“That’s why you come to Oregon.”

The stage doesn't get much bigger in college football for No. 3 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. It was the first-ever meeting between two top-five AP teams at Autzen Stadium and there were 60,129 fans in attendance. The most in the history of Autzen Stadium.

In an incredible game that went down to the final play, the Oregon Ducks earned one of the greatest victories in program history with a 32-31 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

“So proud of our players, I’m so proud of our crowd. Talk about big moments, big games; That’s why you come to Oregon,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said.

That was coach Dan Lanning's message as he was surrounded by tens of thousands of rabid Ducks fans storming the field. Lanning was so overwhelmed and overcome with emotion that he could barely muster the breath to speak. It was one of those nights in Eugene.

From start to finish it was everything you would expect from a match of this caliber. The future NFL players have lived up to that billing. The coaching duels were no disappointment, as both teams outplayed each other at times. Both teams lost key players, which affected the result. It was one hell of a cable-to-cable game.

Beyond stats and results, the biggest takeaway should be that Oregon is on this stage under coach Dan Lanning. This has been the trend since Lanning took the job. The Ducks have played in a conference title game and won the year's six bowls, but this was arguably the biggest stage they've been on since the 2011 national championship game.

It wasn't perfect by any means. Oregon had a lot of mistakes in all three phases as well as in coaching. Ohio State too. That was also true for Alabama and Georgia when they starred in this blockbuster a few weeks ago. Mistakes happen, but most of the time you can tell when a team belongs.

Ohio State has the most talented team since the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs, according to some experts. That could be the case. The Buckeyes are sure to have double-digit NFL draft numbers. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs are arguably the best players in the country, and they aren't even eligible for the draft.

Through it all, it never looked like Oregon wasn't included. They battled for sixty minutes, going head-to-head with an Ohio State University team that most thought would overwhelm them. Little old Oregon is no more. They are no longer the team that can't handle physicality. They are no longer the team that only relies on speed and no power. They are no longer the team that fails to make an impact on the big stage.

They have announced their entry into the world of college football as a serious contender for the national championship. They are now a top-two team in the country and are conference leaders in the clubhouse in their first year as a Big Ten program. They did it the hard way and earned the respect they deserved.

You can overanalyze game film and crunch the numbers tomorrow. Tonight the Ducks are winners, and now the whole world knows it.