Ohio State players had been thinking about a rematch with Oregon long before the Buckeyes crushed Tennessee in a first-round playoff game.

Their first chance to avenge the Oct. 12 loss to the Ducks looked to be the Big Ten championship game, but that slipped away when the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and gave up their spot in the title game.

Now, by virtue of Saturday night’s 42-17 win over Tennessee, the Buckeyes will see the Ducks again in a quarterfinal game on a grand stage — the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

“It’s going to be a heck of an opportunity for all of us,” Ohio State quarterback Will Howard said. “I think we’ve all been looking forward to this one, another crack at these guys. The way the last one ended didn’t sit right with me.”

In the first game, the Buckeyes led twice in the second half but couldn’t hold it.

They were driving in the final minute. After a questionable interference penalty on freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, Howard scrambled out of the pocket to extend a play and slid as time ran out, ending the 32-31 shootout on a mental error.

It would be the closest game of the season for top-seeded Oregon (13-0).

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity because it was not a great game for us,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “And I know, quite frankly, the guys got a little pissed off. They used that game as motivation. So, I’m sure they’re looking forward to another opportunity.”

The Ohio State defense — now statistically the best in the nation — allowed Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks to pile up 496 yards.

“You get to watch yourself play, and watch the mistakes that you’ve made, and you see how they attack you,” Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon said. “But also, there’s a lot of football played in between that. They’ve changed. We’ve changed, and we’re just, we’re going to look at what we need to do, and trust the game plan the coaches have, and we’ll go and tackle them.”

Nearly everything was working right inside the frigid Horseshow on Saturday night, the first December college football game in the history of the 102-year-old stadium.

Howard threw two touchdown passes to Smith and compiled 311 passing yards — his highest total since the Oregon game.

TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins rushed for two touchdowns apiece. The defense sacked Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava four times and limited him to 104 passing yards, his lowest total of the season.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning recognized the Buckeyes’ ability to be explosive.

“That’s an elite football that we just played,” Lanning said after the October game. “They’re really, really talented. They don’t have weaknesses.”

Dimopoulos shines in double OT and Northern Illinois beats Fresno State: Freshman wide receiver George Dimopoulos threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dane Pardridge on the first play of double overtime and Jordan Hansen ended the game on a fourth-down sack to give Northern Illinois a 28-20 victory over Fresno State on Monday in the Idaho Potato Bowl.

UTSA scores opening 27 points of the Myrtle Beach Bowl to cruise past Coastal Carolina: Owen McCown threw for 254 yards and a touchdown and UTSA scored the opening 27 points of the Myrtle Beach Bowl to cruise past short-handed Coastal Carolina 44-15 on Monday.

UTSA (7-6) broke away in the second quarter by scoring a touchdown on three straight drives for a 21-0 lead. McCown was 14 of 17 in the first half, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Overmyer. McCown also scored on a 35-yard run after breaking two tackles near the end zone. The other score was a 9-yard touchdown run by Brandon High.

TODAY’S bowl GAME

HAWAII BOWL South Florida (6-6, AAC) vs. San Jose State (7-5, Mountain West) 8 p.m. EST (ESPN) LOCATION: Honolulu NOTABLE: The Bulls’ defense gives up 278.7 yards through the air per game (128th in the FBS). The Spartans’ 325.3 passing yards per game is fifth in college football. South Florida has the 29th-ranked rushing offense in the FBS (191.3 yards per game), and will be facing the 79th-ranked defense in that category, as San Jose State allows 156.3 per game.