Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith came into the Cotton Bowl as the breakout star of the College Football Playoff. In wins over Tennessee and Oregon, Smith exploded for 290 yards and four touchdowns as the Buckeyes won the matchups by a combined 45 points.

Jack Sawyer and Quinn Ewers came to Ohio State together in 2021. They were roommates. The defensive end and quarterback wound up in the same place on Friday, the Cotton Bowl a CFP semifinal. Only Sawyer was still a Buckeye and Ewers played for Texas,

OSU’s devastating offense ranks Top 10 on each side of the ball in success rate, EPA/play and marginal efficiency. The main areas of weakness on offense are the Ohio State O-line’s ability to handle extra rushers, ranking 78th with a 9.2% blitz down sack rate, and a somewhat elevated 10.2% blown run block rate that checks in at 94th nationally.