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Ohio State’s Offense Made College Football History In Rose Bowl Win Over Oregon

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Jan 2, 2025 11:38 AM ET

The No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes are in the College Football Playoff semifinals after a 41-21 win over the No. 1 Oregon Ducks on New Year's Day.

Ohio State defeated No. 7 Tennessee, 42-17, in the first round, and the Buckeyes offense picked up right where they left off on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl.

The game started with a pair of Will Howard touchdown passes in the first quarter and then more in the second quarter. At halftime, it was a 34-8 Ohio State lead in a surprising result.

In the process, Ohio State made history becoming the only FBS or NFL team to score at least four 40+-yard touchdowns in a single half of a postseason game in the past 25 years, as Greg Harvey pointed out.

Here are the four first-half touchdowns for Ohio State in the victory.

Will Howard 45-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith
Will Howard 42-yard pass to Emeka Egbuka
Will Howard 43-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith
TreVeyon Henderson 66-yard rushing touchdown

It was an offensive barrage for Ohio State. Howard finished with 319 yards passing and three scores, Henderson had 94 yards and two scores on just eight carries, and Smith had 187 yards on seven catches with two touchdowns.

Ohio State also made program history as the 20-point win was the largest margin of victory ever for the Buckeyes over an Associated Press No. 1 team.

The momentum is sky-high for the Buckeyes, and they will next face the No. 5 seed Texas Longhorns on Friday, January 10 at AT&T Stadium.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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