#9 WASHINGTON (10-3) vs #6 Ohio State (12-1)
TODAY, 2:00 PM
THE ROSE BOWL: Pasadena, CA
TV: ESPN
RADIO: KOMO AM 1000 and FM 97.7
LINE: Ohio State -6.5
The Series
Ohio State holds the lead in the series, 8-3. The Buckeyes have beaten the Huskies in the last three meetings.
The Last Time…
Washington beat Ohio State was in 1994 when Jim Lambright was the head coach of the Huskies at Husky Stadium. Washington put the John Cooper coached Buckeyes away by a score of 25-16. Since then, the Huskies have dropped games played in 1995, 2003, and 2007.
What This Game Means to Washington
For the Huskies, it’s about going back home to the Grandaddy of Them All and proving they can beat one of the nation’s elite. The past three bowl seasons have seen the Huskies attempting to get back onto the “elite” stage — but facing Alabama in the College Football Playoff and then Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl were tough tasks for a team that is still building quality depth and rising to prominance. A win today would give the Huskies a Top 10 finish and send a message to the country that the Pac-12 can win on the big stage.
What This Game Means to Ohio State
Two things: It’s the last game Urban Meyer will coach for the Buckeyes, so there’s a need to send him out on a happy note. And there’s also bad feelings from the team towards the playoff committee for not picking them ahead of Oklahoma.
On Offense
The Buckeye offense is definitely this team’s strength in 2018 and will be today. They average 43.5 yards per game (175 rushing, 373 passing) and have averaged over 500 yards per game of total offense.
They field one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Dwayne Haskins (70.2%, 4580 yards, 47 touchdowns) and thousand-yard rusher, JK Dobbins.
The bottom line for Ohio State’s offense is that they have an exceptional offensive line. This offense this year has been their bread and butter because, to be honest, their defense is not as impressive.
On Defense
While the Buckeye offense has put up big numbers all season, the defense has allowed big numbers: An average of 25.7 per game to be exact. On paper, Washington’s defense against a pass-happy Pac-12 in 2018 looks heads and tails tougher than Ohio State’s, but they do play solid ball and will likely be on their best behavior today.
Keys to the Game for Washington
** The Husky offensive line has to play their A+ game today. If they do, they can win this game. Ohio State has some big beef-eaters up front but again, they’ve had trouble with run defense and if the wind is as bad as they say it’s going to be, that could go in Washington’s favor.
** The Husky defense needs to be firing on all cylinders and getting Haskins off his mark. They haven’t faced a secondary like Washington’s all season and so, again, if the wind is bad, it could cause issues for Haskins.
