Oregon Ducks cornerback Ify Obidegwu isn’t just ready to face the No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on Saturday in Columbus. He’s been dreaming about it.

The No. 23 Ducks (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) and Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) square off at Ohio Stadium in a contest neither team can afford to lose in the Big Ten championship race.

Obidegwu and the Oregon secondary are tasked with slowing the Heisman-hopeful Smith, who enters the game with 1,067 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, both second-best in the nation.

The junior from Baltimore leads the Ducks with nine passes defended and is tied for tops in the Big Ten with cornerbacks Juice Clark of Illinois and Audavion Collins of Penn State with 1.12 passes defended per game.

Obidegwu met with the press on Tuesday at the Hatfield-Dowlin Center to discuss Oregon’s defensive mentality, the growth of the Ducks’ young cornerbacks and the prospect of shutting down Smith.

What Excites Him About Facing Jeremiah Smith

“An opportunity like this is the stuff you dream of as a little kid. That’s why you come to a school like Oregon, playing big games like this against guys like that. So it’s just exciting. The game you get up for, for sure.”

Matching Up With Jeremiah Smith’s Athleticism

“He’s big, physical, fast. We’re big, we’re physical, fast corners, so it’s a good matchup, for sure. We’re definitely excited and ready to go, for sure.”

What Stands Out Sbout Ohio State's Wide Receivers

“Yeah, they got a talented room. The rest of their guys are just as talented. It’s not just one person. We got to gameplan all of them, really. They’re all fast. They all go to Ohio State for a reason. So we’re taking them serious, regardless of number or who they are.”

If the Ohio State Offense is Different Under Quarterback Luke Fahey

“I’ll probably just say he can run. He got a nice arm. He can run, so we got to be accountable for his legs and things like that. I think they run pretty much the same offense as they ran before. Just a new quarterback back there. They try to get the ball out fast, intermediate throw, stuff like that.”

If Talent on Both Teams Provide Motivation

“Yeah, most definitely. You know, just coming in knowing that the records it’s not really it. They don’t really mean nothing. College football is crazy nowadays. They’re a great team. We got to prepare like they’re a great team. So we just got to go in there like champ week, basically.”

How Adversity Has Prepared the Team

“We talk about facing adversity all the time. Just knowing what to do when it comes. We’ve been through adversity already this season a good amount of times, so we just know how to attack it. We just try to create those moments at practice and practice those moments, too. And so, when the game time comes, we’re ready for anything we prepare.”

What Dan Lanning's Quote, 'Assassins, Not Superheroes' Means

“Basically, just guys that want to go out there and just do their job, you know, kill, go out there and just dominate the guy in front of them. Not somebody trying to do something out there like jump out their gap or try to make a play and not doing their job, you know, try to play like there’s not the man next to you. Just, you know, just do your one-eleventh, and everything should just fall in play if everybody is doing their job.”

Development of the Oregon Ducks Cornerback Room

“Devin (Jackson's) grown a lot since he got here. He’s always been a high-energy guy, you know, great person to be around. He’s growing every day. He’s a tremendous player. He’s going to be great. He’s going to be great. So, it’s great to see him out there. Compete with him every day. That’s my guy, for sure.”