The Rose Bowl- or as the legendary Keith Jackson called it “The Granddaddy of Them All”- is just a few days away. Despite arguably being the most prestigious bowl destination outside the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes will be missing many key veterans.

Ryan Day said in addition to Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Haskell Garrett and Nicholas Petit-Frere will not play in the Rose Bowl for Ohio State.

— Patrick Murphy (@_Pat_Murphy) December 27, 2021

Garrett Wilson, Chris OIave, Haskell Garrett and Nicholas Petit-Frere have all opted to sit this one out. And honestly, it may be a blessing for the Buckeyes in the long run.

It is a bummer fans won’t see these legends a final time, but it allows for the young guys to get experience on one of the biggest stages. This game seems like a real chance for the young players to show us something meaningful before every local media outlet overreacts to the Spring Game in April.

Ohio State has plenty of young players hungry and ready to fill the roles left by those who have opted to sit out.

“There’s still a bunch of guys who want to play really well in this game,” Ryan Day said live in California on Monday.

Three players who come to mind all play wide receiver. Julian Fleming, Emeka Egbuka, and Marvin Harrison Jr. will surely all receive a ton of playing time with Wilson and Olave out. In fact, it would not be surprising if Day rotated wide receivers with this group, something that Ohio State did not do often this season.

It is doubtful all three will go over 100 yards receiving, which was the standard between Olave, Wilson, and breakout star Jaxon Smith-Njigba. However, don’t be surprised if one of the young receivers pops off for a monster night, while the other two make a few nice plays.

Another young offensive group that can make an impact is the tight end position. Jeremy Ruckert is expected to play and surely will be honored with a couple of well earned targets in his direction. However, after his curtain call, the starting tight end job for 2022 can potentially be won in this game. Expect Cade Stover and Gee Scott Jr. to see some time.

On the offensive line many pieces will have to be shifted with Petit-Frere opting out. Fully expect Paris Johnson to play offensive tackle as that makes the most sense. Meanwhile, Donovan Jackson should see a lot of time at guard, which is exciting considering all the hype he has received.

Working on my column calling for Thayer Munford and Paris Johnson to rotate exclusively at left tackle in the Rose Bowl to send Thayer out right and get Paris ready for next year, but really it's just a ploy to get 75 snaps of Donovan Jackson in Pasadena.

— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) December 27, 2021

On the defensive side of the ball these is less opportunity, but still expect some newer faces to make an appearance. The main position that comes to mind is defensive tackle with Haskell Garrett out. Tyleik Williams will play a lot of snaps, but he has already stepped up big time in 2021. Two other names to keep an eye on would be Ty Hamilton and Michael Hall Jr.

Overall, Ohio State will surely miss all those opting out of the Rose Bowl. There is simply no way to quantify the impacts Wilson, OIave, Garrett and Petit-Frere have left on this program. The leadership and consistency that group has provided will impact the program for years. However, that age is officially over and with the start of 2022 a new group of young bucks get a chance to leave their mark.