There’s no doubt about it: the Rose Bowl is not where the Buckeyes expected to be nor wanted to be at the end of the year. Nonetheless, it’s still the Rose Bowl and there is still plenty to improve upon and play for.

The overwhelming amount of attention will of course be on the defense, namely against the run as Utah prides itself on having a physical ground game, something that Ohio State struggled with mightily this year. The good news is this wasn’t lost among the players as Steele Chambers himself admitted the Buckeyes played “pretty soft” against Michigan.

Haskell Garrett opted out, but the rest of the defense will be participating in the game barring any COVID protocols. Without their new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles present for the game, this will be a prime opportunity for the defense as a whole to take ownership and show that they have the ability to control the run game, providing that much more momentum for the the restoration of the Silver Bullets come 2022.

There will be a plethora of young talent on display in Pasadena. Many of the names we’ve been waiting on like Julian Fleming, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Emeka Egbuka will see starter reps and have a chance to introduce a new era of Buckeye playmakers and if you ask me, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they put on quite the show on New Year’s Day.

Lastly, the offensive line began to show some real inconsistencies towards the end of the year- particularly against Penn State and Michigan. They committed a slew of penalties and struggled to sustain blocks in both the run and pass game. With Nicholas Petit-Frere opting out and Dawand Jones split on his decision to enter the draft, there will be a real focus of whether the younger O-linemen can find their footing against Utah and give the offense a chance to stay in rhythm.

Whether it’s watching the budding new talent of the future or taking in the pageantry, the Rose Bowl is still going to be a true spectacle and an exciting game to watch start to finish as always.