Oregon vs Ohio State 2026 | Nov 7 Preview

Big Ten Conference | Away

Oregon vs Ohio State

Saturday, Nov 7, 2026 | Ohio Stadium, Columbus

TV: TBD | Kickoff: TBD

Ohio State 2026: 6-1

Prediction: Low · Oregon 27, Ohio State 24 ↓

Last: W 32-31 / L 21-41 (2024)

Updated October 18, 2026 |

Sources (4)

ESPN box scores, play-by-play and team statistics (through Oct 3, 2026); ESPN game story and Adam Rittenberg on Jeremiah Smith's records (Oct 3 to 4, 2026); Ohio State Athletics Iowa recap (Oct 3, 2026) and Illinois recap, notes and postgame quotes (Sept 26, 2026); Quack Report season archive (series history)

Ohio State is not the unbeaten juggernaut we penciled in for November, but it is still the best offense on our schedule. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 when they went to Austin on Sept 12, led No. 4 Texas 23-3 going into the fourth quarter, and lost 24-23 on a Hollywood Smothers touchdown with 25 seconds left. They have won all five since: 59-3 over Kent State, 42-19 over Illinois, 31-14 at No. 14 Iowa on Oct 3 and 45-16 over Maryland on Oct 10, when Julian Sayin threw four touchdown passes (ESPN box score). Ohio State is 6-1. Through Oct 3 it scored 42.2 points a game, Jeremiah Smith went over 200 yards in back-to-back weeks (217 against Illinois, 206 at Iowa), and Sayin had 13 touchdowns and one interception on 72.5 percent passing. What changed since August is the question Texas answered for everyone else: this team can be caught late. Then 19-15 at No. 5 Indiana on Oct 17, and that win cost Sayin: he left with an injured right arm, and Ryan Day said "it looks like Julian will be out several weeks" (AP, Oct 17, 2026). Freshman Luke Fahey finished the game. On Oct 20 Ryan Day said Sayin is out indefinitely and the staff is planning without him for the rest of the regular season and the postseason, with Fahey and Tavien St. Clair competing to start (Field Level Media, Oct 20, 2026; ClickOnDetroit, Oct 21, 2026). Those are wire reports of Day's comments, not an Ohio State release. Ohio State has a bye, then plays at USC on Oct 31, so the first thing to know about Columbus is who takes the snap.

“

I think he's taking his game to the next level this year.

Ryan Day

On Jeremiah Smith after Ohio State's 42-19 win over Illinois, Sept 26, 2026 (Ohio State Athletics postgame recap and quotes)

Key Matchups

Our secondary against Jeremiah Smith

Through five games Smith has 44 catches for 823 yards and nine touchdowns, 18.7 a catch, and he has topped 150 yards in four of them (151 vs Ball State, 164 at Texas, 217 vs Illinois, 206 at Iowa). His four touchdown catches against Illinois tied Ohio State's single-game record, and he now owns Ohio State's career records for catches (207), receiving yards (3,381) and touchdown catches (36). The two best defenses he has seen, Texas and Iowa, gave up 164 and 206. Our read: nobody stops him. The job is making Ohio State need someone else on third down.

Our front against a run game Texas already solved

Ohio State averages 157.4 rushing yards a game at 4.3 a carry, with Bo Jackson (353 yards) and Ja'Kobi Jackson (278 yards, six touchdowns, one in every game) sharing it. Texas is still the only defense that has shut that down: Texas held Ohio State to 94 yards on 31 carries, 3.0 a try, and Bo Jackson's 19 carries went for 74. When the run stalled in Austin, Ohio State leaned on Sayin and Smith and did not score in the fourth quarter. That is the blueprint.

Our offense against the Illinois film

Ohio State's defense has allowed 12.6 points a game, but two of those five games were Ball State and Kent State. The Big Ten opener is the better tape: Illinois gained 462 yards, 199 of them on the ground at 6.0 a carry, in a game Ohio State still won by 23. The Buckeyes have nine sacks in five games, three from end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and two from linebacker Riley Pettijohn. Whoever is under center for us (the injury tracker has every official word on Dante Moore), there is room to run on this defense.

