Game of the Week Preview: Week 2
Article from @BlitzCFB
Oregon and Ohio State will collide in Columbus in one of the most anticipated non-conference games of the season
College Football is well underway. Both the Buckeyes and the Ducks started their respective seasons with a win. However, both teams showed some vulnerability in their game.
Ohio State opened last Thursday at Minnesota. The Golden Gophers offensive line and running game gave the Buckeyes a bit of trouble throughout the game. Minnesota ran for 203 yards on the Buckeyes.
Oregon struggled as well in Week 1. They were in a battle against one of the top group of 5 teams this season: Fresno State. The Bulldogs out gained Oregon by 19 yards. 304 of Fresno’s 379 yards were through the air.
This will be a critical game in the playoff race. The team that wins will be able to add a quality win onto their playoff resume. Oregon will especially benefit from this due to the Pac 12 being the weaker conference and being on the road.
Oregon offense vs Ohio State defense
Oregon will need their offensive line to play well. Ohio State really struggled against Minnesota’s offensive line, which resulted in Mo Ibrahim exploding for 163 yards. That will be a tough task for a relatively young Oregon offensive line. Ohio State has a solid defensive line led by Haskell Garrett. Oregon QB Anthony Brown also has to step up his game. Ohio State has some solid players in the secondary with Sevyn Banks and Josh Proctor. They will be matched up with Johnny Johnson III and Mycah Pittman. Oregon also has a few options at running back with CJ Verdell and Travis Dye. Overall, I think Oregon will struggle to score points. Minnesota has a better offensive line and running game than Oregon. I don’t think that the Ducks offense is explosive enough to score more than 3 touchdowns.
Ohio State offense vs Oregon defense
The most intriguing storyline here is if Kayvon Thibodeaux will even play. He is a real game changer. Thibodeaux will be one of the top picks in the NFL Draft. If he does play, the Buckeyes offensive line will have to double team Thibodeaux, and CJ Stroud will have to worry about him. If he doesn’t play, the Buckeyes offense will have an easier time against the Oregon defense. Quarterback CJ Stroud struggled early against Minnesota, but he found his rhythm. He also has way more weapons then Oregon does at his disposal. Jeremy Ruckert, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Master Teague and Miyan Williams in the run game. Kayvon Thibodeaux is Oregon’s only hope in stopping this Ohio State offense.
What will happen
In my opinion, Oregon was overrated in all of the preseason polls. They don’t have enough weapons offensively to keep up with Ohio State’s offense. However, they might have the best player in the country in Kayvon Thibodeaux, assuming he even plays. Oregon will hang around in the first half before Ohio State pulls away and wins convincingly at home.
Prediction: Oregon 21-42 Ohio State (OSU -14.5 & UNDER 63.5)
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