Buckeyes Put 2022 on Notice in Rose Bowl

The Ohio State football team finished the 2021 season in grand fashion in Pasadena. This Rose Bowl victory will surge the Buckeyes into 2022.

Anyone else still out of breath after watching the offensive explosion in Pasadena Saturday night? The Rose Bowl between the Ohio State football team and Utah Utes was an epic, back-and-forth contest for the ages. 

The Buckeyes put any rumors of treating a trip to the Granddaddy of Them All as a consolation or meaningless bowl game to rest in the second half as they fought back from down two touchdowns. 

CJ Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr put on a clinic in Southern California. Stroud, obviously fueled by the loss to Michigan and the Heisman voting, threw for a Rose Bowl and Ohio State record 573 yards and six touchdowns on the day. 347 of those yards were hauled in by JSN, who could do no wrong all afternoon. 

Brian Hardline has Zone 6 Developing into WRU

The Rose Bowl was a glimpse into the future in many ways, including replacing two first-round draft picks on the perimeter. Smith-Njigba has arguably been the best wide receiver in the ultra-talented Zone 6 room this season. His counterparts, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, agreed. 

JSN will return as the highest rated WR in the country next year, and alongside him, route technician Marvin Harrison Jr or “Route Man Marv,” as his QB affectionately calls him. Harrison Jr caught three touchdowns on the day that kept heads turning. 

Another bright spot and overshadowed performance was freshman standout Emeka Egbuka who caught a handful of passes. However, his real impact was on display in the return game. His 163 return yards set Stroud and the explosive Ohio State offense up with excellent field position all afternoon. Egbuka nearly housed one before getting tackled 75 yards into his run, later negated by a holding penalty. 

The Buckeyes have not returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a decade nor a punt since Indiana in 2014, but I like Egbuka’s chances to snap those streaks next season. 

Turning the Page to 2022 Ohio State Football

Seasons are always better when they end in a victory to send the seniors out the right way. The Buckeyes came together as brothers to earn an emotional, hard-fought victory. The win propels them into the offseason with significant momentum. The starting offense in the Rose Bowl will likely be the same in Columbus against Notre Dame to open the season aside from Thayer Munford. 

The offense that broke multiple records in 2021, not skipping a beat in Pasadena down four key starters, is a scary scene for the rest of the college football world heading into 2022. If only the Buckeyes somehow had even a B- defense. Enter Jim Knowles. 

More to come on the outlook and expectations for the 2022 Ohio State football team. Stay tuned. 

Image Credit: The Ohio State University Athletics