1 more matchup

The fourth quarter

Texas scored 21 points in the fourth quarter in Austin on drives of 91, 72 and 73 yards, and Ohio State's answer in between was a missed 45-yard field goal while leading 23-17 with 4:16 left. It is one game, and Ohio State has outscored its other four opponents 52-17 in fourth quarters. But it is the only time this season a real opponent stayed close into the fourth, and Ohio State did not close it. Our read: keep it within one score after three and the pressure moves to their sideline.

Where Both Teams Stand

Oregon: unranked in the AP Top 25, 2-2 in the Big Ten, 4-3 overall
Ohio State: No. 2 in the AP Top 25, 4-0 in the Big Ten, 6-1 overall

AP Top 25 (week 9, published October 25, 2026). Big Ten standings via ESPN, retrieved October 28, 2026. Full 2026 Big Ten table →

Ohio State in 2026

No. 2 Ohio State in the AP Top 25 (week 9, published October 25, 2026). Full Top 25 and where Oregon sits →

Ohio State is 6-1 and 4-0 in the Big Ten: 56-3 over Ball State (Sept 5), a 24-23 loss at Texas (Sept 12), 59-3 over Kent State (Sept 19), 42-19 over Illinois (Sept 26), 31-14 at No. 14 Iowa (Oct 3) and 45-16 over Maryland (Oct 10). Through Oct 3 the offense was what we expected and then some: 42.2 points and 514.4 yards a game, 11.2 yards per pass attempt. Iowa was supposed to be the test, and it was not close. Julian Sayin went 20 of 27 for 324 and three touchdowns, Jeremiah Smith caught 11 for 206 and two scores to take Ohio State's career records for catches (207) and touchdown catches (36), and the defense held Iowa to 238 yards and 39 rushing. The Texas loss is still the whole caveat. Ohio State led 23-3 after three quarters, gave up 21 in the fourth, and lost with 25 seconds left. The other honest caveat runs the other way: Ohio State had won 11 straight at home and was 159-17 at Ohio Stadium since 2000 before Maryland, per its own game notes, and it has a bye and a trip to USC to fix whatever Texas exposed before we arrive. Our read: Smith is the best player we will see all year, and the only version of this team that has lost is the one that had to finish a close game. Sources: ESPN box scores and play-by-play (Sept 5 to Oct 10, 2026); ESPN team statistics (through Oct 3, 2026); ESPN game story and Adam Rittenberg's Smith story (Oct 3 to 4, 2026); Ohio State Athletics Iowa recap (Oct 3, 2026) and Illinois notes (Sept 26, 2026).

Ohio State Snapshot

4-3

Oregon 2026

6-1

Ohio State 2026

Head Coach: Ryan Day

All-time series: 2-10 Winsipedia

Jeremiah Smith

Junior. 44 catches, 823 yards, 9 touchdowns through Oct 3. Broke Ohio State's career records for catches (207) and touchdown catches (36) at Iowa, already owned the yardage record (3,381), and tied Marvin Harrison Jr. with his 15th 100-yard game.

Julian Sayin

Junior. 103 of 142 for 1,530 yards, 13 touchdowns and one interception through five games, 10.8 yards per attempt. Went 20 of 27 for 324 and three scores at No. 14 Iowa. Went 27 of 36 for 367 and four scores against Illinois, plus a rushing touchdown, a career-high five total. His one pick came on the final play at Texas. Left the Oct 17 win at Indiana with an injured right arm; Ryan Day said it looks like he will be out several weeks (AP, Oct 17, 2026).

Riley Pettijohn

Sophomore. Team-high 4 tackles for loss and 2 sacks through five games, plus an interception against Kent State. Had sacks at Texas and against Illinois.

Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Senior end. Team-high 3 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss through five games, with a sack against Texas, Illinois and Iowa. His strip sack on Iowa's first drive set up Ohio State's first touchdown.

