The No. 23 Oregon Ducks have experienced many ups and downs this season, and in Week 9, they got back on track offensively, beating the Northwestern Wildcats 34-26 at Autzen Stadium to improve to 5-3 on the season. 

With Jay Johnson taking over offensive play-calling, the Ducks offense showed promise after three straight games with fewer than 20 points. The performance of freshman running back Brandon Smith on Saturday against the Wildcats was a step in the right direction.

The former four-star running back, who was committed to the Arizona Wildcats before flipping to the Ducks in January, rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown in Oregon’s win over Northwestern. 

Since joining the Ducks, Lanning has seen improvement from their promising freshman running back, and that showed in Saturday’s win over the Wildcats.

“Yeah, I see we see that every single day in practice from Brandon, and I think he’s done what a lot of our young players have done that have been able to come in and make an impact. As you start with a small role, and then that role grows over time as trust builds,” Lanning said.

“As you see, you know what they’re able to do. And I think, again, kind of like what I alluded to last week, what’s really impressive about that is you’re not always getting every rep in practice, but then to be able to go execute in a game, something you maybe ran one time or didn’t walk through a rep, and then be able to execute at a really high level just speaks to the natural football player he is and the skill set he has,” Lanning continued. 

Oregon Ducks Realistic Path to College Football Playoff

Set to be without one of their best running backs on Saturday against the No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes, Jordon Davison, Smith, as he did in the win against the Wildcats, will again look to step up for the Ducks as they look to hand the Ohio State Buckeyes two straight regular-season losses for the very first time under coach Ryan Day.

While some may argue that the Ducks' College Football Playoff hopes may be over, if they win out and secure a Big Ten championship victory for the second time in three seasons, Oregon could very well sneak into the 12-team CFP bracket. 

Given how unpredictable this college football season has been with top-five upsets nearly every week, it very well can happen for the Ducks, and it all starts on Saturday in Columbus against the Buckeyes. 

In their recent 34-26 win over the Northwestern Wildcats, the Ducks finally saw some consistency from their offensive line, which has been a struggle for Lanning’s group this season. 

Oregon Ducks Keys to Upsetting Ohio State Buckeyes

Consistent play helped the Ducks' run game succeed, led by Smith. It’s something the Ducks hope to replicate on Saturday against the Buckeyes. The key to an upset victory will also be containing one of the players in college football: the Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Recently, Lanning didn’t hold back in addressing the keys to defending a talented player like Smith. 

“Jeremiah’s special. He is a special player. You have to know where he’s at all times. He’s dynamic in every phase,” Lanning said. “He’s certainly pro-ready. I think anybody that’s played against him already would tell you that. He probably was two years ago, right? So he certainly is now.”

“I think Coach (Ryan) Day said it earlier in the year - if (Smith’s) one-on-one, he’s open. If there’s two guys covering him, he’s sort of open, right? If there are three, that means somebody else is open,” Lanning continued. “It’s a collective unit that everybody has to play together to try to limit explosive plays for players like him.”

The last time the Ducks and Buckeyes faced off was in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, where Ohio State ended Oregon’s undefeated season with a 41-21 win. In that game, Smith had a day for the Buckeyes, catching seven passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. On Saturday, the Ducks' defense must avoid a repeat of that type of performance if they hope to pull off the upset in Columbus. 

Entering Saturday’s matchup against the Buckeyes, the Ducks are currently 7.5-point underdogs, per DraftKings Sportsbook betting odds. The Ducks and Buckeyes kick off in Columbus at 12:30 p.m. PT, with the game broadcast on CBS.

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