Oregon vs. Ohio State: Ducks Erase 14-0 Hole, Lead Buckeyes 17-14 at Halftime on Direct-Snap TD in Columbus

No. 23 Oregon came back from a 14-0 deficit to lead No. 12 Ohio State 17-14 at halftime at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7. The go-ahead score came on a direct snap to Jamari Johnson with two seconds left in the half. The game was still in progress at the time of writing, and Oregon was set to get the ball to start the second half.

The game kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, and it streamed on Paramount+.

Bo Jackson powers a fast Buckeyes start

Ohio State took the opening kickoff after Oregon won the toss and deferred. Running back Bo Jackson opened the scoring with a 16-yard touchdown run, then added an 8-yard score later in the first quarter, powering through three Oregon defenders to get in, CBS Sports reported.

True freshman quarterback Luke Fahey, starting with Julian Sayin out indefinitely, looked sharp early. CBS Sports had him 8-for-12 for 132 yards in the first quarter, including a 32-yard completion to Jeremiah Smith. Fahey also underthrew Smith on what could have been a long touchdown.

Oregon nearly fell further behind. Ohio State freshman defensive back Jay Timmons dropped what CBS Sports called a likely pick-six on a Dylan Raiola pass.

Oregon’s comeback

The Ducks got on the board in the second quarter with a 33-yard Gage Hurych field goal. CBS Sports questioned coach Dan Lanning’s choice to kick on 4th-and-2 from the 15.

Lanning got aggressive after that. Facing 4th-and-9 from his own 31, Oregon ran a fake punt, and linebacker Teitum Tuioti hit a wide-open Matayo Uiagalelei for about a 30-yard gain. Dierre Hill Jr. later scored on a 9-yard run to make it 14-10. That drive also survived a dropped interception by Ohio State’s Jaylen McClain.

Late in the half, a poorly thrown Fahey pass was intercepted. Oregon drove down the field, and back-to-back Ohio State holding penalties put the ball on the 2-yard line with two seconds left. Lining up with only three traditional offensive linemen, the Ducks sent Johnson in motion and snapped it straight to him for the touchdown.

First-half numbers

• Luke Fahey (OSU): 13-of-19, 143 yards, 1 INT, per CBS Sports
• Dylan Raiola (ORE): 16-of-28, 172 yards, per CBS Sports
• Bo Jackson (OSU): 2 rushing TDs (16 and 8 yards)

What’s at stake

Both teams started the season ranked No. 1 and No. 2, CBS Sports noted, and both have since lost their starting quarterbacks. Oregon’s Dante Moore was ruled out for the season after a concussion in late September. Ohio State’s Sayin was hurt in a win over Indiana.

Ohio State (6-2) came in off a 30-18 loss at USC and was No. 12 in the first College Football Playoff rankings. CBS Sports’ forecasting model gave the Buckeyes an 81.7% playoff chance with a win and 35.7% with a loss. Oregon (5-3) was trying to string together back-to-back wins over top-25 teams after beating Northwestern last week.

FAQ