Ohio State: 5 things to know about Oregon ahead of OSU matchup

The good news for Ohio State and Oregon is that each highly regarded program will go into their meeting on Saturday with a 1-0 record. The bad news is that each had to struggle to make it there.

While OSU trailed in the third quarter before pulling away from Minnesota on Thursday, Oregon had the opposite situation on Saturday against Fresno State. The Ducks jumped to a 21-6 lead moments before halftime, but then trailed 24-21 before rallying to a 31-24 win on Saturday. Aside from the fact that both teams struggled but survived Week 1, here are some other things to know about Oregon.

What can Brown do?

Senior QB Anthony Brown led Oregon back late in Week 1, passing for 172 yards and rushing for 56 more. Brown did have two fumbles during the game, losing one. Still, on the Ducks’ game-winning drive, he got Oregon out of a long yardage situation after a holding penalty with a 32-yard pass, and then finished the drive with a 30-yard touchdown run on 4th and 2.

Is it running?

One of the intriguing matchups of the game will be OSU’s vulnerable run defense (which Mohamed Ibrahim exploited for 163 yards before an injury forced him from the game) against Oregon rushers C.J. Verdell (1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019) and Travis Dye (over 1,900 career rushing yards). Both were solid, although unexceptional, against Fresno State, totaling 31 carries for 138 yards, with each scoring a touchdown.

Thibodeaux Injury issue

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is a potential game-changer, a 6-foot-5, 258-pound pass rushing standout … if he can play against the Buckeyes. Thibodeaux had to leave the Fresno State game after the first half with a left ankle injury, and was seen later in a walking boot. While Oregon coach Mario Cristobal spoke optimistically of Thibodeaux’s return, the sophomore is the kind of pressure defender who could make life difficult for C.J. Stroud — again, if he can play.

Defending the pass

Oregon struggled with Fresno State’s passing game, allowing Bulldogs QB Jake Haener to go 30 for 43 passing for 298 yards and a touchdown. The Ducks did sack Haener 4 times and forced him to fumble twice. Still, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson should be excited about facing a defense that allowed plenty of intermediate passing completions in Oregon’s first game.

History on OSU’s side

The all-time series between Ohio State and Oregon sits at 9-0 for the Buckeyes. The last meeting came in 2015, when the Buckeyes claimed their most recent national title with a 42-20 victory over the Ducks in the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game. OSU is 5-0 all-time against Oregon in Columbus, and has allowed just 45 points over those 5 games. Ohio State is 62-26-2 all-time against the current Pac-12 teams. The Buckeyes have never lost to Utah, Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington State or Oregon. On the other hand, OSU has a losing record all-time against Stanford (2-3) and Southern Cal (10-13-1).

Joe Cox

Veteran college writer Joe Cox covers Ohio State and college basketball for Saturday Tradition.