For Ohio State football, games against Michigan, Penn State and the Big Ten Championship go a long way in determining how successful a Buckeye season is.
But variety is the spice of life, and nothing gets OSU fans salivating like a big, non-conference game against a ranked opponent, in Ohio Stadium. In 2021, that foe is No. 12-ranked Oregon, marking the 30th time that has happened, since the Associated Press poll first debuted in 1936.
The Buckeyes have a 16-13 record in those meetings, but are 14-5 when they are the higher ranked team, as is the case Saturday for number three Ohio State.
The Ducks might have the most talent of any team the Buckeyes face in the regular season. Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux could be the first overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft, but he was injured in Oregon’s opening win over Fresno State, and his status for this week is not known.
With or without Thibodeaux, there are playmakers on the defensive side of the ball that should provide a strong test for C.J. Stroud and the OSU offense. The Buckeyes showed plenty of big-play potential in the win over Minnesota, but ran just 48 plays last Thursday. OSU averaged over 71 plays a contest in the 2020 season.
A couple specific things to watch for in the development for that unit. Does the running back rotation get shortened to Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson? Williams averaged nearly 14 yards per carry, thanks to his 71-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Henderson, a true freshman, averaged over 28 yards per touch (two carries, one reception).
Will C.J. Stroud look to run more when pressured, or there is right coverage downfield? Justin Fields’ ability to make plays out of nothing, especially on third downs, was a big factor in the success of the offense the previous two seasons.
Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson have garnered a lot of attention as potential All-Americans at wide receiver, and expect Oregon’s defense to focus on not allowing that dynamic duo to get behind coverage. That could open the middle of the field for OSU’s tight ends, namely Jeremy Ruckert.
Ohio State’s defense — much maligned last year — didn’t look to be much improved in week one, at least on the surface. Yes, the Buckeyes allowed 31 points, and over 400 yards of offense, but only allowed one play of over 25 yards, a big bugaboo in 2020.
There are health concerns for OSU’s defense, as well. Cornerbacks Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown did not play last week, while safety Josh Proctor was injured in the second half. We likely won’t get an update on any of those players until Ohio State releases its status report before the game on Saturday.
You might recall the last meeting between Ohio State and Oregon, which was fairly significant. The Buckeyes were 42-20 winners in the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2015. All-time, the Buckeyes are a perfect 9-0 against the Ducks, the most wins without a loss against any opponent in school history.
Ohio State has had success historically against current members of the Pac-12, sporting a 61-26-2 all-time record. Take away games against USC and UCLA (13-17-2), and OSU is 48-9 against the other ten schools.
Get ready for the Oregon vs. Ohio State with Gametime Ohio on Saturday morning, and live reports from Tino Bovenzi beginning at 10:30 a.m. Join MaryLee Melendez, Andy Baskin and former Buckeye running back Antonio Pittman immediately following for The Postgame Show, live on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App.
