Anticipation is growing for a top five college football matchup in Week 7. A meeting between Big Ten undefeateds, the No. 3 Oregon Ducks (5-0) will welcome the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) to Autzen Stadium on Saturday night.
This will be the first time the two have met in a conference matchup after the Ducks joined the Big Ten in the offseason. The last meeting came in 2021, a 35-28 win by Oregon in Columbus.
Both programs are among the very best in the sport at stocking talent on the recruiting trail. The Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day signed the No. 5 class in the 2024 cycle, while Lanning’s Ducks pulled in the No. 3 class in the nation, per 247Sports.
With a plethora of talent on both sides, Lanning believes that Saturday night’s battle will ultimately come down to play on the line of scrimmage.
“I think it’s gonna be about the most physical team,” he said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Who’s the most physical team in the trenches? It’s gonna matter who’s gonna establish the run game. Takeaways always matter in games like this. Critical situations – fourth down, (red zone) – those are gonna be really big in this game.”