The No. 20 Oregon Ducks trip to Columbus to face off against the No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes looks a lot different from what fans anticipated at the start of the season. At the center of the showdown's evolution away from preseason expectations are injuries to both starting quarterbacks – Dante Moore and Julian Sayin.

The quarterback isn’t the only position with injuries impacting the matchup. Ducks fans also learned reports that running back Jordon Davison would miss the game on Wednesday morning, which was confirmed by the first injury report.

Oregon fans did get the optimistic news that wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan is probable after being listed as out since Week 3. At the same time, the Ducks received the unexpected news that the tight end depth took a hit with Andrew Olesh out.

Below are all of the players listed as out and probable. This is the first of four required injury reports from the Big Ten, which start three days before the game. Oregon’s next injury report is expected at 5 p.m. PT on Thursday.

Oregon Ducks’ Injury Report vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

Out

Running Back Jordon Davison
Quarterback Dante Moore
Wide Receiver Messiah Hampton
Tight Andrew Andrew Olesh
Defensive Back Aaron Flowers
Linebacker Brayden Platt
Defensive Lineman Matthew Johnson
Offensive Lineman Trent Ferguson
Offensive Lineman Dave Iuli

Probable

Wide Receiver Jeremiah McClellan

Oregon Ducks’ Offensive Question Marks Gain Clarity

Davison exited early in Oregon’s 34-26 victory over the then-ranked No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats. He later returned to the sidelines in street clothes and on crutches. CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported on Wednesday that Davison is expected to be week-to-week with a lower-extremity injury.

Coach Dan Lanning declined to reveal Davison’s exact status on Monday, but indicated that the injury isn’t expected to keep him out long.

“You know, don't think it's long term with Jordon, but you guys will find out when the injury report comes out,” Lanning said.

Another offensive player who’s been a mainstay on the injury report is McClellan. McClellan got off to a hot start to kick off 2026, before breaking his foot in warmups before a Week 3 game against the Portland State Vikings.

Lanning and the team haven’t put a timeline on McClellan’s potential return, but he’s been a consistent name listed as out on each of the first weekly Big Ten injury reports so far. The latest update from Lanning, however, provided room for optimism.

“Yeah, he's been doing some stuff with us in practice,” Lanning said. “Continue to evaluate where he's at, but certainly is promising, the growth and the steps that he's taken.”

Amid key other receiver and running back absences, players like true freshmen Brandon Smith (running back) and Jalen Lott (wide receiver) could be called upon to step up in Columbus. But if McClellan does return, it provided the offense with a key boost.

Another Matchup Dictated By Quarterback Injuries

 Entering the season, Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls, with Oregon right behind at No. 2. Additionally, Moore and Sayin were both expected to be Heisman Trophy contenders.

All of that came crashing down, beginning in Week 2, when both teams suffered their first losses. Moore sustained a concussion several weeks later, on Sept. 26, at USC, with Lanning finally revealing after the Illinois loss that he’s expected to be out for the season.

Sayin, on the other hand, sustained a right-throwing shoulder injury against the Indiana Hoosiers on Oct. 17. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said that they’re preparing to play the remainder of the season without him.

That sparked freshman quarterback Luke Fahey getting the start in the upset loss against the then-unranked USC Trojans. Even though Fahey is just coming off his first collegiate start, Lanning remembers him well.

“Yeah, I remember Luke coming out of high school. Went by seeing him when he was in high school, and he's an operator,” Lanning said. “He's a really smart quarterback, right? He's a winner. Like, but his intelligence that shows up. This is an offense that has a lot of a lot of moving parts. I thought he handled it extremely well in that environment.”

Dylan Raiola started the past two games for Oregon after previously swapping starts with Brock Thomas. Raiola could get the nod again in Columbus, but he’s not the only quarterback helping the Ducks gear up for the game.

Oregon edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei said on Tuesday that Moore continues to assist the defense on scout team ahead of the battle against Fahey.

“He's definitely giving us a good look. He's out there every day,” Uiagalelei said. “You know, sucks that what happened happened, but he comes in every day with a smile on his face. He's like right across from my locker. We talk all the time, but and he's all for the team. He's on scout team, dotting us up sometimes. Yeah, so appreciate Dante, man.”