The Washington Huskies haven’t been to the Rose Bowl since 2001 and they’re going to be matched up with a pretty tough opponent in the Ohio State Buckeyes. But what matchups should Husky fans look out for in the Rose Bowl?
Three Key Rose Bowl Matchups For The Washington Huskies
Ohio State’s offense has looked uncharacteristic compared to their usual rush heavy approach. This year the Buckeyes are led by quarterback Dwayne Haskins who helped push the passing attack all the way up to second in the country, only behind Gardner Minshew and Washington State, who the Huskies already punished this season in the Apple Cup.
Murphy vs. Campbell
Byron Murphy has been one of, if not the best cornerback in college football this season.
Byron Murphy is currently the nation's highest-graded cornerback pic.twitter.com/PpKDmbu61R
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 28, 2018
Murphy will likely be matched up with Ohio State’s best playmaker and top receiver this season, Parris Campbell. Campbell has 79 catches for 992 yards this season and 11 touchdowns. Campbell is one of the fastest players in the country, as he ran a 4.26 hand-timed 40-yard dash.
OSU does a lot to use his speed to get him open, including using tons of short crossing routes to give him separation. Murphy, who’s incredibly athletic, doesn’t give up a ton of yards after the catch. He should be athletic enough to stick with Campbell, and Taylor Rapp will probably shade toward his side of the field for some extra help.
Young vs. The Tackles
Chase Young of Ohio State is one of the top pass rushers in the country and will be a high first-round pick when he’s eligible for the NFL Draft in 2020. Kaleb McGary and Trey Adams are two of the best tackles in the country.
Before a back injury that put him out for most of the season and made him decide to stay in school, Adams was regarded by most as a top 15 pick in the 2019 draft class. McGary will probably be a day two pick this year, but containing Young and Dre’Mont Jones will be key for the Huskies.
The more time Jake Browning has to throw the ball, the better. This game would be a much different story if consensus number one prospect for the 2019 draft, Nick Bosa were able to play, and it would be much tougher on the tackles.
This year, the Buckeyes are led by quarterback Dwayne Haskins who helped push the passing attack all the way up to second in the country, only behind Gardner Minshew and Washington State, who the Huskies already punished this season in the Apple Cup.
Jones And Fuller vs. The Cornerbacks
The wide receiver group was the biggest question mark for the Huskies coming into the season, who had lost John Ross and Dante Pettis to the NFL over the last two seasons. Ty Jones and Aaron Fuller have been excellent this season, and have become reliable targets for Browning.
On the other side, Damon Arnette and Kendall Sheffield were both considered NFL prospects coming into the season, but haven’t lived up to the hype at all. While they both might still be day two picks in 2019, they haven’t done themselves any favors. Ohio State is ranked 67th in total defense this season, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that OSU is 83rd in the country in passing defense, allowing 240 yards per game.