It’s hard to believe this is the same matchup that looked like a heavyweight title fight in the preseason.
Back then, Ohio State and Oregon were sitting at No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP poll, and their Nov. 7 meeting in Columbus had all the makings of the game of the year. Two unbeaten teams.
A possible national title preview. All of it.
Now the picture looks very different. Oregon enters at 5-3 and Ohio State at 6-2, and both teams are staring at the possibility of missing the College Football Playoff if they slip again. The Buckeyes still have the cleaner path - win out and they’re in much better shape - while Oregon needs to keep winning and hope for help along the way.
Even with backup quarterbacks steering the offense, this one still matters plenty. The Ducks and Buckeyes have built a little edge over each other in recent seasons, and Saturday’s result will reach beyond just one November afternoon.
For Oregon, the game comes down to a handful of questions.
The first is the biggest one: which Ducks team shows up in Columbus?
That’s been the problem over the last four games. Oregon has been all over the map, from the version that buried USC in the fourth quarter and beat Northwestern 21-6 in the second half to the one that barely moved the ball for three quarters against UCLA and Nebraska. The offense was the issue in those earlier stumbles, but the last two games have brought a different concern, with Illinois running for 225 yards and Northwestern scoring 20 points and looking nearly unstoppable in the first half.
If Oregon wants a real shot at Ohio State, it needs the group that finished strong against Northwestern and the one that went to Los Angeles and handled USC with confidence. Anything less, and the Ducks are asking for too much on the road.
Another major piece is Jeremiah Smith, because there’s no real way to stop him.
The Ohio State receiver is 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, and he brings speed, leaping ability and a dangerous run-after-catch game. He can win everywhere on the field.
Oregon’s job is not to erase him entirely. It’s to keep him from wrecking the game in the biggest moments.
That could mean shading his way on third and fourth downs and forcing backup quarterback Luke Fahey to look elsewhere when the stakes are highest. Smith can still pile up catches - even 10 of them - and Oregon can live with that if the damage isn’t coming on the deep balls and back-breaking plays. Texas showed the formula when it held him to eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown but still won after taking him away late.
That’s the model for Oregon: make somebody else decide the game.
The turnover battle may be just as important.
Oregon doesn’t have much room to absorb mistakes against a team as talented as Ohio State, even with Fahey at quarterback. One turnover might be survivable if it doesn’t lead to immediate points. Two probably won’t be.
At the same time, Oregon needs to create some chaos of its own. The Ducks have forced 12 turnovers this season, which puts them in the middle of the pack, but this is the kind of game where one or two takeaways could swing everything. Protect the ball on offense, force a mistake or two on defense, and Oregon gives itself a chance to survive on the road.
There’s also the question of Jeremiah McClellan.
He was listed as probable on Wednesday’s injury report after missing half the season with a broken foot, and his presence could matter more than it might seem. If he’s on the field and close to full strength, he gives backup quarterback Dylan Raiola a proven contested-catch threat on the outside - especially on vertical throws with air and touch.
McClellan has built a reputation since breaking into the lineup in 2025 for making difficult, acrobatic catches downfield. If he plays a normal workload, Oregon could find a few big sideline gains that haven’t really been part of the offense during his six-game absence.
And finally, can Oregon handle the swings if things go sideways?
That’s a real test here. Against Northwestern, the Ducks absorbed a lot of punishment in the first half and didn’t truly answer until the final two minutes, when they put together a strong drive after falling behind 20-6. If Ohio State jumps ahead by two scores, that kind of rally may be too much to ask.
Oregon can’t get rattled if the Buckeyes strike first. Ohio State is going to make plays. The Ducks need to stay composed, take the hits, and wait for their own opening before time runs out.
In Other News...
Oregons Freshman Lineman Is Emerging From The Ducks Toughest Daily Test
Tommy Tofi has been working his way into a starting role for Oregon this season, a gradual rise that says as much about his own progress as it does about the Ducks uneven offensive line. The true freshman guard has benefited from veteran help around him, but the biggest push has come in practice, where Oregons experienced defensive linemen have given him the kind of daily stress test that can speed up a young linemans growth.
Dan Lanning has even pointed to Tofis development as something that resembles the path Josh Conerly Jr. took in Eugene, with the staff seeing a natural climb rather than a sudden leap. For Oregon, the encouraging part is not just that Tofi is holding his own, but that he is doing it in a season when the line has needed answers and the Ducks have kept leaning on him for more responsibility. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Explains Why Oregons O-Line Suddenly Looks More Settled
For the first time this season, Oregon rolled out the same starting offensive line in back-to-back games, and the difference showed in a 34-26 win over Northwestern. The Ducks moved the ball well and kept the operation clean up front, with the group finishing without a penalty while giving the offense a steadier look than it had at other points in the year.
Dan Lanning still framed the line as a work in progress, which fits a season shaped by injuries and competition for jobs. Trent Ferguson and Immanuel Iheanacho have both affected the mix, but Lanning pointed to the current groups consistency and attention to fundamentals as reasons the unit has started to look more settled, even if the Ducks know more shuffling could still be ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Faces A Dangerous New Ohio State Quarterback Test
A fresh quarterback wrinkle is waiting for Oregon this week, and it comes in a setting that can make even a seasoned offense feel a little less predictable. Ohio State freshman Luke Fahey is set to make his first home start against the No. 23 Ducks after stepping in on the road against USC, where he completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown when the Buckeyes were forced to adjust because of an injury to the starter.
For Oregon, the challenge is less about the rsum and more about the unknowns that come with a young quarterback who has already shown he can handle a big stage. Ryan Day and Dan Lanning both weighed in on Faheys performance and upside, which only adds to the sense that this matchup could hinge on how quickly Oregon sorts out what kind of test it is getting from a passer still early in his college career. [Read more 🡒]