Entering the season, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP Top 25 Poll. Many college football fans had the Nov. 7 matchup in Columbus circled on the calendar, expecting a potential top-10 battle between two of the country’s best quarterbacks, Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and Dante Moore (Oregon).

However, injuries to both quarterbacks and the Ducks' fall from grace this season have made the Nov. 7 matchup less important to the College Football Playoff race. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 Week 9 rankings; the Ducks, however, are unranked, with a 4-3 overall record. The Ducks have lost games to the No. 7 UCLA Bruins, No. 24 Oklahoma State Cowboys, and Illinois Fighting Illini.

On Monday, the Big Ten announced the kickoff time and TV broadcast for the Nov. 7 matchup between the Ducks and Buckeyes. The Ducks avoid a Big Noon Kickoff in Columbus while also avoiding a prime time, night game against the Buckeyes.

Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Kickoff Time, How to Watch

• Date: Nov. 7
• Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. PT
• TV: CBS

What to Know About Ohio State Buckeyes

The biggest storyline in college football recently is that the Buckeyes are without their star quarterback, Julian Sayin. The Buckeyes’ signal caller is out indefinitely with a right shoulder injury. Sayin suffered the injury in Ohio State’s 19-15 win over the No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington on Oct. 17.

Before his injury, Sayin was second in the Big Ten in passing behind USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava, throwing for 2,007 yards, 19 touchdowns, and four interceptions. With his injury, the Buckeyes turn to former three-star quarterback and Mission Viejo, California, native Luke Fahey, who will make his debut on Halloween night against the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Even with Sayin out for the Buckeyes, the Ducks' defense will still face one of college football's best players, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Smith is the betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy at +120, per FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Smith has smashed records for the Buckeyes this season, ranking second in the country in receiving with 52 receptions for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns. Despite the Ducks' recent offensive struggles, their defense has stepped up.

The Ducks' defense will face a challenging task against Smith and the Buckeyes' offense. The Buckeyes' running game features a duo of talented running backs, Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson, who have combined for 10 rushing touchdowns this season. 

Oregon Ducks Offense Moving Forward

The Ducks' season is already lost with a 4-3 overall record, but two straight ranked wins over the No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats and No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes would be the one way the Ducks could somewhat salvage what has been a disappointing season.

With the recent firing of offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, who contributed to the team's downfall this season, the Ducks offense could return to having some consistency. The key, however, is getting key wide receivers back in the lineup and healthy, including Evan Stewart, Jeremiah McClellan, Jalen Lott, and Messiah Hampton.

Given the Ducks' season direction, Oregon may opt to play younger receivers, including Gatlin Bair and Hudson Lewis, for the rest of the season.

After struggling against the Bruins, quarterback Dylan Raiola bounced back with better quarterback play against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Illinois Fighting Illini. On Saturday, Raiola threw for 246 yards on 27 of 41 passes. With new offensive play-calling, can the Ducks surprise Ohio State?

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