College football will witness the second top five matchup of the 2024 season this Saturday in Eugene, Oregon, as the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes square off against the No. 3 Ducks in Autzen Stadium.
If this highly anticipated matchup is anything like Georgia-Alabama – the first top five game of the season – college football fans are in for a treat. Two undefeated Big Ten teams with a chance to solidify themselves as a College Football Playoff favorite in Week 7.
Both Ohio State and Oregon came close to playoff appearances in 2023. The Ducks’ hopes were crushed by national champion runner-up Washington in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Similarly, the Buckeyes’ chances were thwarted by national champion Michigan in the Big Ten championship.
Both are led by transfer quarterbacks. Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel leads the Ducks in his first season in Eugene, and Kansas State transfer Will Howard is in the midst of his first campaign as a Buckeye.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes this will be a pivotal game for Howard, specifically in terms of national championship contention. The Buckeyes have yet to be tested by a Top 25 team, nonetheless a high-caliber program like Dan Lanning’s Ducks.