Walking across the hash marks towards the 50-yard line after the game was a surreal scene.
There was trash strewn about — bottles and cans lining the walls of the field, and a number of wrappers and napkins discarded to the side. A handful of television personalities were on the field executing their post-game live shots, while other crew members packed up and got ready to leave. The FOX Big Noon Kickoff booth was taken down, and the fans were gone.
Seven hours earlier, it was a different sight. I sat in the stands of Ohio Stadium, better known as The Horseshoe, and had a cup of coffee. I watched as the Ohio State-clad color guard practiced the raising of the American flag on the 20th anniversary of September 11th. Crowd management staff flocked to the gates and prepared for the game, and a group of trombone players rehearsed the Buckeye’s theme song in an adjacent endzone.
I basked in the glory of a stadium that holds nearly 105,000, stands extending straight into the sky like MacArthur Court; one that will celebrate its 99th year of existence in a matter of weeks. I thought of the history that had taken place on that field in front of me, unaware that the Oregon Ducks were going to be the real history makers in a matter of hours.
What took place next is something that I will never forget, nor could I have ever predicted. Without two of their best players — Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe — what seemed like an implausible victory became impossible. No. 3 Ohio State was simply too talented, and without their complete depth, the 12th-ranked Ducks didn’t stand much of a chance.
That’s why they play the games, though.
It’s a cliche, of course, but Oregon’s tenacity over the four quarters of football against the Buckeyes adds more truth to that statement than anything I’ve ever seen before. They stuffed Ohio State’s running game early, and they held the passing attack in check. The offensive line found cohesion, and RB CJ Verdell had the game of his life, totaling 195 all-purpose yards with three touchdowns. QB Anthony Brown, who faced a lot of criticism after his performance against Fresno State in Week 1, looked like an aged veteran who belonged on the big stage. He was cool and collected under the intense noise, and he led the Ducks to a victory that nobody saw coming.
He will now go down in history as the winning QB in Oregon’s biggest non-conference victory ever.
Based on Brown’s always subdued nature, you wouldn’t have known it after the game in interviews with the media. His coach, however, has been waiting for this moment for quite a while.
For a matter of minutes on the field after the game, Mario Cristobal let himself go. He allowed the ecstasy of victory to wash over him, and he opened his heart in front of a raucous Oregon fanbase that traveled from Eugene.
For a coach who suffered some hard losses throughout his career, leading to some tough questions, you could tell that this one meant a lot. He wouldn’t admit after the game just how much joy he felt, but anyone watching didn’t need to ask.
The joy was felt by the fanbase as well. There have been major wins in program history before — beating Florida State and Wisconsin (x2) in the Rose Bowl, or Washington in Seattle in 2019 — but this one felt much different. This win came against a premier team in the nation, on their turf, with the odds stacked against them. Oregon was outmatched when it came to talent, outnumbered when it came to healthy players, and outsized across the board. But still, they managed to play better than one of the best teams in the nation and assert themselves as a true threat to make a run at the College Football Playoff this season.
Seeing that realization on Duck fans’ faces was heartwarming. While there have been big wins, many more crushing losses come to mind. There was Ohio State in the National Championship game in 2015, or the Rose Bowl in 2010. There was the Natty vs. Auburn in 2010, the season-opener vs. LSU in 2011, or the opener gainst Auburn again in 2018. All of them big games that gave Oregon a chance to have a coming-out party and tell the football world that they aren’t messing around.
Finally, on a warm September morning in Columbus, the Ducks got the job done.
It was a surreal experience to be on the field when the final whistle blew. Oregon players ran towards the 50-yard line with all the jubilation of little kids just let out for summer break. 100,000 Ohio State fans fell silent, a look of defeat and shock on their faces.
As a lifelong Oregon fan, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. The Ducks have known that feeling oh so well over the years, but no longer.
Saturday was a monumental achievement for this team, and it will hopefully be looked back on in history as the game that finally knocked the monkey off of the program’s back. They played the best, and they beat the best.
The only thing left to do is be the best.