Ohio State and Washington came into the 2018 season with playoff hopes, yet both teams fell short.
The last time either team was in the 4-team College Football Playoff was also the last time they were both in it, which was the 2016 season.
Despite missing the playoffs for a second year in a row, both teams come into next month’s Rose Bowl as conference champions who have accomplished plenty this season.
Washington’s season began with a 5-point loss to Auburn. Later in the year, they lost by three points at Oregon and two points at California. In other words, they lost their three games by a total of 10 points.
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, were the Big Ten Champions with just one loss, which until now has always been enough to guarantee a playoff spot.
Despite falling short of their ultimate goal, Ohio State and Urban Meyer are plenty excited about the opportunity in front of them.
“It’s an honor to represent the Big Ten Conference in the eastern division and head out to the tradition-rich Pasadena and the Rose Bowl,” the Buckeye head coach said. “I grew up in the state of Ohio watching the Rose Bowl for many, many years, and it’s been a bucket list [item] and a dream to go coach out there.”
The Buckeyes were last in the Rose Bowl following the 2009 season, but it has been even longer for Washington, who had to deal with Purdue quarterback Drew Brees the last time they were in Pasadena for a bowl game.
“That’s one game that this program has not been in for a long, long time,” Petersen said, referencing Washington’s last Rose Bowl appearance in January of 2001.
“Certainly, when I grew up – and Urban spoke about it – that’s what we grew up watching, the Rose Bowl in these two leagues. There was probably about half as many, if even less, bowls at that time. So that’s what everybody focused on. And it’s just been a long time since this program has gotten an opportunity to go there. So I think there’s a lot of excitement there. And, certainly, you throw in Ohio State, one of the most storied premiere programs in the country. All that adds to a lot of excitement.”
When Meyer was having sports imprinted on him as a kid, the best thing that could happen to an Ohio State team was an invitation to the Rose Bowl. Same with Petersen, who followed the sport in California. Be it the West or Midwest, the allure of the Rose Bowl is still very much alive with these two coaches.
“I share the same sentiment as probably most coaches and most players – well, most coaches, because the players probably weren’t really aware of the pre-BCS and pre-college football playoffs,” Meyer said. “I’ve always wanted to be in the Rose Bowl. I know our players are very excited about it. We talked about it, if you’re in the playoff, great. If not, to think that you get a chance to go play in the historic Rose Bowl, we’re all excited to go do it.”
Not being in the playoff is certainly a disappointment, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t excitement for the game to come. There are, after all, only four teams in the nation that wouldn’t trade spots with either Ohio State or Washington right now.
When Petersen looks at Ohio State, he sees a team that could very easily be in the playoff. And when he looks at his own, he sees a team that is 10 points away from a shot at perfection.
“I know Ohio State could easily, with their resume, be in that four-team tournament. There’s no doubt about it,” Petersen said. “So that’s hard and that’s disappointing to not be able to have an opportunity when it just really becomes a subjective beauty pageant from there. I mean, because you get an undefeated team, and they probably go in.
“But, I mean, it’s hard to win every single weekend. It just is. It’s almost impossible as you look at everybody’s record. There’s two teams that can get that done, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not other teams that really are peaking and playing at a high level at the end of the season. I think everybody wants that thing to get expanded. And, hopefully, it will soon.”
