Oregon is headed to Columbus, Ohio in week two for one of the biggest out-of-conference matchups in program history against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State boasts one of the best programs in college football, with less than a handful of schools able to claim superiority over them over the last 10-plus seasons.
The Buckeyes — named after a tree nut native to Ohio — are coming off a 45-31 win on the road against Minnesota last Thursday in week one. The two extra days of rest and 12:00 p.m. ET start time should give them a slight edge in next week’s game, but Mario Cristobal seems unconcerned about it.
A decade of dominance
Ohio State has won the Big Ten Conference four seasons in a row. Head coach Ryan Day has never lost a Big Ten game at the helm (24-2 overall) — his only losses coming in the postseason to Alabama and Clemson. The Buckeyes haven’t lost more than two games in a single season since 2011, despite going through NCAA sanctions. That was also the last time they lost to archrivals Michigan.
The Buckeyes have beaten Oregon in all nine meetings, most recently in the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 12, 2015. Since then, they’ve returned to the Playoff three times, losing in the title game to Alabama last year. Only Alabama and Clemson have more Playoff appearances or wins.
This Ohio State team is expected to return to the Playoff, especially if they clear their biggest hurdle of the regular season against the Ducks. The same test might be applicable to Oregon, whose last Playoff appearance was in that loss to Ohio State.
Saturday’s game was supposed to be the second of a home-and-home series between the Ducks and Buckeyes. But, the 2020 edition in Eugene was canceled due to COVID-19. While that game will probably never happen, Ohio State did increase their payment for this year’s game.
Talent at every level
Typical of today’s top-tier teams, Ohio State has a roster littered with blue-chip recruits. One of them, five-star defensive end J.T. Tuimolau, committed to the Buckeyes over Oregon during the summer.
The Buckeyes are especially loaded at the skill positions on offense. Week one pass catchers Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njegba only scratch the surface of their staggering wide receiver talent. In the backfield, the Buckeyes seem to have a three-headed monster of rushers with Master Teague, TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams.
The only question for this Buckeyes offense is the most important one: quarterback. Against Minnesota, redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud struggled in the first half (58 yards and one interception) before exploding in the second (236 yards and four touchdowns on just five throws).
Stroud won a hotly-contested quarterback battle over other five-star recruits to make his first career start against Minnesota. While he has the best targets in the country at his disposal, skepticism regarding his accuracy has emerged.
Ohio State’s explosive plays won the game for them against the Golden Gophers. Minimizing big gains will be crucial to a potential upset for the Ducks.
Defensive questions
The Buckeyes’ defense did not look as promising, though. They return just 49% of their total defensive production, which ranks 127th out of 129 nationally. This includes four linebackers who have departed since last season.
Despite forcing two fumbles, the defense allowed 31 points and 408 total yards (205 passing, 203 rushing) to the Golden Gophers — who are outside the top 25 in most polls. Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim had 163 yards and two touchdowns before exiting the game with an injury in the fourth quarter.
Safety Ronnie Hickman and linebacker Terajda Mitchell totaled over 10 tackles each for the Buckeyes. With four minutes left in the game, safety Lathan Ransom was nearly ejected for a targeting penalty that went uncalled. He would have been suspended for the first half of the Oregon game.
Like the rest of their team, Ohio State is littered with five-stars along the defensive line. Haskell Garrett and Zach Harrison both pose serious threats against Oregon’s offensive line, which struggled in pass protection against Fresno State.
Another thing to watch for is Ohio State deflecting passes at the line of scrimmage. They did this five times against Minnesota and Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown has a low release point on his passes.
This is a winnable game for Oregon, although the scales have tipped into the Buckeyes’ favor by about two touchdowns. Longer odds are overcome every week in college football. Tune in to FOX at 9 a.m. PT this Saturday to see if the Ducks can pull off the upset.
