Why Oregon and Ohio State will not play each other twice in 2024

Oregon and Ohio State are two teams that no one would be surprised to see meet in the 2024 Big Ten Championship in December.

What if a team like Iowa throw a wrench into those plans, however? The Hawkeyes have a rather easy conference schedule this season and if their defense can hold strong — Iowa might be a team to consider for the conference championship game if the Ducks and Buckeyes aren’t careful.

With Iowa in mind, On3’s Andy Staples broke down why he believes the Ducks and Buckeyes won’t meet in the Big Ten Championship game.

“[If] Oregon and Ohio State play at least twice this season, it requires Nebraska at Iowa having College Football Playoff implications to be true,” Staples explained. “… [For Iowa] there’s at Ohio State. We’re counting that as a loss. Iowa may be favored in every other Big Ten game. So as long as they beat Iowa State, don’t drop one to Troy or Illinois State, then you are talking about a team that could be 11-1 or 10-2 at the end of the season and playing in the Big Ten Championship game.

“They could be playing Nebraska for a spot in the Big Ten championship game, because they could be 8-1 with a loss to Ohio State in Big Ten play. Oregon could be 8-1 with a loss to Ohio State in Big Ten play — or Oregon could have beaten Ohio State and could have the head to head.”

In Staples’ scenario, tie-breakers could come into play. How they Big Ten will decide to break those ties reamins to be seen, but Iowa could throw a wrench in college football fans seeing Oregon vs. Ohio State in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game.

Six Big Ten teams cracked the preseason AP top 25 poll with Oregon, Ohio State and Iowa occupying half of that field. For Iowa, the only ranked opponent on their schedule this preseason are the Buckeyes. Other than that, they avoid ranked matchups completely with their schedule also featuring the likes of Iowa State, Washington, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

“So I do think there’s a possibility that Nebraska-Iowa is either [seeing] Iowa trying to get in at large [bid into the CFP], trying to get into the big 10 title game, or at get into the tie-breaker for the Big Ten title game,” Staples said. “So, if that happens in Iowa, gets into the Big Ten title game, then we don’t get a second Oregon-Ohio State.”

That Ducks-Buckeyes matchup is scheduled for Oct. 12 while the Hawkeyes will host Nebraska in the regular season finale over two months later in late November.