Oregon’s trip to Columbus has all the ingredients of a game that can turn a season sideways. The Ducks arrive with three losses, Ohio State with two, and both teams know the wrong result could send their playoff hopes into a tailspin. With the Buckeyes also dealing with an injury-driven quarterback change, the margin for error feels razor thin.
The matchup inside the Horseshoe starts with Oregon’s best path to an upset: pressure. The Ducks have put together 19 sacks overall, and Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti have accounted for 12 of them.
That kind of heat can change the feel of a road game fast, especially if freshman quarterback Luke Fahey gets rattled early. Oregon also has a quarterback edge worth watching after Dylan Raiola delivered his strongest outing of the season, going 22 of 31 for 336 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Northwestern.
Ohio State, though, brings a defense that can make life miserable for just about anyone. The Buckeyes rank second nationally against the pass and fifth against the run, which gives them a real foundation to lean on if the offense needs time to settle in.
And on offense, the safest route may be on the ground. Ohio State ran for more than 200 yards against USC, and it may need that kind of production again to help cover for Fahey’s lack of experience.
Fahey did show some composure a week ago, finishing 21 of 38 for 260 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers, even if the mistakes were there. He’ll also have plenty of help from the Buckeyes’ playmakers.
Jeremiah Smith remains the country’s most dangerous receiver, and Bo Jackson has averaged 20.7 carries over his last three games. If Fahey can avoid giveaways and get Smith the ball in space, Ohio State has enough firepower to make the Ducks pay.
There is a real upset lane here for Oregon, especially if its pass rush starts winning against an Ohio State offensive line that allowed 21 pressures against USC. Still, the Buckeyes’ defensive edge and the boost of playing at home should carry the day. It should be physical and competitive, but Ohio State looks positioned to pull away late.
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USC Freshmen Are Already Driving The Trojans' Strong Finish
USCs late-season push has been fueled in part by a freshman class that has grown up fast. The Trojans have leaned on 21 true freshmen this season, and the group has moved well beyond developmental reps, with several first-year players carving out real roles on both sides of the ball. Among them, five-star recruit Wafle has stood out defensively by leading the freshmen in tackles and quarterback pressures, while four-star wideouts Mosley and Dixon-Wyatt have been central to the passing game.
The attention around that group has only grown as the season has gone on, with multiple freshmen drawing weekly conference honors, midseason All-American recognition and even semifinalist nods for national awards. For USC, the bigger picture is obvious: this isnt just a promising class for the future, its already shaping the present. And with so many first-year contributors already in the spotlight, the question now is how much more this group can influence the Trojans finish. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Final Push May Come Down To 3 Freshmen Playmakers
USCs 2025 recruiting class was built with the 2026 season in mind, but the Trojans may not want to wait that long to see the payoff. After signing 34 freshmen, the staff has already gotten meaningful contributions from first-year playmakers, and the 30-18 win over Ohio State offered a glimpse of how quickly that youth can matter. Freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley and tight end Mark Bowman both stood out in the upset, giving USC a jolt at exactly the right time.
With Indiana and UCLA still ahead, the Trojans could lean even more heavily on that young group as the stretch run tightens. Mosley and Bowman have already shown they can handle the moment, and wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is another freshman whose role could grow as the stakes rise. For a team trying to finish strong, the final push may end up depending on how fast those first-year pass-catchers keep developing. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Faces A Pressure Test USC Fans Know Well
Ryan Day enters the 2026 season under the kind of scrutiny USC fans know all too well, with Ohio State already dealing with injuries and key losses that have knocked the Buckeyes down in the rankings. For a program that expects to be in the playoff conversation every year, the margin for error has suddenly gotten a lot thinner, and the early conversation is less about championship dreams than about how quickly the roster can stabilize.
The biggest concerns are on the offensive line and in the red zone, where Ohio State has to be far sharper if it wants any realistic shot at the College Football Playoff. Those issues tend to linger until they are fixed, and for Day, the pressure is now tied to whether the Buckeyes can clean up the details that separate a good team from one that actually survives the seasons grind. [Read more 🡒]