Offense Defense

Another slow start was followed by a better second half, and the Buckeyes finished with 612 yards. But the comeback fell short when they were stopped twice in the fourth quarter with plenty of time to tie it up. C.J. Stroud was 35-for-54 for 484 yards, but the number of attempts tells you how Ohio State stopped trusting its run game. The Buckeyes ran for only 128 yards and a 4.1-yard average.

The same Oregon offense that struggled to move the ball against Fresno State moved at will against the Buckeyes. The Ducks gained 505 yards, including 269 on the ground for a 7.1-yard-per-carry average. There was no pressure on quarterback Anthony Brown, and three Oregon touchdowns came on nearly identical runs to the left on which there was no exterior resistance. Also, there was a 99-yard Oregon TD drive that looked all too easy.