PASADENA, Calif. -- As the time on the clock dripped away and the winner's podium full of red roses was being wheeled onto the field, Oregon was experiencing something it hadn't faced all season: a loss. After going 13-0 in the regular season, beating Ohio State in October and winning the Big Ten championship nearly a month ago, the Ducks could only watch as the Buckeyes lined up in victory formation and sealed the result: a dominating, 41-21 win in the Rose Bowl Game that ended Oregon's season in a flash and prompted questions about how the top team in the nation could be beaten in such fashion.
"They clicked tonight and we didn't," coach Dan Lanning said. "I didn't get our team prepared. When you play a great team like Ohio State, you can't not be clicking on all cylinders and they were clicking on all cylinders.
" Editor's Picks Ohio St. rolls into semis with rout of No. 1 Ducks 2h CFP takeaways: Ohio State delivers first-round knockout to Oregon, Texas survives slugfest 17m Bill Connelly Over the course of 60 minutes, Oregon was outgained 500-276 in total yards, outscored 34-8 in the first half, and never appeared to have a chance at keeping the score close.
From the opening kickoff, Ohio State appeared to be playing at a different speed, one that Oregon could not handle. Despite the result, Lanning was uninterested in making excuses. As he explained postgame, his team couldn't get going on offense (the Ducks had four three-and-outs in the first half) and couldn't stop Ohi.