Oregon at Ohio State Pick & Preview - College Football Week 2 - USA Wager | Your Resource For Betting in the United States

Ohio State hosts Oregon in the first matchup between these perennial football powers since the 2014 National Championship Game, won by the Buckeyes. Here’s five things to consider in Oregon at Ohio State matchup.

Can Ohio State freshman C.J. Stroud keep the momentum going after throwing 4 TD passes in a strong debut last week against Minnesota?
Oregon junior running back CJ Verdell had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019. Verdell had an injury-riddled 2020 season that shortened his playing time. He got off to a solid start last week against Fresno State, averaging 4.1 yards per carry while running for one score.
Ohio State RB Miyan Williams showcased his breakaway speed with an early 72- yard touchdown run in the opener against the Golden Gophers. He finished the game with 125 yards on just nine carries.
Oregon QB Anthony Brown Jr, a senior, is the new starter at the quarterback position for the Ducks, threw a TD pass against Fresno State.
Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux could be a potential Heisman Trophy candidate and had 3 sacks in 7 total games last season. His health is in question for this game.

Oregon Preview: Let’s Play D

Mario Cristobal leads his Oregon Ducks into Columbus against Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes. In his third season in Eugene, Cristobal has installed a defense-first mentality into this Oregon program. In their last full season of play, the Ducks ranked eighth in the nation in takeaways back in 2019. They could be without their leading pass rusher, Kayvon Thibodeaux, who injured his left ankle in the first half of the win over Fresno State. Thibodeaux is currently listed as questionable but it’s optimistic he’ll be ready after his X-rays came back negative on his ankle. He led the team with 3 sacks in the Covid-shortened 7- game season in 2020. With him out, it could severely impact the outcome of this game. Look for Mykael Wright and Noah Sewell to have an impact against Ohio State. Wright has been heralded by some as one of the Pac 12’s best players and had 6 solo tackles in the opening win over the Bulldogs. Sewell, playing as inside linebacker, led Oregon with a team high 45 tackles in the truncated 2020 campaign.

Offensively, Anthony Brown Jr. takes over as the new starter and he’s going up against a Buckeye secondary that was burned by Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan for 205 yards and a touchdown on 14 of 25 passing, which should give Brown confidence as a new starter going up against a struggling OSU defense early in the season.

However, the focus of the offense should be 4th-year junior running back CJ Verdell, a short but explosive back that has showcased pass-catching ability to complement his speed during his time with the Ducks.

Ohio State Preview: Team C.J.

Ryan Day, now in his 3rd season as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes faces a tough Oregon team in his team’s home opener at “the Horseshoe.” C.J. Stroud couldn’t have played much better in his first career start as a freshman quarterback, throwing for 294 yards on 13 for 22 passing and four scores. Trey Sermon left a void for running back after his departure to the NFL, but the question of being able to replace him may have been answered with Myian Williams displaying his ability to break free with speed in his 72- yard touchdown run against Minnesota.

The defense is inexperienced at linebacker and struggled in the secondary last year. They were simply awful this past week giving up 408 yards of total offense to the Gophers. Minnesota maintained possession for 39 minutes of the game and methodically picked apart the Buckeyes by moving the chains 24 times. Look for Sevyn Banks to step up his game at corner, and for Josh Proctor to provide a physical presence at safety in this game for the Buckeyes.

Oregon At Ohio State Matchup At a Glance

Sport: College Football
Teams: Oregon Ducks At Ohio State Buckeyes
Where: Columbus, Ohio at Ohio Stadium
Date: September 11, 2021
Betting Odds: Oregon: +13.5 (-104) Ohio State: -13.5 (-118)

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This College Football Game

As of now, the Ducks are optimistic DE Kayvon Thibodeaux is going to play. The potential Heisman Trophy candidate remains questionable, and whether he plays up to his full capability is a huge tipping point in this game. If he plays hurt and isn’t his usual self, that’s going to give young OSU quarterback C.J.Stroud even more time to settle into his comfort zone to find the open receivers. More time for Stroud to sit back in the pocket and evaluate the field spells doom for the Ducks when they’re facing a talented QB who is brimming with confidence after throwing for 4 touchdowns in his debut performance in Week 1.