COLUMBUS, Ohio - Oregon walked into Ohio Stadium with its season wobbling and walked out with the kind of win that can reset everything.
The No. 23 Ducks erased an early 14-0 hole and rolled past No.
12 Ohio State, 41-28, in what was easily one of the most striking victories of Dan Lanning’s tenure. For a team that has spent this season careening through chaos, the response was ruthless once the opening quarter passed.
That first stretch looked ugly for Oregon. Ohio State jumped ahead, controlled the line of scrimmage and outgained the Ducks 174-61 through one quarter. With true freshman quarterback Luke Fahey running the Buckeyes, Oregon had no clear answer early.
Then the game flipped hard.
From the second quarter on, Oregon took over completely, piling up 178 yards to Ohio State’s 17 in that frame and ripping off 38 unanswered points. The Buckeyes, who had looked poised and sharp early, started to unravel under pressure. Fahey never settled in, and Jeremiah Smith - the Heisman Trophy favorite - disappeared after the opening quarter.
Oregon’s offense was calm and efficient throughout the turnaround. Dylan Raiola, the Nebraska transfer who has taken plenty of heat, delivered a clean performance behind a protected pocket.
He wasn’t sacked and finished with 257 passing yards and two touchdowns. Jay Johnson, in his second game as interim offensive coordinator, also got a major lift from the way the Ducks executed.
The biggest swing came late in the second quarter, when Oregon chose to gamble from its own 31 with a fake punt and kept the drive alive. That decision lined up perfectly with Dan Lanning’s obsession with the “middle eight” - the final four minutes of the second quarter and the first four of the third. Instead of handing the ball back and risking a momentum shift, the Ducks seized control.
Bailey Ettridge lined up to punt, the snap went to Teitum Tuioti, and the linebacker delivered a jump pass to Matayo Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei then hurdled a defender and powered 30 yards to move the chains.
Gutsy? Brilliant? Both.
Four plays later, Oregon was in the end zone. After a Devin Jackson interception, the Ducks got the ball back and scored again before halftime, turning what had looked like a Buckeyes romp into a blowout in the other direction.
They kept the pressure on after the break too, needing just five plays to score again on Dierre Hill. Jr.’s 48-yard run.
That fake punt fit right into the pattern of Lanning’s time in Eugene. He has not been shy about pulling out a fake punt or onside kick in a big spot, and this one came at the exact moment Oregon needed it most.
For all the noise around the Ducks’ season, the win also makes the Illinois loss sting even more. Oregon’s 21-10 defeat on the road two weeks ago remains the biggest blemish on the résumé, and it still leaves the Ducks needing help to reach the Big Ten Championship game and, from there, the CFP.
Without that loss, Oregon would be in much better shape for an at-large playoff bid as a two-loss team with defeats to Oklahoma State and UCLA. Instead, the Ducks have no choice but to keep winning and hope the rest of the board breaks their way.
If they do finish strong, though, the case will be there. A five-game winning streak to close the year would include the road win at Ohio State, along with victories over USC, Boise State and Northwestern. That kind of finish gives the committee something real to weigh, even if the Illinois setback keeps the path messy.
Just weeks ago, Oregon looked like a team that had fallen apart. Now it has a win in Columbus and a season that suddenly looks alive again.
The committee’s decision to rank the Ducks 23rd this week suggested they still had something left to prove. Against Ohio State, they proved it.
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Dan Lannings Aggression Just Put Ohio State On Notice
Oregon spent the first quarter in a hole against Ohio State, but the Ducks did not spend long playing it safe. A successful fake punt helped flip the tone, and Dan Lannings group kept leaning into an aggressive approach on offense until it had clawed its way to a 17-14 halftime lead, a swing that said as much about confidence as it did about execution.
Afterward, Lanning framed the performance around identity, stressing that Oregon has to keep playing like itself if it wants to keep putting pressure on elite opponents. He also pointed to the need to cut down on turnovers, a reminder that the Ducks boldness only works if it is paired with cleaner football, and that balance will matter even more as the stakes keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon May Need One Freshman To Change Everything Against Ohio State
As Oregon turns its attention to Ohio State, the Ducks are looking for ways to crack a defense that has been especially sturdy against the run. That puts a spotlight on true freshman Brandon Smith, whose performance against Northwestern stood out not just for the production on the ground, but for the way he added another layer to the offense with his work in the passing game.
Smiths rise matters even more because Oregon is dealing with injuries at running back, which narrows the options against a Buckeyes front that does not give much away. If the Ducks are going to find an answer in a game like this, they may need the kind of burst and versatility Smith showed in his first real opportunity to make a difference. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Faces One Huge Test In Columbus With Playoff Stakes Rising
Oregon heads into Columbus for one of the seasons biggest measuring-stick games, and both sides are carrying injury questions into a matchup that already has plenty riding on it. The Ducks will be without starting running back Jordon Davison, but they do get wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan back after his injury absence, a small boost for an offense that will need every available piece against an Ohio State defense that is expected to have defensive back Jay Timmons and offensive tackle Ian Moore back in the lineup.
The Buckeyes still have a few names on the doubtful list, including some wide receivers and a linebacker, but oddsmakers still have Ohio State favored at home. For Oregon, the setting alone makes this a major test, and the injury picture only adds to the challenge of trying to leave Columbus with a statement win and keep playoff hopes on the strongest possible footing. [Read more 🡒]