The Buckeyes traveled to Pasadena to represent The Ohio State University in the 2010 Rose Bowl and they did not disappoint as they handed Oregon their third loss of the season. Jim Tressel and his coaching staff had this offense looking like an entirely different team after the 41 day "mini-off-season" between the finale to the Buckeyes regular season against Michigan.

This victory will help to end much of the criticism the Buckeyes have received the last few seasons as a result of their poor performance in games against the top non-conference teams in the nation. Prior to the game, analysts spoke very highly of Oregon's high-powered offense, but the Buckeyes proved that you can still win football games by relying on defense and smart play-calling.

After leaving a sour taste in the mouths of everyone who comprises the great Buckeye Nation the past three seasons (following bowl losses to Florida, LSU, and Texas), Ohio State fans will be able to rest easy until the start of the 2010 season knowing the football team closed out the season with such a resounding victory against a talented Pac-10 team. Here are my thoughts on the victory:

No, this is not referring to the well-timed fly over that occurred just before the Rose Bowl kickoff. For the first time all season, the Buckeyes relied on the passing game to earn the victory. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has put up solid numbers in many other games this season, but as I watched the game yesterday I noticed many occasions where he truly looked like a quarterback. Pryor completed 23 of his 37 attempts for a career-high 266 yards while throwing 2 touchdown passes and just 1 interception. TP also carried the ball 20 times for 72 yards. Although his rushing stats only translate to 3.6 ypc, he had some clutch carries that helped keep the ball in Buckeye possession and away from the hands of the explosive Oregon offense. Pryor's performance in the Rose Bowl makes me excited for next season as he proved a lot of doubters (myself included) that he can succeed at the quarterback position at the collegiate level.

On more than one occasion, Pryor saw that his primary receiver was covered and he was able to successfully complete a pass to a check-down receiver. This is a credit to the coaching staff. They clearly helped Pryor improve during the near six-week break between the regular season and the Rose Bowl. For the first time ATS (After Troy Smith), the Buckeyes truly had a balanced attack of running and passing. This is the perfect formula for this team. Oregon knew coming into the game that we had an explosive running game and they chose to prepare to stuff the running lanes and dare Terrelle to beat them through the air. The coaches anticipated this and employed a pass-heavy offense that moved the ball down the field with a series of short passing routes mixed with running plays to keep the clock moving. I have been critical of the coaching staff many times this season, and I am happy they have proven me wrong. They can prepare for a big game and Tressel is not afraid to stray from his "Tressel-ball" technique of dominating the game on the ground.

Jon Thoma punted just 3 times today. That is not typical of a game coached by Jim Tressel. The reason for the lack of punts by the Buckeyes is a direct result of the success of the offense. Though we were unable to put the ball in the endzone on many drives, we relied on our kicking game to put points on the board. Aaron Pettrey hit his only field goal attempt as he knocked the kick right through the uprights from 45 yards out. (Pettrey's kick was so strong it might have passed through the uprights from 60 yards out.) Pettrey's kicking leg is still sore from the injury he sustained against New Mexico State on Halloween, so the coaches relegated the shorter field goal attempts to his back-up Devin Barclay. Barclay was also perfect in the game as he hit all three of his attempts (19, 30, and 38 yards). Another important element of Tressel-ball is controlling the play clock. Ohio State held possession for a Rose Bowl record 41 minutes and 37 seconds against Oregon (which means, of course, Oregon only possessed the ball for a mere 18 minutes and 23 seconds). By limiting the opportunities for the Ducks offense, we kept our defense fresh and kept the Oregon defense tired.

Another typical element of Tressel-ball is winning the field position battle. Coach T believes if you can win the field position battle that good things will happen to your team. Ohio State's average starting field position was the 24-yard line. Oregon's average starting field position was the 42-yard line. This typically would result in an advantage for Oregon, but Ohio State turned this statistic in the Buckeye favor. By having more field to work with, the Buckeyes were able to eat more time off the clock which contributed to the lopsided time of possession statistic. Shifting this difference in field position of course relied on the Buckeye defense to make plays and keep Oregon out of the endzone. The defense allowed a pair of touchdowns and just one field goal (17 points total) which is just a shade over their regular season average of 12 points allowed per game. One facet of the game that surprised me was the inefficiency of the kickoff team. The punt team was solid, as Thoma averaged 43.7 yards per punt (which is well above his season average of 37.9 yards per punt). The kickoff team, however, had trouble getting down the field and bringing down the shifty Oregon kick returners. This was really the biggest flaw exhibited by the Buckeyes in the game, and I am sure it is an issue that will be addressed in the off-season by our coaching staff who value the importance of winning the special teams battle.

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly made one fatal error in this game. In the fourth quarter, on 4th and 1 from the Ohio State 27-yard line and his team down by 9 points, Coach Kelly elected to attempt the field goal rather than look to put the ball in the endzone for a touchdown. This is something Jim Tressel would do in a two-possession game, but NOT something Kelly would typically do. His reasoning makes perfect sense, but he has always been one of the more daring coaches in college football, and this decision surprised me. As it turned out, the Oregon missed the field goal just to the right. This essentially clinched the game for the Buckeyes as there were less than two minutes left in the game with the ball in the hands of Ohio State. Moral of the game: Don't attempt to out-Tressel the 'Sweater Vest'.

