Rose Bowl 2019: Full Preview and Predictions for Ohio State vs. Washington
Rose Bowl berths are usually celebrated, but Ohio State has to feel a bit disappointed as it heads to the legendary contest as the Big Ten champion.
The Buckeyes missed out on the College Football Playoff, as they were ranked sixth by the selection committee despite knocking off Northwestern Saturday night.
On the other side of the matchup, Pac-12 champion Washington is elated to be in its first Rose Bowl since 2001 as a three-loss team.
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Despite holding a better record than Washington, the Buckeyes are the smallest favorite in any of the New Year's Six games at four points, per OddsShark.
The Buckeyes enter their first Rose Bowl since 2010 as one of the hottest teams in college football, which is something we would've been surprised to say a few weeks ago.
Urban Meyer's team shot up the rankings with a 62-39 win over rival Michigan that catapulted it into the playoff discussion and dashed the Final Four hopes of the Wolverines.
Ohio State sealed its Rose Bowl berth with a 45-24 victory over Northwestern, but it was hoping for an outside chance at the playoff because of its late-season surge.
The Buckeyes made a legitimate case for themselves in the final two weeks of the season, but the reality is they lost to Purdue on the road by 29 points and struggled to put away Nebraska and Maryland.
Now that they've erased the poor outings from their memory, the Buckeyes can focus on scoring a boatload of points in the Rose Bowl, but it won't be easy against Washington's defense.
Dwayne Haskins and Co. go up against a Huskies defense that ranks 17th in the nation in total defense and is fifth in the FBS in scoring defense.
Haskins enters Pasadena, California, with 11 touchdowns in his last two games, but that pace could be hard to maintain against Washington's stingy group of defensive backs.
Attacking Washington's defense will require a balanced approach, with J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber expected to receive a good number of carries.
If Dobbins and Weber set the tone on the ground, Haskins should have a few opportunities to carve up the Washington secondary.
The Huskies were supposed to have an explosive offense headlined by Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin, but it never got going on a consistent basis.
Chris Petersen's team eclipsed the 40-point mark twice, but those occurrences were against two of the worst teams on its schedule in North Dakota and Oregon State.
Browning carries plenty of experience, but he'll star in a supporting role to Gaskin, who has 1,147 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
In the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, Gaskin ran for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Penn State, and he'll produce similar numbers against another Big Ten defense.
If you're looking at the Rose Bowl from an NFL perspective, there are plenty of names to watch, especially on defense.
Washington linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven and defensive Byron Murphy could be selected in the first round in April, while Ohio State's Dre'Mont Jones is one of the many defensive-line prospects receiving attention from scouts.
Prediction
Washington 27, Ohio State 24
Although they enter as the underdog, the Huskies carry the same amount of experience in New Year's Six games as Ohio State.
Both teams have played in the New Year's Six in each of the last three seasons, and the Huskies played Penn State close in last season's Fiesta Bowl.
Washington's defense will contain Haskins for stretches, which will allow Browning and Gaskin to lead the offense down the field on long scoring drives.
Ohio State will be given a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter, but Washington comes up with a stop to hand the Pac-12 a much-needed win in a high-profile game.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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