Oregon and Ohio State have split two brutal meetings in the last two seasons — a one-point classic in Eugene, then a 20-point playoff beatdown in Pasadena. The rubber match finally lands in Columbus.
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OREOSU
OREOSU
OverUnder
Best BetOhio State
Ohio State's coming off a 41-21 statement over this same opponent in the Rose Bowl, and Sayin-to-Smith is as reliable a path to points as there is in the sport. The question mark is a linebacker corps replacing two top-10 draft picks, which is the one thing that could let Oregon's backfield control this game. Still, the Buckeyes have the higher offensive floor and the building the visitors have to walk into.
Oregon
+Dante Moore passed on NFL Draft, Heisman buzz
+Elite four-man D-line returns fully intact
+Beat Ohio State 32-31 in 2024 meeting
−New OC and DC after Stein, Lupoi departures
−Blown out 41-21 by Ohio State in Rose Bowl
−Reputation for folding in the biggest moments
Ohio State
+Defending national champs, Sayin and Smith back
+Experienced O-line, dynamic young backfield
+Fresh off 41-21 revenge win over this opponent
−Lost both starting linebackers as top-10 picks
−Program-record 51 newcomers, unproven depth
−Late-game execution issues plagued last postseason
This one's been building since Ohio State ran Oregon off the field 41-21 in last year's College Football Playoff, avenging the 32-31 heartbreaker the Ducks pulled off at Autzen in 2024. Dante Moore turned down the 2026 NFL Draft to run it back, and he's not doing it quietly — Moore's a preseason Heisman favorite after throwing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns against just 10 picks while dragging Oregon to a 13-2 record and a CFP run. On the other side, Julian Sayin is fresh off a 3,610-yard, 32-touchdown season completing 77% of his throws, with Jeremiah Smith — the best receiver in the country — still lined up outside.
Both programs spent the offseason retooling their coaching staffs, which is the quiet subplot here. Oregon lost defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi to the Cal head job and offensive coordinator Will Stein to Kentucky, promoting Chris Hampton and Drew Mehringer from within to replace them. Ohio State's staff stayed put, but the Buckeyes lost both starting linebackers, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, as top-10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft — a program that just won it all is breaking in a rebuilt second level.
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ORE Oregon
OSU Ohio State
Ryan Day has been blunt about what cost his team a chance at a repeat run through the Big Ten title game: Ohio State went scoreless in the second half of a loss to Indiana in that game, then failed to score on its final two possessions in a CFP quarterfinal exit to Miami. Day's said the Buckeyes need to be "really good" in the fourth quarter this time around, which tells you exactly what he's worried about walking into a game like this one.
Oregon Ducks
Oct 30?vs Northwestern—
Oct 16?vs Nebraska—
Oct 9?vs UCLA—
Sep 25?@ USC—
Sep 18?vs Portland State—
Sep 12?@ Oklahoma State—
Sep 5?vs Boise State—
Ohio State Buckeyes
Oct 30?@ USC—
Oct 16?@ Indiana—
Oct 9?vs Maryland—
Oct 2?@ Iowa—
Sep 25?vs Illinois—
Sep 19?vs Kent State—
Sep 12?@ Texas—
Sep 5?vs Ball State—
Recent form.
Oregon's calling card is still the defensive front — Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington up front, Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti off the edge, the entire starting group back for a second straight year after all of them passed on the draft. Pair that with a backfield of Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., who combined for 1,323 rushing yards as backups last season and now take over as the feature duo, and Lanning's got a roster built to control tempo and grind down a rebuilt Ohio State front seven.
Oregon Ducks
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Ohio State Buckeyes
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Phil Steele has Oregon at No. 6 in his preseason top 40, and it's not hard to see why — this is a team that's lost three games total over the last two seasons, all to eventual national champions. The counterpoint is real too: Lanning's Ducks have a reputation for coming up short in exactly these spots, and a true road trip into the Horseshoe against a defending champ with a chip on its shoulder is about as tough a test as the schedule offers.
