Ohio State and Oregon are set to meet in a matchup of highly-ranked teams at noon on Saturday in Columbus. To find out more about the Ducks (preseason No. 11, 1-0 after a 31-24 win over Fresno State) we spoke with DuckSportsAuthority publisher A.J. Jacobson.
SGR: What's the latest on Kayvon Thibodeaux and if he can't play how much does it hurt Oregon?
AJ Jacobson: The exact status of Kayvon Thibodeaux will not probably be known until mid-week at the earliest. The information Oregon did give us after the game was that he had been X rayed, the X rays were negative, and they are hopeful that he will be back very soon. Whether that translates into him playing this coming Saturday in Columbus, Ohio is a whole other question.
It would certainly hurt the Oregon defense if he were unable to play. He is probably the premier pass rusher on the West Coast if not in the nation. In Oregon’s win over Fresno State last Saturday, he caused the fumble that led to Oregon’s first touchdown and was wreaking all sorts of havoc in the Bulldog backfield prior to his injury. I don't think Oregon, or any team could replace Thibodeaux.
SGR: Was Oregon looking past Fresno or did the close game reveal some real reasons for concern?
AJ: It's hard to tell for sure if Oregon was looking past Fresno state, but certainly their execution was not mid-season form. The coaches didn't even want to answer the question leading up to the game about the team looking past the coming weekend but based on their performance alone it is easy to draw the conclusion that their focus wasn't complete. Was it execution? Certainly, that especially on offense.
This is a reason for concern if it continues but after one game it is hard to say which direction the season is going to take. It was evident during the first weekend of college football that a lot of teams were not performing very well on offense. The Ducks will need to score plenty of points against Ohio State to win so they have no room for another game like the last one.
SGR: The Buckeyes have perhaps the best receiving corps in the country. How well equipped is the Oregon secondary to handle that?
AJ: If the Oregon defense had an Achilles heel in that first game, it was on the back side. The FSU quarterback looked comfortable and was able to find seams in the coverage. Fresno's strength on offense was there deep receiving core, although it is nothing like the one that the Buckeyes field.
Just like the Oregon offense and how it needs to perform much better this week to have a chance to win, the same can be said of the defensive backfield, and it is going to be a mighty task.
SGR: When Oregon has the ball, what's Ohio State's biggest concern?
AJ: The Ducks have amassed quite an array of talent on the offensive side of the ball with a deep running back corps, lots of very good wide receivers, and a very talented tight end room. And they returned all five offensive line starters from the pandemic shortened 2020 season.
But last Saturday it did not look like they overmatched Fresno State with talent despite the fact that they did on paper. Instead, it was a fairly even battle, largely due to imprecise execution by the Ducks.
Oregon will show Ohio State that they have a lot of playmakers. If there's anything the Buckeyes need to watch out for it's the fact that not just one guy is a focus.
SGR: Is this a must win game for the Ducks to maintain playoff hopes considering the issues the PAC 12 had on opening weekend?
AJ: I don't think there is any doubt whether this is a must win game for the Ducks’ playoff hopes because it is. I don't know that any PAC 12 team will go to the playoffs unless they are undefeated. It is possible a one loss team could go, but I think the league first needs to get itself a one loss team to find out.
But should the Ducks lose to Ohio State on Saturday, they will have zero room for error to lose another game the rest of the season, and their road schedule in the PAC 12 is absolutely brutal. So not only do they need to win to prove that they can run the table potentially, but they need to win if they really want a chance of going to the playoffs this season.
SGR: What's your prediction for the final score?
AJ: Oregon is heading into a very tough situation on Saturday. They're playing one of the top teams in the nation, on the road, and the team they face has had two extra days to prepare for them. The icing on the cake is the fact that it is a 9:00 AM kickoff from the Ducks’ perspective.
That means there are plenty of headwinds that Oregon must fight through in addition to the armada of talent the Buckeyes throw at them in a sold-out stadium. All told probably too much for the Ducks right now.
Ohio State 42 – Oregon 28
