The stakes aren't the same as many predicted in the preseason, but the matchup is no less enticing in Columbus this weekend. The Oregon Ducks might have found an identity on offense to take into a challenging road matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes, which is playing in wounded animal mode moving forward.
The Ducks might be out of the playoff race, but there is still a slim path to the Big Ten title game with a win over the Buckeyes. Meanwhile, for the first time in the 12-team playoff era, Ohio State is fighting for its life to make the playoff following an exposing loss at USC last week.
Oregon can learn plenty from last week's offensive explosion against Northwestern, as Dylan Raiola found success heaving the ball downfield to Dakorien
Moore and his various weapons in the second half. Ohio State's defense was pushed around in the trenches last week, and the Trojans took advantage with several chunk plays in the air and on the ground.
That doesn't mean Ohio State's defense has suddenly worsened, but it does provide a blueprint for how the Ducks can win on the road. Heading into "The Shoe," where the Ducks won in upset fashion back in 2021, Dan Lanning will need to have a terrific game plan to topple the Buckeyes' defense.
Let's take a look at what Ohio State does on defense schematically, who to look out for, and what the Ducks might be able to do to put points on the board.
What does Ohio State do well on defense?
Matt Patricia's defenses are typically focused on disguises and versatility, and that's true for the Buckeyes this season. Ohio State often operates out of a 4-2-5 look, but also shifts into 3-man fronts to play with more help on the back end. What you see up front is often what you get, as Patricia is not known for being a heavy blitzer, rather trusting his down linemen and edge rushers to get the job done.
The Buckeyes have a great secondary, which has helped the defense rank 11th-best in the nation by allowing just 15.5 points per game. Ohio State is top-20 in the country against both the run and pass, despite a rough week on the road against USC. Patricia typically calls a split-field defense with different coverages, and the number of safeties on the field is usually important. Ohio State runs plenty of three-high safety looks and disguises a Cover 2 or Cover 3 look, while building off a Tampa 2 coverage underneath.
Ohio State allows just 95.8 rushing yards per game thanks to strong play from its interior defensive line and linebackers, which has forced many teams to turn to a dropback passing offense to compete.
Players to Know
DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
There is no shortage of talent along Ohio State's defensive line, but the unit as a whole doesn't have the sack production that one might expect. Still, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. leads the Buckeyes with three sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss this season, often getting pressure off the edge and forcing quarterbacks into mistakes. Ohio State doesn't blitz often, but one of their goals is likely to get some heat on Raiola and force him to turn the ball over, so Jackson is likely to be a key part of that plan.
S Jaylen McClain
One of Ohio State's returning All-Big Ten performers from a season ago, Jaylen McClain has picked up where he left off. McClain has 37 tackles, one sack and a team-leading two interceptions this season. He also has four deflections, and his active hands are often breaking up downfield shots. He and Earl Little Jr., Ohio State's other starting safety and leading tackler, are both forces against the run as well and sound tacklers.
CB/NB Jermaine Mathews
Jermaine Mathews will be a guy to keep track of on the Ohio State defense, simply by where he lines up. The Buckeyes might be without freshman Jay Timmons, who has been outstanding from the nickel this season. Mathews can play there as well, but he is primarily an outside corner. Ohio State struggled to stop explosive plays from the slot against USC, meaning Evan Stewart could take advantage of the matchup if Mathews is on the perimeter with Moore.
Are the Ducks built to score on Ohio State?
If the Ducks play as aggressively as they did against Northwestern, absolutely. Yes, Ohio State's defense is a caliber above that of Northwestern, but these are two of the most talent-rich rosters in the country according to recruiting metrics. Oregon has the players to score on the Buckeyes, but they have to be willing to go shot-for-shot if it comes to that.
Look at it in this perspective: Oregon pushed USC around in the trenches when they won in Los Angeles on Sept. 26. Last week in a loss in Los Angeles, the Buckeyes were bullied up front. Oregon's offensive line has changed since then, and maybe even improved, while Ohio State is still without a reliable pass rush to prevent big plays. The Buckeyes had not allowed many big plays this season until USC exposed their physicality in the trenches and unloaded downfield. The Ducks could do something similar, but they will need to be physical and show that they can run the ball first.
Ohio State has some nice depth at linebacker as well, with Payton Pierce, Christian Alliegro and Riley Pettijohn patrolling the middle of the defense. However, the production has been inconsistent at times, with Pierce often falling victim to missed tackles and giving up extra yardage. If the Ducks can get a linebacker in space, that could be an edge.
Oregon has put together many long scoring drives, which can work, but Ohio State has been fine in the red zone this season. As the field shrinks, it might be better to try to score faster as the Trojans did. USC relied on chunk plays and played physical on defense, which could be a very familiar winning game plan for the Ducks this week.
What should we expect?
Mathews and Devin Sanchez are physical players on the perimeter, and they are going to get hands on Oregon's wideouts. Playing through contact and being aggressive is a must on the road this week, especially to help Raiola build more confidence early in the game.
Raiola is the X-factor once again for Oregon, and how he responds to adversity will be telling. Lanning noted that Raiola feeds on his own confidence, and as he connected on more and more shot plays against Northwestern, he only played better down the stretch. Whereas in games against UCLA and Illinois, a couple of mistakes early and a lack of success downfield, or willingness to do so, folded Raiola in quickly.
Although Ohio State doesn't blitz much, I think this could be a week where the Buckeyes go against the grain and try to speed Raiola up early on to frazzle him and force him into mistakes. Ohio State can do that even with an extra defensive back on the field, but they do need to have an impact on Raiola to avoid those downfield shots. For Oregon, the Ducks need to remain aggressive, but also line up their shots as they did in the win in 2024, drawing safeties in with the run game before dropping the hammer on big throws downfield and catching the pass rush in a lull.
It's hard to forecast what Oregon's running game will look like given the injuries in the backfield and the big test for the offensive line that has struggled at times this season. Whether or not Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. are able to play will matter, but I do think Brandon Smith's combination of power and shiftiness is a good matchup against the Ohio State linebacker group if he gets to the second level.
Lanning treated the first matchup in 2024 against the Buckeyes as a boxing match, wearing the Ohio State defense down into a particular game plan before throwing the hook and landing the knockout punch. I think Oregon, despite some of the questions up front and at quarterback, has the tools to follow a similar script and win against this Ohio State defense, which was exposed a week ago.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What should the Oregon Ducks expect from Ohio State's defense?
