The first half of Oregon's College Football Playoff quarterfinal game was a disaster.
After a 30-minute game on New Year's Day at the Rose Bowl, No. 1 Oregon State trailed No. 8 Ohio State, 34-8, losing in almost every conceivable category.
Ohio State more than doubled Oregon's yards total (390 to 139) as Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns in an immediate blowout loss. .
Treveyon Henderson had one touchdown (a 66-yard scamper) and gained 70 yards on just two carries, compared to opponent Jordan James, who had just 14 yards on seven carries. It was a huge difference.
When Henderson scored from the near sideline, ESPN play-by-play man Chris Fowler summed it up succinctly.
“And the bad news gets even worse,” he said. “Trevayon Henderson is loose on the sideline, all the way to the end zone. There's a crimson avalanche going on here in Pasadena.
The Buckeyes' offense crushed the Ducks' defense with brutal efficiency, with all four first-half touchdown drives taking three plays or less, none lasting longer than 1:05.
It didn't matter that Oregon State hadn't played since the Big Ten title game on Dec. 7, the Ducks didn't have much on offense until the final seconds of the second quarter, when QB Dillon Gabriel connected for a touchdown and two-point conversion. I couldn't gather anything.
However, by the end of the first half, Oregon had more punt yards (188) than its total offense.
