Preview: Ohio State Hosts Oregon in Biggest Non-Conference Game of 2021 Season As Fans Return to Ohio Stadium – Eleven Warriors

In a game that’s been anticipated all offseason long, Ohio State will play Oregon in its biggest non-conference game of the 2021 season on Saturday at noon. While the Buckeyes were unable to travel to Eugene last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ducks are still making the trip to Columbus this year for a clash between the highest-ranked teams in the Big Ten and Pac-12.

They’ll play in front of an Ohio Stadium crowd that will include members of the general public for the first time in 658 days. For the first time since the Buckeyes’ final home game of the 2019 season against Penn State on Nov. 23, 2019, Ohio State will welcome fans back to the Shoe for a regular-season football game on Saturday after attendance was limited to family and friends of players during the 2020 season.

Considering all of that, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are hoping for a raucous environment in Columbus on Saturday. Teradja Mitchell wants Ohio State fans to break the loudest stadium record. Taron Vincent hopes the Shoe is “rocking” so loud that Oregon “can’t even hear their snap count.” And Day believes the Ohio State fan base can make a real difference in Saturday’s game.

“We need Buckeye Nation in this game,” Day said. “This is a very, very big game for our program. And we need them to be loud. Especially on third down. We need to be loud when they have the ball. The last game that we played here was when Penn State played, and that was as loud as I’ve heard it. And we need that same type of environment. And it’s gotta be an advantage for us. If we can force them into a silent count, then that’s an advantage for us. And I think the louder and the more we can feel this crowd, the better we’re gonna play.”

On the field, the Buckeyes will face one of their biggest challenges of the regular season as they go against an Oregon squad that’s expected to contend for its third consecutive Pac-12 title this season.

“It’s a very, very good team that’s coming in here with a lot of good players, and so it is a major challenge,” Day said. “When you combine good scheme and you combine really good players, that’s what you have here. And so this is a big challenge for our team.”

RELATED Five Things to Know About Oregon Before Saturday’s Top-15 Matchup with Ohio State

The Headlines

Two Top-12 Teams

Going into the season, Oregon was the highest-ranked opponent on Ohio State’s regular-season schedule. Penn State leapfrogged Oregon after the opening weekend of games, as the Nittany Lions earned a ranked win over Wisconsin while the Ducks eked out a 31-24 win over Fresno State, but on a schedule that currently includes no other ranked opponents, Oregon stands out as one of the best teams Ohio State will play all year.

No, the Ducks weren’t particularly impressive in their season opener – they were actually outgained by 15 yards (373 to 358) against Fresno State – and Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal says his players know they’re going to need to play much better on Saturday to have a chance to beat Ohio State.

“Any time you go on the road and you play a great football team, nothing but your best is going to be good enough, and our guys understand that,” Cristobal said. 

That said, the Ducks have enough talent to compete with any team in the country. According to 247Sports’ Team Talent Composite, which ranks teams based on how much cumulative talent they’ve recruited, Oregon is the ninth-most talented team in college football this year; no other team Ohio State will play during the regular season is ranked higher than 15th (Michigan).

“They’ve recruited really well. They’re very, very athletic,” Day said. “They have power, they have strength, they have toughness, but they also have speed and athleticism.”

Given both teams’ status as frontrunners in their respective conferences, Saturday’s game could also have major College Football Playoff implications for both teams. The winner of the game will have one of the season’s biggest non-conference wins on its resume, but the loser will likely need to go undefeated the rest of the way to make the CFP.

Another Test for Stroud, Defense

After throwing the first passes of his Ohio State career last week at Minnesota, C.J. Stroud will have another new experience on Saturday when he makes his first start at Ohio Stadium. 

Although Stroud threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors in his debut start in Minneapolis, most of that yardage came from a quartet of big plays, so Ohio State will be looking for more consistent execution from its new quarterback this week. The Buckeyes might need him to be more consistent against an Oregon defense that Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said “will be as fast a team as we play all year.”

“Going on the road, playing in front of fans, being the starter, throwing a pass in a game, all those things; throwing your first interception, throwing your first touchdown, those were all new things for him,” Day said of Stroud’s first start. “So any time those things are new like that, there’s a toll that’s taken. So once it’s behind you, then you can grow upon that and use it as a reference point, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

C.J. Stroud will make his first start in Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

Like Stroud, Ohio State’s defense also remains under the microscope entering the Buckeyes’ second game of the season. The questions that surrounded the defense all offseason have only gotten louder after Minnesota scored 31 points on 408 yards – 205 through the air and 203 on the ground – against Ohio State last week.

