Week 7 sees Oregon vs Ohio State. The Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks. The battle could decide who wins the Big Ten regular-season championship. Ohio State leads the all-time series, winning nine of their 10 matchups. Despite losing most of their games, Oregon won their last matchup 35-28.

Undefeated – Oregon vs Ohio State

Going into the offseason, both teams knew that change was coming. Ohio State ended its regular season by losing to Michigan for the third consecutive year. Oregon lost to Washington twice. Those games would have put the Ducks in their first college football playoff since 2014. It is where they lost to Ohio State in the championship. Instead, their biggest rivals represented their conferences at the National Championship. This year, things look different. Ohio State and Oregon remain undefeated, while their rivals both have two losses.

Dillion Gabriel

Change for both teams started on December 4th, 2023. Oklahoma moved to the SEC and already had a quarterback of the future in Jackson Arnold. Dillon Gabriel was looking to go elsewhere. After the regular season ended, Gabriel entered the portal. Both his talent and experience made him a hot commodity. West Coast and Big Ten programs considered him, including Ohio State and Oregon. According to Gabriel, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day looked interested. First Day wanted to see how backup quarterback Devin Brown performed in the bowl game. Then, a decision would be made. Oregon needed a quarterback after Bo Nix ran out of eligibility. The decision cost Day. A week later, Gabriel committed to Oregon, their biggest conference competitor. The success of Nix and former Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota influenced Gabriel’s decision. It helped that Mariota was Hawaiian.

Will Howard

What happened a month after Gabriel’s decision? Ohio State lands their quarterback, Will Howard. Howard had experience. It was something that could help Day achieve an elusive goal. What had eluded Day during his tenure at Ohio State? It was winning a conference championship. He brought mobility and size, both of which Day lacked at the position. Howard is less explosive than former Ohio State quarterbacks. That includes Justin Fields, Braxton Miller, Troy Smith, and Terrelle Pryor. He has more size and physicality than former Buckeyes quarterback JT Barrett.

What has Worked

Day has not had a dual-threat quarterback in his tenure at Ohio State. He was the former Ducks’ head coach and new Ohio State offensive coordinator. In the past, he has had his most success with mobile quarterbacks, including Mariota, Dennis Dixon, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

A Winning Team

Outside of quarterback, this could be the best team that Day and Chip Kelly have had in their career. On offense, superhuman wide receiver Jermiah Smith leads the way. While freshmen receivers do not play for Ohio State, Smith is the exception. He makes one-handed catches look routine. Draft experts think he would be the top receiver off the board if he were eligible. Emeka Ebuka, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Innis are the other receivers to watch out for. Also, look out for one of the top running back duos in the country, Quinshon Judkins and Treyvon Henderson.

Top Weapons

For Oregon, what are Gabriel’s top weapons? Look no further than wide receivers Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart, and Traeshon Holden. Make sure to include tight end Terrence Ferguson. Running back Jordan James is in the top five in the BIG Ten, rushing with 552 yards and has five touchdowns.

Offensive Line

What is Oregon’s biggest matchup? It is their offensive line vs. Ohio State’s defensive line. Ohio State leads the country in points and yards allowed. Oregon has allowed seven sacks this far after only having five last season. Ohio State has 17 sacks, led by JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, and Ty Hamilton.

Oregon vs Ohio State – The Game

Ryan Day and Dan Lanning finished among the top 16 coaches for coaching above performance expectations (CAPE). Essentially it means both coaches were beating our spreads last year. Will it continue its dominance to start the season and in this series? Will Oregon win two consecutive games against Ohio State? Find out who remains undefeated with University Foot-Ball.

Author – Tarohn Finley