The season started off with a bang for the Oregon Ducks a week ago as they defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs at home, but the win left fans wanting to see a bit more from their team.
While it was nice to watch a live football game take place in Autzen Stadium once again, the real main event comes this weekend in Columbus, Ohio. The No. 12 Ducks are traveling to take on the No. 3 Buckeyes in the FOX Big Noon Kickoff game, which will arguably the marquee game of the weekend.
Heading into the game, we’ve tried to give you everything that you need to know about where Oregon currently stands with the health of Kayvon Thibodeaux, how dominant both the offense and defense for Ohio State can be, and what we want to see from the Ducks this week around.
Now one of the only things left to do is actually make our predictions.
As will happen every week of the season, the managing editor of Ducks Wire, Zachary Neel, will convene with staff writers Don Smalley and Andy Patton to preview the game, set expectations, and ultimately make a final prediction.
Here’s what Ducks Wire thinks about the game against Ohio State:
The Rushing Attack
Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Question: It took a while for Oregon’s running game to get rolling against Fresno State, but we saw Minnesota have major success against Ohio State in that department last week. How much of an impact will CJ Verdell and Travis Dye have on Saturday? What do you think their stat-lines will be?
Zachary Neel: I do think that the Ducks are going to be able to find some success in this game, and it’s going to come off of the backs of both CJ Verdell and Travis Dye. They struggled to get going against Fresno, but Verdell got into a groove in the 4th quarter and helped put the game away for the Ducks. I think we can expect Oregon to come out and rely heavily on the rush early on, hoping to jump on Ohio State early and keep the ball away from the offense. In the end, I could see Verdell eclipsing 100-yards with 2 TDs, while Dye adds maybe 50-yards on the ground, with another 40-50 in receiving out of the backfield
Don Smalley: Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim managed to run for 163 yards and two touchdowns, so the Buckeyes’ run defense isn’t incredible. Oregon’s offensive line is going to have to play better this week. If they assume they can just wear down the Buckeyes defensive line and wait to create holes in the fourth quarter, it’ll be way too late. The Ducks need to establish some kind of run game that tOSU respects to keep them off balance. If the upset occurs, Verdell goes for 120 and a couple of scores, and Dye goes for 80-90 yards with a score.
Andy Patton: How Verdell and Dye perform on Saturday will be, in my mind, the biggest x-factor between a win and a loss. Ohio State was vulnerable against the run last week, but Oregon will need to establish their running game early in the contest to get the Buckeyes on their heels. That will ease the pressure to perform off Brown in the early going while controlling the time of possession for the Ducks.
If the two backs can combine for three touchdowns and 200 or so rushing yards, this could be an upset. Anything less than that and things get a lot trickier.
Up Next: Play-calling
Aggressive Play-calling
(Photo by Zachary Neel)
Question: Almost every Duck fan left the Fresno State game with a yearning for more aggressive play-calling when it came to the passing game, taking shots down the field. Do you think we will see more of that this week?
Neel: Seemingly one of the biggest disparities between the fans and the coaching staff this past week came down to playcalling. Talk to the Duck faithful after Saturday and they had gripes about constant runs up the middle and limited looks downfield. You ask the coaches about it, and they say that a number of aggressive plays were called, but not always executed the right way.
Regardless of who you believe, it’s clear that Oregon is going to need to be extremely aggressive this weekend if they have any hopes of keeping up with the Buckeyes. Ohio State sports one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, and they can put up 42-plus points in the blink of an eye. A nice mix of establishing the run and then taking the top off of the defense may end up being the proper game plan for the Ducks.
Smalley: I would like to think Joe Moorhead held a lot of the playbook back against Fresno so Ohio State will have a tough time preparing for the Duck offense. The Oregon offense is playing with house money here. Might as well throw the kitchen sink at them and see what happens.
Patton: It would be pretty disappointing if the play-calling we saw against Fresno State is replicated on Saturday against the Buckeyes. I believe we will see a lot more creativity from coach Moorhead – which will make it harder for Ohio State to accurately gameplan. Considering their struggles controlling the run game, their injuries in the secondary, and Oregon’s group of playmakers, a well-coached game on the offensive side of the ball could really turn some heads.
Up Next: Oregon’s Secondary
Ducks Defense vs. All-Pro Wideouts
Question: The Oregon secondary had a tough first half against Fresno, and didn’t have a banner day overall. Luckily, both DJ James and Jamal Hill are back this week to provide some depth and experience. How much of an impact do you think they’ll have on the Ducks in attempting to slow down both Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson?
