Oregon: Dan Lanning secures decisive win against Ohio State, increasing pressure on Ryan Day

EUGENE, Ore. – No. 3 Oregon defeated No. 2 Ohio State 32-31 in a back-and-forth thriller that lived up to its reputation as one of the greatest games in Autzen Stadium history. There were seven lead changes, capped by Atticus Sappington hitting a 19-yard field goal with 1:47 left to give the Ducks a one-point lead.

The Buckeyes (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) moved into Ducks (6-0, 3-0) territory on their final possession, but time ran out when quarterback Will Howard pounced on third down Down slipped while trying to get Ohio State into field goal range.

With the win, Oregon now has the best chance of reaching the College Football Playoff at 95 percent The athlete's model. Ohio State has the fourth-best odds, falling just three percentage points to 93 percent.

Dan Lanning scores a signature victory; Ryan Day gets more questions

Two and a half years into his tenure, Oregon coach Dan Lanning is celebrating the most significant win of his career — and the conversation about Ryan Day's ability to deliver in big games for Ohio State is about to begin again.

Give Lanning credit: After falling short on the biggest stages, most notably with an 0-3 record against Washington over the past two seasons, he approached the Ohio State game with the same aggressive mentality. After Oregon botched the extra point on its first touchdown, the Ducks went for two points on their next touchdown to try to get that point back. With Oregon running an unbalanced formation and half of the blockers spread out, the Buckeyes held their own and stopped Kenyon Sadiq just short of the goal line.

After a 15-yard penalty was called against the Buckeyes on the ensuing kickoff, Lanning reached into his bag of tricks again. Sappington drilled an Ohio State player with a rebounding kickoff and the Ducks recovered at the Buckeyes' 41-yard line. A few plays later, they had first-and-goal at the 9, but receiver Traeshon Holden drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for spitting on Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun.

The Ducks had to settle for a field goal, but the stolen possession was the key to the back-and-forth nature of the game.

Lanning's aggressive style backfired in some big games, most notably in a regular-season loss last year to Washington when the Ducks lost 3-0 in the fourth period in what turned out to be a three-point game.

Against the Buckeyes, a fourth-and-1 at the Oregon 48 early in the third quarter was an obvious starting point for Lanning and the Ducks, who trailed 28-22. Instead of trying to muscle up for a first down, a play-action pass to Terrance Ferguson scored 32 yards and set the Ducks up at the Ohio State 20.

A few plays later, Oregon faced a four-and-goal on 2nd. This time, Dillon Gabriel missed a wide-open Tez Johnson on the other side of the field – in fairness, it would have been a long throw – and his pass to the middle of the field fell incomplete.

Still, the decision looked solid as the Ducks got a third-down stop thanks to a dropped snap from Howard and forced an Ohio State punt. The Ducks scored on the ensuing possession to take a 29-28 lead.

As for Day, Buckeyes fans didn't want to hear about his .884 overall winning percentage after losing to Michigan three straight years and a playoff game to Georgia in 2022. In games where Ohio State came up short, Day's decision-making and style of play were controversial at times.

That was one of the reasons he hired former Ducks coach Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator. The Buckeyes' offense was successful for much of Saturday night, but their stout defense was ripped apart by the Ducks and they faltered on the final drive.

The story of the season for Day has yet to be written, but if he comes up short again in a top-five matchup, the message boards and talk radio shows in Columbus will be on message boards and talk radio shows in Columbus over the next two weeks as the Buckeyes find themselves in an off-season , provide plenty of material week. –Ralph Russo

Expanded Big Ten party held

The game of the year in the Big Ten, a top-five matchup between two teams considered national title contenders, was successful. And even more.

No. 2 Ohio State came to Autzen Stadium beaten but barely tested. No. 3 Oregon got off to a rocky start in non-conference play but got better week by week.

The Buckeyes drew a record crowd of 60,129 spectators to Eugene. Even longtime Oregon football fans said it was the most anticipated home game the Ducks had ever played. The place was loud from start to finish.

Playing without their best defensive player, Jordan Burch, due to injury, the Ducks showed depth and athleticism to compete with perhaps the most talented team in their new conference, if not the country. Matayo Uiagalelei filled in for Oregon in Burch's absence and helped ensure that a strong Buckeyes offense never broke away.

Ohio State's star-studded defense was repeatedly hobbled by big plays from Oregon, but the Buckeyes' stars also showed off their skills. Freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith had nine catches for 100 yards and his weekly touchdown. Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard was 28 of 35 for 326 yards.

With the new 12-team playoffs, there is every reason to include both the Buckeyes and Ducks. In fact, a rematch in the Big Ten title game seems entirely possible.

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2024 College Football Playoff Predictions: Oregon rises to top after defeating Ohio State

Penn State is also undefeated in the Big Ten after an overtime win at USC and will host the Buckeyes in November, but Ohio State and Oregon appear to be in a different class than the Nittany Lions.

Just please don't say the result didn't matter. Two heavyweights threw at each other for more than three hours on Saturday night in one of the best atmospheres in college football, and it was an absolute blast.

When it was over and Howard sat distraught on the field as time expired, Oregon fans streamed onto the field as if it meant a lot to them and this program. – Russo

Ohio State's defense didn't live up to its demand

The Buckeyes entered this season with one of the most talented defenses in the country, led by what they believe is the best secondary in the country.

But Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 341 yards, and it appeared the Ducks had receivers open all over the field. Of those 341 yards, 235 were on plays of 25 yards or more.

This happened for two reasons: First, there were some faulty coverages by the Buckeyes. Ohio State's All-Big Ten cornerback Denzel Burke struggled mightily in the game, allowing two touchdowns and two catches for a total of 117 yards. Ohio State also struggled to put pressure on Gabriel throughout the game. There were no sacks, and when there wasn't a blitz, Gabriel had all day to make decisions.

But it wasn't just the passing game. Gabriel scored on a 27-yard touchdown run after a failed Buckeyes option defense.

Last year, Ohio State was one of the best teams in the country at containing explosive plays. It ranked second with just 22 passes over 20 yards. On Saturday there were six passes over 25 yards.

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will have to figure out how to balance the pressure he needs to compete against quarterbacks of Gabriel's caliber while playing conservatively so as not to give up big plays. This was not the defense many thought Ohio State would bring to the field this season. —Cameron Teague Robinson

This story will be updated.

(Photo: Ali Gradischer / Getty Images)