12.27.18

RETURN TO TRADITION
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31
Meyer moved to Utah in 2003 and led the Utes to a
perfect season in 2004. In 2005, he moved to Florida
and established his legacy, with the Gators, winning
two national championships, two SEC championships
and three division titles under Meyer.
Still, despite those accomplishments, Meyer said
he always wanted to make a trip to Pasadena to play
in the world’s most famous stadium on Jan. 1.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the Rose Bowl,”
Meyer said in a conference call Sunday. “I know our
players are very excited about it, to play in the historic
Rose Bowl. We’re all excited to go do it.”
Ohio State (12-1) started the season amidst controversy as
Meyer served a three-game suspension for or mishandling domestic assault allegations
against former assistant coach Zach Smith.
Even with the distraction, the Buckeyes under his leadership won their third
Big Ten championship, but didn’t make it to the BCS College Football Playoff.
“I know they’re always good,” Washington Coach Chris Petersen said of the
Buckeyes. “I know the job Urban does and how he coaches. They’re always going to
be a team that is very elite whether they’re in the four-team playoff or right there.
That’s kind of how he does it.”
Ohio State’s lone loss came against Purdue, which won by a score of 49-20 on
Oct. 20.
This year’s Rose Bowl Game pits the Buckeyes’ Top 10 offense against the Huskies’
Top 10 defense. Ohio State averaged 43.5 points a game this season, while the
Huskies gave up only 116 rushing yards per game.
The Buckeyes are led by Heisman Trophy finalist QB Dwayne Haskins, who
threw for 4,580 passing yards and 47 touchdowns.
At 10-3, the Huskies this year won their second Pac-12 title under Petersen. The
team is led by four-year starter Jake Browning, who had just one 300-yard game,
but also completed four games without an interception.
The true star is the school’s all-time leading rusher Myles Gaskin. Gaskin is also
the third-leading rusher in Pac-12 history with 5,131 yards. He’s also the first player
in Pac-12 history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons.
Washington has won at least 10 games in three consecutive seasons for the first
time in program history.
In a conference call, Petersen praised his team for getting to the Rose Bowl, and
described the season as “rocky.” The Huskies rebounded after losing two league
games in October and went undefeated in November to claim their second Pac-12
title in three years.
Both teams are making their 15th Rose Bowl appearance. The last time they
were here Ohio State defeated the Oregon Ducks 26-17 in 2010. The Huskies defeated
the Purdue Boilermakers, led by Drew Brees, by a score of 34–24 in their
last appearance in 2001.
“I can’t say enough about our guys,” Petersen said during the
conference call. “They battled all year and ended up right where
we hoped to be. It’s a really awesome team in a big-time game
that has so much history with this school and this program,
and we’re thrilled to be going back.” ■
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