Urban Meyer doesn’t sound relaxed about Ohio State’s matchup with Oregon, and that alone says plenty about where this game stands.
The Ducks are headed to Columbus for a meeting with a Buckeyes team that is 6-2 overall, 4-1 in the Big Ten and unbeaten at home. Oregon comes in at 5-3, 3-2 in conference play, fresh off a big win that helped get the season pointed back in the right direction.
Ohio State, meanwhile, is trying to shake off a disappointing loss to No. 18 USC.
Meyer, who coached Ohio State from 2012-2018 and won three Big Ten titles along with the 2014 National Championship, made it clear on The Triple Option podcast that he sees danger in this one for the Buckeyes.
“Every day is a panic. I mean, everybody’s even.
You tell me Oregon doesn’t have the roster to come in and beat Ohio State? You’re out of your mind,” Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast.
“I actually talked to coach Lanning this morning. He was asking me some questions about the logistics of the place and all that.
But hell yeah, it’s time to panic. I’m panicked.
I’m a Buckeye.”
Ohio State’s season has already included a 24-23 Week 2 loss to Texas, but the Buckeyes answered with five straight wins after that, including a 19-15 victory over the defending champion Indiana Hoosiers. Still, USC exposed some issues, especially with quarterback uncertainty hanging over the offense.
That uncertainty is a storyline for both teams. Oregon has been without starting quarterback Dante Moore since Week 4, while Ohio State’s starter, Julian Sayin, is out indefinitely. Freshman Luke Fahey made his first career start against USC and could be back under center against the Ducks.
The Buckeyes’ defense didn’t exactly slam the door on USC, either. Ohio State gave up 30 points, with nearly half of that damage coming in the first quarter. So while the Buckeyes have shown they can recover, they’ve also shown they’re not untouchable.
Meyer’s bigger point was simple: Oregon has the kind of roster that can win this kind of game if it puts everything together.
That’s where Dan Lanning’s message comes in. The Oregon coach said Monday night that he wants players who can stay steady instead of trying to force the moment.
“I'm looking for guys that'll be assassins, not superheroes,” Lanning said. “You don't have to feel like you have to make a crazy play every single play.”
The stakes around this game are still huge, even if it doesn’t look like the preseason version anyone expected. Ohio State and Oregon were supposed to be ranked No. 1 and No. 2 when this one arrived. Instead, the matchup now carries pressure of a different kind, with the College Football Playoff picture hanging in the balance.
Ryan Day also acknowledged the talent Oregon brings into Columbus. Speaking on 97.1 The Fan, he said the Ducks are far from an ordinary three-loss team.
“They have all the talent in the world ... They have NFL players all over the field,” Day said. “This is not going to be your typical three-loss team coming in here, so all the stuff that came up last week, we gotta get corrected fast.”
Lanning, for his part, spent part of Monday talking about the challenge of slowing Jeremiah Smith. He called the receiver a special player and said Oregon’s defenders have to stay locked in on him.
“Jeremiah is special. He is a special player.
You have to know where he's at all times. He's dynamic in every phase,” Lanning said.
“I think it’s one that our players are excited about, that challenge. But there’s a real challenge involved in defending a guy like him.”
“He's certainly pro ready,” Lanning added. “I think anybody that's played against him already would tell you that he probably was two years ago.
So, he certainly is now. So, he's a guy that you have to know where he's at all times.”
Lanning also said he’s looking forward to coaching at “The Horseshoe” for the first time. Even with the matchup not carrying the exact preseason buzz it once did, he said the setting still matters.
“It’s part of what makes it exciting about being at Oregon or being at a place like Ohio State to get to play in games like this.”
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