Ohio State Will Win Showdown Against Oregon

Ohio State vs. Oregon, 7:30 ET

There has been a lot of excitement this season on the college grid iron, with some great games, some crazy surprises, and a lot of enjoyable moments to watch and bet on. There aren't a ton of matchups this weekend between top-25 teams, but there are a couple including this one. We have to wait until the evening for this one, but it should be fantastic. The #2 Ohio State Buckeyes take on the #3 Oregon Ducks tonight. 

Ohio State is almost always one of the top teams in the country and this year they continue to look like a dominant force in the Big Ten and someone that should be feared if they do eventually make the College Football Playoffs. So far this season, they are 5-0 and have looked great on both sides of the ball. Their first three games weren't against anyone overly impressive - they beat the Akron Zips to open the year 52-6. The next game was against Western Michigan and they once again rolled, winning 56-0. They played Marshall in their third game and this was the worst their defense performed, allowing a total of 14 points to their opponent, the only time they've allowed double-digits this season. In Big Ten action, they haven't had to play anyone great either. They beat Michigan State, a team that isn't anything special, 38-7. Last week they took down Iowa a team that usually is decent, but this year hasn't looked very good either. In this one the Buckeyes also won 35-7. For the year, the defense has allowed 34 points in five games. The Oregon offense should be better, but with a defense like this, it will at least make scoring difficult on the Ducks.

EUGENE, OREGON - OCTOBER 4: Quarterback Dillon Gabriel #8 of the Oregon Ducks runs for a touchdown during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans  at Autzen Stadium on October 4, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon.  (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

Oregon comes into this one as the third-ranked team in the country with a 5-0 record. The Ducks haven't had a much tougher schedule, but it has been harder than what Ohio State had to deal with. Oregon started the season facing Idaho and won relatively easy with a 24-14 victory. They had to escape with a win against Boise State, winning 37-34. They were down seven with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The ensuing kickoff, Oregon returned it for a touchdown before kicking a game-winning field goal as time expired. Against UCLA the team got a bit more on track with a 34-13 victory, the defense looked a bit better in this one. Last week they faced Michigan State and were able to win that one with a 31-10 victory. The Oregon offense looks very similar to what we get out of the Ohio State offense. The defense is the bigger issue. I think they are going to struggle to stop the Buckeyes. 

This game doesn't quite have the name recognition of Alabama vs. Georgia, but this is almost certainly the best game on the college schedule since that one. I think Ohio State's defense will likely come through in the clutch moments here. I do think Oregon's offense is likely to be the first to really challenge them, but I am not sure that their defense will make enough stops against Ohio State. I'm going to back the Buckeyes here to cover the short spread even as road favorites. 

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