The entire Ohio State football season comes down to this. If they don't win this game against the Ducks, they are almost certainly not going to make the College Football Playoff. This matchup with Oregon is the only remaining game they have against a ranked opponent on their schedule.
Oregon is ranked 23rd in the first CFP Rankings. Meanwhile, Ohio State is somehow ranked 12th. As the Buckeyes try to save their season, we have three bold predictions for this game, including what Luke Fahey will be able to do in his second start at quarterback.
1. Luke Fahey throws multiple touchdown passes
In his first start, Fahey was only able to throw for one touchdown. He threw that to Jeremiah Smith, which isn't surprising. Smith is the best player in the country, and getting him the ball as much as possible is smart. Fahey didn't play poorly, and the loss wasn't all on him.
Still, Ohio State can't be worse throwing the ball than they were last weekend against the Trojans. I think Fahey will throw multiple touchdowns in this game. Quite frankly, this should be part of the game plan. They can't let Fahey be as conservative as he was in his first game.
I expect Ryan Day and Arthur Smith to let Fahey let it loose a little more. With the game being at home, there is a better chance for him to be more comfortable letting it rip. Expect Fahey to throw the ball more often and to find the end zone at least a couple of times.
2. Ohio State has another major mess up from a running back
For my money, the most disappointing room on the team has been the running back room. This was supposed to be a room that had a lot of depth in it and was supposed to be improved from last year. Instead, it has produced poor results throughout the year.
Last week saw two huge moments of disappointment from running backs. Isaiah West had a horrendous fumble after catching a pass, which is just one of many mistakes he has made this year. Bo Jackson had an important drop that might have given them a touchdown had he caught it.
In this game against the Ducks, another running back will likely have a major blunder. It could be Legend Bey this week, although he doesn't get many carries anymore. I think it could be West, and he is on thin ice.
3. Ohio State finally gets a sack from its defensive line
The lack of sacks all year has been deeply troubling for the Buckeyes. That's especially true of the defensive line. Coming into this season, the lack of a true pass-rusher was a concern. That concern has come true, as the Buckeyes have just 11 total sacks this year. Of those 11, just 6.5 are from defensive linemen.
Last week, Ohio State failed to get a sack from anyone except Jermaine Mathews Jr. This week against the Ducks, a defensive lineman will finally be able to get a sack. I'm not sure who that will be, but someone will get to the quarterback.
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