With anticipation building for several teams, many are keeping their eyes on the date in October when the clash between the giants will begin.
The Oregon Ducks will enter the 2024 season as newcomers to the Big Ten Conference. While this may be new territory for Oregon, they have already put themselves on the map as a team that will compete for the Big Ten Championship and a spot in the expanded playoffs.
To get there, they'll need to beat one of college football's great teams: Ohio State. The Ducks host the Buckeyes on Oct. 12 in what sports columnist and reporter Paul Finebaum believes is one of the biggest games of the year.
During Feinebaum's show, a caller asked about the importance of the Georgia-Texas game, to which he responded that it was one of his top two, the other being Oregon-Ohio State.
“I think this game (Georgia vs. Texas) is probably a matchup between two undefeated teams,” Finebaum said. “There are a couple of games right now that could be the biggest games of the year, and I think Ohio State vs. Oregon is one of them.”
Finebaum acknowledges it's too early to make such predictions and that his estimates could change once the games are over, but his predictions are well-founded.
All four teams will likely be ranked in the top five in the country when the games are played, plus both games could have major implications on the conference championship and College Football Playoff fields.
ESPN's early Top 25 rankings have Georgia at No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Texas State and Oregon State. The Ducks could very well be considered the dark horse in this race, but they bring an impressive resume to this game.
Coach Dan Lanning is already recognized as one of the top coaches in the FBS after just two seasons at Oregon, where he went 22-5 and won consecutive bowl games. Despite losing several key players, including quarterback Bo Nix (NFL/Denver), Oregon used the transfer portal effectively to build up its roster.
The head of the new recruits is former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart is expected to strengthen the wide receiver corps. Running back Jordan James returns to replace Bucky Irving (NFL/Tampa Bay). James ran for 759 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023. Defensively, safety Kobe Savage (Kansas State) and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad (Washington) are transfers who add to the Pac-12's No. 1 pass defense.
Ohio State has a winning percentage of 86.8% for coach Ryan Day's teams. The only blemish on Day's record is the fact that they have lost to Michigan three years in a row. Like Oregon, Ohio State also used the transfer portal to bolster their roster. They signed five-star safety Caleb Downs (University of Alabama), tailback Quinsion Judkins (University of Mississippi), and quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State).
Day, in a move that came as a surprise to some, hired former UCLA coach Chip Kelly as his offensive coordinator. Even more surprising, Kelly was previously Oregon's coach. During his four-year tenure, the Ducks appeared in two Rose Bowls, one Fiesta Bowl and a BCS National Championship, but lost in the final to Auburn. Kelly compiled a 46-7 record before moving on to the NFL.
Feinebaum may indeed be right that Oregon and Ohio State are the top two matchups for 2024. Either way, this game features two nationally-active teams and has all the makings of an instant classic. When the Buckeyes come to town in October, Ducks fans will be sure to pack Autzen Stadium for a can't-miss matchup.
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