Caleb Wilfinger
Show Bio
Perhaps the biggest game of the college football season to date comes in the form of the Rose Bowl rematch between Ohio State and Oregon. Back in October, these teams met in Autzen Stadium and produced an instant classic that was probably the best game of the regular season for my money. Despite being the top seed in this tournament, Oregon was not given a favorable draw based on how the seeding shook out. Therefore, we could be getting a de-facto National Championship-caliber matchup at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday between these 2 juggernauts. This is sure to be an excellent contest and should be one of the best games of the College Football Playoff. Kickoff can’t come soon enough!
Let’s get into our Ohio State vs Oregon Same Game Parlay picks, which will be televised starting at 5:00 pm ET on ESPN. You can also find out our college football picks for EVERY game during bowl season.
Oregon ML (+115)
Over 55 (-110)
Tez Johnson anytime touchdown scorer (+105)
Ohio State vs Oregon Same Game Parlay odds: +722
Get the best odds on our Ohio State vs Oregon Same Game Parlay picks with FanDuel Sportsbook, where right now new users can click here to sign up and receive $250 in bonus bets if their first bet is a winner!
Oregon Ducks ML over Ohio State Buckeyes (+115)
Ohio State undoubtedly looked fantastic on both sides of the ball in last week’s drubbing of Tennessee. However, the Buckeyes have been dominant all season long when playing ahead in a positive game script; this is nothing new. Will Howard routinely looks great when he’s playing from ahead and not pressured in the pocket, and the offense certainly appears unstoppable when the running back duo of Traveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are getting to the second level, and the wide receiver tandem of Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka are getting the ball in space. This is a loaded roster, one that should contend for a national title. But it’s not one without flaws. It’s important to acknowledge that this is still an Ohio State team that has multiple key injuries on the offensive line — a unit that was healthy for most of the first meeting between these teams — and has clear vulnerabilities when it comes to the defensive secondary and is led by a head coach in Ryan Day that is still hard to trust in the biggest moments.
Led by veteran quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Ducks’ offense continues to be one of the best units in the nation. Oregon just averaged over 7 yards per play in the Big 10 and ranks inside the top 5 in EPA per rush, EPA per pass and success rate this season (College Football Insiders). Additionally, the return of top wide receiver Tez Johnson from injury was clearly massive for this Oregon offense, as Oregon averaged over 3 points per drive with Johnson in the lineup during the regular season and he was invaluable in the win over Ohio State back in October, grabbing 7 receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown in that contest. As for their opponent, while the Buckeyes’ exceptional talent at all levels has to be respected, there is something to be said for Ohio State having to put some of its best offense of the season on tape a week ago. I have little doubt that Dan Lanning and this Oregon coaching staff will be extremely prepared for this game, and a few wrinkles in the Ducks game plan can be expected in a game of this magnitude. This is a contest that should come down to the final moments, so let’s grab the plus-money odds with Oregon to knock off the Buckeyes for a 2nd time this season and advance to the semifinal round.
Read our full Ohio State Buckeyes vs Oregon Ducks predictions for the Rose Bowl
Over 55 (-110)
The biggest thing that I didn’t account for heading into that October matchup was Oregon’s ability to generate explosive plays in the passing game. That’s been the constant all season long with Tez Johnson in the lineup, and I’d expect that to continue in this matchup. In fact, the Ducks’ explosive play rate on offense is nearly 20% with Johnson in the lineup, and the attention he draws should not only help out Evan Stewart — who had his best game of the season by far in the first meeting — but it should also free up the likes of Traeshon Holden, Terrance Ferguson and Kenyon Sadiq in the slot.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes defense is elite at all levels from a metrics perspective, and that reputation is largely justified given their play this season. With that said, this team has only faced an offense of Oregon’s caliber once all season long, and we all saw how that went. On the other side, the Ohio State offense is ranked 4th in EPA per play and 6th in points per drive on the season, and the Buckeyes should do more than enough to compensate for the mistakes its defense could make. The Ducks defense just struggled against Penn State at the second level, and they are obviously in for a challenge this week against the likes of Quinshon Judkins, Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and a skill position group that boasts NFL-level talent everywhere you look. Quick scoring drives could be plentiful on Wednesday, so let’s back the over in what could end up being a back-and-forth tennis match in perfect conditions for points in Pasadena.
Don’t miss our expert’s college football best bets for Wednesday’s Playoff games
Tez Johnson anytime touchdown scorer (+110)
For the final leg of our Rose Bowl Same Game Parlay, we’re going to target Tez Johnson to find the end zone for the 11th time this season. Despite missing a couple of games in November due to injury, Oregon’s top wideout has 78 receptions on the season and he should follow up on his excellent game against Penn State with another standout effort in a big spot. The senior leader in the wide receiver room has recorded 70+ receiving yards in 12 of his last 16 completed games, so he’s going to draw plenty of attention on Wednesday. However, Johnson still has a great shot of finding the end zone in this one, especially since this is a matchup where he should be able to draw double-digit targets, particularly if Oregon is in a negative game script and needs to throw the ball. Let’s back the all-Big Ten wideout to get the job done once again in the biggest game of the season.
End today on a high with our Notre Dame vs Georgia Same Game Parlay picks for the Sugar Bowl
