Ohio State makes history with blowout win over No. 1 Oregon
Ohio State made history with its 41-21 win over No. 1 Oregon on Wednesday night at the Rose Bowl.
The win, which sends the Buckeyes to the CFP quarterfinals, is significant for a number of reasons beyond extending Ohio State’s season.
According to Cole Cubelic, the margin-of-victory is the largest for Ohio State over an AP No. 1 team in program history:
Ohio State's 20 point win today was the largest win vs. an AP number 1 team in school history.
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) January 2, 2025
However, this margin of victory goes beyond Ohio State history. This game marks just the 2nd time since 2014 (the College Football Playoff era) that an AP No. 1 team has lost by more than 20 points. The only other time it happened came back in the 2018-19 National Championship Game when Clemson defeated Alabama 44-16.
Since 2014, there have only been 7 instances of an AP No. 1 team losing by double digits. This is the first of those 7 games to not include at least one of Alabama or Georgia.
Ohio State has now collected blowout victories in each of its first 2 College Football Playoff games this year. The Buckeyes also crushed Tennessee in Columbus last month in the first round of the CFP.
A new test awaits, though, as Ohio State will face Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 for the right to play in the national championship game.