It’s week two of college football and Ohio State has the marquee matchup as they take on the Oregon Ducks this Saturday. Both teams came away with wins this past week to set up what could be a top-ten showdown. Currently, Ohio State sits at No. 4 and the Ducks are just outside the top-ten rankings.
Both teams struggled to an extent this past week, although the Buckeyes were playing a much tougher opponent and seemed to get things figured out by the second half against Minnesota. Oregon on the other hand had to hang on to the very end against Fresno State.
Either way, the Ducks and the Bucks know the importance of a non-conference game of such high stakes. Not only for conference bragging rights but more importantly, the inside track to a potential College Football Playoff birth.
NEXT … Records and broadcast information
Records
Ohio State (1-0), Oregon (1-0)
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Saturday, September 11
Game Time: Noon EDT
Network: Fox
Venue: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) Capacity: 104,944
All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 9-0
Last Meeting: Ohio State defeated Oregon 42-20 in 2015 (CFP National Championship Game)
Next … The game plan
Ohio State game plan for victory
Ohio State came out a bit shaky in the first half against Minnesota. C.J. Stroud looked somewhat nervous or maybe it was just the adrenaline as he overthrew several receivers in the opening quarters and another behind Chris Olave that led to an interception. However, the second half was a different story and Stroud looked like a different quarterback.
While the Gophers went into the half with the lead, OSU came out and showed it had the superior athletes. And to come out on top of Oregon on Saturday, the Bucks will need to play all four quarters at a high level.
I said last week that Stroud didn’t need to be a hero, just take care of the ball and get it in the hands of his playmakers. And that’s just what he did. He’ll again need to hit open receivers and let them use the talents they have.
Oregon’s defense should be better than Minnesota and pose more of a challenge, but it remains to be seen if the Duck’s top pass rusher, Kayvon Thibodeaux will be available after suffering an ankle injury against Fresno State.
Even if Thibodeaux does take the field, OSU should continue to set up the pass with the run. The Bucks rushed for over 200 yards against the Gophers and somewhat surprisingly, it looks as if Miyan Willams has taken over as the lead back getting the lion’s share of carries on Thursday night.
Defensively, Ohio State has to get the pass coverage figured out. To be fair, OSU was missing their top two corners against Minnesota. Oregon was run-heavy in week one using three different running backs which plays into the Buckeye’s strength. It would be nice to see the defensive line get a little more pressure on the quarterback this week and keep a less than impressive passing game grounded.
Next … The key players for Ohio State
Two Key Players For Ohio State
Miyan Williams – Running Back: It was Miyan Williams who got the start at Minnesota instead of incumbent Master Teague, and he did not waste his opportunity running for over 120 yards with a 13.5 per carry average. Williams looked elusive with break-away speed. If he is going to be the guy going forward, OSU will need more of that type of play to keep pressure off C.J. Stroud so he doesn’ feel like the QB has to do everything.
The FIRST touchdown of the season for @OhioStateFB belongs to Miyan Williams 💪 pic.twitter.com/RP3LsAtc5B
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 3, 2021
Zach Harrison – Defensive End: Zach Harrison is a former five-star recruit, so much is expected of this young man. When you follow in the footsteps of guys like Chase Young and the Bosa brothers, the expectations are high. Harrison looked as if he might be starting to live up to those expectations on Thursday night. He will need to continue to get pressure in the Oregon backfield and not allow the Ducks to get comfortable.
ZACH HARRISON WITH THE STRIP AND HASKELL GARRETT WITH THE SCORE WOOOOOOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/71cAc2tpfL
— Barstool OSU (@BarstoolOSU) September 3, 2021
Next … How it’ll all go down
The prediction
A Saturday showdown at noon will see the ‘Shoe rocking with a capacity crowd for the first time since November of 2019 when Ohio State disposed of Penn State. You can bet fans will be amped up to see college football live once again as high-profile Oregon comes to town.
One might look at last week’s scoreboard and feel like the Ducks are not as good as advertised, but I’m not buying it. I believe it was a classic case of a team looking ahead and Mario Cristobal will have Oregon ready to play.
It will be a huge loss for the Duck’s defense if Thibodeaux can’t play. It’s up in the air right now as he’s in a walking boot. Either way, I think Oregon is going to come out swinging. In a winnable, but seen as inferior Pac-12, the Ducks know they need to make a statement against a perennial power like Ohio State.
While I believe the Ducks will put up a good fight, I don’t see them walking into a packed Ohio Stadium and coming out with a win. The game will be close going into the fourth quarter with Ohio State pulling away with the help of 105,000 of their closest friends.
Final Score
Ohio State 41, Oregon 28
Line
Ohio State – 14.5
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