Breaking Down the Potential Advantages and Challenges for Ohio State in Its Top-Three Showdown with Oregon

It’s time for our first true look at what this year’s Ohio State football team is made of.The first half of the season has all built up to this week’s road trip to Oregon, where the second-ranked Buckeyes will face the third-ranked Ducks in what’s not only one of the biggest games of Ohio State’s regular season but one of the biggest games of the entire year in all of college football. While Ohio State was heavily favored to win all of its first five games, this week brings a true matchup game for the Buckeyes in which they’ll be tested in all phases.Ohio State has some potential advantages over Oregon, with its defensive line and running game looking like two of its biggest strengths. But the Buckeyes will have to break the trend of the past three weeks in which teams throughout the Big Ten have lost after long road trips. Will Howard faces his first major test as Ohio State’s quarterback, the offensive line faces its first major test in pass protection and the Buckeyes’ pass defense must prove it’s up to the task against an Oregon offense full of weapons.We spend more than an hour previewing the game from all angles on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays. The rundown below highlights some of the main topics we covered in our breakdown of the Buckeyes vs. the Ducks.0:00 The First Marquee Game for Ohio State Has Arrived4:30 OSU Offensive Line Passed A Test vs. Iowa, But Oregon Presents Bigger Test in Pass Protection12:05 Defensive Front Has Momentum Off Iowa Dominance, But Oregon Brings Different Challenges18:36 Ohio State’s Pass Defense Has Something to Prove Against Best Offense It’s Faced So Far24:39 A Massive Measuring-Stick Game for Will Howard33:38 Running the Ball Effectively to Take Pressure Off of Howard Will Be Crucial39:04 Continuing to Excel in Red Zone, Situational Football Could Make the Difference43:22 Why the Challenge of A Long Road Trip Shouldn’t Be Overlooked50:44 Keys to the Game: Winning the Battle in the Trenches and the Running Game55:48 The Importance of Avoiding Mistakes on Special Teams56:54 Why Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs Are Our X-Factors for the Game59:10 Our Score Predictions and Levels of Confidence in an Ohio State Win