Ryan Day summarized the reasons why the Rose Bowl is important for Ohio State’s football team even if it isn’t the goal they hoped to reach as he previewed Saturday’s game on Friday.
“Winning this game would be important for the older guys. Sending them off the right way, 11-2 and a Rose Bowl winner, would be a big deal. Then secondly, for the young guys, building momentum. Some young guys are going to have to step up in this game, in the off-season and next year,” he said.
No. 6 Ohio State (10-2) will take on No. 11 Utah (10-3) in the Rose Bowl, which kicks off at 5:10 p.m. (ESPN).
This will be OSU’s sixteenth appearance in the Rose Bowl. It is 8-7 in its previous trips to Pasadena and won 28-23 over Washington on Jan. 1, 2019, in its most recent appearance in this game in Urban Meyer’s final game as the Buckeyes’ coach.
Utah, which joined the Pac 12 in 2011, is in the Rose Bowl for the first time. It has played in the Pac 12 championship game three of the last four seasons but did not hoist the championship trophy until this year.
“When we joined the league we had some deficiencies. We weren’t as athletic and fast as some of the other teams. It has taken us some time to steadily improve our roster year after year. It’s been a steady process,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
Asked if his players knew about the tradition of the Rose Bowl, he said, “Most of them get it and understand the history of this game. We’ve had conversations about the tradition and what it means to be in this game and how long this game has been around and the whole nine yards. We feel like our guys are pretty well versed and up to speed on the magnitude of it.”
Both coaches moved decisively early in the season when their teams did not live up to expectations in some areas.
Day took the defensive play calling duties away from defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs and gave them to defensive backs coach Matt Barnes in the third game of the season.
Whittingham changed starting quarterbacks in the third game of Utah’s season when he replaced Baylor transfer Charlie Brewer with Cameron Rising, who has remained the starter throughout the season.
Whittingham also benched leading rusher Tavion Thomas (1,041 yards, 20 touchdowns) for all but one carry in back-to-back games after he had too many fumbles early in the season.
Ohio State will be without four starters who chose not to play Saturday because they expect to be high round draft choices in the NFL draft.
Wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett all will miss the game.
Ohio State still has plenty of offensive threats without Olave and Wilson, starting with quarterback C.J. Stroud (3,962 yards, 38 touchdowns) and freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson (1,172 yards, 19 touchdowns)
Sixty-six percent of Stroud’s touchdown passes and 48 percent of his completions have gone to Wilson and Olave this season, though, which means OSU needs productive games from some young receivers.
Sophomore Julian Fleming and freshmen Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka will take over Olave and Wilson’s positions.
“They were behind two very, very good receivers. Now it’s time for them to step up and play,” Day said.
Day said Ohio State has encountered only a few Covid issues. “There have been a few isolated incidents here and there but we feel strong going into the game that we’ll have a full roster ready to go.”
Linebacker Cody Simon, defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson and defensive backs Sevyn Banks and Marcus Williamson have not practiced since OSU arrived in California.
“There are a few guys who are game time decisions,” Day said.
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