A couple of decades ago, it would have been unfathomable to question whether playing in the Rose Bowl mattered to Ohio State.
Before the Bowl Championship Series and now the College Football Playoff came into existence, playing in the Rose Bowl was the pinnacle of a season for Ohio State, a destination the Buckeyes always aspired to reach. In an era where there was no separate championship game or playoff, and the Rose Bowl was the most prestigious bowl game Ohio State could play in, a trip to Pasadena often meant playing for a national title – or at least having a chance to be voted the national champion in the end-of-season polls.