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QuickTake:
It was supposed to be a potential national championship preview. Instead, Oregon and Ohio State meet with their seasons at a crossroads.
Dante Moore vs. Julian Sayin.
Dan Lanning vs. Ryan Day.
No. 2 vs. No. 1.
Oh, this was supposed to be one of those good ol’ “remember this one forever” types of games.
You know, like the last time these two programs met — in the regular season — when things ended with fans storming the field at Autzen in 2024.
But first, Dante Moore got hurt. Then Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin followed.
First, Dan Lanning took some heat — a turn in the firing line after losses to Oklahoma State, UCLA and Illinois. Then Ryan Day, a coach who won a national championship two seasons ago to stave off his own fan base’s pitchforks, snagged the baton after last week’s thumping at USC.
First, the Ducks saw their ranking fall — all the way out of the top 25 before reappearing at No. 23 in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings. Then the Buckeyes took their own tumble, falling out of the top 10.
Buckle up, folks, because a game that was once anticipated as a potential title game preview instead features No. 23 vs. No. 12.
Hey, at least it’s still on CBS.
This is still Oregon, though. This is still Ohio State. And while the game may not have the magnitude it was supposed to, if the Ducks and Buckeyes are going to be true conference rivals, they have to find the beauty around the edges. They can’t all be No. 1s versus No. 2s.
I’m reminded of Oregon’s last visit to the Horseshoe: No. 12 Oregon vs. No. 3 Ohio State in a season when neither team reached its potential.
But after the Ducks won, I still have this vision of Mario Cristobal wrapping up linebacker Noah Sewell in a bear hug as Sewell screamed, “We did that!”
The Ducks wouldn’t win the national championship. They didn’t make the playoffs. But they did go into hostile territory and steal a win in front of more than 100,000 fans.
Do that again, and the Ducks might have more than just a memory to play for.
How to watch or listen
When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
TV: CBS; Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analyst), Jenny Dell (sideline)
Radio: Oregon Sports Network — 95.3 FM in Eugene, 105.1 FM The Fan in Portland; Jerry Allen (play-by-play), Mike Jorgensen (analyst), Dusty Harrah (sideline).
Who’s playing?
Oregon: 5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten; No. 23 College Football Playoff ranking
Ohio State: 6-2 overall, 4-1 Big Ten; No. 12 College Football Playoff ranking
Rosters: Oregon | Ohio State
Players to watch
Brandon Smith, Oregon running back
We did expect to be talking about Oregon’s young running backs here in 2026. But the talk was supposed to swirl around Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. as Oregon’s two sophomore running backs went about their second years in the system.
Both have been fine: They’re each averaging 4.8 yards per carry, a drop from last season.
But Davison is out this week against the Buckeyes. And while Hill is good to go after leaving Saturday’s win over Northwestern, it’s the youngster Brandon Smith who might be worth watching at the Horseshoe.
Smith was one of the surprises of Oregon’s comeback win over the Wildcats, rushing eight times for 82 yards and a touchdown while adding four catches for 32 yards. He broke off runs of 35 and 30 yards before scoring the go-ahead touchdown on fourth-and-goal in the fourth quarter.
While Oregon’s running game has struggled to find consistency this season, Smith showed the kind of burst and elusiveness that the offense has been missing at times.
“I think he’s done what a lot of our young players have done that have been able to come in and make an impact,” Lanning said. “You start with a small role, and then that role grows over time as trust builds, and you see what they’re able to do.”
With Davison sidelined and Hill returning from injury, Smith could have another big role, this time on the road with Oregon’s playoff hopes hanging in the balance.
“It’s another ball game,” Smith said. “I mean, just what we tell ourselves each and every year, it’s just a game, you know? It’s a game that we’ve been playing since (we were) kids.”
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State wide receiver
Look, there are certainly players that, even when they’re beating you, you have to admire their talent.
Jeremiah Smith is one of those.
The 6-foot-4, 222-pound receiver has only gotten better since the Ducks last saw him as a freshman in the 2024 season. After catching 87 passes for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, he’s dominated college football with 62 receptions for 1,067 yards and 13 touchdowns in just eight games this year.
How good has Smith been? Good enough for this headline from ESPN last month: Is Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith the best WR college football has ever seen?
“We’re gonna see if we can play with 12,” Lanning said Monday when asked how Oregon plans to defend Smith.
Granted, the Ducks probably can’t get away with that one again.
“I guess I realize that’s not funny against this team.”
It’s not funny what Smith can do to a defense, either. He torched the Ducks for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s Rose Bowl victory two seasons ago, and has since become the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches.
“Jeremiah is special,” Lanning said. “He’s a special player. You have to know where he’s at at all times. He’s dynamic in every phase.”
Reads to get ready for the game
The Sunday Duck Report: Oregon remembers its DNA — How the Ducks rediscovered their fight in a Halloween comeback against Northwestern.
How Luke Fahey’s first start compared with previous Ohio State quarterbacks — A look at Ohio State’s new quarterback.
Ryan Day’s Ohio State is looking dangerously similar to the end of the Urban Meyer era — Gene Ross of Land-Grant Holy Land draws parallels between the Buckeyes’ recent struggles under Day and Meyer’s final years.
