The supreme advantage of having multiple elite athletes at offensive skill positions is that defenses can’t hone in on one weapon or another, less they get exposed by the playmaker they choose to leave isolated.
Ohio State’s experienced that advantage just about every season since Brian Hartline started coaching its wide receivers, and it’s continued this year with one of the best wideout trios in the country of Emeka Egbuka, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
The Buckeyes’ defensive backfield squares off with that bunch daily in practice, and that experience will be vital this week. No. 3 Oregon not only has threats at each of its three wide receiver positions but also one of the nation’s best tight ends and a ruthlessly efficient quarterback, providing No. 2 Ohio State’s secondary and linebackers with their stiffest coverage challenge of the season.
“It's definitely a more dynamic offense,” Buckeye linebacker Cody Simon said. “It's a bigger focus change for us. But all of our goals stay the same. We want to attack teams and we want to play aggressive and play to our style.”
Oregon’s 294.2 passing yards per game rank 19th in college football while its 8.5 yards per attempt is 28th. Its lower ranking in the latter category comes as no surprise given the focus of its attack. The Ducks build their offense around quick passes, screens and run-pass option plays to get the ball to their playmakers in space, making it difficult for defenses to put pressure on quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
“They get the ball out quick and Gabriel's very accurate,” Ryan Day said. “They have really good playmakers out in space and they make you defend the field from sideline to sideline and then they take their shot. They play very, very fast and so you've got to be on your game. And (Gabriel)'s a great operator and he's very talented.”
Gabriel leads the nation with a completion percentage of 77.8. In his sixth season of college football at his third different school – he’s been a starter all six of those years, though he only played three games in 2021 before breaking his left clavicle and taking a medical redshirt – his 16,314 career passing yards are the fourth-most in NCAA history, and he's got a long shot at breaking former Houston quarterback Case Keenum's record of 19,217. Beating out former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang's 17,072 career yards for second place should be a formality if Gabriel stays healthy in 2024.
The former UCF and Oklahoma quarterback’s favorite target is Tez Johnson, one of the best receivers in the sport this year. He has 43 receptions for 395 yards and five touchdowns this season. He spent three falls at Troy before transferring to Oregon and posting a 1,182-yard campaign in his first season with the Ducks last year. He now has 3,386 career receiving yards. Starting in the slot on offense, Johnson also has a punt return touchdown this year.
PUNT RETURN TD FOR TEZ JOHNSON @oregonfootball takes the lead pic.twitter.com/gi0pjUwU8w
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 8, 2024
Johnson’s running mates out wide are also major threats. Six-foot-three Traeshon Holden, who transferred from Alabama in 2023, has a great catch radius and has used it to haul in 19 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns in 2024. Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart, already with two 500-yard seasons to his credit, rounds out the starting trio. He has 16 receptions for 182 yards and two scores this fall.
“They’re really good,” safety Lathan Ransom said. “A really talented receiving corps, the best one we’ve seen so far this year and we’re all excited for the challenge.”
The key to slowing an offense predicated on short throws is preventing yards after the catch. Johnson and company move like raging rivers in space, so stopping that flow requires furious pursuit and sure tackling.
“Get off blocks, play fast and tackle,” cornerback Denzel Burke said. “They're good in space, so we just got to have great eyes and really just come downhill, play with the tenacity and have fun.”
Too much attention can’t be paid to the outside because there are major threats over the middle for Oregon. Johnson is one playing out of the slot, but another is tight end Terrance Ferguson. Joining Gabriel, Johnson and Holden as seniors in the Ducks’ passing attack, Ferguson posted 391 yards in 2022 and 414 yards in 2023 before getting off to his most blistering start yet in 2024. He’s already got 16 receptions for 259 yards this campaign.
“He's got good size,” Simon said. “He's dynamic. But we approach everybody the same way, and we want to play our game and do what we do against anybody we play.”
Covering the middle of the field has been an issue at times for Ohio State’s linebackers, particularly on quick passes underneath. Michigan State and Marshall both found some success attacking that area of the Buckeyes’ defense, and even as Iowa threw for a meager 110 yards this past weekend, Hawkeye tight end Luke Lachey had five receptions for 39 yards. One of those catches went for a first down on 3rd-and-8.
“I mean, we could always do better,” Simon said. “Especially this last week, we had some trouble on third down. So we're tightening stuff up, and just refocus and get back on it.”
Still, on paper, the Buckeyes’ pass defense is one of the best in college football. After having the No. 1 unit in passing yards allowed per game in 2023, Ohio State returned both of its starting outside corners (Burke and Davison Igbinosun), its starting nickel (Jordan Hancock), its starting strong safety (Ransom) and added the nation’s No. 1 transfer at free safety (Caleb Downs).
Five games into 2024, OSU is No. 4 nationally in pass defense, allowing 129.8 yards per contest. It’s eighth (one spot ahead of Oregon) in yards allowed per passing attempt at 5.45. The Buckeyes have been consistent, yet to allow 200 yards or more in a game through the air.
“They’re going to get challenged this week in a lot of different areas, but those guys are a big part of the defense,” Day said of Ohio State’s corners. “And every little piece matters when you're on defense, but that's a big part of it. They have a big challenge this week, and good to see Davison get his hands on one (for an interception) last week. That was big, and Denzel got one the week before.”
“Get off blocks, play fast and tackle.”– Denzel Burke on stopping Oregon's quick passing game
Ransom and Downs have been weapons playing downhill against the screen game – and the run, for that matter – a strength that could prove useful against Oregon’s offensive play style. The duo has a combined 41 tackles with eight tackles for loss; that’s a combined 1.6 TFLs per game playing the position that’s furthest from the line of scrimmage.
“I think that we do a great job in the film room getting keys and stuff that stands out on tape,” Ransom said. “And right when we see our keys, we're able to trigger fast. And just trusting each other, trusting the defense. Everyone's going to do their job so we can just play fast.”
Saturday’s primetime tilt in Autzen Stadium will be the biggest test so far this season of just how good Ohio State’s back seven is. If they can holster Oregon’s weapons, they could lead the Buckeyes to victory in the top-three showdown.
“It's going to be a great matchup, man,” Burke said. “This is something I always wish for. I go against the best receivers every day in practice, but to be able to go against good on good, it's really exciting for me. I'm a really big competitor, so it's going to be really fun. They got a good group of guys over there and let's see.”