Neel: It may be tough to predict how big of an impact both DJ James and Jamal Hill will ultimately have on Saturday, but we at least know that they will be out there and on the field in big moments, which should give fans some confidence that the secondary will be better. When dealing with two WRs who will likely be first-round picks in the NFL Draft, one of the only things you can do is continue to throw bodies at them and hope you can eventually slow them down. Oregon now has the depth at CB and S to do so.
I think both Olave and Wilson will still have great games, but the difference between them combining for 200-plus yards and 100-plus yards could be a deciding factor in the game.
Smalley: They’ll definitely have some kind of impact. Oregon can throw a number of different defenders at those two. It’s like in basketball. You try to defend a certain star player with a few different of your players, give them different looks and change up defensive schemes. Olave and Wilson will get their yards. Oregon’s goal should be to be physical as much as possible and contain those two as much as possible.
Patton: Oregon’s secondary was a big disappointment on Saturday, and they’ll need more than just the return of Hill and James to stop Ohio State’s vaunted offensive attack. However, more depth certainly won’t hurt, and those two along with a strong game from Verone McKinley and/or Mykael Wright could really disrupt the Buckeyes’ rhythm.
Up Next: Oregon MVP
Who is the Ducks’ Overall MVP in an upset?
Question: In order to compete with Ohio State, the Ducks’ premiere players are going to have to play to their ceilings, and they’re going to have to score a lot of points while trying to mitigate damage on defense. So let’s open up this MVP conversation to both sides of the ball: Who is your overall MVP candidate for the Ducks after this game?
Neel: It’s going to be hard for me to say anyone other than Kayvon Thibodeaux as the MVP, but the uncertainty around his health is making me shy away from it. Of course, if he is healthy and ready to go, then KT has the chance to be a game-wrecker on the defensive line, constantly putting pressure on QB CJ Stroud and potentially mitigating some of the explosive plays downfield.
Instead, I’m going to put my vote on QB Anthony Brown. We were hoping to see a lot from him last week vs. Fresno, and while he didn’t quite deliver then, I bet that he will answer now. If Verdell and Dye are able to get the rushing attack going, it will open up things for Brown to take some shots downfield and create the explosive plays necessary to compete. If he can get the ball to his receivers and be accurate, the Ducks have a fighting chance.
Smalley: On offense, I’m going with Verdell. If the Oregon running back can get going early, the Ducks should have a good day. It keeps the Buckeyes offense off the field and wears down that Ohio State defense. On defense, although they are keeping things close to the vest, I have a hard time believing Kayvon Thibodeaux won’t be in this game. He’s built for the spotlight and unless his foot is falling off his leg, KT will be on the field.
Patton: Verdell is also my pick on offense – this team needs him to have a big game on the ground. As stated previously, it not only helps them score more points, but he can help control time of possession, ease the pressure on Brown, and keep Ohio State’s defense on the field. If the Ducks win this one, it will be because Verdell had a well above average game.
Defensively, because I’m not as confident Thibodeaux will be a full contributor, I’ll go with McKinley. A pick (or two) is probably necessary to secure this victory, and McKinley has a chance to etch his name in school history if he makes a huge play in a win over the third ranked team in the country.
Up Next: Score Predictions
Does the 9-game losing streak end?
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Question: The biggest question of all… Will the Ducks finally be able to end their 9-game losing streak to the Buckeyes this year? What is your final score prediction?
Neel: You know what… I’m going to do it. I think that Oregon is going to win this football game. My head tells me that Ohio State’s offense is going to be too much, and will come out on top by a score of 42-27, or something like that, but my heart wants me to be bold.
I think Kayvon will play and cause enough disruption on the line, allowing Oregon’s DB’s to pick off a couple of forced passes from CJ Stroud. I think Verdell will have a monster day on the ground, in turn opening up the passing game for Brown to put some points on the board. I think Oregon will win their first game in 10 attempts against Ohio State, leaving Columbus with a 35-31 upset that puts the nation on notice and once again has fans fully bought in.
I think it may be a long shot, but crazy things happen in college football all the time.
Smalley: I would really like to pick the Ducks to win this game. If they had looked better last week, I might have. They still have a puncher’s chance at this, but Ohio State is going to win a semi-close game. Oregon will stay with the Buckeyes for three quarters, but tOSU will pull away for a 35-27 win.
Patton: There are too many things that need to break just right for the Ducks to pull this thing off. The health of Thibodeaux is such a concern, and Brown’s lackluster performance in Week 1 doesn’t necessarily paint the picture of a team ready to win a game like this. I do think they’ll keep it close, but ultimately I think it ends up Ohio State 42 – Oregon 32.
List
5 questions we hope the Ducks answer against Ohio State this weekend