Pryor completed 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown to his favorite target, DeVier Posey. I don't intend to toot my own horn here, but my pre-season prediction that Posey would lead the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns turned out to be true. Posey has developed into one of the most talented receivers in the nation and this 'high speed' connection is sure to go over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns next season (my first pre-season prediction for the 2010 season). Posey will be a household name by week 2 against Miami next season. I can't forget to mention the TP2419 connection that was also in place today. Pryor completed a game-high 9 passes for 64 yards to "Mr. 419" Dane Sanzenbacher. Pryor looked to Dane on many short slant routes that helped move the ball down the field and keep the play clock running.

Saine ran the ball 14 times for 45 yards (3.2 ypc) and caught 2 passes for 59 yards and 1 touchdown. Both of his receptions showcased his exceptional balance as he tip-toed along the sideline while managing to stay in bounds. His second reception (which went for 46 yards) was one of the most exceptional catches I have seen by a Buckeye receiver all season (and it was by a running back, not a receiver!). Brandon is going to be a great weapon for this offense next year because of his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well as his ability to make a quick cut and turn the ball upfield. Saine is a playmaker through and through and I am excited to see him exhibit his senior leadership in 2010!

Two former Glenville Tarblooders, seniors Ray Small and Rob Rose, were both watching the game from home rather than the sidelines in beautiful Pasadena, California. Son of Buckeye great Cris Carter, Duron Carter, was also not permitted to participate in the Rose Bowl. The defensive line performed well despite not having Rose there to provide the depth he has all season long. The punt return game netted 0 yards on 4 punts without its gifted return man Ray Small. Not having Small certainly had an effect on the special teams play, but we made up for it with a strong effort by the offense. Ray will get drafted because of his ability to return punts and kicks and because of the new age of the NFL where the return game has become pivotal to the success of a team. Not getting to play in their final game as Buckeyes was surely left these two Cleveland boys disappointed and I wish both of them the best as they move on from the Buckeye family. Freshman receiver Duron Carter has a long, bright future ahead of him. Hopefully he can get his grades in order so he can get back to practicing with the team to prepare for a strong season in 2010. In the Rose Bowl, DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher made up for the lack of receiving targets by hauling in 17 of Pryor's 23 completions.

In his best imitation of former Buckeye Anthony Gonzalez, senior tight end Jake Ballard leaped high to catch a 24-yard pass from Terrelle Pryor on what was clearly a broken play. I had goosebumps after that play as it reminded me of the pass from Troy Smith to Anthony Gonzalez a few years back. The ironic part of the play was that the announcers were just moments before commenting on the fact that Ballard had not gotten involved in the passing game and had only been released on a few routes as he was merely been used as an extra blocker. It is plays like this that showcase the superior athleticism of Terrelle Pryor. The completion to Ballard proved to me that Pryor has much better field vision and awareness than I have given him credit.

Cameron Heyward played a strong game as he relentlessly pursued the Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Thad Gibson also had a strong performance as he helped to put pressure on the Oregon quarterback with his talented pass-rushing skills. Ross Homan intercepted his 6th pass of the season and returned it 20-yards downfield. Ross also recorded a team-high 12 tackles in the game. Chimdi Chekwa held his receivers in 'checkwa' for the duration of the game. He was flagged for one face-coverage penalty, but other than that played a solid game. Jermale Hines had a star performance at the Star position for the Buckeyes as he seemed to be in on the action in many of the plays. These four Buckeye defenders have tough decisions to make in the coming weeks as the deadline to declare eligibility for the NFL draft closes in. I think Heyward comes back for his senior season to help elevate his draft stock to the upper half of the first round. Right now I see Cam as a late first or early second round pick. Gibson is a wild-card as he is a bit of an NFL "tweener" right now. He needs to add some weight to become an efficient NFL pass rusher, but he is a bit large to be an efficient linebacker. He could develop into a "Demarcus Ware" type of player, but he is a bit of a project at this point. If he declares I see him going in the late second round or third round. I think Thad is the most likely of the four to declare his eligibility for the Draft. Chekwa was exposed several times this season for his face-guarding skills, which are not valued in the NFL. If he declares, don't expect anything higher than a third round pick. Hines has the body of an NFL safety, but he lacks the experience. I don't see him going any higher than the fourth round at this point. My gut feeling is that they all return for next season and we make a run at the Big Ten title and the National Championship with their fearless leader, Terrelle Pryor.

This senior class has won an Ohio State record 44 games during their tenure, which is quite an amazing feat when you consider the talented teams that have suited up in Buckeye uniforms in the past. Perhaps more important, they will graduate from the program with a glorious, undefeated record against Michigan. Though they leave without any championship rings, they have helped pave the way to the possibility of a championship run next season. So to Andre Amos, Jake Ballard, Kurt Coleman, Jim Cordle, Todd Denlinger, Aaron Gant, Joe Gantz, Andrew Moses, Aaron Pettrey, Robert Rose, Anderson Russell, Ray Small, Austin Spitler, Jon Thoma, Marcus Williams, Lawrence Wilson, and Doug Worthington, I say THANK YOU for a great four (and five for some) years! You will be missed and I wish you the best of luck as you pursue your dreams AtOSU (After the Ohio State University).