This might be the game of the entire postseason.

Ohio State will get a second chance at Oregon — this time at a neutral site. The Ducks defeated Ohio State in October on their home field in a thrilling shootout from the opening minutes.

Now, both teams enter with their hopes of winning a National Championship on the line.

• Who: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon
• What: 2024 Rose Bowl – College Football Playoffs Quarterfinals
• When: Wednesday, Jan. 1
• Where: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA
• Line: Ohio State -2.5 (-133), Oregon +2.5 (+112), Over/Under 55.5

Why Ohio State will win?

Ohio State seemed to find its footing against Tennessee in round one.

Ryan Day might have realized that if you throw the ball to your best players, good things will happen. We did not see this against Michigan. The Buckeyes tried to play physical football in the trenches and that is not what this highly-paid roster is best at.

Instead, spread the offense out and let Will Howard find a loaded group of playmakers. It begins with Jeremiah Smith. As a true freshman, there is a case to be made that he is the best receiver in the nation. Put Smith next to Emeka Egbuka and Ohio State is in business. This is without even mentioning the elite duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins in the backfield.

There is a reason Ohio State enters this game as favorites. The Buckeyes got a look at Oregon early in the season and came close to a statement victory on the road. If Ohio State enters with the same game plan as against Tennessee, it will be difficult to defend.

Why Oregon will win?

If there is one team that can match Ohio State weapon-for-weapon, it might be Oregon.

It begins with Dillon Gabriel, who was one of the best quarterbacks in the nation this year. He turned the ball over just six times and finished with 35 total touchdowns. He had plenty of firepower to work with including Jordan James and Noah Whittington. This game will have no shortage of explosiveness in the backfield.

Tex Johnson proved to be a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver as well. He caught nearly 80 passes and 10 touchdowns.

Oregon is unbeaten and enters as the top team in the nation — and will be underdogs in round two. This might be a flaw with the overall format but this year, nothing can be done. All Oregon will have to do is take down Ohio State once again.