Atticus Sappington’s 19-yard field goal with 1:47 to go gave No. 3 Oregon a thrilling 32-31 win over No. 2 Ohio State.
After Sappington’s kick, Ohio State had plenty of time to get close enough for a game-winning field goal attempt, and it did. But as soon as Emeka Egbuka’s catch put the Buckeyes within Jayden Fielding’s range, a pass interference penalty by Jeremiah Smith pushed them back 15 yards.
After Smith’s penalty, an incomplete pass and an Oregon penalty, Ohio State had six seconds left on a third down to get back within field goal range. But QB Will Howard inexplicably stopped the ball and ran up the middle instead of throwing it away or sliding earlier. By the time Howard slid, the clock was running out.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning sent Sappington onto the field, a yard away from the end zone, after Ohio State called its second timeout of the half with 1:51 to go. There was a compelling argument for Lanning — a coach who hasn’t been shy about fourth-down decisions during his career at Oregon — to go for the TD instead of kicking the field goal.
Yes, Ohio State stopped Oregon on the previous two plays. But that doesn’t mean the Buckeyes could do it a third time. Especially with an Oregon team that is more prone to passing without wanting to keep the clock moving forward. And even if Ohio State stopped Oregon, the Ducks had all three of their timeouts and would get the ball back with great field position if they stopped Ohio State from getting a first down against their own end zone.
Instead, Lanning played for the lead. And it worked. Hardly.
Six lead changes
Much like Alabama’s win over Georgia in the first top-five matchup of the season, the first matchup between top-three teams didn’t disappoint on Saturday night. Sappington’s kick was the sixth lead change of the evening.
The second quarter in particular was wild. Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden was ejected for spitting on Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun, Oregon had an extra point attempt that went hilariously wrong and the Ducks recovered a line drive kickoff that bounced off an Ohio State blocker .
The score of the game was 7-6 when the second quarter started. By the time halftime arrived, Oregon had a 22-21 lead after Dillon Gabriel found Tez Johnson for a 48-yard touchdown.
Gabriel finished the game 23 of 34 passing for 341 yards and two passing TDs. He also rushed for a 27-yard touchdown that gave Oregon a 29-28 lead with 13:20 remaining.
Ohio State responded with a methodical 13-play drive that went 53 yards and took 7:20 off the clock. Fielding hit a 40-yard field goal with six minutes left, giving the Buckeyes a one-point lead.
After Sappington’s go-ahead goal, Howard got a chance to show Ohio State fans why he was the preferred QB choice ahead of the 2024 season. The former Kansas State QB has been solid so far, but has also been overshadowed by Smith’s one-handed grabs and the excellence of running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.
However, the first action of the final stage was a sign of what was to come. Howard fell for a four-yard sack before regaining his composure and completing four consecutive passes until Smith’s penalty. However, the Buckeyes lost 12 seconds after the penalty as they seemed unprepared for the clock to start on the officials’ whistle after the pass interference call.
A preview of the Big Ten title game?
It’s easy to imagine Oregon and Ohio State meeting again in the Big Ten championship game this December, with a top-four spot in the College Football Playoff on the line. With all due respect to undefeated Indiana, the Buckeyes and Ducks are two of the top three teams in the conference along with Penn State. Even if Indiana works its way into the title mix in the second half of the season, Ohio State and Oregon should be considered the favorites to play for the title.
The Buckeyes’ loss is also another data point against Big Ten teams making cross-country trips. Teams that travel across multiple time zones are 1-10 in conference play so far this season. Indiana’s win over UCLA is the only victory for a visiting team, and Oregon makes a cross-country trip of its own in Week 8. The Ducks head to Purdue for a Friday night game against a Boilermakers team that lost 50-49 in overtime to Illinois . Ohio State is off in Week 8 before hosting Nebraska on Oct. 26.
