3 bold predictions for No. 2 Ohio State versus No. 3 Oregon

A week on from one of college football’s wildest weekends in recent memory — seven top 25 teams lost, including five within the top 11 — the Big Ten takes center stage as Ohio State heads to the West Coast to square off against Oregon.

In what has turned into a top-three matchup, these footballing powers will be jostling for position atop the Big Ten standings, with expectations of a conference championship appearance on the horizon.

For Oregon, this fixture is assuredly its toughest of the regular season. If the Ducks are able to upset the Buckeyes at home, then Oregon will be well on its way to securing a Big Ten title game berth.

However, for Ohio State, this weekend’s game will be just the first of two expected top-five matchups on its schedule — the Buckeyes face No. 4 Penn State from Happy Valley on Nov. 2. In turn, OSU needs this result more than Oregon, considering the possible landmine still to come next month against the Nittany Lions.

So with that said, here are three bold predictions for Saturday night’s spectacle between Ohio State and Oregon.

1. Jeremiah Smith to snag 100 Receiving yards and a score

The Buckeyes boast the country’s best receiving corps led by soon-to-be NFL first-rounder Emeka Egbuka. However, it’s the true freshman Jeremiah Smith that I’m singling out this week.

Standing at 6-foot-3, 215 lbs, Smith is a physically imposing wideout. With that said, it's not just his Thor-like frame that wreaks havoc on defensive backs.  Smith possesses exceptional athleticism as the Florida native was a track star in high school as well — Smith won gold medals in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles at the FHSAA Class 1A Track & Field State Championships.

As a result, Smith was ranked as the top overall prospect for the 2024 class, according to 247Sports Composite.  Since arriving in Columbus, Smith has racked up 453 receiving yards and six touchdowns on just 23 receptions.  Thus, nearly every time he catches the ball, it's a chunk play for Ohio State — Smith is averaging 19.7 yards per reception.

For these reasons, I’m expecting Smith to shine under the national spotlight despite going up against an Oregon defense that ranks 10th nationally in opposing passing yards per game, according to TeamRankings — the Ducks are allowing just 160.5 passing yards per game. 

Hence, I’m predicting that OSU’s next great wideout, Jeremiah Smith, will amass 100 receiving yards and reach the endzone at least once.

1. Buckeyes to stymie Oregon’s ‘O’, Hold the Ducks to under 20 Pts

Whilst Oregon’s offensive prowess is noteworthy — the Ducks rank 9th amongst Power 4 schools in points per game (37.8 pts) — it pales in comparison to that of Ohio State’s defense. Head coach Ryan Day possesses perhaps a historically dominant defense. 

Nearly halfway through the regular season, the Buckeyes are allowing a small mackerel of points — OSU is giving up just 6.8 points per contest, which is the lowest total this century and rivals only Alabama’s National Championship squad from 2011-12 that gave up 7.1 points per game.

In addition to keeping its opponents out of the end zone, OSU ranks 5th in rushing yards allowed per game, 3rd in passing yards allowed per game, and is 1st in total yards allowed per game, according to TeamRankings.  Thus, the Buckeyes don’t just stop the opposition from reaching pay-dirt, OSU doesn’t allow its opponents to even get across midfield.

How is this level of superiority possible? Well, when you have a team, such as Ohio State, that possesses multiple five-star talents at each level of the defense — Jack Sawyer (DE), JT Tuimoloau (DE), Sonny Styles (LB), C.J. Hicks (LB), Caleb Downs (DB), Calvin Simpson-Hunt (DB) — the unit is going to produce some remarkable things.  

In total, the Buckeyes have 11 five-star defenders, which not all of them even start.  That’s thanks to the bevy of veteran four-star student-athletes that OSU has at its disposal, such as star defensive backs Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun, for example.  In turn, the defensive depth that OSU possesses is downright scary.

Furthermore, I’m taking Ohio State to stymie Dillon Gabriel’s quack attack.  OSU will keep the Ducks into the teens, which will be bad news for Oregon’s chances of securing the win inside the Autzen ‘Zoo’.

3. Buckeyes to cover (BetMGM: OSU -3.5)

As I’ve just waxed poetic about Brutus’ Buckeyes, it should come as no surprise that I’m picking THE Ohio State University to not only beat Oregon Saturday night from Eugene but also cover the spread of -3.5 points.  As aforementioned, this is a battle of the top 3 teams, however, the nation is about to witness just how impressive OSU actually is.

The Buckeyes will give the Ducks such a thumping that I wouldn’t be surprised to see OSU get bumped up to #1 in the polls come Sunday afternoon.  The overall talent of Ohio State’s roster is simply unmatched, and Oregon neither has the starting quality nor the depth to mitigate what is to come — a continuous onslaught, from start to finish.

Yup, this game is going to get ugly with lame ducks left all over the field.

• Watch: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Oregon | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC 
• Pregame: College GameDay (LIVE from Eugene, OR) | 9:00 a.m. ET | ESPN

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