Saturday’s trip to Ohio Stadium puts Oregon in a tough spot, but it also puts a spotlight on a player who may be ready for a bigger stage. True freshman Brandon Smith is coming off the kind of outing that can change how an offense looks at a backfield option, and the Ducks may need that spark against No. 12 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have made life miserable for opposing ground games all season. They rank 15th nationally in rushing defense, give up just 95.8 rushing yards per game, and are allowing only 3.2 yards per carry.
That is a brutal assignment for any runner, let alone a freshman. But Smith’s performance against Northwestern gave Oregon a reason to believe he can handle a heavier load.
With Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison banged up, Smith was asked to do more against Northwestern, and he answered. The Fresno, California, native ran eight times for 82 yards, averaged 10.2 yards per carry, and ripped off a long of 35 yards. He also punched in a two-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, a score that put Oregon ahead for good.
He wasn’t just a factor on the ground, either. Smith caught four passes for 32 yards and finished with 114 yards from scrimmage, showing the kind of versatility that could matter even more against a defense as stingy as Ohio State’s.
That versatility may be Oregon’s best path to creating space. If the Ducks can get Smith involved on screen passes, swing routes and checkdowns, they can avoid asking him to repeatedly bang into the Buckeyes’ front. A more reliable passing game from Dylan Raiola would only make that approach more dangerous by forcing Ohio State to respect more than one threat.
Raiola was quick to praise what he saw from Smith after the Northwestern game.
"That dude is special," Raiola said following the Northwestern game. "Being a freshman, getting here when he did, he raised the standard for himself, and you just saw it every day.
You see it in practice. You just kept seeing him make plays, make guys miss…Brandon's special, and he makes a lot of guys miss."
There’s also the matter of how Oregon’s backfield rotation shakes out after the injuries to Hill and Davison. Smith’s workload is worth watching, because the Ducks may need him to handle more touches again if those two remain limited.
The freshman has already drawn an eye-catching comparison, too. Smith said he has heard the Saquon Barkley talk and embraces it.
"I think it's kind of cool because Saquon Barkley is kind of like my favorite running back right now. So it's kind of exciting to hear that. I kind of model my game after him."
"You see some of the runs I had, I had people say I look like him. Like, my mom said I look like him. So I think it's kind of accurate."
One game doesn’t make a season, and nobody is handing Smith a breakout label just yet against a defense this good. Still, Oregon has found a back who can create in more than one way, and that alone gives the Ducks something useful heading into Saturday.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smith Can Add Another Big Ten Milestone Against Oregon
Jeremiah Smith keeps turning milestone games into routine business, and the next one on the schedule gives him another chance to add to a record book he already owns in just about every meaningful way at Ohio State. The Buckeyes star receiver has become the standard for production in Columbus, and his latest stretch has him positioned to keep climbing the Big Ten lists while the spotlight only gets brighter.
Oregon is the next opponent, and with it comes another opportunity for Smith to keep stacking history against a high-profile defense. The yards record is still within reach, and with every big catch he makes, the conversation around him shifts a little more from what he has done to what he might finish with before this run is over. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces A Familiar Threat In A High-Stakes Rematch
Dylan Raiolas path back into Ohio States orbit has been a winding one, but the matchup ahead brings the Buckeyes face to face with a quarterback they once had in their own recruiting class. Now at Oregon, Raiola arrives with the kind of talent that made him such a coveted name in the first place, and the film shows the same split that has followed him along the way: dangerous when he gets comfortable, far less settled when the pocket starts to tighten.
For Ohio State, the challenge is as much about discipline as it is about disruption. The Buckeyes have to keep Raiola from getting into rhythm and make Oregon earn every clean look, because once he settles in, the Ducks offense can move quickly. It sets up a familiar kind of test for Ohio State, one that asks the defense to turn pressure into control before a familiar threat turns the rematch into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads Into Ohio State With Key Offensive Questions
Oregons injury report is already shaping the conversation around its trip to Columbus, with the Ducks confirming that running back Jordon Davison and tight end Andrew Olesh will not be available against Ohio State. The latest updates also leave wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan in line for a possible return after a long injury layoff, giving the Ducks at least a little hope as they sort through the final pieces of their offensive plan.
The rest of the availability picture is still fluid, with other players carrying out or probable designations as Oregon prepares for one of its biggest tests of the season. For Ohio State, that means the focus is not just on who the Ducks will have, but on how much of their offense can be pieced together in time for a game where every healthy option matters. [Read more 🡒]