To fans of the 2014-15 Ducks, Oregon’s 41-21 defeat at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes felt all too familiar. 

In the 2015 National Championship, Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott demolished Oregon’s defense on the ground, tallying 246 yards and four touchdowns to secure a 42-20 victory and ruin Oregon’s dreams of a national title.

Almost 10 years later, in the 2025 Rose Bowl, true freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith put on a similarly game-breaking display. His seven receptions for 187 yards and two receiving touchdowns – all but 26 yards of which came in the first half – gave Oregon no chance to establish any defensive momentum.

“He attacks the ball in the air as well as any receiver I’ve seen,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said of Smith. “The guy’s NFL-ready, he’s that special.”

Smith, who stands six-foot-three and 215 pounds at just 19 years old, made his presence known immediately. Just one minute into Ohio State’s opening drive, Smith got the ball in his own backfield and blasted past two Oregon defenders for a 45-yard touchdown catch, effectively setting the tone for what was to come.

In the second quarter, Smith struck again. On second down at Oregon’s 43-yard line, quarterback Will Howard found a wide-open Smith for as easy of a touchdown as the pair has had all year.

Howard was subject to criticism following Ohio State’s midseason 32-31 loss to Oregon, in which he erroneously ran out of time while attempting to move his offense further into field goal range. However, Howard slayed his demons in Pasadena, going 17/26 through the air for 319 yards and three touchdowns in what was maybe his best showing all season.

Also effective was Ohio State’s run game. TreVeyon Henderson carried the ball eight times for 94 yards and two touchdowns, including a 66-yard touchdown on the first play of the Buckeyes’ sixth drive. Quinshon Judkins was solid as well, tallying 17 carries for 85 yards.

“They were clicking on all cylinders,” Lanning said. “We didn’t really have the ability to stop them.”