It's finally going to happen.
We didn't get to watch Jonathon Cooper, Zach Harrison, and Tyreke Smith go up against Penei Sewell at Autzen Stadium in 2020. Nor did Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere get to square off against one of the country's top pass rushers and a sure-fire top NFL draft pick.
In less than four months, Mario Cristobal and the Oregon Ducks will be heading to Columbus. Many of the key faces have changed, but there are still several big-time storylines in what has long been one of the 2021 season's most anticipated matchups.
New Quarterbacks Facing Early Tests
If you're looking at the quarterback situation for both teams, you'll see a total of seven players looking to take over, and only one of them has any experience at the collegiate level. We already know what's going on in Columbus. C.J. Stroud, Jack Miller, and Kyle McCord are battling to take over for Justin Fields. Most feel that Stroud is out in front even though there's still a ways to go.
Mario Cristobal is looking at a four-man race, but there also seems to be a favorite in this one. The names to know are graduate senior Anthony Brown, true freshman Ty Thompson, and a pair of redshirt freshmen in Jay Butterfield and Robby Ashford. Brown transferred to Oregon last year after throwing 40 touchdowns in three seasons at Boston College. Last year in Eugene, he threw just 23 pass attempts and a pair of touchdowns while backing up Tyler Shough.
Shough's move to Texas Tech was quietly one of the bigger transfers of the offseason, and now Brown is trying to fend off the three youngsters. Ty Thompson was one of the nation's top-rated passers in the class of 2021 and a five-star according to some outlets. Still, it was Anthony Brown who got the first-team reps during the spring, so he should be considered the favorite at this point.
Anthony Brown at Oregon feels similar to Blake Sims at Alabama circa 2014. Everyone assumes placeholder status and then he never relinquishes it.
— Josh Pate (@LateKickJosh) April 18, 2021
It is worth noting that Ohio State's quarterback will get a bit of a challenge on the road against Minnesota in the opener. The Ducks open things up at home against Fresno State.
Talented Wideouts, Questionable Secondaries
Ohio State has the best group of wideouts in the country, and that's got to be a blessing for the new leader under center. And while Cristobal's group isn't as talented as what Ryan Day has in Columbus, Oregon does have the top pass-catchers in the Pac 12. The Ducks return all of their top receivers from 2020 and have several talented newcomers waiting in the wings.
For the Buckeyes, it's going to be the usual suspects with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson leading the charge. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has found a new home in the slot while Julian Fleming, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Emeka Egbuka should all have roles as well. The biggest question is what kind of rapport is built with the new quarterback. We're expecting a bit more rotating at wide receiver, though Olave and Wilson should still see the lion's share of targets.
On the other side of the ball, Oregon just had four defensive backs drafted for the first time in program history. That's a promising sign in terms of development, but it could be problematic in 2021. Mykael Wright should be one of the best corners in the country. Five-star 2020 signee Dontae Manning is another name to watch at corner. There's a lot of talent there, but losing that much experience to the NFL is always a concern.
Jaylon Redd led Oregon in receptions last season with 25 to go along with 281 yards and one score out of the slot. Though he's been out this spring with a foot injury, he'll have the same role in 2021. Devon Williams, Johnny Johnson III, and Mycah Pittman all return after leading the way last season. True freshman wideout Troy Franklin was the country's No. 3 player at the position in the Class of 2021.
Kerry Coombs' defensive backfield may actually be a bigger question than who will lead the Buckeye offense. Sevyn Banks needs to take his game to a different level. Cam Brown has to get healthy after the Achilles injury. And Coombs will need guys like Ryan Watts and Lathan Ransom to step into bigger roles as sophomores.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is a problem. Via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Containing Thibodeaux
Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has been viewed as a top NFL draft pick since his freshman season in 2019, and perhaps even before that when he was listed as the nation's No. 1 high school prospect. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, he's recorded 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss during his 20-game career.
Putting on a show in Columbus against a national powerhouse would certainly be one way to solidify that draft stock. Ohio State, however, is returning two of America's top-rated tackles in Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere. Thibodeaux has mostly lined up on the right side of the defensive line, which means he could be seeing plenty of Munford on Sept. 11.
The Buckeyes did a stellar job of handling Odafe (then Jayson) Oweh last season. And while he's a freakish athlete and first-round pick, he's not on the same level as Kayvon Thibodeaux. I imagine plenty of NFL eyes will be watching the trenches in this one.
Inexperienced Backers vs. Talented Tailback Tandem
The linebacker questions are right up there with the defensive backfield. Al Washington's room isn't necessarily young with veterans like Teradja Mitchell and Dallas Gant, but it definitely does lack experience. The Buckeyes will be tested right out of the gate against Minnesota and Mohamed Ibrahim—the Big Ten's leading rusher in 2020. Things won't get a whole lot better in week two.
CJ Verdell and Travis Dye split the backfield reps in 2020. Dye rushed 64 times for 443 yards and one touchdown while Verdell recorded 65 carries for 284 yards and three scores. At 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, Verdell is more of the ground-and-pound type of back. He rumbled for over 1,000 yards in 2018 and 2019 before battling through some injuries as a junior in 2020.
Dye is an all-purpose weapon who always has to be accounted for. Last season he caught nine passes for 239 yards and four scores. That's good enough for a ridiculous 26.6 yards per catch. The do-it-all back is someone that guys like Pete Werner and Baron Browning would have been entrusted to handle. Now, a new set of Buckeye linebackers will be dealing with both Dye and Verdell when the Ducks come to town.
Ohio State is set to host Oregon on Sept. 11 at the Shoe. This week it was announced that the game will kick off at noon and will be televised on FOX.
