‘Left with thorns’: Ohio State throws virtual jab at Oregon after Rose Bowl win

After a thrilling College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between Texas and Arizona State, Wednesday’s second quarterfinal offered as decisive of a result as you’ll find in the Ohio State Buckeyes‘ blowout win over the Oregon Ducks.

Ohio State led by as many as 34 points in just the second quarter, eventually cruising to a 41-21 win in the Rose Bowl presented by Prudential. The Buckeyes’ 20-point final margin of victory was their largest vs. an AP No. 1 team in program history, according to ESPN Research.

Both sides of the ball showed out for Ohio State in the win — the Will Howard-to-Jeremiah Smith connection clicked in a major way, with the freshman receiver hauling in seven catches for 187 receiving yards and a pair of scores, while the defense amassed a whopping eight sacks.

After the game, the Buckeyes had some fun at their opponents’ expense, trolling the Ducks with a witty game-related caption on X.

The Ducks came for the 🌹 but left with thorns pic.twitter.com/kYE8ftUkIu

— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) January 2, 2025

Ohio State will now move on to the semifinal round of the playoff, where the Buckeyes will face the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl.