Saturday night was filled with iconic matchups, and one that drew significant attention was the clash between the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 3 Oregon Ducks, broadcast on NBC . This game marked the first top-five showdown at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, and it turned out to be a surreal and memorable moment for the entire Oregon program.
After Ohio State made a go-ahead field goal in the final two minutes, they positioned themselves for a potential game-winning kick. However, a crucial misstep by quarterback Will Howard, who slid as time expired, led him to believe he had enough time for a timeout—he didn’t.
This mistake allowed the Ducks to storm the field in celebration after their thrilling 32-31 victory, keeping them unbeaten, placing them atop the Big Ten, and elevating them to No. 2 in the country, while the Buckeyes fell to No. 4.
On Monday, after everyone had a chance to reflect on the moment, NBC announced some major news regarding the matchup. NBC PR revealed that the Ohio State-Oregon showdown was the most-watched primetime Big Ten conference game since 2008—over 16 years ago. It was an incredible night for both NBC and the Big Ten .