Early Look: Oregon vs Ohio State
This is the big one.
Arguably the biggest game in Autzen Stadium history will pit Oregon Football against Ohio State in an Oct. 12th matchup that figures to have the attention of the nation.
It’s highly likely that both teams will enter this game undefeated as neither plays a pre-season ranked opponent before this matchup.
This opens up the possibility of College Gameday being in Eugene that Saturday which would add extra pressure to an already supremely important game.
Ohio State represents almost certainly the most difficult opponent the Ducks will face in this year’s regular season as many expect the Buckeyes to be a premier national championship contender.
Ohio State was already one of the elite teams in college football in 2023 and added high-level transfers in the portal including quarterback Will Howard and safety Caleb Downs.
Notable offensive pieces include running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins alongside wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Ohio State is also among the best defenses in college football with Downs and edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau headlining the unit.
Offensive dynamism figures to be on deck for the Buckeyes as they brought in former Oregon, NFL, and UCLA head coach Chip Kelly to call plays.
The Kelly hire strikes me as a perfect fit as his strength was always in development and play-calling as opposed to recruiting.
This new role should capture his skillset perfectly and make Ohio State’s offense as dangerous as ever.
On paper, there’s a good case to be made that Ohio State is the most talented roster in the country.
With that said, Oregon is in the exact same conversation.
This feels like a game that’s razor-close on a neutral field and would probably be won by the home team at either stadium.
Give me Oregon to win an incredible game that comes down to the wire, aided by an electric Autzen Stadium atmosphere.
Prediction: Oregon wins 27 – 24
