Buckeyes arrive in California ahead of Rose Bowl rematch with Oregon

LOS ANGELES (WCMH) -- With just days to go until the Rose Bowl, both Ohio State and Oregon have arrived in Southern California, eagerly awaiting the rematch of Big Ten titans.

The Buckeyes held one final practice in Columbus before boarding eight buses outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to begin their journey out west. After a four-hour and fifteen-minute flight, the team arrived at the Intercontinental in downtown Los Angeles to get a full night's rest with two full days of preparations ahead.

"To go to the Rose Bowl. It's always kind of surreal. You know, the history around the game," linebacker Cody Simon said. "But I mean, once you're here, it's kind of like you feel the L.A., you see all the big lights in the city. So it'll be a good environment. And we're excited to be out here."

The New Year's Day contest will mark Ohio State's 17th appearance in the Rose Bowl and first since 2022 when the Buckeyes defeated Utah 48-45.

But this time, the Rose Bowl is merely a stop toward both teams' desired final destination: the national championship game. Wednesday's contest serves as a quarterfinal in the College Football Playoff, which expanded to 12 teams for the first time since its inception.

"When we play at our best, I don't think there's anyone in the country that can hang with us," quarterback Will Howard said. "But we have to be on our game and we have to make sure that, you know, we can't let anything affect that."

Ohio State seeks redemption for a one-point loss to Oregon suffered on Oct. 12 in Eugene, Ore. The Buckeyes will get their first practice on the West Coast at 2 p.m. local time Monday, exactly 48 hours before the Rose Bowl kicks off on New Year's Day.