The Oregon Ducks were crowned Big Ten Conference Champions on Saturday night and were awarded the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff on Sunday morning. With the top seed, Oregon will receive a first-round bye in the playoff, watching from home as both the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers fight for a chance to meet the Ducks in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
While the Ducks have already played Ohio State this year, it’s been over a decade since they saw the Volunteers on the field. At this point in the year, the Buckeyes also have a different roster and outlook than they did in their Week 7 trip to Eugene.
While Oregon enjoys the next three weeks off, we felt it would be a good time to examine the potential opponents and learn what the Ducks could face.
Let’s start with the Ohio State offense, a unit that Oregon should be relatively familiar with at this point.
Quarterback
Will Howard: 2,860 yards, 27 TD, 8 INT // 131 rushing yards, 7 TD
The Buckeyes had high hopes this year when bringing Will Howard to Columbus through the transfer portal from Kansas State, and while the high ceiling may not have been reached, Howard has been a solid player this season. He finished the regular season throwing for 2,860 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions while also adding 131 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. Back in October, Howard threw for 326 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTS in the loss.
There have been some great plays for Howard throughout the season, but he’s been prone to some unfortunate mistakes at times as well, like his pair of interceptions in the heartbreaking loss against the Michigan Wolverines.
Howard is not the best quarterback in the nation by any means, but he certainly is a solid passer who is capable of winning playoff games.
Running Back
Quinshon Judkins: 147 rushes, 805 yards, 8 TDs
TreVeyon Henderson: 108 rushes, 751 yards, 6TDs
As far as talent goes, Ohio State has two of the best running backs in the nation this year with both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. However, the production hasn’t quite lived up to the hype. The Buckeyes have the 59th-best rushing offense in the nation, with Judkins rushing for 805 yards and 8 TDs, while Henderson rushed for 751 yards and 6 TDs.
The lack of production compared to expectations may have been surprising so far this year, but it doesn’t mean that Judkins and Henderson can’t show up in the playoffs. We’ve seen them pop off before, and they’re liable to do it again at any time.
Wide Receivers
Emeka Egbuka: 60 catches, 743 yards, 9 TDs
Jeremiah Smith: 57 catches, 934 yards, 10 TDs
Carnell Tate: 41 catches, 583 yards, 4 TDs
When it comes to talent at the receiver position, I’d argue that no team is better than Ohio State. With veteran Emeka Egbuka and true freshman Jeremiah Smith, the Buckeyes are loaded out wide, presenting a brutal matchup for any opposing defense.
The Ducks did a decent job of containing Ohio State’s receivers back in October, but they still put up great numbers in Eugene, with Egbuka and Smith combining for 193 yards and 2 TDs.
Tight Ends
Gee Scott Jr.: 16 catches, 150 yards, 2 TDs
Between the elite running backs and elite wide receivers, there isn’t a ton of target opportunity for Ohio State tight ends. Gee Scott Jr. is a talented player, but he has only 16 catches for 150 yards and 2 TDs on the season.
Offensive Line
The offensive line is what’s changed the most since Oregon played Ohio State back in October. During that game in Eugene, Buckeyes’ All-American left tackle Josh Simmons went down with a season-ending knee injury, and All-American center Seth McLaughlin was lost for the season with an Achilles injury in the following weeks as well.
The result of this is a completely remade offensive front with new pieces in new places. Ohio State has played two games since the injury — vs. Indiana and vs. Michigan. While the Hoosiers weren’t able to exploit the weakness, Michigan absolutely did, giving future teams a blueprint against the Buckeyes. wq
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