The Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes were ready to silence the doubters on Saturday. Both teams have gotten off to undefeated starts but have struggled against inferior opponents. This matchup was an opportunity to show the nation what they could do. It did not disappoint. The whole game was a back-and-forth struggle, but the Ducks came out on top after some late-game dramas.
Oregon Ducks Vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Recap
Ohio State came out firing, taking a 14-6 lead in the early stages of the second quarter. That was the biggest lead held by either team for the rest of the game. At the half, the Oregon Ducks had taken a 22-21 lead. The teams traded blows in the second half. Ohio State scored the only points in the third quarter as freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith caught another touchdown pass. After losing the lead, the Buckeyes took the lead with six minutes left.
The Oregon Ducks drove down the field but were held to a field goal with 1:47 left on the clock. All the Buckeyes had to do was kick a field goal, and they would escape Eugene with a win. It looked like Ryan Day was finally going to get a huge win against a top-five team, but then some late-game mistakes hurt Ohio State.
Late Game Gaffes
With 34 seconds left and sitting at their own 46, Will Howard hit Emeka Egbuka for 26 yards. This set up the team at the Oregon 28 with a fresh set of downs and one timeout to spare. The mistakes then took over. Two plays later, Smith was called for offensive pass interference, which backed the Buckeyes up 15 yards. With six seconds left and a timeout, Ohio State had one more opportunity to get closer to make the field goal easier.
In a truly baffling play, Howard seemingly forgot how much time was left on the clock. His first read was not there, so he tucked it and ran. However, he did not slide in time, and the clock hit zero before the team could take their final timeout. The Kansas State transfer put both hands on his helmet in disbelief as the Oregon Ducks stormed the field in celebration. While this game will be remembered for the late-game mistakes, both quarterbacks put on quite a show.
Epic Quarterback Battle
Outside of the last play, Howard was fantastic for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was 28-35 for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Howard added another score on the ground. Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel was also fantastic. He was 23-34 for 341 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 32 yards and another score. Nothing seemed to rattle the signal callers in this game. There were plenty of momentum swings. The Ducks missed a field goal and flubbed an extra point. Ohio State fumbled early in the game to give the Ducks a short field.
Both teams showed they can stay composed in big games. While this will go down as a loss for Ohio State, they proved they are one of the best teams in the country. With the expanded College Football Playoff, a loss like this doesn’t end the dreams of a national championship. If this is their only loss, the Buckeyes will likely be a shoo-in for an at-large bid.
The Oregon Ducks claim a huge win for their resume. They are one of three Big Ten teams that are still undefeated joining Indiana and Penn State. There is still a lot of season left to be played and this season has shown that no opponent can be overlooked. This matchup lived up to the hype, and many fans hope to see it again later in the season.
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