Does the Rose Bowl even matter for the Ohio State Football team?

After the Ohio State football team lost to Michigan, all goals were ended for the Buckeyes, which begs the question, does the Rose Bowl even matter?

The Buckeyes have one game left to play in the 2021 season, but there is not a lot of excitement across Buckeye Nation. The three main goals Ohio State had at the beginning of the season (win the Big Ten, win the National Championship, and beat Michigan) are over. Without anything other than pride to play for, does this game even matter?

Alright, I get this sounds like a dramatic and privileged take. And frankly, it is. The Ohio State football team has spent the last 20 seasons regularly accomplishing two or three of the goals mentioned above, so when the team gets none of them it is a shock. What was once the “Granddaddy of them All” is now the game the Buckeyes hope to avoid because it means they did not make the Playoff.

You can look to an overall team fortitude of bouncing back and winning a big-time bowl game but as we have seen the last two years, losing the last game of the season does not mean the team returning has a lack of pride or resiliency.

You can argue that this is the time for young players to emerge and get meaningful reps, however, C.J. Stroud has proven that you can take your first snap at the position and be good enough to be a Heisman candidate. Spring and summer reps are going to matter a lot more than a few quarters on January 1.

I’ve heard the argument that this is the chance for the defense to show that they are tough and fight back against the argument that they are a “finesse” team, but ultimately with the defense going through an overhaul this offseason this game will do nothing to predict how the team performs in 2022.

So ultimately, I cannot think of a single solid reason that the Rose Bowl matters to the Buckeyes. And yet, it should.

If for no other reason than the Ohio State Buckeyes should not be losing three games in a season. Ryan Day is too good of a coach to go on a two-game losing streak at the end of the season. Is this team flawed? You bet. Issues that need to be fixed? Without a doubt. But, is this one of the most talented teams in the country? You better believe it. Ohio State, if for no other reason than to prove to themselves, needs to go out and win this game.

So while there are not a lot of compelling reasons, it does seem like this is a critical game for Ohio State. Not for the legacy of this team, or the future, but for Ryan Day.