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Ohio State vs. Oregon football? Who feels more pressure to win Rose Bowl?
LOS ANGELES – The shoe is on the other foot. Oregon, not Ohio State, is feeling more pressure for a change. The Ducks say they embrace the high expectations. We are about to find out if that is true, if the team built by Nike can handle the heat of being the team to beat.
Pay little attention to the betting line showing the Buckeyes to be a 2 ½-point favorites, which is a product of bookmakers setting odds to attract bettors and create action. Oregon has shown itself to be the best team in the nation, and while Ohio State impressed with its 42-17 win against Tennessee in the Dec. 21 first-round playoff game, it remains that OSU is the “LOWER SEEDED TEAM,” as emphasized in the Rose Bowl media packet.
Oregon is seeded No. 1. Ohio State is No. 8. The Ducks edged the Buckeyes 32-31 on Oct. 12 in Eugene. Now, the Big Ten champion must prove it can win again at a neutral site.
The heat is on. Will Oregon get burned? I think so. The Ducks think not. They say they are built for moments like this. I’m not so sure. When you haven’t been there and done that, it’s impossible to predict how finally being there will go.
It’s like lighting my gas fireplace with a Bic butane. Trepidation occurs with first-time use. I have to turn the knob just enough to let the gas escape, but not too much to risk singeing my eyebrows when ignition occurs.
So it is with Oregon, which brings a spotless 13-0 record into Wednesday’s Rose Bowl. The Ducks are relatively new to this playoff business, last qualifying in 2014, when they lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff championship game. Oregon has played in big games the past decade, but not this big. Will the inexperience combined with the magnitude of the moment explode in its face?
Ohio State is 11-2, having lost at Autzen Stadium and at home against Michigan. I like the Buckeyes to win 27-24, based on their positive mojo following the win against Tennessee and because the pressure will get to Oregon.
The Buckeyes, of course, also feel pressure. As OSU linebackers coach James Laurinaitis explained it, “When you put on the scarlet and gray, even when I was being recruited, you knew what the standard was, and it was you’re supposed to beat the team up north, win the Big Ten and you will be judged by whether you win the national championship. So no matter who you play, the pressure is always there.”
Perfection not expected among Oregon fans
The expectations are lower at Oregon. Not among coaches and players, but in Eugene football is not considered life and death. Not yet, anyway. Still, Wednesday’s game provides another opportunity for the Ducks to show they belong among college football royalty. That is a striving that creates stress.
Ohio State has been a blue blood for decades. Nothing left to prove. I’m not saying the Buckeyes are playing with house money, but they can let it rip against Oregon, knowing nothing can be as bad as what happened against Michigan.
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The Ducks know they have more riding on this game – Oregon has never won a national title – and entered the 12-team playoff favored to end that drought. They also know what many of us are wondering: Can they beat the Buckeyes a second time?
“We have to approach this game the same way and not feed into the narrative of this being a second game, a second opportunity (for Ohio State),” Oregon linebacker Jestin Jacobs said.
To that end, the Ducks are employing an age-old strategy – us against the world – to depressurize the situation.
“Preseason, they weren’t expecting much from us,” tailback Jordan James said. “We weren’t respected at all, but we have done a good job proving ourselves.”
Never mind that Oregon was ranked No. 3 in the preseason polls, behind No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Ohio State. The Ducks will play the disrespect card as far as it takes them, as well as performing the trusty “chip on the shoulder” routine.
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James wanted to sign with the Buckeyes out of Oakland High School in Nashville, having grown up a fan of OSU because of tailback Ezekiel Elliott.
“Ohio State was a school I wanted to go to so bad. I even went to a camp up there in Columbus,” said James, who leads the Ducks in rushing with 1,253 yards, which ranks 21st nationally. “But I never got an offer.”
James emphasized that “it turned out for the better” going to Oregon, but no doubt the perceived slight will serve as a release valve against pressure.
Oregon players face Ohio State with chip on shoulder
Jacobs played high school football at Clayton Northmont near Dayton, but opted to play at Iowa after receiving a scholarship offer from Ohio State late in the recruiting process. He spent two seasons with the Hawkeyes before transferring to Oregon.
Like James, he felt somewhat overlooked by Ohio State.
“My family wasn’t too happy when I decided to not go to Ohio State,” he said. “I grew up in a household where a lot of my mom’s side of the family is from Michigan and my dad’s side is all Ohio State. I attended some (OSU) games when I was young, but still have a small chip because the scholarship offer came so late.”
That’s called finding a motivational edge where you can.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning has his own way of dealing with pressure. He welcomes it.
“I think you hope that you can feel that pressure,” Lanning said. “If you’re in moments like this, you’re certainly going to feel pressure. Anybody who says they’re not, they’re lying.