Minnesota presented a unique matchup with its run-heavy offense – which included putting as many as seven offensive linemen on the field at times – and the Buckeyes’ defense had seven first-time starters in that game, so some growing pains should have been expected. Things won’t necessarily get any easier this week, though, as the Buckeyes face an Oregon offense with a dual-threat quarterback in Anthony Brown and a wider array of playmakers.

“We have a laundry list of things that we need to do better and improve on,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs said this week. “We gotta tackle better, we gotta leverage the ball better, we gotta make sure that we continue to limit explosive plays.”

The health of Ohio State’s secondary going into Saturday’s game also remains in question, as projected starting cornerbacks Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown were both sidelined for the Minnesota game while free safety Josh Proctor suffered an injury in the fourth quarter against the Gophers. All of them were seen coming off the practice field during Ohio State’s media interviews on Wednesday, though, suggesting that all of them have been working toward trying to play this week.

Fans Return to the Shoe

No matter who Ohio State was playing on Saturday, this game would have been highly anticipated because of the pageantry that will surround it. After a season of playing games in mostly empty stadiums, Saturday will mark the return of the environment that makes games at Ohio Stadium truly special, as fans will be back in the stands while The Best Damn Band in the Land, Brutus and cheerleaders will be back on the field.

Ohio Stadium might not actually be full on Saturday, as Ohio State still had tickets available as of Thursday afternoon. Nonetheless, Day is confident there will be no shortage of energy inside the Shoe on Saturday regardless of whether or not attendance tops 100,000.

“I know there are so many people who are going to be dying to go into that Shoe and see the band and see us run out of that tunnel and obviously cheer on the Buckeyes and be together for a weekend,” Day said. “I think that’s something that everybody misses around here, and I know there’s a lot of people looking forward to it.”

Even if it comes up short of a sellout, Ohio State is expecting to at least have more than 90,000 fans in the Shoe on Saturday, and is encouraging fans attending Saturday’s game to get to the game early due to traffic and parking changes created by construction in the campus area. For more information on everything you need to know if you’re attending Saturday’s game, visit ohiostatebuckeyes.com.

RELATED Presser Bullets: Gene Smith, Ohio State Department of Athletics Discuss Ticket Changes, Stadium Protocol Ahead of Home Opener

Keep An Eye on These Guys

DE Kayvon Thibodeaux

Whether Thibodeaux will play and how healthy he will be if he does play remains a major question going into Saturday’s game. Cristobal has described Thibodeaux’s status as “day-to-day” after he sprained his ankle against Fresno State, so a final decision on whether he will play may not be made until Saturday morning.

Considering that Thibodeaux is widely considered to be the best college football defensive end since Chase Young played for Ohio State two years ago, his status could make a major impact on Saturday’s game. If he’s unable to play or isn’t close to 100 percent, that could be a big break in Ohio State’s favor. If he is on the field and playing at full speed, however, Ohio State will need to account for his elite playmaking ability at all times.

The Buckeyes said this week that they are preparing as if Thibodeaux, who was ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the recruiting class of 2019 and had a strip sack in the Fresno State game before he got hurt, is going to play on Saturday.

“He creates a lot of disruption. Very strong. He sees things fast. Changes direction. He just has a knack for the ball. So it’s a big challenge for our guys,” Day said. “We’ve played against good players before, but he is very, very talented, and probably one of the best players in the country. So we’re going to have to make sure that we know where he is, and have a good plan for him.”

LBs Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe

While Thibodeaux is the Ducks’ biggest star, he’s not the only five-star recruit on their defense. Flowe and Sewell were ranked as the top two inside linebackers in the recruiting class of 2020, and both sophomores also have the potential to make game-breaking plays on Saturday.

Sewell became an immediate star for the Ducks last season, when he led Oregon with 45 total tackles in just seven games and was named the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. Flowe, who was sidelined by a torn meniscus in 2020, broke out in a big way against Fresno State with a 14-tackle performance that earned him Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors.

#Pac12FB Freshman of the Week, presented by @Nextiva: Justin Flowe.

Full release https://t.co/KMLX9yZhP9#GoDucks | @oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/OFmQ56Tqg7

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 7, 2021

Both of them will present challenges to Ohio State’s offense on Saturday, particularly in the running game, where they’ll test the Buckeyes’ ability to block athletes in space.

“Justin Flowe, he’s flying around all over the place,” Wilson said. “Sewell’s a great linebacker. They’ve got guys that can run.”

RB CJ Verdell

For the second week in a row to begin the season, Ohio State will face off with an experienced veteran running back who can be considered one of the best in college football. After giving up 163 yards and two touchdowns in just three quarters against Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim last week, Oregon’s CJ Verdell could also be a threat to have a big game against the Buckeyes if they don’t tackle better.

