When the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes typically meet on the football field, the stakes are often high. The Ducks and Buckeyes have battled in the regular season and in bowl games over the years, and the eyes of the nation are often watching.
Heading to Columbus for Oregon's first road conference matchup against the Buckeyes, the stakes are not quite what many expected of two of the top-ranked teams in the preseason, but conference title and College Football Playoff implications are still on the line. The Ducks can't afford another loss with their playoff hopes already slim, while the Buckeyes enter off a loss with a backup quarterback, suddenly throwing their playoff hopes into jeopardy.
Ohio State has a strong hold on the series history
over the Ducks, winning 10 of 12 matchups. That includes five wins in Columbus, where Oregon has emerged victorious just once. "The Shoe" has been a tough venue for the Ducks in the past, but both of Oregon's wins over the Buckeyes have come within the past three meetings.
Could the Ducks get back on the right side of history and start to narrow the gap in head-to-head matchups between the programs? Let's take a look back at how the matchup has unfolded over time and the history between the new budding conference rivals.
Buckeye Dominance
The first matchup between Ohio State and Oregon came in a famous venue: the Rose Bowl. In 1958, Ohio State won the Rose Bowl over the Ducks, 10-7, in a close battle in Pasadena, California. The Ducks had opportunities to win the game, but miscues plagued the first matchup between the programs. In the third quarter, Oregon kicker Jack Morris missed a 34-yard field goal attempt to take the lead, and in the fourth quarter, trailing by three, Ron Stover fumbled in Ohio State territory. The Ducks couldn't stage a game-winning drive and dropped the first matchup.
Surprisingly, Oregon quarterback Jack Crabtree still took home MVP honors for the Rose Bowl after throwing for 135 yards, which was a lot back then, and nearly pulling off the upset.
That began a streak of dominance for the Buckeyes in the series, as they won the first nine matchups against the Ducks. Between 1961 and 1987, Ohio State beat Oregon six more times. Only one of those games took place in Eugene, and the Buckeyes blanked the Ducks on their home field, winning 30-0 in 1967.
Many of those games were not very competitive. After the narrow victory in the Rose Bowl to begin the series, Ohio State's next seven wins against Oregon came by an average of 16.9 points. The programs met for the second time in the Rose Bowl in 2010, and the Ducks kept it close, but a second-half rally by the Buckeyes lifted them to a 26-17 victory.
Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount both ran for touchdowns, but the defense couldn't stop Terrelle Pryor, who threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 72 yards. He earned offensive MVP honors, while Oregon defensive end Kenny Rowe was crowned defensive MVP after matching a Rose Bowl record with three sacks.
Playoff Era
The postseason matchups between the Ducks and Buckeyes continued in 2015, but this time, it was for all the marbles. In the first season of the College Football Playoff, Oregon and Ohio State met in Arlington, Texas, to play for the national championship. Led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, the Ducks entered as slight favorites to win their first championship after blasting Florida State, 59-20, in the semifinal round, while Ohio State upset top-seed Alabama, 42-35.
Unfortunately, the Ducks once again couldn't slow down the Ohio State offense. Ezekiel Elliott ran wild, racking up 246 yards and four touchdowns on the ground to take home the championship with a 42-20 win. Mariota threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, but once again, the Ducks just couldn't keep up.
That loss hung over the Ducks program for some time. Oregon changed head coaches twice before meeting Ohio State again, moving on from Mark Helfrich in 2016 and hiring Willie Taggart, only to elevate Mario Cristobal to head coach the following season.
Oregon was a contender in the Pac-12 and won the conference twice under Cristobal in 2019 and 2020. The Ducks were scheduled to host Ohio State in 2020, but the COVID-19-shortened season meant the game was cancelled, while the Buckeyes went on to play in the national championship game that season.
In 2021, the Ducks and Buckeyes finally reunited in Columbus for what turned out to be one of the biggest wins in program history for Oregon. Without star defenders Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe, the Ducks marched into Ohio Stadium and took down the CJ Stroud-led Buckeyes, 35-28. It marked the Ducks' first road victory against a top-5 team since 2011.
Officially CJ Verdell week pic.twitter.com/ipzoL6DKMa
— Logan Brown (@LoganABrown) November 2, 2026
CJ Verdell scored three touchdowns and racked up 195 total yards, while Verone McKinley III snagged a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter. Anthony Brown led the Ducks at quarterback and threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon finally broke through with an unexpected win over the Buckeyes, and it began to turn the tide for the Ducks as a program.
Big Ten Battles
Oregon joined the Big Ten in 2024 and instantly circled an October matchup at Autzen Stadium against Ohio State as the moment to make a statement to the conference. Dillon Gabriel accounted for 373 yards and three touchdowns in a back-and-forth 32-31 victory over the Buckeyes in the first-ever top-5 showdown in Autzen Stadium history. Evan Stewart had his best game as a Duck with seven catches for 149 yards and a score.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard attempted to lead the Buckeyes into field goal range on the final drive. Dan Lanning infamously deployed 12 players on the field for a defensive snap to get a stop and run more clock, which eventually caused a rule change for how the clock operates late in games. On the next play, Howard scrambled and couldn't get down in time as the clock expired and fans stormed the field.
IT'S OVER. 🦆
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 13, 2024
NO. 3 OREGON TOPPLES NO. 2 OHIO STATE IN EUGENE. WHAT A GAME. pic.twitter.com/pzrROxapap
The Ducks went on to win the Big Ten that season and held the top seed in the new 12-team playoff, where they met Ohio State in the Rose Bowl for the third time. This time, the Buckeyes got their revenge, as Jeremiah Smith torched Oregon's defense for 192 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-21 blowout win that was over by halftime.
Several players from that game, including Smith, will take the field once again for the Ducks and Buckeyes this Saturday. Stewart, as well as Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti, Devon Jackson, Iapani Laloulu and more will seek revenge on Ohio State in their first game in "The Shoe" in Columbus.
Oregon and Ohio State's 13th matchup in series history will kick off this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PST and will air live on CBS.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Analyzing Oregon Ducks' series history vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
