The Rose Bowl quarterfinal matchup between the No. 1 seed Oregon Ducks and No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff was laden with potential NFL talent.
After losing to Ohio State, 41-21, many Ducks will now turn their attention to the 2025 NFL Draft including: offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., quarterback Dillon Gabriel, cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, wide receiver Evan Stewart and tight end Terrance Ferguson.
For the Buckeyes, EDGE Jack Sawyer showed why his a projected first-round NFL Draft selection in 2025. He also exemplified why he could be a huge problem for the Texas Longhorns in the College Football Semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.
Ohio State went up 34-0 before the Ducks could respond. Sawyer pestered Gabriel, making it very difficult for Oregon’s normally high-flying offense to get going. Sawyer, who has been compared to NFL great J.J. Watt, finished the Rose Bowl with two tackles for loss and two sacks in the game.
“I can’t say enough about Jack (Sawyer) as a leader, as a person,” Ohio coach Ryan Day said postgame. “He really stands for what it means to be a Buckeye, and to see him playing at a high level, he’s the heart and soul of the front.”
Gabriel passed for 299 yards and hit receiver Traeshon Holden for two touchdowns as the Ducks (13-1, CFP No. 1 seed) National Championship dreams ended. The Heisman Trophy finalist Gabriel was also sacked eight times.
In a recent NFL Mock Draft from PFF, the Los Angeles Chargers select Sawyer with the No. 25 pick overall. While Ducks fans did not enjoy watching Sawyer dominate in the Rose Bowl, if Sawyer is to join former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert’s squad… That tune could change.
Sawyer’s play will be must-watch in the Cotton Bowl as he will be likely lined up against Texas right tackle Cameron Williams, who did not play in the Peach Bowl. Williams is expected to play vs. Ohio State after suffering a right knee strain in first-round victory over Clemson.
When asked about Ohio State’s turnaround since losing to rival Michigan, Oregon coach Dan Lanning gave an insightful answer.
“Sometimes it’s not your day. I think that was us today. It wasn’t our day today. It wasn’t their day against Michigan,” Lanning said. “But what’s unique about college football right now in this dynamic is that you’ve got to be playing your best ball at the end. I think anybody watching Ohio State recognizes they’re playing really good football.”
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs also emerged as must-see player. Downs earned a a team-high 81.4 grade from PFF in tackling in the Rose Bowl and broke up three passes, a career-high. Downs is only a sophomore with a rising NFL Draft stock.
Downs is an Alabama transfer and earned unanimous All-American for the Buckeyes this season after an All-American season for the Crimson Tide as a true freshman during the 2023 campaign.
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