Big Ten Football Game of the Week: No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 2 Ohio State

The biggest game of the year in the Big Ten also means the birth of a new conference rivalry.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Thursday he still wasn't sure who would call the OSU defense after the Buckeyes failed to contain CJ Verdell and the Oregon Ducks in a 35-28 loss. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"The Game" usually refers to Michigan and Ohio State's annual rivalry game at the end of the year. But this year, "The Game" is coming a lot sooner and does not feature Michigan.

The biggest game of the year in the Big Ten and possibly all of college football takes place Saturday between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon. The Ducks are hosting the Buckeyes in what should be a game to remember in Autzen Stadium. The Buckeyes are a three-point favorite on the road, but the Ducks rarely lose at home, with their last home loss coming to Washington in 2022.

It will also be the first top-five matchup in Autzen Stadium history, as hard as that may be to believe. It will be the first real test Ohio State has had this season, as all their other games have been decided by at least 28 points. The Buckeyes have also not played an opponent who has been ranked at any point this year. Meanwhile, the Ducks have played only one top-25 caliber team when they beat Boise State 37-34. The Ducks looked shaky early in the season but seem to be firing on all cylinders now.

Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has been strong this season, throwing for 1,248 yards and 12 touchdowns with four rushing touchdowns. On the other side, Dillon Gabriel is as experienced as a quarterback can be. He has over 15,000 career passing yards, one of only eight quarterbacks to reach that number. The Buckeyes' best receivers are true freshman Jeremiah Smith and senior Emeka Egbuka. They are as good a duo as anyone has in the country. The Ducks also have immense talent out wide, including Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, and Evan Stewert.

Ohio State leads the nation in total defense but has not seen an offense like this Ducks unit. Former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly is the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator, which makes for another interesting storyline. These two teams also have a recent history with each other. They played in the national championship game against each other in the 2014 season with Ohio State coming out on top. The last time they played was in 2021 when Oregon beat the Buckeyes on the road in another huge ranked showdown.

This might not be the last time these two teams meet this season. There is a strong possibility they will see each other again in the Big Ten championship game. Nevertheless, the eyes of the college football world will be on Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday night.

For a few hours, the Big Ten will own the sport. Hopefully, the game lives up to the hype.

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