LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ask anyone on Ohio State's offense what the biggest difference is for Oregon on defense going into Wednesday's Rose Bowl, and the near unanimous answer is Jordan Burch.
The senior defensive end did not play in the first meeting on Oct. 12 after he suffered a meniscus injury during practice leading up to the game.
Burch will be back for the top-seeded Ducks, who face the eighth-seeded Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
“I’m really excited. I know they are hungry to get after us again. No matter who we played, I was gonna be ready to go,” Burch said.
Burch missed most of October due to knee and ankle injuries. He had 30 tackles, including 11 for loss, and 8 1/2 sacks in nine games.
With Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti also on the defensive line, the Ducks have one of the best pass rush units in college football. Oregon led the Big Ten in sacks with 40 and have the fifth-best pass rush grade in the country according to Pro Football Focus (89.0).
“We all know he’s a great player. When we have him we’re at more full strength,” coach Dan Lanning said. “When you have talented players like Jordan that can perform at a high level and have great players around him as well, that allows us to be our best.”
Burch will likely be matched up against Ohio State left tackle Donovan Jackson, who started the season at guard. The Buckeyes have had five different starting offensive line combinations due to injuries.
Two senior starters — left tackle Josh Simmons and All-America center Seth McLaughlin — sustained season-ending injuries.
“I think Oregon is one of the best defensive lines in the country. Burch as an edge player is really, really good,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said.
McLaughlin caused a bit of a stir on social media when he lit a cigar on Ohio State's sideline during the final minute of its 42-17 victory over Tennessee in the first round.
McLaughlin transferred from Alabama after last season. The lighting of the cigars is a tradition for the winner of the Alabama-Tennessee game, which always takes place on the third Saturday in October.
“I was just making a joke with some of my friends here and some guys that I’m still friends with at Alabama that I was going to do it if we won. That’s just the tradition,” said McLaughlin, who played in 10 games before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury before the Indiana game in November. “The team up North fans and Tennessee fans weren't super happy with it, but it was a lot of fun. I never want to be a distraction from what's actually going on. My job is just to support those guys.”
Who will start at right guard for Oregon in the Rose Bowl is unclear after Marcus Harper II returned from a knee injury in the Big Ten title game after missing the previous three contests. Dave Iuli started against Penn State, with Harper coming off the bench to play 34 snaps.
Harper played the first two games at left guard before moving to right guard, making seven starts there before he was hurt against Michigan on Nov. 2.
Iuli split reps with third-year sophomore Kawika Rogers for two games before handling the majority of snaps in a 49-21 win over Washington on Nov. 30.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles took responsibility for the eight plays of 25 yards or longer his unit gave up in the first meeting between the Buckeyes and Ducks.
“I didn’t think we were sharp and playing our best game, you know, and I blame myself for that,” Knowles said.
The normally sturdy Ohio State secondary gave up 341 yards through the air, with 252 yards coming on seven explosive plays of 15 yards or longer. They have allowed an average of 124.5 yards passing in their other 12 games.
“You can learn from it,” Knowles said of those breakdowns. “You can’t dwell on it. It happens too fast. If you’re thinking in the past, it’s going to pass you by.”
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Frleelancer Dan Greenspan contributed to this story.
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