Buckeyes bound for Rose Bowl

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OSU quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Garrett Wilson celebrate their 26-yard touchdown connection in the third quarter against Maryland on Oct. 9. Photo by Sam Fahmi/Columbus Wired.

Ohio State is heading to Pasadena for the postseason.

After second-ranked Michigan's win against No. 13 Iowa in Saturday night's Big Ten championship game, the win solidified a spot in the college football playoff for the Wolverines which means they'll play No. 3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl on Friday, Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Because of that, the Big Ten's next-best team by ranking would be the Scarlet and Gray and since the conference is contractually obligated to send their best team to the bowl game, Ohio State will now represent the conference.

The game will pit the sixth-ranked Buckeyes (10-2, 8-1 Big Ten) against No. 17 Utah (10-3, 8-1 Pac-12) in what will be only the second time the two teams have ever played. The Utes' ranking will surely change after the remaining CFP rankings are released at 2:30 p.m. EST.

This will be OSU's 16th appearance and are 8-7 all-time. They have won the last three times they've played with victories against Washington in 2018, Oregon in 2009 and Arizona State in 1996.

This will be the first time the Utes have appeared in the game.

The only other time Utah and OSU played was the fourth game of the 1986 season in Columbus and heavily went the Buckeyes' way, 64-6.

We will have more on the matchup and what head coach Ryan Day has to say in future writings.