Top-seeded Oregon sees title hopes dashed with early knockout by Ohio State

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Top-seeded Oregon sees title hopes dashed with early knockout by Ohio State

2025-01-02 13:38 Last Updated At：13:40

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Oregon withstood many challenges en route to being the only unbeaten team and the top seed in the College Football Playoff.

However, Ohio State's opening flurry on offense and defense in the first half was too much to overcome as the Big Ten champions saw their hopes of a first national championship dashed with a 41-21 loss in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday night.

“It was definitely shocking. They came out and punched us in the mouth. We tried to make adjustments but it was definitely different,” defensive back Kobe Savage said.

The Ducks (13-1) fell behind three plays into the game when Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith scored on a 45-yard pass from Will Howard and never recovered.

Oregon gave up scores on six of Ohio State's first seven drives. Offensively, the Ducks got into Buckeyes' territory only once on its first six drives and had four three-and-outs before reaching the end zone the seventh time they had the ball.

“We didn’t adjust fast enough,” coach Dan Lanning said.

Dillon Gabriel had four completions of at least 28 yards in the first half in Oregon's 32-31 victory on Oct. 12. That wasn't the case this time as his first long completion — a 44-yarder to Traeshon Holden — didn't come until there were 30 seconds remaining until halftime.

“They dropped eight. First game they played us man. That was their game plan to stop us and they did it to the best of their ability and they succeeded,” said receiver Tez Johnson, who had five catches for 32 yards after having seven for 75 in the first game.

Ohio State had nine plays (seven passing, two rushing) of at least 15 yards in the first half as it took advantage of miscommunication in Oregon's secondary.

“Every time we had bad eyes or miscommunication they capitalized on those moments,” Savage said.

Oregon came into the game leading the Big Ten and ninth in the nation in third-down conversions, but converted only one of four in the first quarter and five of 12 in the first half.

Gabriel said the lack of big plays and not being able to stay on the field early ended up being costly.

“You plan to create explosives, be really good on situational football and move the chains that way. We just didn’t do that on third down,” said Gabriel, who completed 29 of 41 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. “They had a great plan, like coach said. But if you don’t go get the third you can’t move forward.”

Gabriel was sacked eight times after having a clean pocket in the first meeting. That was due to Oregon being forced to pass the entire second half and running back Jordan James being injured in the first half.

Evan Stewart, the Ducks' second-leading receiver during the season, did not play because of a back injury he suffered in the Big Ten Championship game against Penn State on Dec. 7. Stewart went through pregame warmups but wasn't cleared by trainers.

“It was very shocking because you got to think at Autzen, it was 7-7, 14-14, 21-21. It was pretty back and forth all game long, so to see ’em run up the score a little bit and us not have too much juice, it was a definitely a different … It was a different atmosphere we hadn’t been in this year, for sure,” Stewart said.

The Ducks accomplished plenty in their first season in the Big Ten.

Oregon is losing plenty of starters on both sides of the ball, including Gabriel, who transferred from Oklahoma and was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

“I feel like the seniors set a great standard this season just to show how tough you can be and then it can be done. To go undefeated in your first time in a tough conference like the Big Ten,” Savage said. “I feel like there’s a lot of underclassmen and a lot of young guys that are going to come in and fill those roles and also maintain that standard.”

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Bumrah sidelined but India builds 145-run lead after wild Day 2 of 5th test against Australia

2025-01-04 16:04 Last Updated At：16:11

SYDNEY (AP) — Rishabh Pant's blistering counterattack capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final test between Australia and India where 15 wickets fell on Saturday and the star bowler of the series left the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort.

Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining.

“Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.”

Australia was bowled out for 181, giving India a four-run lead on the first innings, and could not take advantage of India captain Jasprit Bumrah leaving the SCG for medical scans for back spasms. Bumrah later returned to the SCG but there was no confirmation on whether the star bowler would be able to bowl in the remainder of the test — or bat in India's second innings.

Beau Webster top-scored for the hosts with 57 and a wicket in a bright debut, while Steve Smith narrowly fell short of bringing up 10,000 career test runs in front of his home crowd.

Pant then lit up the SCG with a swashbuckling 61 off 33 balls with six boundaries and four sixes to leave the match evenly poised after the end of just the second day.

“If I was sitting at home and watching (it), I would have loved it and, and to be able to (watch) it from the ground, I mean there's nothing like it,” said Prasidh Krishna.

“I know it’s, it’s a lot of risk, but then that’s the way the game is played today.”

At stumps, Jadeja was eight not out and Washington Sundar was unbeaten on six.

Scott Boland backed up his four wickets in India's first innings with four more on Saturday.

First, he bowled two near-unplayable deliveries to bowl opening pair KL Rahul (13) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22).

Boland (4-42) followed that up by yet again tempting Virat Kohli outside off stump which the veteran guided straight to Smith at slip in what may be the 36-year-old Kohli's final test innings in Australia.

“Every time he plays, he does the job well,” McDonald said of Boland. “His ability just to be relentless on a length, move the ball both ways is, yeah, it’s proving difficult, in particular on the surface back over to the left.”

Webster (1-24) chalked up his first test wicket, having Shubman Gill (13) caught behind after a wild swipe.

Earlier, Australia conceded a four-run deficit as it was bowled out at tea.

Steve Smith (33) and Webster appeared to have stabilized the host's innings after its top order was toppled in quick time by Bumrah (2-33) and Mohammad Siraj (3-51).

Bumrah took Labuschagne to go with Khawaja's wicket and took his overall series tally to 32 wickets, the highest ever by an Indian bowler in a single series in Australia, passing spinner Bishan Singh Bedi’s 31 during the 1977-78 series.

Australia leads the series 2-1 and must avoid defeat to regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15. A win by India and a drawn series at 2-2 would allow the visitors to retain the trophy for a record-extending fifth consecutive time.

A win for Australia at the SCG would book the team’s spot in a second straight World Test Championship final where it would play the already-qualified South Africa at Lord’s in June.

Former India Rohit Sharma has hit back at suggestions he was dropped from the team ahead of the decisive 5th test, saying he made the decision to stand down.

The 37-year-old Sharma said that he had initiated the conversation with selectors.

“I had a chat with the coach and the selector was very simple,” Rohit said on India's Star Sports. “I am not making runs at the moment. I am not in form and it’s an important game. We need an in-form player.

“This was the simple thing in my mind. It was my understanding that I should tell the coach and the selector and they backed my call.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket