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Oregon AD says playing Ohio State presents great opportunity for Ducks, Pac-12
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The college football world is circling that nonconference showdown between Oregon and Ohio State as one of the best matchups of the season. Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens views it as a major opportunity.
Last year, the two teams were scheduled to meet in Eugene for a fun nonconference showdown between a pair of highly-ranked teams. The COVID-19 pandemic forced that game to be canceled, and since the two schools have rescheduled a home-and-home series for 2032 and 2033.
Still, the Buckeyes and Ducks will meet in Columbus this year on Saturday, Sept. 11. Speaking on SiriusXM Radio, Mullens explained why it’s such an important opportunity for Oregon to play Ohio State.
“This league has won more national championships when you combine all sports, than anybody,” Mullens said, as transcribed by 247Sports. “But at the end of the day, because of the visibility of football, that carries a disproportionate share of all of these college conferences. We have to take advantage of our opportunities. A lot of those come in the postseason, but we’re going to have some great opportunities in the non-conference segment this fall. We’ll have one, even though its game two and we’re focused on game one Ryan….but the chance to take a trip to Ohio State, we would’ve loved to have them last year, but the chance to go out and compete against what many believe will be a top three, top five team on the road, will give us a chance to show what Pac-12 football is like.”
Oregon’s last trip to the College Football Playoff came after the 2014 season. The Ducks lost to Ohio State in the national championship, as the Buckeyes claimed the first title in the era of the new format.
Already, Vegas has released the spread for the game, with the Buckeyes favored by 13 points.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB