Dan Lanning gave Ohio State fans plenty to file away Friday night.
Oregon rolled past Portland State 84-0 at Autzen Stadium and set a new program record for points in a single game, topping the previous mark of 81 against Portland State in 2023. But the part that drew the most attention came with about 30 seconds left, when Lanning had running back Brandon Smith punch in a short touchdown instead of letting the Ducks kneel it out.
That decision turned heads fast, and so did Lanning’s postgame tone.
"Obviously, the result of this game is somewhat to be expected," Lanning said like a total front-runner. "We have a better team and no disrespect for Portland State, but that's the way it should look when you execute the way you're supposed to execute against that team.
I think we scored on every drive excluding one on offense. I think we got a stop on every drive on defense."
The optics were rough enough on their own, and the lopsided win did little to erase the sting of Oregon’s loss to Oklahoma State in Week 2. Beating an FCS opponent does not suddenly change that bigger picture, no matter how many points pile up.
For Ohio State, though, the timing is perfect. The Buckeyes and Ducks meet on Nov. 7, and Columbus is going to be ready for it.
Ohio State is 3-2 all time against Oregon, including a 1-1 split in 2024. Oregon beat the Buckeyes in the regular season last year, then Ohio State got revenge in the College Football Playoff with a 41-21 win in Pasadena.
The Nov. 7 matchup will be the first time the two teams meet at The Shoe since 2021, when Oregon came away with a 35-28 win. That result still lingers, but this fall gives Ohio State another shot to settle things on its own turf.
And after Friday night, Lanning has given the Buckeyes another reason to make that meeting count.
In Other News...
Ohio States Clutch Kicking Reputation Might Not Match The Full Story
Ohio States kicking history in tight games has long lived in the space between memory and myth, and the numbers since 2000 help explain why. The analysis breaks those attempts into money kicks, when the Buckeyes were tied or trailing by three or fewer, and clutch kicks, when they were protecting a one-score lead, giving a clearer picture of how often the pressure has really fallen on the leg of the kicker.
What stands out is that the Buckeyes have actually done better in those safer, late-game situations than in the true win-or-lose moments, where the makes have come at just over half the rate. The ledger includes both painful misses and big answers, along with Mike Nugents 55-yard walk-off winner in 2004, a reminder that the programs late-kick reputation has always been shaped by a few unforgettable swings rather than a simple curse. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Needs More Than A Win To Calm Growing Doubts
Ohio State heads into its matchup with Kent State looking for more than the kind of routine win that should come with being heavily favored. After a rough stretch that sent the staff into a deeper internal review of both sides of the ball, the Buckeyes are using this week to get back to basics, with particular emphasis on getting the running game moving and settling an offense that has not looked as sharp as expected.
The bigger concern, though, is whether this can be more than a tune-up. The coaching staff still has pressure to show the team can respond cleanly after last weeks collapse, and the line figures to look different because of an injury, which only adds to the sense that this is a reset game for a group trying to steady itself before the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Buckeyes Blowout Brings Big Moments And One Injury Fans Will Watch
Ohio States noon matchup with Kent State has already turned into the kind of lopsided afternoon that can produce a little of everything for the Buckeyes. Isaiah West, Nate Roberts and JaKobi Jackson each found the end zone as the offense kept rolling at Ohio Stadium, and the game also provided a notable milestone for Jeremiah Smith, who added another line to an already eye-catching start to his Ohio State career.
The one concern in the middle of the blowout came when Legend Bey left the game after just one carry and headed to the medical tent, a development worth watching with the Buckeyes schedule moving forward. In a game that otherwise looked like a routine tuneup, that was the reminder that even the biggest mismatch can carry a storyline beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]