Ohio State won’t get to play for a national championship—the Buckeyes ranked 6th in the final College Football Playoff rankings—but it will still have something illustrious to play for at the end of its season: a Rose Bowl.

With Michigan representing the league in its first CFP appearance, the Big Ten’s flag-bearer for years will play for the Big Ten’s prized asset. The Buckeyes are back in The Granddaddy of Them All.

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Ohio State has made 15 appearances in the Rose Bowl game, holding an 8-7 record. It’ll play Utah this season, the 11th-ranked team in the final CFP rankings and the champions of the Pac-12. Ohio State last played for a Rose Bowl in 2019 (2018 season), when it beat Washington 28-23. The Buckeyes have won 3 straight Rose Bowl appearances dating back to 1997.

It’s almost certainly not the result coach Ryan Day and his team had been dreaming of even 2 weeks ago, but it’s nevertheless a solid consolation prize.

Ohio State entered a regular-season finale matchup with Michigan as the No. 2 team in the country, holding just 1 loss, and looking at a potential “win and you’re in” scenario. Beat the Wolverines, as the Buckeyes had done in the previous 8 meetings, and they would have played for a Big Ten championship. Given Iowa’s 42-3 drubbing at the hands of Michigan in Saturday’s Big Ten title match, the Buckeyes surely would have been seen as favorites to make it to another CFP. Instead, they’re 10-2 and sit just on the outside of the 4-team field.

Day, meeting with members of the media Sunday, discussed that, the team’s Rose Bowl matchup, and more. Here are the highlights:

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