Ohio State vs Oregon prediction & betting tips - Jan. 1 - College Football Playoff

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to play the Oregon Ducks on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET in the Rose Bowl. The game also serves as the quarterfinals of the college football playoff and the game can be seen on ESPN.

Ohio State and Oregon played on Oct. 12, with the Ducks winning 32-31. The Buckeyes dominated Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff, while Oregon won the Big Ten and is coming off its bye.

Ohio State vs Oregon: Preview

Ohio State is a two-point favorite while the over/under is set at 55.5 points.

The Buckeyes silenced a lot of doubters in the first round of the playoffs by dominating Tennessee at home after the stunning loss to Michigan. Ohio State is led by quarterback Will Howard, who has thrown for 3,171 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Ohio State also has a two-headed monster with its run game, as Quinshon Judkins has rushed for 839 yards, and TreVeyon Henderson has rushed for 831. Jeremiah Smith, meanwhile, has caught 63 passes for 1,037 yards. The Buckeyes have a high-powered offense, so stopping them will be tough for Oregon.

“I won’t really get into the differences, but they’re a really good team. I don’t know if there’s a more talented team in the nation," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. ... "The running backs are elite. I think they’ve settled in with their offensive line, and that’s really shown up. And then defensively they play with relentless effort."

The Ducks, meanwhile, are led by Dillon Gabriel, who threw for 3,558 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Jordan James has rushed for 1,253 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Tez Johnson led the team with 866 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Despite being a rematch, Ryan Day believes both teams are much different from October.

"I don't think there's any cons. I think that they're a very good team, and we're in different places than we were in the middle of the season," Day said, via Sports Illustrated. "And the way things are nowadays, when you're into a playoff format, the best teams in the country are going to be in the playoffs. So I think you're going to see this more and more as we move forward."

This could've been the national championship game had the seedings worked differently, as this would have been the best playoff game. Ultimately, if Ohio State plays how it did against Tennessee, it can beat anyone in the country.

But this Oregon Ducks team will be able to stop the big plays from the Buckeyes. Gabriel, meanwhile, will be poised in the pocket and lead the Ducks to a close win here.

Prediction: Oregon 34, Ohio State 31

Ohio State vs Oregon: Betting Tips

Tip 1: Oregon ML (+110)

Tip 2: Over 55.5 points (-110)

Tip 3: Tez Johnson anytime TD scorer (-105)

Tip 4: Quinshon Judkins anytime TD scorer (-130)