We’ve had what seems like a month away from football for the Oregon Ducks, spanning all the way back to early December when Dan Lanning and his team took down the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Championship Game.
But at long last, gameday is right around the corner.
The Ducks will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in arguably the most anticipated matchup of the year on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl, with the winner advancing from the College Football Playoff quarterfinals to the semifinals, where they will play either the Texas Longhorns or the Arizona State Sun Devils.
This is a game that we saw once before this year, with Oregon triumphing at home, 32-31, in one of the best games of the season. It was a tightly-contested game and one that left fans wanting more.
So what can we expect this time around? That’s hard to say, since both teams have changed quite a bit in their personnel over the past couple of months since they faced each other in October. We do know that it projects to be a great game, though, with both teams standing among the best in the nation at every level of the game.
Let’s dive into the numbers and take a look in our special Rose Bowl Tale of the Tape, and see if we can get a feel for how this game is going to play out on Wednesday afternoon, based on the stats that we have seen so far this season.
QB Dillon Gabriel vs. QB Will Howard
Photo Courtesy of Ethan Landa (Dillon Gabriel)
Breaking down the quarterback matchup based on 2024 stats:
| Gabriel | Quarterbacks | Howard |
|---|---|---|
| 6-foot-0 | Height | 6-foot-4 |
| 200 lbs. | Weight | 235 lbs. |
| Senior | Class | Senior |
| 297 | Completion | 251 |
| 406 | Attempts | 343 |
| 73.2% | Comp. % | 73.2% |
| 3,558 | Yards | 3,171 |
| 8.8 YPA | YPA | 9.2 YPA |
| 28:6 | TD:INT | 29:9 |
Edge: Gabriel
Analysis: I’m giving the edge to Dillon Gabriel here, though it’s not by a lot. Both of these QBs are very good and stand among the best remaining players in the nation. When it comes down to crunch time, though, I feel more comfortable with Gabriel running the show and his ability to fit throws into tight windows and use his legs when necessary
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