The Oregon Ducks are just hours away from the most anticipated college football game of the season. On Saturday afternoon, the Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes will kick off in what could be the most classic game in Autzen Stadium in a long time.
Oregon is ranked No. 3 in the nation after six weeks of college football, and their guests are ranked No. 2. No aspect of this game will be lopsided, and the winner will be the team that finds consistency.
For most of the season, this weekly post would be better named ‘3 Keys to Looking Good,’ rather than ‘3 Keys to Victory.’ Not this week.
The three keys below are imperatives for the Ducks. If they accomplish these three things, they’ll be in a good spot to win, but this weekend, nothing is guaranteed.
Shut down the pass
The Ohio State offense relies on the run game, which will be hard enough to stop. But if the Buckeyes’ pass game gets rolling, the Ducks will be stretched far too thin, stuck trying to mitigate both. If that happens, Ohio State will score far too many points, and Oregon will have a hard time catching up.
Get on the scoreboard early
The Ohio State defense is spectacular, but they haven’t played any team like Oregon yet. So, whether the Ducks get the ball first or second, it’s imperative for them to march down the field and score a touchdown. I don’t think the Ducks are going to knock Ohio State out in the first round, but they need to stun them with a jab.
Win the turnover battle
This was a key last week, but it’s even more important this week. If the Ducks give the Buckeyes extra possessions, they’ll be in trouble. Oregon will have a tough time scoring on Ohio State anyway, so they can’t be giving the ball up for free. And if the Oregon defense can take the ball away from the Buckeyes, they’ll be in a good spot.
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