Many fans of the Oregon Ducks may remember the last time Oregon played the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl: 2010. The Ducks, still in the PAC 12 Conference, lost to the Buckeyes 17-26. Funny enough, a future Duck was witnessing this match-up in the stands.

“2010 was against Ohio State right? I was at that game, which is kind of crazy. It’s the only Rose Bowl game I’ve ever been to. My parents took me. I was little so I don’t remember a whole lot of it. I remember tailgating a little bit before and then sitting in our seats and it felt like we were a mile away. To come back now and be playing in it, it’s certainly special. We’re planning on ending this one a little bit different,” Bryce Boettcher said.

Star linebacker Boettcher was there to witness it all unfold. He would have been around seven years old at the time, and though he admittedly doesn’t remember much, his childhood of Oregon fandom has led him to being one of the biggest playmakers on both the Oregon football and baseball team.

So far this season, Boettcher boasts 87 total tackles (45 solo), two sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception against the UCLA Bruins.

Regarding this rematch, the Burlsworth Trophy award winner admits he’s excited for take two against the Buckeyes. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 earlier in October at Autzen Stadium.

“Yea it’s huge man. You dream of this game. It’s, like I said, what you dream of. I’m pumped to get to do it with this team in this circumstance, especially to get to play Ohio State again. I was hoping we were going to get them again,” Boettcher said.

MORE: Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Rose Bowl Injury Update: Jordan Burch, Jahlil Florence 

MORE: Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State Ticket Prices Rise, College Football Playoff Quarterfinal

MORE: What Pat McAfee Said About Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith Before Oregon Ducks Matchup

However, football purists may beg to differ. When it comes to playing a team twice, there’s a superstition around the ability to capture a second win. Boettcher argues against that theory.

“I think people have this misconception that when you play a team twice, it’s harder to beat them twice. Maybe if we were playing baseball that might be the case, but I think football is a little different. When you beat a team, there’s definitely a psychological aspect knowing that they’ve obviously already lost and we’ve already won. And we obviously covered that a little in the team meeting. I’m excited for this game, but nothing changes. We’re just going to go out and do what we do,” Boettcher said.

For this matchup, Boettcher an company have a clear idea for what they’re up against, and who won’t be returning to the field for the Buckeyes. Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons and center Seth McLaughlin are both out for the season, making the trenches a little more vulnerable for Oregon’s defense to penetrate.

A key piece returning for the Buckeyes is running back duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. The Ducks were able to limit Henderson to 87 yards and Judkins to 23 yards in their last meeting, but these two backs are forces to be reckoned with on the Ohio State offense, with over 800 yards a piece on the season so far.

“They’ve got a lot of weapons,” Boettcher said about Ohio State. “They’ve got two really good backs, good wideouts, good quarterback – I mean all around they’re a solid team. You’ve just got to game plan and do your best to eliminate those players. But at the end of the day, we play sound football on defense. We communicate and we’re the tougher team and we’re going to come out victorious.”

For Oregon’s defense, their latest performance against Penn State in the Big Ten Championship had more cracks than usual. Oregon allowed Penn State to total more yards, with 518 yards to round out the game. 292 of those yards were from Penn State’s rushing attack. Running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton both put up over 100 yards rushing each against the Ducks. When facing Ohio State, the Ducks’ defense has to improve in defending from the ground game.

“I’d say just communication and physicality, those are the two biggest things on defense,” Boettcher said. “Making sure you’re aligned right and adjusted right to what the offense is doing and once the ball snaps, just being the most physical team and we preached in practice and it shows up in practice, so I’m excited for this upcoming game.”

According to Boettcher, the steps to prepare for the team hasn’t changed. The Ducks are entering this New Years quarterfinal game with the same mentality they’ve had this entire season, or “FEBU” as it’s been called by players and coaches. Though this team stresses each game is nothing but another opportunity, for an Oregon kid with a personal tie like Boettcher, there’s got to be a little bit more emotion riding on the roses.

“Same preparation as we had in the Big Ten as we’re going to have for this game. We believe in ourselves. You know, you’d like to stop every single team to five rushing yards every single game but that’s not going to happen. Like I said, same preparation we’ve always had. Nothing changes. Just being the most physical team in practice.”

