The Oregon Ducks head into Saturday's matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes with incredibly high stakes and a lot on the line on both sides. The initial College Football Playoff rankings gave the Ducks newfound hope, ranking Oregon 23rd. This weekend serves as a chance for Dan Lanning's team to take an even bigger leap up the rankings as they take on the 12th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
Coming into the season, this was expected to be one of the biggest games of the year, but with the injuries to star quarterbacks Dante Moore and Julian Sayin, both teams are searching for answers. The winner of this weekend's game will take a big step toward the College Football Playoff, while the loser's season may be over.
If the history of this rivalry tells us anything, it's that the Buckeyes typically pull this off, but in this new era, you can throw the history books out the window. Oregon has grown as a program, and the Ducks have become an equal to every top program, and Dan Lanning and Mario Cristobal started to shift the tides.
Dan Lanning will look to continue changing Oregon vs. Ohio State history
The Ohio State Buckeyes have historically dominated the matchup against the Oregon Ducks. Ohio State holds an all-time record of 10-2 over the Ducks, but the good news is that in recent years that trend has started to shift. In the 2020's the Ducks hold a 2-1 record over the Buckeyes, and as the sport has entered this modern era, Oregon has proven to be on par with the best rosters in the Country.
Ryan Day holds a 1-2 record against the Ducks since taking over, with a loss to Mario Cristobal, while Dan Lanning is 1-1 against the Buckeyes. Ohio State has dominated the games in Columbus, holding a 5-1 record over the Ducks.
Mario Cristobal picked up Oregon's first win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2021 behind stellar games from Anthony Brown Jr. and CJ Verdell. Once the Ducks joined the Big Ten, Oregon picked up a 32-31 win that sent a statement that Oregon was going to be a new power in the new conference. Ryan Day sadly got the last laugh that season as the Buckeyes destroyed Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
Given all the roster turnover in this new era, few key players are left on both sides of the game dating back to that Rose Bowl. Evan Stewart will finally have a chance to get his crack at the Buckeyes after missing that game with injury. The Ducks will be looking to slow Ohio State's star wide receiver after Jeremiah Smith torched the Oregon defense for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns as a true freshman.
The game will kick off at 3:30 PM ET in Columbus, Ohio, or at 12:30 PM PT for the Oregon fans watching the game from the West Coast.
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