Ohio State rallies in Rose Bowl win!

    This was finished late due to some work emergencies, so I decided to rewatch the game in order to do this piece a few days later.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba smashed about every receiving record that one can think as he finished with fifteen catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns and Smith-Njigba was far from the only offensive standout as fellow wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. grabbed three touchdowns passes and C.J. Stroud finished with six touchdown passes and 576 yards as Ohio State rallied past Utah 48-45 to win the Rose Bowl.

Utah led by fourteen at the half but the Ohio State defense tightened in the second half and allowed only ten second-half points.

Ohio State finishes its 2021 season with a record of 11-2 and brings a Rose Bowl trophy to Columbus.

Ohio State will start its 2022 season on September third against Notre Dame.

Olentangy Offerings

1) I know it's the easy thing to say after such a phenomenal performance but Jaxon Smith-Njigba might be the best wide receiver in Ohio State history by the time he is through.

Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are both likely to be first-round picks in the 2022 draft and neither are as good as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who, unless there is a franchise quarterback available, has a chance to be the top overall pick in the 2023 draft- Jaxon Smith-Njigba is that good.

2) And Smith-Njigba's numbers could have been even better as in the second quarter, Smith-Njigba streaked towards the end zone for yet another touchdown but Utah cornerback Clark Phillips (a former Ohio State commit) punched the ball away from Smith-Njigba at the one-yard line with the Ures recovering.

Smith-Njigba wasn't carrying the ball loosely or showboating, he was just caught off guard from behind by a hustling player making an excellent play.

3) Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to have a big season next year.

Harrison's route running brings his father to mind and he runs the fade route to the corner of the end zone like no one's business.

Smooth and effortless, Harrison Jr. is going to be a star.

4) C.J. Stroud not only set bowl records, but he also set total records for Ohio State as Stroud's 573 yards wiped Dwayne Haskins 499 off the slate as the top passing day ever for an Ohio State quarterback.

Stroud's 37 for 46 passing game showed how far he has come since the start of the season and Stroud has to be one of the pre-season Heisman favorites for next season.

5) Ohio State didn't have many chances to run the football as they trailed for most of the game but out of the twenty carries, seventeen of them belonged to TreVeyeon Henderson, who finished with eighty-three yards.

6) Master Teague made a cameo appearance but he didn't touch the ball.

Teague was expected to enter the transfer portal after the Rose Bowl but to my surprise declared for the NFL draft.

I always liked Teague as a runner but I'm not sure he's an NFL level every-down back so he will have to find some other skills to help him stick on the roster.

7) Ohio State had some luck in converting Steele Chambers to linebacker this season and may have found another lucky break as Cade Stover, who played the season at tight end, played the entire game at linebacker in the Rose Bowl and finished with six tackles.

Stover may very well enter the 2022 training camp at linebacker- not at tight end.

8) Another linebacker, Tommy Eichenberg, finished with seventeen tackles for a Buckeye Rose Bowl record.