MORE: What Nick Saban Said About Ohio State’s Ryan Day Before Oregon Ducks Matchup

MORE: Florida Gators To Flip Another Oregon Ducks 5-Star Commit? Offer Lineman Kodi Greene

MORE: Ohio State Coach Ryan Day’s Job At Stake Vs. Oregon Ducks In Rose Bowl?

Immediately following Michigan’s 13-10 upset of then-No. 2 Ohio State, and the aftermath that took place at midfield, questions were immediately raised as to why the Buckeyes neglected to use the best weapons they had on offense — their wide receivers.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly were at the center of nationwide criticism for their offensive strategy, but Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and the Wolverines’ defensive front deserve credit for holding OSU to their lowest regular season scoring output since 2011.

How did the Wolverines do it?

“We were really confident in the game plan,” Martindale told reporters on Saturday, as Michigan prepares to face Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. “And, you know, our whole message was all week, let’s take them to the deep end in the fourth quarter. And we knew then that we could take over the game defensively.”

Day and Kelly rigthfully came under fire for their insistence in trying to run the football, with a banged-up offensive line, between the tackles against the heart of Michigan’s defense — Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.

However, Martindale and the Wolverines were able to dictate some of that with the defensive looks they presented Ohio State, sacrificing numbers against the run in order to prevent big plays over the top through the air. Michigan needed Graham, Grant, the rest of the defensive line and the linebackers to hold up against the run despite the Buckeyes having a numbers advantage. They did just that, and after the Wolverines got a few good licks in on OSU quarterback Will Howard, the rest was history.

“I know there’s been a lot of speculations about this and that…but, you know, all credit to the players,” Martindale said. “The game always has been, always will be about them. I come out with that on Twitter because that’s what it was. We just physically outplayed them.

“When your best players are playing their best, that’s when you have a lot of success. And you saw that with Makari’s hit on the quarterback. Earnest’s hit on the quarterback that was sort of hidden, that no one saw because it was on a read sweep play. He got it pretty good. And after that, [Howard] started getting a little nervous back there. So, you know, the guys had a great rush plan. Lou had a great rush plan. And Kevin with the four upfront. LaMar and BJ did a great job with the coverage aspect of it. Just sticking to our game plan. And, you know, it was a lot of fun to watch.”

After Ohio State exploded for 42 points against a Tennessee defense that was also very stout during the 2024 season, more questions were raised as to how Michigan was able to hold the Buckeyes in check. Martindale’s further explanation wasn’t overly complicated.

“We felt good going into the game of how we were going to attack them and give them some different looks that they weren’t used to,” the defensive coordinator said. “And then when they started getting used to it, we went to a different look. And, you know, it kept them, you know, guessing and reaching the entire game. But you could see, you know, that Tennessee game, what kind of explosive offense it was. I mean, they’re a very talented group. And it was just, you know, our day that day. And I’m glad we had it.”

– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:

The Ohio State Buckeyes are preparing to face the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl and may have the opportunity to play for a national championship next month.

However, some Ohio State fans are still hung up on their fourth straight loss to the Michigan Wolverines.

The Buckeyes were upset by Michigan in Columbus during the regular-season finale, which, for some Ohio State fans, has put a damper on the team’s College Football Playoff run.

Former college football coach Nick Saban—who is no stranger to winning championships—thinks that Buckeyes fans are being a bit ridiculous.

“These Ohio State fans have a psychotic obsession with Michigan and they need to go get therapy or something to try to get it fixed,” Saban said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “They have a chance to win the national championship and here you are, nobody’s excited about their opportunity to play [against Oregon] because they lost to Michigan, which was a tough game.”

The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is one of the most fierce in sports, so you can understand why the fans take it so seriously.

But Saban has a point.

The ultimate goal is to win a national title; not to beat Michigan. It’s almost as if some Buckeyes fans would rather beat the Wolverines but not win a championship rather than vice versa.

That being said, Ohio State was widely expected to beat Michigan last month, as the Wolverines went just 7-5 to finish the year and had miserable quarterback play throughout 2024.

For that reason, Buckeyes fans are still a bit hot. But hopefully, that will all be pushed to the side if Ohio State defeats Oregon on New Year’s Day.