By the Numbers, so far in 2026

33.1

Oregon PPG

39.3

Ohio State PPG

20.7

Oregon Opp PPG

13.4

Ohio State Opp PPG

Oregon: 7 games in 2026. Ohio State: 7 games in 2026, per ESPN (through 2026-10-28).

What to Watch

Where Smith lines up on the first third down, and who follows him. Then the run game. Our read: Texas made Ohio State one-dimensional, and that is the only version of this offense that has looked beatable. And if it is close late, remember Austin. Ohio State has been nearly perfect in its own building for a long time, and we are the program that won there in 2021.

Ducks vs Them: Ohio State

2024

Ducks vs Them: Oregon vs Ohio State

The official pregame hype video from Oregon Athletics. W 32-31.

Via GoDucks / Oregon Athletics

The Call: our Oregon vs Ohio State score prediction

4 for 7 on winners, 23.3 points off a game.

We say Oregon27 Ohio State24

Low confidence

We called this a coin flip before the season, and as of Oct 1, 2026 the call stands. We revisit it in game week, with what we know then.

Think we are wrong? Say it with numbers.

Call the exact score and we put your name on this page. First name and an initial, nothing else, and a human reads it first.

How to Watch

TBD

TV Channel

TBD

Kickoff

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What to Wear

Oregon Athletics is asking fans to wear green for this one. If you need it, here is Oregon gear in that color on Amazon. The official Duck Store stocks it too and the school gets the money there, which is the better call if you do not mind paying a bit more.

Color per Oregon Athletics' published 2026 fan color schedule. The Amazon link is an affiliate link and we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you; the Duck Store link is not, and we mention it anyway.

Injury Note

Current availability, from Oregon's latest Big Ten report, the one for the Illinois game (Oct 24). This is not a prediction for this game; its own report comes out during that game week. Players on our depth chart who are not at full go: Jalen Lott is out and Messiah Hampton is out. Full injury tracker →

Frequently Asked Questions

Oregon plays at Ohio State on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at Ohio Stadium (The Horseshoe) in Columbus, Ohio. Capacity: 102,780.

Yes. Texas beat Ohio State 24-23 in Austin on Sept 12, 2026. Ohio State led 23-3 entering the fourth quarter, missed a 45-yard field goal while up 23-17, and Texas scored the winning touchdown with 25 seconds left. It is Ohio State's only loss through Oct 17.

Through Oct 3 he had 44 catches for 823 yards and nine touchdowns, including 217 yards and four scores against Illinois on Sept 26 (tying Ohio State's single-game record for touchdown catches) and 206 yards and two scores at Iowa on Oct 3. As of Oct 3 he held Ohio State's career records for catches (207), receiving yards (3,381) and touchdown catches (36).

Once. Oregon won 35-28 in Columbus on Sept 11, 2021. Ohio State leads the all-time series 10-2 in 12 meetings. Ohio State has won 11 straight home games entering October 2026, per Ohio State Athletics.

Oregon has won in Columbus before: 35-28 in 2021. But the 2024 Rose Bowl (Ohio State 41, Oregon 21) showed what happens when OSU has five weeks to prepare. The 2026 game on November 7 is the biggest regular season game in program history. Full rivalry history on our Ohio State rivalry page.

Ohio State beat Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal) on January 1, 2025. Ohio State led 34-8 at halftime. Dillon Gabriel was sacked 8 times. It was Oregon's second straight CFP elimination loss after the Peach Bowl.

Ohio State is ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 (week 9). Ohio State is 6-1 in 2026, most recently a 19-15 win at Indiana Hoosiers, coached by Ryan Day.

The Big Ten has not set them yet. Kickoff times and networks for games not announced before the season are selected during the season through the conference's 12-day/6-day selection process, under its media-rights agreements with its TV partners (University of Iowa Athletics, May 27, 2026, quoting the Big Ten's media-rights process). 9 of 12 kickoff times are set. Until the Nov 7 game is assigned, this page shows TBD rather than a guess.

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