Taking A Look At Three Key Matchups For Ohio State’s Game Against Oregon

These three battles will determine whether the Buckeyes or Ducks come away victorious.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Sep 10, 2021 12:52 PM EDT

Ohio State is set to host Oregon on Saturday in a rematch of the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, with kickoff set for noon on FOX.

At last check, the Buckeyes were a 14.5-point favorite over the Ducks, who will need star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux to play and make an impact if they’re going to have any hope of pulling the upset in Ohio Stadium.

That said, here are a look at three key matchups that will dictate the result of Saturday’s game:

Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux vs Ohio State OTs Dawand Jones and Nicholas Petit-Frere

If Thibodeaux is unable to go, it will be a significant setback for an Oregon defense that needs to put pressure on quarterback C.J. Stroud. He’s also a terrific defender in the run the game, so his presence would be missed against a unit that includes Master Teague, Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson.

If he does play, the question then becomes how much Thibodeaux can produce with an injured ankle against a pair of monster offensive tackles in Petit-Frere and Jones. Both impressed in the season opener at Minnesota, and they’re certainly ready to take advantage of someone who is less than fully healthy.

Ohio State WRs Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson vs Oregon CB Mykael Wright

Regardless of which receiver he lines up against, Wright will have his hands full with Olave and Wilson on Saturday afternoon.

Olave, in particular, is coming off a game in which he recorded four catches for 117 yards – including 84 yards after the catch – and two touchdowns. He’s going to get his fair share of catches against the Ducks, too, so the key for Wilson will be to bring him to the ground quickly rather than give up the big play.

The bright side for the Buckeyes is that, even if Olave is held in check by Wright, he can’t cover Wilson at the same. And that could lead to some big plays on the other side of the field.

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud vs Oregon LBs Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe

While Thibodeaux gets most of the attention, and rightfully so, he’s not the only elite player on the Ducks’ defense this fall.

Sewell had a tremendous freshman season in 2020, when he led Oregon with 45 tackles and was named the Pac-12’s freshman defensive player of the year. Flowe, meanwhile, redshirted due to a torn meniscus but had a stellar debut last week with 14 tackles in the win over Fresno State.

Their athleticism could give Stroud fits in both the short and intermediate passing game, as well as if he’s forced to tuck the ball and run. They’re also the type of players who could turn a turnover into six points with ease.

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