Who has edge in Rose Bowl matchup between Ohio State, Oregon in College Football Playoff?

Let’s do this again.

Ohio State’s eye-opening 42-17 win against Tennessee in the opening round of the College Football Playoff sends the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl and a rematch with Big Ten champion Oregon, the only unbeaten team in the Bowl Subdivision.

Back in October, the Ducks scored a 32-31 win against Ohio State thanks to a brilliant game from quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who threw for 341 yards and had three combined touchdowns.

The two teams took dissimilar roads to the Rose Bowl. Oregon has continued to smother teams with a seemingly unstoppable offense while holding all but two opponents during the regular season to under 370 yards. Ohio State faceplanted in the season finale against Michigan but rebounded against the Volunteers to resemble the team many expected to win the national championship during the preseason.

Because of that performance at home against one of the top teams in the SEC, this matchup between the Ducks and Buckeyes feels like an early championship game – making the winner the clear favorite to win the whole thing.

Here are the keys to this highly anticipated rematch:

What has changed for Ohio State?

Maybe the loss to the Wolverines will be what propels the Buckeyes to the national championship. Clearly, Ohio State was looser and more at ease against Tennessee despite the mammoth stakes.

One major development was the recharged play of quarterback Will Howard, who played poorly against Michigan but had his best game of the year against the Volunteers. Howard had one interception in the second half that momentarily gave Tennessee life but finished 24 of 29 for 311 yards and two scores. He was also more involved in the running game, gaining a season-high 37 yards after running for a combined 16 yards in his previous four games.

One major factor behind Saturday’s win that must carry over against Oregon was the Buckeyes’ ability to get the ball to receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. The pair combined for 11 catches for 184 yards and two scores, both to Smith.

That loosened things up for backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, who had four rushing touchdowns.

But can Oregon be stopped?

No one has done it yet, even Ohio State. Oregon gained 496 yards against the Buckeyes, who have held every other opponent under 275 yards. The Ducks’ 7.6 yards per play were the most Ohio State has given up to a Big Ten team other than Michigan since beating Maryland in 2018.

There is no reason to think Oregon’s offense will stop now. After a sloppy showing against Wisconsin last month, the Ducks have bounced back with 458 yards on 7.3 yards per play in the rivalry against Washington and 466 yards in the Big Ten championship game against Penn State.

Ohio State’s run defense will hold the key. Typically one of the best in the conference, the Buckeyes have been susceptible to the quarterback-run game against Michigan and Tennessee; about the only thing the Volunteers did well offensively was get Nico Iamaleava out of the pocket and in space.

Giving Oregon room to operate between the tackles will open up the breadth of the Ducks’ playbook and make things very, very difficult on Ohio State.

WHO WINS?: Expert predictions for Ohio State-Oregon in Rose Bowl

What about the Ohio State offensive line?

Hampered by injuries, this group struggled to find a rhythm during the regular season but looked very good against a talented Tennessee defensive front in the opening round.

The Ducks will present another big challenge. Oregon has multiple All-America linemen in Derrick Harmon and edge rusher Jordan Burch along with enough depth to throw waves of bodies at the Buckeyes’ injury-ravaged offensive line.

Ohio State can combat Oregon’s pressure by being unpredictable on early downs. The Buckeyes’ passing game is extremely productive on first and second downs — throwing a combined 23 touchdowns against four interceptions while completing 74.6 percent of attempts — and could negate the Ducks’ pass rush by blending this with Judkins, Henderson and the running game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio State, Oregon in Rose Bowl: Who has the edge in playoff matchup?