Five Ohio State Buckeyes that hurt Oregon in first matchup at Autzen

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard threw for over 300 yards with two touchdowns and another score running the ball. Wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka combined for almost 200 yards receiving and the Buckeye defense was flying around.

So, how in the world did Ohio State lose 32-31 inside Autzen Stadium to Oregon on Oct. 12? If you told head coach Ryan Day his team would produce similar numbers against the Ducks in the Rose Bowl, he would probably like his chances at making the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The Ducks need to avoid this kind of production if they want to advance in the playoffs. Ohio State’s passing game had a banner day and while the defense wasn’t great, the Buckeyes played enough defense over the span of 60 minutes to get the win on most days. Oregon left some points on the field in that first meeting, something that just can’t happen in the Rose Bowl as the two teams play in the most marquee matchup in the entire format.

Here are five Ohio State Buckeyes that played well enough to win against the Ducks in the first game that Oregon needs to do a better job at containing on New Year’s Day.

QB Will Howard

Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The lasting image of Will Howard in that first matchup was him sitting on the Autzen Stadium turf around the 35-yard line looking up at the scoreboard in disbelief as 0:00 was on the clock and Oregon winning 32-31.

Before that late scramble, Howard had his best day as a Buckeye, going 28-of-35 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another score. He was great and numbers like that will get you a win probably 95 percent of the time. The Oregon defense can’t afford another effort similar in nature.

WR Jeremiah Smith

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jeremiah Smith proved to be a tough matchup for the Ducks’ cornerbacks, but…