This game was supposed to be the biggest game of the college football season. The Oregon Ducks were ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll, and the Ohio State Buckeyes were ranked No. 1. 12 weeks later, the game that will be taking place on Saturday in Ohio Stadium looks nothing like the one that was billed. After the Buckeyes' most recent loss, this game is now a battle of two teams looking to save their respective seasons. Let's preview the game with some stats and historical facts.
Tale of the tape - Ohio State offense vs Oregon defense
2026 (national rank) | Oregon | Ohio State |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 21.4 (47) | 36.6 (19) |
Yards per game | 341.8 (52) | 474.8 (11) |
Yards per play | 5.2 (46) | 6.8 (14) |
Rushing yards/attempt | 3.8 (51) | 4.1 (90) |
Passing yards/attempt | 6.7 (47) | 10.1 (2) |
Red zone efficiency | 46.15% (19) | 62.2% (67) |
Turnovers per game | 1.5 (29) | 1.1 (41) |
Tale of the tape - Oregon offense vs Ohio State defense
2026 (national rank) | Oregon | Ohio State |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 33.3 (38) | 15.5 (13) |
Yards per game | 425.4 (36) | 273.5 (11) |
Yards per play | 6.1 (44) | 4.5 (12) |
Rushing yards/attempt | 4.25 (79) | 3.25 (22) |
Passing yards/attempt | 7.9 (45) | 5.6 (5) |
Red zone efficiency | 65.7% (47) | 50% (24) |
Turnovers per game | 1.6 (116) | 1.4 (44) |
Series History
This is the 13th meeting all-time between Oregon and Ohio State. The Buckeyes lead the series 10-2. The most recent matchup was in the 2025 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, where the eight-seed Buckeyes beat the one-seed Ducks 41-21.
Their most recent matchup in the regular season was in 2024, when No. 3 Oregon beat No. 2 Ohio State 32-31 at Autzen Stadium. That is also the only time these two have faced each other in the regular season as conference opponents. The last time they played each other in Ohio Stadium was in 2021, when No. 12 Oregon beat No. 3 Ohio State 42-35.
This will be the 9th time Oregon and Ohio State have met in the regular season. Ohio State is 6-2 in those games. This is the 7th time they will play in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes are 5-1 against the Ducks at home. This is the 5th time a ranked Ohio State has played a ranked Oregon. The Buckeyes are 3-2 in those games. This will be the 5th consecutive game where the Ducks and the Buckeyes have squared off as ranked teams.
Ohio State is looking to improve to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in Big Ten play. It would be their 15th consecutive non-COVID season that the Buckeyes have achieved those numbers. The Buckeyes are looking to avoid their third regular season loss for the first time since 2011. Oregon is looking to avoid falling to 5-4 overall, which would be their worst start to a non-COVID season since 2017. Two of Oregon's three Big Ten losses have come this season.
Coaching matchup
This is the third matchup between Ryan Day and Dan Lanning as head coaches. They split the first two, with each game taking place during the 2024 season. Ryan Day is 1-2 overall against the Oregon Ducks.
Since 2019, Ohio State is 27-11 against ranked opponents. They've won eight of their last nine games against ranked Big Ten opponents, with the one loss being against No. 2 Indiana in the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game. Oregon is 21-13 against ranked opponents over that same time period, and 14-9 against teams ranked in the top 15.
Since 2019, Ohio State is 30-2 against Big Ten opponents at home. Michigan is the only Big Ten team to win in Columbus since Michigan State did it in 2015. They are 11-2 against ranked teams at home. Over that same time period, Oregon is 24-8 on the road in conference play. They are 6-3 against ranked teams on the road, and 5-1 against teams in the top 15, with the one loss being at No. 7 Washington in 2023.
Since 2012, Ohio State is 24-9 in games where they are favored by less than one score. Over that same time period, Oregon is 8-14 when they are underdogs by less than one score.
Ohio State is 13-2 against current FBS teams from the state of Oregon. Oregon is 3-10 against current FBS teams from the state of Ohio. Their only game against a non-OSU team from the Buckeye State was a 2018 win over Bowling Green.
Ohio State is 40-9-1 when hosting teams from the Pacific Time Zone. Oregon is 12-11-1 when traveling to the Eastern Time Zone for a road game. They have won their last 5 games in the Eastern Time Zone, dating back to a 2014 loss at Michigan State.
Saturday's game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be broadcast nationally on CBS. Since 2023, this is the 8th time Ohio State will play in that window. They have won each of the first six. This is Oregon's 11th time in that window, and they have a record of 8-2.
Odds, similar games, and prediction
Ohio State is a 7-point favorite on Saturday per DraftKings. This is an incredibly rare kind of game, as Ohio State is a one-score favorite at home against an unranked team. It is hard to find a game similar to this one.
I expect a much better performance from the Buckeyes in Luke Fahey's second game. If the offensive line can protect him, I expect a big game from the Buckeye offense. I expect that could be a bit of a struggle, but I think the Buckeye defense will be able to hold Oregon down without Dante Moore. Buckeyes bounce back and keep their playoff hopes alive with a 24-16 win.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Add us as a preferred source on Google