“But that’s what you want to coach toward. You want to be in positions where pressure is applied. Kirby Smart said it before and I agree with him: ‘Pressure is a privilege.’ If you put yourself in position to where you’re going to have pressure, that’s something you have to be able to handle. And our team’s handled it really well so far, and has to continue to do so down the stretch.”
Both Ohio State and Oregon feel the pressure, but I contend UO feels more. Who cracks first? The Quackers.
roller@dispatch.com
@rollerCD
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Aaron Churchill is the Ohio research director for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education policy think tank based in Columbus.
In November, the Ohio Senate unanimously passed math reforms that would help a generation of struggling students. House lawmakers should send that excellent package known as Senate Bill 19 to the governor’s desk post haste.
Math difficulties start early for many Ohio students. Last year, 45,000 third graders, or 36% statewide, fell short of proficiency on the state math exam. These youngsters had difficulty solving basic arithmetic and measurement problems. Without such skills, big trouble lies ahead for them.
Meanwhile, even larger percentages of high schoolers fare poorly in this subject. On last year’s algebra I state exam, 53,000 students – 41% of test takers – did not achieve proficiency, while a staggering 72,000 students (57%) fell short in geometry.
These failure rates are unacceptable. Students should not be left to struggle with the routine math needed to manage their personal finances, bake a cake or do a home repair. Nor should they lack the critical thinking, data interpretation and problem solving skills that are demanded by today’s employers and essential to career success.
Ohio must help more students gain fluency in math. Senate Bill 19 does this in the following ways.
First, it supports students with math deficiencies. The bill would require schools to provide math interventions to students scoring at the lowest achievement level (known as “limited”) on state tests. Importantly, schools must engage a child’s parents to create an individual improvement plan that outlines the interventions and how progress will be monitored.
Second, the bill promotes strong math curricula. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce would be tasked with reviewing math materials and establishing a high-quality list. With dozens of programs and textbooks on the market – some far better than others – this vetting process would aid school districts in finding the best curriculum for their students.
Third, it asks colleges of education to better prepare elementary teachers. Research from the National Council on Teacher Quality shows that teacher training programs often lack serious math content, especially in the elementary grades, leaving teachers ill-prepared for effective instruction. To help address the problem, the bill mandates that prospective educators pass the math section of the state licensure test to teach the subject, something that is not presently required.
Fourth, it gives high-achieving math students a boost. Traditional course placement practices rely on teacher and parent referrals, which tend to overlook economically disadvantaged students who excel in math. Yet, as a recent Fordham Institute study found, access to advanced coursework is critical to high-achieving, low-income students’ college prospects. Through automatic enrollment provisions, Senate Bill 19 would ensure that all high achievers are placed in challenging math courses, including algebra I in eighth grade.
Some may view Senate Bill 19 as burdensome on schools. But the need for significant improvement in math is urgent and the reforms are commonsense. Students struggling in math ought to get help. Schools should use the best-available textbooks and materials. Teachers should know math before they teach it. Schools must push high achievers to reach their full potential.
Math and reading are the academic pillars that support students’ long-term success as well as the state’s economic growth. Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio’s Science of Reading initiative is off to a strong start and promises stronger literacy statewide. It’s now time for policymakers to roll up their sleeves and help students get better at math. Their futures – and the state’s – are at stake.
Aaron Churchill is the Ohio research director for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education policy think tank based in Columbus.
Amanda-Clearcreek honors Ohio Air National Guard member Capt. Seth Koval
Amanda-Clearcreek honors Ohio Air National Guard member Capt. Seth Koval
The remains of three Ohio airmen who were killed in the crash of their KC-135 refueling plane in Iraq earlier this month will be returned this weekend, according to a family member of one of the deceased.
The airmen, identified as Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, of Wilmington, and Capt. Seth Koval, 38, of Stoutsville, will be brought back March 29 to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus, said Charles Simmons, Tyler’s father.
“Tyler will have a hero’s welcome, because he is a hero,” said Charles.
The Columbus Division of Police will be involved in the funeral procession when the airmen’s remains are transferred from the airport to funeral homes, said Columbus police Sgt. James Fuqua. That will take place between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. March 29, said Fuqua.
The airmen’s remains first arrived back in the U.S. on March 18 with a dignified transfer taking place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Curtis, Angst, and Simmons were members of the 166th Air Refueling Squadron connected to the 121st Air Refueling Wing based at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus.
The airmen, as well as three other servicemembers, died on March 12 when their KC-135 tanker crashed in western Iraq during a mission in support of Operation Epic Fury in Iran. The cause of the crash, which occurred in friendly airspace, has not been publicly identified. U.S. Central Command has said the incident did not involve hostile or friendly fire, and military experts have theorized the crash may have been the result of a collision with a second KC-135 that sustained heavy damage to its tail fin but landed safely at an airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
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