Dillon Gabriel bold predictions for Oregon-Ohio State Rose Bowl battle
And the rematch is in. Following Ohio State’s victory over Tennessee last Saturday, a Rose Bowl clash with Oregon football has been set to kick off the new year with a bang. Both teams already met months ago, with the Ducks edging out the Buckeyes by just a point in what was arguably Oregon’s toughest game of the season. The final score was 32-31, as a clutch field goal and a late-game defensive stand (which included a crucial offensive pass-interference call on Ohio State) allowed the Ducks to come out victorious.
The man of the hour for Oregon that day? Dillon Gabriel. The sixth-year senior had one of his two 300-yard games of the season, throwing for 341 yards and two passing touchdowns with a 171.3 passer rating. It was one of many performances that showed why Gabriel deserved to be a Heisman Finalist, and fans are once again eager to see how the QB will fare against the team from Columbus. So without further delay, here are bold predictions for Dillon Gabriel in the second round of the CFP.
Dillon Gabriel puts up similar numbers in the rematch, throws for no less than 250 yards and two touchdowns
If he was able to rack up the yards against Ohio State in October, there’s no reason why Gabriel can’t do it again. See, there are several reasons why Gabriel’s earlier performance was no fluke, and why something similar might occur on Wednesday.
For one, he’s shown that he can pass well against other strong defenses. Ohio State leads both the NCAA and the Big Ten in pass defense (141.2 opponent passing yards allowed per game), but several other foes that Oregon has bested aren’t far behind. Take Washington for example. The Huskies boast the second-best pass defense in the conference, giving up just 166.8 passing yards per game. Against them, Gabriel put up 209 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to running for another score. Go back two weeks earlier to Oregon’s win over a Wisconsin team that holds the fifth-best pass defense in the Big Ten. Gabriel was scoreless, but he still managed 208 passing yards. Lastly, there was Oregon’s Big Ten title-clincher, when Gabriel racked up 283 yards and four touchdowns against a Penn State squad that’s number seven in the conference in that said category.
Secondly, the Buckeyes can’t focus too much on Gabriel. After all, among all the labels that Oregon football can be given, “one-dimensional” is the last on the list. The Ducks are the Big Ten’s fourth-best rushing team with an average of 171.8 yards on the ground, per ESPN. Jordan James is having his best season, racking up a total of 1,253 rushing yards so far — third-best among all Big Ten players. Against Ohio State in October, he ran for 115 yards plus a score. Furthermore, the team has a quality backup in Noah Whittington, who’s had his moments as well this year. With two formidable rushers at Dan Lanning’s disposal, the Buckeyes’ defensive front has more than just Gabriel to worry about.
The final reason is Gabriel’s experience. Including this year, the Heisman Finalist already has five 3,000-passing-yard seasons, and he’s played against his fair share of ranked teams throughout his collegiate career. Being in the scene for six years means that he (arguably) doesn’t just have the skills, but also the poise and knowledge of what to do during various in-game situations and against different opponent styles of play. One could argue that going against Ohio State is just another day in the office at this point…but it’s still a very big day, nevertheless.
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