As the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, Oregon got a first-round bye to the Rose Bowl. The Ducks now know their opponent after Saturday’s Tennessee vs. Ohio State game, and the early point spread has also been released.
Ohio State opened as a 1.5-point favorite over Oregon, according to FanDuel. The over-under also opened at 52.5 points.
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Oregon entered the College Football Playoff as the last remaining undefeated team in the FBS. The Ducks rattled off a 13-0 run through their first year in the Big Ten, including a win over Penn State in the conference championship to lock up the top seed in the 12-team bracket.
Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel leads Oregon’s high-powered offense, presenting plenty of challenges for opposing defenses. That unit will be on full display in the Rose Bowl with a spot in the CFP semifinals on the line.
Despite becoming part of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, the Rose Bowl is keeping its traditional time slot. Here’s how to watch the game.
How to watch the Rose Bowl
Time: Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Oregon is familiar with Ohio State from their previous matchup this season. The Buckeyes traveled to Eugene for one of the biggest games of the year, and the Ducks came out on top in the 32-31 affair at Autzen Stadium.
However, Oregon also had to prepare for Tennessee during its first-round bye, and Dan Lanning said the Ducks scouted them both in the lead-up to the first-round matchup. That helped them get ready for either team to advance.
“We’re kind of preparing for both (teams),” Lanning said. “The first week we focused on us, and did a really deep dive into us and who we are. Then this week we’re doing a little bit of both (preparation) for Tennessee and Ohio State.”
Oregon heads into the College Football Playoff with strong attacks on both sides of the ball. The Ducks rank No. 15 in the country with 449.8 yards of offense per game, and their 35.9 points per game rank 13th in the FBS. On defense, Oregon has been just as impressive, ranking in the Top 10 with 301.8 yards allowed per game and tied for 12th with 17.8 points allowed on average.