Oregon walked into Columbus and turned Ohio State’s night into a rout, stacking up 38 unanswered points on the way to a 41-28 win Saturday. The result handed the Buckeyes a three-loss season for the first time since 2011 and sent the Ducks home with one of the most eye-opening victories of the year.
Dan Lanning’s team played aggressively from the start and kept pressing the issue all night. A fake-punt conversion late in the second quarter helped set up a touchdown, and Lanning dialed up another gamble on the final play of the first half that produced yet another score and a halftime edge.
Oregon wasted no time extending that control after the break. The Ducks opened the second half with another touchdown, pushing the margin to 10 and putting Ohio State in a hole it never climbed out of, especially with Luke Fahey at quarterback and the offense struggling to find any rhythm.
The 38-0 surge was the kind of run that hasn’t been seen in Columbus this century. ESPN Insights noted that it was the highest scoring run against Ohio State at home since 1999.
Ohio State entered the week 12th in the initial CFP projection, but this loss figures to crush those playoff hopes. The Buckeyes had already been living with offensive issues without Julian Sayin, and Saturday only deepened the concern.
Their 14 first-quarter points offered a brief spark after last week’s one-touchdown showing against USC, but that was about the extent of the good news. Over the next 45 minutes, the offense fell apart.
During Oregon’s scoring burst, Ohio State ran eight drives, gained just 74 yards on 40 plays, and Fahey looked every bit like a true freshman trying to sort out his reads. The frustration spilled over, too, with Jeremiah Smith showing anger toward the sideline.
And when the offense stalled, the defense couldn’t stop the bleeding. For the second week in a row, it failed to answer the moment. Oregon, with backup quarterback Dylan Raiola leading the way, piled up 395 yards of total offense and finished its final nine drives with five touchdowns and a field goal.
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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
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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 🡒]