Urban Meyer Sounds Alarm For Ohio State Ahead Of Oregon

The Oregon Ducks are set to fly to Columbus to play a motivated No. 11 Ohio State Buckeyes team. The Ducks enter the matchup coming off a momentous win that put them back on the right track, as the Buckeyes come off a disappointing defeat to the No. 18 USC Trojans.

Even though Ohio State heads into the showdown with the better record (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) and is undefeated at home, the Ducks (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) received reassurance from former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer yells to his team during the first quarter of the NCAA football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium on Nov. 3, 2018. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Urban Meyer Delivers Intriguing Oregon vs. Ohio State Take

Meyer who coached the Buckeyes from 2012-2018, winning three Big Ten titles and the 2014 National Championship in the process. The now-sportscaster expressed his concern, however, for Ohio State against Oregon.

“Every day is a panic. I mean, everybody’s even. You tell me Oregon doesn’t have the roster to come in and beat Ohio State? You’re out of your mind,” Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast. “I actually talked to coach Lanning this morning. He was asking me some questions about the logistics of the place and all that. But hell yeah, it’s time to panic. I’m panicked. I’m a Buckeye.”

Ohio State bounced back from a 24-23 Week 2 loss to the Texas Longhorns by firing off five straight wins, including a 19-15 victory over the defending champion Indiana Hoosiers. The Trojans ended up recovering from a disappointing win in their own right and capitalizing on Ohio State’s quarterback uncertainty.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to quarterback Luke Fahey (13) during the NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 31, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Like Oregon, who’s been without starting quarterback Dante Moore since Week 4, the Buckeyes’ starter, Julian Sayin, is out indefinitely. Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey made his first career start against USC and could get the nod again against Oregon.

But despite the state of Ohio State’s signal-caller being in flux, the defense conceded 30 points, nearly half of which came in the first quarter, to the Trojans. While the Buckeyes have shown that they’re not invincible, the Ducks are missing a consistent string of performances in 2026.

As Meyer pointed out, Oregon’s roster has the potential to beat a team like Ohio State on paper. The question becomes: Can the program get the best on-field performance from its talent to pick up the result on game day?

Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s mic drop-worthy moment during his Monday night press conference explained the final piece the Ducks are looking for to finish the puzzle this season.

“I'm looking for guys that'll be assassins, not superheroes,” Lanning said. “You don't have to feel like you have to make a crazy play every single play.”

Oregon vs. Ohio State Still Gearing Up to be an Intense Battle

Coach Dan Lanning celebrates amid a crowd of fans on the field as No. 3 Oregon knocked off No. 2 Ohio State 32-31 on Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The November Ohio State vs. Oregon battle isn’t the one that fans were anticipating before the season started, and they were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Still, the pressure for each team to win is just as high. What was once expected to be a potential showdown for a spot in the Big Ten Championship could now be the difference between making and missing the College Football Playoff.

Both coaches enter with mutual respect for each other’s programs. Ohio State coach Ryan Day echoed a similar message to Meyer’s about the Ducks’ roster on Monday.

“They have all the talent in the world ... They have NFL players all over the field,” Day said on 97.1 The Fan. “This is not going to be your typical three-loss team coming in here, so all the stuff that came up last week, we gotta get corrected fast.”

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day motions during the NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 31, 2026. Ohio State lost 30-18. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Lanning’s comments, meanwhile, hinged largely on the Ducks’ challenge of defending receiver Jeremiah Smith.

“Jeremiah is special. He is a special player. You have to know where he's at all times. He's dynamic in every phase,” Lanning said. “I think it's one that our players are excited about, that challenge. But there's a real challenge involved in defending a guy like him.”

“He's certainly pro ready,” Lanning added. “I think anybody that's played against him already would tell you that he probably was two years ago. So, he certainly is now. So, he's a guy that you have to know where he's at all times.”

Lanning also addressed his excitement to coach at “The Horseshoe” for the first time in his career. Even though the circumstances of the matchup are different from what they could’ve been, Lanning said, “It’s part of what makes it exciting about being at Oregon or being at a place like Ohio State to get to play in games like this.”

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