For the first time ever Ohio State and Oregon will meet in a conference game. This is the first top-five showdown in Autzen Stadium history. Needless to say, the Oregon fans will absolutely be fired up for this game making the atmosphere hostile for the Buckeyes. Ohio State leads the all-time series 9-1, the lone Oregon win came in 2021 when CJ Verdell and the Ducks ran past the Buckeyes 35-28 in Columbus. This marks only the second time the Buckeyes have played in Eugene. The first was back in 1967.
Both teams are 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten so the winner will be in the driver’s seat moving forward in conference play. Many sports pundits believe these two teams could even play again come December at the Big Ten championship game. This will be the first time Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have gone up against 3rd year head coach Dan Lanning. Coach Lanning has done a great job putting the Oregon Ducks back into the national spotlight since becoming the head coach, known for his high-powered offenses and quarterback play.
Ranked third in the AP poll this week, the Ducks offense will look to test the Buckeye defense. Ohio State hasn’t seen a stacked offense like Oregon’s yet this season. The Ducks come into Saturday averaging 35 points a game. Oregon is led by their star quarterback Dillon Gabriel who is first in the nation in completion percentage at 77.8%. Gabriel is in his first season as quarterback for the Ducks after transferring from Oklahoma in the offseason. His ability as a duel threat quarterback could keep the Buckeye defense on its heels the whole game. Ohio State needs to be ready for the RPO attack. Leading the Ducks in receptions this season is Senior Tez Johnson. The star receiver has 43 catches for 395 yards and five touchdowns. He’s not the only one of Gabriel’s weapons on offense. Watch out for Junior running back Jordan James. Through five games James has 88 carries for 552 yards and five touchdowns. Last week against Iowa, the Buckeyes did a great job of slowing down Kaleb Johnson who was second in the nation in rushing.
Defensively Oregon does have a couple of playmakers the Buckeyes will have to account for. One of those players is Senior defensive end Jordan Burch who currently is tied for the lead in the Big Ten with five sacks. Another player to lookout for is the team’s leading tackler and Senior Bryce Boettcher who has amassed 25 tackles. Oregon is currently giving up 17 points a game which is one of their better defensive efforts the past few years.
Currently ranked third in the country in points against, the Buckeye defense is loaded with talent from top to bottom. Still, the Buckeyes arguably have not played anything close to an elite offense this season. Saturday night will answer all of the questions Buckeye fans have about the legitimacy of this team moving forward. Ohio State’s ability to start fast and finish drives with points instead of turnovers will be key. The biggest weakness Oregon has shown on defense this season has been struggling against the run which creates a huge opportunity for running backs TreyVeon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Back in week two, Boise State ran for over two hundred yards against the Ducks. This is the one everyone has had circled on the schedule for nine months.
The second ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the third ranked Oregon Ducks in a huge top-five matchup Saturday night at Autzen Stadium at 7:30pm on NBC.