THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
Pocket protection
No matter the availability of star pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who sprained an ankle in Oregon's seasonopening win over Fresno State, the front seven of the Ducks' defense is formidable. A variety of defensive linemen and linebackers got to Fresno quarterback Jake Haener to total four sacks and 17 total pressures, and they will likely look to put C.J. Stroud under similar duress as he makes his second start behind center. If Ohio State's offensive line can instead maintain a clean pocket, Stroud should fare well.
Settle on a rotation
The Buckeyes used a deep rotation on defense Minnesota, putting 24 players in the game. It gave the coaching staff an opportunity to size up a lot of inexperienced position groups — more than half of Ohio State's scholarship players on defense are first- and second-year freshmen. But in a matchup with another top-15 ranked team, one that could challenge them as much as any opponent during the regular season, the Buckeyes could benefit from leaning on their most dependable players. If that is to happen, they'll need to establish a shorter rotation.
Turnover factor
Oregon was sloppy last season, finishing 121st out of 127 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a minus-9 turnover margin. The offense contributed significantly to the issue as it gave up 16 turnovers, and it wasn't totally clean to open this season, giving up a fumble against Fresno State when quarterback Anthony Brown was stripped early in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes could look to take advantage and generate takeaways. They forced two fumbles at Minnesota, including a strip-sack by defensive end Zach Harrison that led to a touchdown.
Key matchup
Ohio State’s run defense vs. Oregon’s backfield
The Buckeyes gave up 203 rushing yards to Minnesota, the second-most by any Big Ten team over the opening weekend. While the Ducks don't have a running back in the same class as Mohamed Ibrahim, they have some playmakers in their backfield, having returned their top two ballcarriers in Travis Dye and CJ Verdell. Brown is also a dual-threat quarterback who ran for 56 yards and a touchdown in the opener. A defense that missed nine tackles against Minnesota will need to be a little cleaner.
Key stat
2: The Buckeyes have lost two out of their last three non-conference games against Power Five conference teams at Ohio Stadium, beating Oregon State in 2018, but falling to Oklahoma in 2017 and Virginia Tech in 2014.