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    Denzel Burke has a night to forget
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    Denzel Burke has a night to forget

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    3 minutes, 37 seconds Read

    EUGENE, Ore. – The trip to the western pines of Oregon, the first visit to Eugene since 1967, was a spectacular smorgasbord of just about everything you could ever want at a college football game.

    From Oregon's recovered onside kick to Ohio State's game-winning drive in the fourth quarter to retake the lead, to Oregon's counterpunch to the Buckeyes' final attempt, including a strange slide run by Will Howard to end the game , the runs were wonderful and the atmosphere was electric in UO's 32-31 instant win in the classic.

    Tough night for Denzel Burke and the OSU secondary

    Cornerback Denzel Burke stayed with the Buckeyes this season when he could have turned pro, in part because he wanted to win a national championship. The senior could still get his wish, but he didn't help his draft status by playing below par against the Ducks.

    Burke, considered OSU's best cover corner, passed a 69-yard catch to Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart, and two plays later watched Stewart make a beautiful catch over him for a 10-yard made a touchdown.

    Later in the second quarter, Burke was beaten deep again, this time by a 48-yard strike from Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel to Tez Johnson. Not only did Johnson fly past Burke to get open, but he carried Burke another 10 yards after the catch.

    The deep completions by Stewart and Johnson marked only the first and second times Gabriel completed passes of more than 20 yards to the right side of the field. And he did it twice against Burke.

    That wasn't all. Burke struggled most of the night to get everything under control. Sometimes there is an off game. This was a big one. But Burke wasn't alone. The entire secondary was shaky all night, allowing 341 passing yards, many of which came to wide-open receivers.

    Emeka Egbuka shows flashes of a professional future

    Jeremiah Smith is a phenomenon, but it's hard to beat Emeka Egbuka as a player the Buckeyes trust more than anyone else on offense. The fifth-year senior is so smooth, and few players in recent memory have been able to turn corners and upfield as quickly as the speedy wide receiver.

    One play stands out to show what I mean: On a third-and-4 from OSU's 31 and the Buckeyes trailing 29-28, Howard found Egbuka crossing under coverage for a first down. It kept the ride alive.

    It makes you wonder why the Buckeyes don't throw deep to Egbuka more often. On the other hand, they don't throw deep to anyone. Why?

    It's becoming increasingly clear that Howard's ability to throw deep is not a strength. Even on his only completion from deep against Smith, the ball was subdued. The Ducks, meanwhile, completed four passes of 30 yards or more, including 69 and 48 yards.

    At least on Saturday, one team showed it could throw far while the other couldn't. Because it couldn't.

    Buckeyes trying to hit the ball to prove a point?

    The last time the Buckeyes and Ducks met, Oregon imposed its will in the trenches, winning 35-28 in Columbus. That loss exposed cracks in OSU's foundation and was the beginning of the question of “toughness” that has plagued Ryan Day's teams ever since.

    Toughness wasn't an issue Saturday, and as if to prove it, the Buckeyes lined up in the rugged T formation on fourth-and-short twice, getting first downs both times. The first resulted in a 1-yard score when Quinshon Judkins rushed in behind a block from tight end-turned-defender Pat Gurd.

    The second was a 3-yard gain by Judkins on fourth-and-2. The Buckeyes converted another fourth-and-1 when Howard gained three yards on a keeper. Ohio State averaged 4.5 yards rushing in the game, while UO averaged 5.0 yards.

    Autzen Stadium creates a fireworks atmosphere

    I'm not ready to crown Oregon the best road climate in the Big Ten just yet – Penn State still has my vote – but Autzen Stadium is a close second. Ducks fans know how to have fun, which is missing from too many venues, including Ohio Stadium too often. Autzen isn't just loud; His fans also bring an anything-goes attitude that pushes the envelope but doesn't cross it (too far).

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