Ohio State finds best version of itself ahead of Cotton Bowl - ESPN

PASADENA, Calif. — Far from the celebratory fray, longtime Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti stood back and watched the Rose Bowl trophy ceremony in the confetti-strewn aftermath of Ohio State's blowout win over Oregon.

Since arriving at the school in 2012, Marotti has developed the reputation for being the program's persistent and no-nonsense truth teller. So when prodded postgame to encapsulate Ohio State's remarkable U-turn since the regular-season-ending loss to Michigan, Marotti shrugged his shoulders and laid bare the reality of necessity.

«We had no choice,» Marotti said. «We had to respond.»

From rock bottom to a rocket ship that has distinguished itself as the College Football Playoff favorite, Ohio State's extreme makeover comes with equal parts immediacy and dominance.

In a second life afforded to it by the 12-team playoff, Ohio State has pressed the pedal to the floor. On Friday, the Buckeyes play No. 5 Texas in a CFP semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, and the questions have shifted from the depths of a rivalry loss to whether they need to guard against overconfidence in the wake of back-to-back virtuoso performances.

In the first two rounds of the playoff, Ohio State ragdolled both Oregon and Tennessee, fulfilling the promise of what scouts view as the country's most talented roster and exceeding the expectations that weighed heavy on the program.

In the giddy locker room at the Rose Bowl, the win came with a feel-good March Madness vibe.

«The biggest thing he talks about all the time is, 'Do we get to spend another week together?'» Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said of coach Ryan Day. «And that's our plan. So hopefully we can continue to do that.»

It's a drastically different feel