Oregon beats Ohio State 41-28 on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, rallying from 14 points down with 38 straight points to stun the Buckeyes in front of 103,551 fans in Columbus and keep the Ducks’ College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Ohio State scored twice in the first quarter and led 14-0 late in the opening period. Then Oregon took over completely. The Ducks scored on four of their next five drives to lead 17-14 at halftime, added 14 more points in the third quarter, and stretched the run to 38-0 before Ohio State scored twice in the final 3:25 against Oregon’s backups.
Oregon beats Ohio State 41-28: how the comeback happened
Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola steadied Oregon after the slow start, completing 25 of 40 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Raiola is starting in place of Dante Moore, who is out for the season with a concussion sustained at Southern California.
Dierre Hill Jr. gave the Ducks their running game, rushing for 75 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. His 9-yard score with 1:25 left in the second quarter pulled Oregon within 14-10, and his 48-yard touchdown run — the longest of Oregon’s season — opened the second half and pushed the lead to 24-14.
The fake punt that flipped the game
The turning point came late in the second quarter. Trailing 14-3 and facing fourth-and-9 at their own 39-yard line, the Ducks did not punt. Head coach Dan Lanning called a fake: defensive end Teitum Tuioti threw to fellow defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei for a 30-yard gain. The drive ended with Raiola’s 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jamari Johnson.
Oregon’s defense then gave the ball right back. Defensive back Devin Jackson intercepted Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey at the Oregon 41 with 1:06 left in the half, setting up Hill’s go-ahead touchdown and a 17-14 halftime lead. Before the fake punt, Oregon had 113 yards and three points. After it, the Ducks gained 287 yards and scored 38 points.
Raiola added two more touchdown passes after the break: 11 yards to Dakorien Moore to make it 31-14 in the third quarter, and 15 yards to running back Brandon Smith on a delayed screen for a 38-14 lead in the fourth.
Ohio State’s offense disappeared for three quarters
Fahey, making his second start after Julian Sayin was injured on Oct. 17 at Indiana, completed 36 of 50 passes for 360 yards with a touchdown and an interception. But during Oregon’s 38-0 run, Ohio State’s offense gained just 74 yards on 40 plays across eight drives. The 38-0 run was the largest scoring run against Ohio State at home since 1999.
Oregon’s defense held star receiver Jeremiah Smith quiet until the fourth quarter, finishing with two sacks and nine tackles for loss. Ohio State finished with 413 yards of offense but just 53 rushing yards, and its two late touchdowns came after the game was already decided.
What the result means for the playoff race
Oregon beats Ohio State 41-28, and the result almost certainly ends the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes. The Buckeyes, who opened the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, have now lost two straight games for the first time since 2011 and are headed for their first three-loss season since 2011. They are also in danger of dropping out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2011.
For Oregon, the win keeps everything alive. The Ducks have now won back-to-back games against ranked opponents after beating Northwestern last week, their first consecutive conference wins of the season. Lanning is now 2-1 against Ohio State, and the win was revenge for the 41-21 Rose Bowl loss that ended Oregon’s undefeated 2024 season before the Buckeyes went on to win the national title.
What’s next
Oregon hosts Michigan next Saturday, with a chance to keep climbing in the playoff race. Ohio State hosts Northwestern next Saturday, trying to stop a slide that has turned a season that started at No. 1 into a fight just to stay ranked.
Around Week 10
Elsewhere on Saturday, No. 5 Alabama beat No. 14 LSU 31-13 in Baton Rouge, No. 3 Utah beat No. 9 BYU 28-20 in their rivalry game, and No. 7 Texas beat No. 18 Missouri 34-20 on the road. The night’s other top-10 matchup, No. 1 Miami at No. 11 Notre Dame, kicked off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Oregon beats Ohio State 41-28 — a result that shakes up the Big Ten race and the College Football Playoff picture.
