Oregon Upsets Ohio State, Moves Into National Championship Conversation

UPSET ALERT!

The No. 12 Oregon Ducks, led by running back CJ Verdell and quarterback Anthony Brown, took down the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes 35-28 in Columbus on Saturday. It’s the first win that Oregon has against Ohio State in its history. It had been 0-9 before Saturday's upset. 

The Ducks, who were without star pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, managed to run all over the Buckeyes defense and held off a late surge by quarterback CJ Stroud to improve to 2-0 on the season. 

Stroud had a chance to lead the Buckeyes on a game-tying drive, but he was intercepted on a third-and-18 pass attempt by Verone McKinley III.

Oregon was more than a two-touchdown underdog at 14.5 points heading into Saturday's matchup, but it now could find itself in the conversation to win the College Football Playoff after knocking off Ohio State. 

The Ducks weren’t in WynnBET’s top-10 odds to win the title this season heading into Saturday's tilt, while the Buckeyes sat at +700 (third) after opening at +650 odds. 

Oregon got off to a fast start, going up 21-7 early in the third quarter on Verdell’s third score of the game. The junior running back was magnificent on Saturday toting the rock 20 times for 161 yards on the ground and three scores (two rushing, one receiving).

The Ducks didn’t look great in Week 1 against Fresno State, but they showed that they’re a legitimate contender out of the Pac-12 this season with this win. We saw Georgia’s College Football Playoff odds skyrocket last week after knocking off Clemson on the road, and I’d expect the same to happen for the Ducks following all of Week 2’s action. 

The Buckeyes will have to go back to the drawing board, as they started slow even with Thibodeaux on the sidelines. CJ Stroud finished the game with 484 yards passing and three scores, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an Oregon attack that finished with 269 rushing yards on the day.

The Pac-12 hasn’t been as prominent in the College Football Playoff in recent years, but with Oregon knocking off Ohio State this week and UCLA beating the LSU Tigers in Week 1, there’s a chance that the Pac-12 has a team in the final College Football Playoff standings this season. 

Expect the No. 12 Ducks to see a significant bump in both the AP Poll and their odds to win the title, and they may only get better once Thibodeaux is back on the field. 

Does Oregon deserve more respect in the College Football Playoff odds? Get in the action on the WynnBET app.