6), and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba set the receptions (15) and receiving yards (347) records. Freshman wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. became the fourth player to catch three TDs passes in a Rose Bowl.
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 01: Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Ohio State Buckeyes scores a touchdown against the Utah Utes during the second quarter in the Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Jan. 1, 2019: Ohio State 28, Washington 23
The 2019 Rose Bowl marked the end of an era for Ohio State football. Despite a Big Ten title and a 12-1 record, the Buckeyes were left out of the playoff after a midseason loss to Purdue.
Instead, Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes faced Pac-12 champion Washington in what became his last game as coach. Ohio State dominated through the first half and led 21-3 at the break behind three TD passes from Dwayne Haskins.
After a J.K. Dobbins touchdown run in the third quarter, Washington scored 20 points in the fourth quarter but still lost. The victory concluded Meyer's Ohio State tenure with an 83-9 record, four Big Ten titles, four bowl game wins and a national championship.
Jan. 1, 1997: Ohio State 20, Arizona State 17
The Buckeyes broke a four-game Rose Bowl losing streak in 1997 in front of over 100,000 fans.
The John Cooper-coached Ohio State team came into the Rose Bowl after its national title hopes ended with a loss to Michigan, setting up a game against Cooper's former team, Arizona State, which was 11-0 and ranked second.
Tied 7-7 at halftime in the rain, the Buckeyes took a 14-10 lead with a 72-yard touchdown pass from Joe Germaine to Dimitrious Stanley. After Sun Devils quarterback Jake Plummer ran in for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:40 remaining, Germaine led a last-ditch drive and threw the winning touchdown pass to David Boston with nine seconds left.
This victory was Cooper's lone Rose Bowl appearance with the Buckeyes and ended Arizona State's title hopes. Along with Boston, Germaine, and Plummer, other notable stars that took the field included Hall of Fame lineman Orlando Pace for OSU and College Hall of Fame linebacker Pat Tillman for ASU.
UNITED STATES - JANUARY 01: Coll, Football: Rose Bowl, Arizona State's Pat Tillman (42) in action, making sack vs Ohio State QB Joe Germaine (7), Pasadena, CA 1/1/1997 (Photo by Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X51981 TK3 R4 F19)