COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Will Howard - Jeremiah Smith connection continues to be the driving force behind Ohio State football’s College Football Playoff run.

Following the theme of much of this College Football Playoff (well, besides the Peach Bowl), the Rose Bowl was yet another blowout with Ohio State knocking off top-seeded Oregon. But given that these second-round playoff games are bowl games, teams get to celebrate the win as they would for a standalone bowl game.

Afterward, fans wondered why Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, one of the stars of the game, was initially barred from the Rose Bowl stage by a security guard while many of his teammates were already on stage.