The Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes came onto the field Saturday afternoon in Columbus with everything on the line. Both teams were playing to keep their postseason hopes alive, and a good bit of bad blood was present between two Big Ten foes.
It was Dan Lanning's team that was left with a point on the scoreboard with a smirk as the fourth quarter wound to a close.
The Ducks got the job done and walked off the field surrounded by nearly empty stands in the Horseshoe, as a crowd of over 103,000 fans had largely dispersed before the final whistle, with Oregon completely dominating the game, winning 41-28 on the road.
There were some wild swings in the game, with Ohio State jumping out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter while the Oregon
defense was left reeling. However, the Ducks went on to score 38 unanswered points, turning things around on offense behind a great Dylan Raiola performance and a well-played game from the offensive line. On the other side of the ball, the Ducks' defense was incredible, completely shutting down Jeremiah Smith until the fourth quarter, and forcing several turnovers, both through the air and on downs.
Ultimately, it results in Oregon's season staying alive, while the Buckeyes go back to the drawing board and begin to look at 2027. Here are our biggest takeaways from the victory.
Momentum is a Hell of a Drug
If someone had turned the game off after the first quarter came to a close, you probably would struggle to convince them of the final score when all was said and done. What happened in the first 15 minutes of the game looked nothing like what transpired in the 45 minutes afterward, and it was thanks in large part to momentum.
Momentum, and Dan Lanning.
With a 4th and 9 on their own 39, trailing 14-3, Lanning pulled out a familiar trick and opted for a fake punt, with defensive end Teitum Tuioti hitting fellow defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei for a 30-yard catch-and-run. It was a play that flipped the drive, and ultimately, flipped the game.
Before that play, Oregon had 113 total yards and just three points. After that play? 287 yards and 38 points.
It wasn't just the offense that harnessed the momentum, though, as the defense completely turned it on after that as well. Over the next two quarters following the fake punt, Ohio State's drive chart looked like this:
- Punt
- Interception
- Punt
- Turnover on Downs
- Turnover on Downs
- Turnover on Downs
- Turnover on Downs
The Buckeyes managed touchdowns on their final two drives of the game, but the game was well out of reach by then. It goes to show that you never know what may swing things, but with Lanning's aggressive mentality, you can make your own luck a bit and steal some momentum on the road.
Flowers to the Defense
The start of this game wasn't great for the defense, admittedly. Ohio State scored touchdowns on two of its first three drives, and had 174 yards in the first quarter alone. However, the defense made some adjustments and was able to absolutely shut the Buckeyes down over the following three quarters.
Ohio State went from the end of the first quarter to the start of the fourth quarter with 40 total yards, as the Ducks' offense completely turned things around and blew the game wide open. True freshman Devin Jackson had a game-changing interception in the second quarter to swing things, and Oregon forced four consecutive turnovers on downs in the third quarter as Ohio State tried to push the envelope and get back into the game.
Most importantly, though, the Ducks were able to largely shut down Jeremiah Smith, the best player on the field coming into the game. He finished with 7 catches for 133 yards and one touchdown, but much of that production, including the touchdown, came in garbage time in the fourth quarter.
This Oregon defense is really looking as good as it was expected to look before the season started, and what's most impressive is that they can make mid-game adjustments and completely bow up after getting early looks from the opposing offense. As the Ducks continue to play meaningful games this month, the defense is going to have opportunities to change the season.
Raiola and Johnson are Enough
In order for the Ducks to be successful this year, they don't need Dylan Raiola to be amazing. They don't need A+ games each and every week. What they need is for him to be average, mistake-free, and get the ball to his playmakers. That's exactly what he did on Saturday, and it was more than enough against an Ohio State team that didn't appear to want to be on the field in the second half.
Raiola finished with 25 completions on 40 attempts, throwing for 257 yards, 2 TDs, and zero interceptions. He was calm and collected in the pocket thanks to a brilliant performance from the offensive line, and he was sacked zero times on the day. He delivered the ball downfield, didn't put it into jeopardy, and allowed the players around him to win the game with ease.
Similarly, new play-caller Jay Johnson called another great game, and he had this offense moving downfield with ease, calling a nice mix of intermediate passes and screens that kept the Buckeyes honest. With the two of those operating at this level, the ceiling is pretty high for the Ducks.
Dan's Aggressive Ways
A couple of weeks ago, Dan Lanning talked about his need to get back to the aggressiveness that has made him one of the best young coaches in the nation. In the last two wins, we've seen him do just that, and the results have been fantastic.
On Saturday, Lanning pulled out a couple of tricks in big moments, including a fake punt in his own territory that completely flipped the game on its head, which we discussed earlier. Later in the quarter, trailing 14-10, Oregon turned down a chance to kick an easy FG, making it 14-13 at the half, and instead went for it on 1st and goal from the 1.5-yard line with less than 5 seconds on the clock.
Jamari Johnson punched it in, Oregon took a lead into the break, and the rest was history, as the Ducks went on to score 38 unanswered points and get a blowout victory on the road. It's no coincidence that, since Lanning got back to his aggressive ways, the Ducks have started to look like the Ducks that we've come to know over the years.
The Rest of the Season
We started to discuss it a little bit last week after the win over Northwestern, but it's now time to have a serious conversation about what the rest of the season may look like for the Oregon Ducks.
This week, they will move up in the College Football Playoff rankings, and maybe by quite a bit. Their initial No. 23 ranking hinted at the fact that they may be able to get into the playoff even without a Big Ten Championship under their belt, and that's entirely possible, especially with how strong they have looked over the past two weeks. It appears that things have clicked in Eugene, and the committee is taking notice.
The Ducks very well could end up in the conference title game if things play out the right way, but I'm no longer convinced that's their only path to the postseason. With how well they're playing right now, I think the committee would give them a long, hard look at the playoffs as a 9-3 team, should they win out.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 5 takeaways from Oregon Ducks season-defining win over Ohio State
