COLUMBUS, Ohio – What looked like the best regular season game of September turned into a College Football Playoff playoff game. There’s no margin for error for No. 23 Oregon and No. 12 Ohio State when they meet Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS).
The Buckeyes (6-2) and Ducks (5-3) started the season ranked first and second, respectively, but each lost their starting quarterback. Oregon lost Dante Moore to a concussion in a late September win over USC. Moore was then ruled out for the remainder of the season, paving the way for Dylan Raiola to take over. Results without Moore have been mixed at best, with Oregon losing to UCLA and Illinois, although it is coming off a ranked win against Northwestern.
Ohio State lost its starting quarterback, Julian Sayin, in a win over No. 4 Indiana. Ohio State hasn’t officially ruled Sayin out for the season — he’s “out indefinitely” — but he’s not expected to play in the regular season, at least. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Thursday that Sayin is on a “good path” to recovery.
Without Sayin, Ohio State turned to true freshman Luke Fahey. The freshman QB performed well in a 30-18 loss to USC last week. Ohio State will need a little more from Fahey against the Ducks, although defense was the biggest issue against the Trojans. The good news, at least, is that starting defensive back Jay Timmons is expected to return after missing the USC game.
Watch Ohio State vs. Oregon live at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS and live broadcast on CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app and Paramount+ Premium. Keep it locked here for live updates, analysis and game highlights.
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