Verdell had just 285 rushing yards in five games last season, but topped 1,000 yards for the Ducks in both 2018 and 2019. Although he’s not the biggest back at 5-foot-8 and 211 pounds, he’s a tough, powerful runner who also has the speed and explosiveness to make big plays, as evidenced by his 17-career runs of 20-plus yards.

He’s one of two senior running backs in Oregon’s backfield along with Travis Dye, who’s also rushed for more than 1,900 yards over his Ducks career, and stopping that one-two punch should be priority No. 1 for Ohio State’s defense on Saturday. Brown was unspectacular as a passer in Oregon’s season opener, completing 15 of 24 passing attempts for 172 yards against Fresno State, so while major questions remain about Ohio State’s pass defense, the Ducks will likely look to lean on their ground game as much as possible in Columbus.

RELATED Across The Field: Q&A with Oregon Beat Writer James Crepea on Ohio State’s Marquee Non-Conference Opponent of 2021

Game Week Talk

“If you’re a real competitor, you always want to test yourself against the very best, and Ohio State’s an elite program from top to bottom.”– Mario Cristobal

Considering that Ohio State didn’t play at Oregon last year and the Buckeyes are favored to win this year’s game, one could question whether playing Ohio State in Columbus is really in the Ducks’ best interest. Cristobal, however, says his players are excited for the challenge.

“That’s probably in the top three of places I’ve coached throughout 24 years … You’re down there, and the stands seem like they go straight up in the air forever.”– Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead on the challenge of playing at Ohio Stadium

Moorhead was Penn State’s offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017, so he knows what it’s like to coach in the Shoe. He was also complimentary of Buckeye Nation, describing the Ohio State crowd as “a very intelligent and passionate fanbase who can get really loud at times.”

“I’m a big noon guy. I wake up excited, I’m just ready to roll and that noon game allows you to just get in there and get to it and get the pads popping.”– Ohio State safety Bryson Shaw

Many Ohio State fans – and even more Oregon fans, considering how early they’ll have to get up on the West Coast – wish Saturday’s game was a night game, but Shaw (who could play a big role if Proctor is out or limited on Saturday) will be revved up for the Big Noon Kickoff.

Get Smart

• Ohio State has a 9-0 all-time record against Oregon. In the last meeting between the two teams at the end of the 2014 season, the Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 42-20 to win the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
• This will be the sixth time Ohio State hosts Oregon at Ohio Stadium. The last meeting between the Buckeyes and Ducks in the Shoe was in 1987, when Ohio State won 24-14.
• Ohio State has won its last seven consecutive games against Pac-12 opponents. Its last loss against a Pac-12 team came in 2009, when the Buckeyes suffered an 18-15 loss to USC in their second game of that year.
• Saturday’s game will kick off the 100th season of Ohio State football at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes enter 2021 with an all-time record of 453-112-20 at the Shoe.
• Ohio State has won 40 of its last 42 home openers. The Buckeyes’ only home-opener losses since 1979 were their loss to Virginia Tech in the second game of 2014 and their loss to Oklahoma in the second game of 2017.
• Ohio State’s status report of unavailable players will be released at 9 a.m. Saturday.

How It Plays Out

Line: Ohio State -14.5, O/U 63.5

Even though Ohio State only beat Minnesota by 14 points in its season opener, the Buckeyes are favored to beat their first ranked opponent of the season by more than 14 points. And most members of our staff here at Eleven Warriors believe Ohio State will cover the spread.

Thibodeaux’s injury is certainly a factor in Ohio State being favored to win by two scores, as is the Ducks’ disappointing performance in their season opener. Playing in front of a home crowd in Columbus at 9 a.m. Pacific Time could also give the Buckeyes an edge, while Stroud and Ohio State’s new defensive starters should also be more ready to play now that they have a game under their belts.

Still, this isn’t a game that should be chalked up as an easy win for the Buckeyes. The Ducks will presumably be sharper in their second game of the year, too, and they have more all-around talent than Minnesota. Ohio State’s defense still appears to be vulnerable, and Oregon’s athleticism on defense will test the Buckeyes’ offense in ways that Minnesota didn’t.

The Buckeyes are more explosive than Oregon offensively, and that could ultimately be the difference that allows Ohio State to pull away and win the game by multiple scores. They might not be able to rely on the big play as much as they did against the Gophers, though. To beat their first ranked opponent of the year, winning the turnover battle and controlling the field position battle will be key, and the Buckeyes know they have to be prepared to go win the game in the fourth quarter if necessary.

“We have to play with unbelievable effort, and in order to do that, it’s going to take four quarters,” Day said. “We have to understand that it’s not just gonna happen in the first five minutes of the game. We’re in for a battle here for 60 minutes.”