Players and staff members shuffle out of the Oregon football locker room and collect pre-prepared meals as coach Dan Lanning and athletic director Rob Mullens pull up on a golf cart. Both are silent.

PASADENA — Two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Rose Bowl sound system blasted “Shout,” the famous “Animal House” song played during every Oregon home game. Tens of thousands of fans dressed in green sang in unison as the shadows grew long and the sun set behind the San Gabriels.

Ohio State basked in the glow of the postgame celebrations after trouncing Oregon in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal, but the Buckeyes’ star quarterback wasn’t among