Game Prediction: No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 12 Oregon Ducks

Here's a look at how the BuckeyesNow staff thinks Saturday's big game is going to go.

Ohio State is preparing to play perhaps it's highest-ranked opponent of the season as they welcome the Oregon Ducks to Columbus. Oregon hasn't played at The Shoe since 1987 and they've never beaten the Buckeyes, but Saturday's game should be a really good one.

Here's how the BuckeyesNow staff thinks things will play out:

OREGON at OHIO STATE – Saturday, 12 p.m.
Spread: Ohio State (-14.5)
O/U Total: 63.5

Brendan Gulick: Ohio State 42, Oregon 28

My favorite stat of the week: in program history, when the Buckeyes score at least 35 points in a game, they are 343-1-1.

There are a number of different things I could point to here, but they all come down to the Buckeyes putting points on the board. After breaking the school-record last week by averaging 10.3 yards per play, this team still has a high-octane ability and I'm not betting on Oregon coming up with the right defensive concoction.

Buckeyes should win a reasonably high-scoring affair.

Andrew Lind: Ohio State 49, Oregon 27

Earlier this week, Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave revealed that he was an Oregon fan growing up. The Ducks never offered him, though, and are going to regret that decision when he catches 10 passes for 200+ yards and three touchdowns in a blowout victory.

Oregon’s biggest issue when it played Ohio State in the national championship more than six years ago was its lack of toughness. The Ducks are improved from that standpoint with the likes of defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and linebacker Justin Flowe, but Ohio State’s offense is even more potent than it was that night, and Olave’s big night will only back that up.

Brett Hiltbrand: Ohio State 41, Oregon 21

Vegas seems to REALLY trust Oregon and part of me wants to believe them. It's the house - hard to go against it especially considering our lack of sample size. But part of me also trusts absolutely no one from the PAC-12, at least until they prove that they can collectively compete against the top tier of college football. Oregon is the latest opportunity for a PAC-12 team to come up against one of those elite programs to see where they stand and from my view, there's still a wide gap.

Trust Vegas except maybe on this one. 

Caleb Spinner: Ohio State 35, Oregon 27

Ohio State survived a first-half scare in Minnesota last week, but at the end of the day, the Buckeyes still managed to clear the spread. The No. 12 Oregon Ducks, armed with a projected top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (Kayvon Thibodeaux), could prove more of a challenge than most would believe. If I had to pick a game where the final score would come up short of the spread, it would be this one. There is still a possibility Thibodeaux won’t play, stemming from the sprained ankle he sustained during last week’s game against Fresno State. Regardless of Thibodeaux, the Buckeyes will prove victorious. Looking into my crystal ball, I’m predicting this one 35-27 in favor of the Buckeyes.

-----

Be sure to check out our brand new message boards, Buckeye Forums. We'd love to have you part of the conversation during the season.

-----

You may also like:

Ohio State Selling Jerseys With Names, Numbers Of Current Football Players

K Noah Ruggles Fulfills Late Grandfather's Dream By Playing For Buckeyes

Ohio State Freshman RB TreVeyon Henderson Flashes Potential, Hungry For More

Oregon To Wear New All-White Uniforms Against Ohio State On Sept. 11

Chris Olave Looking Forward To Playing Oregon, His Childhood Dream

-----

Be sure to stay locked into BuckeyesNow all the time!

Join the BuckeyesNow community!
Subscribe to the BuckeyesNow YouTube channel
Follow Brendan on Twitter: @BrendanGulick22
Follow BuckeyesNow on Twitter: @BuckeyesNowSI
Like and follow BuckeyesNow on Facebook