After an exciting first weekend football, we have another solid college football betting slate in Week 2 of the season. The most intriguing matchup this weekend is between the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes.
Both teams have offenses that can explode for a big play at any moment. For Ohio State, quarterback CJ Stroud just needs to get the ball in the vicinity of Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson and they’ll make big things happen. Oregon, who beat a tough Fresno State team last weekend, is led by quarterback Anthony Brown, who is a sensational athlete as well. With all that being said, it’s likely the outcome of the game will come down to the two defenses.
Let’s take a look at this Oregon vs Ohio State matchup from a college betting perspective, including odds and picks.
Oregon vs Ohio State College Football Betting Odds and Picks For Week 2
No. 12 Oregon Ducks (1-0) vs No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
Date: Saturday, September 11th, 2021
Time: Noon ET
Location: Ohio Stadium — Columbus, OH
Coverage: FOX
Oregon vs Ohio State College Football Betting Odds
Spread: ORE +14.5 (-110) | OSU -14.5 (-110)
Moneyline: ORE (+450) | OSU (-700)
Total: 64 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)
What to Watch for Oregon
In his fourth year at the helm for the Ducks, head coach Mario Cristobal seems to have finally broken through. He’s recruiting like the Chip Kelly of old. On offense, the Ducks were sloppy last week against Fresno State. They led 21-13 at the half, but that lead quickly evaporated, as the Ducks went down 24-21. Luckily for them, ultra-athletic quarterback Anthony Brown scampered around the edge for a 30-yard touchdown. The final score was 31-24 in favor of the Ducks. Brown said it himself after the game, “It wasn’t clean enough.” He’s right on point with his criticism. The offense looked sloppy, and running backs CJ Verdell and Travis Dye weren’t able to get anything going. They will need to capitalize on any Buckeye turnover if they want to win in Columbus.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot is hanging in the balance with Kayvon Thibodeaux’s sprained ankle. If he’s ready to go for the Ducks, he will be an absolute menace for Ohio State tackles. Without Thibodeaux in the lineup, it’s going to be hard for the Ducks to get pressure on Stroud. Linebacker Justin Flowe is the leader of the defense and figures to be a hell of a linebacker in the NFL sometime soon. The Oregon defense forced three Fresno fumbles last weekend, if they want to keep it close at the ‘Shoe, they need more of that.
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What to Watch for Ohio State
The nation was in shock when Ohio State went into the locker room down 14-10 to Minnesota at the half. New quarterback CJ Stroud looked overwhelmed, but every other piece of the offense was finely tuned. Miyan Williams, who has had a very quiet career at Ohio State, started the scoring off early with a 71-yard touchdown run. After that, the offense was dormant for most of the first half. However, in the second half, Stroud looked much more comfortable. Well, it was either that, or he just decided to throw it to two of the best receivers in college football most of the time. Chris Olave scored on catches of 38 and 61 and looked smooth doing it. Is Stroud as elite a player as Justin Fields was? We can’t be sure right now, but in all reality, it might not matter. The guys around him are all NFL-caliber players. Even true freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson got in on the scoring, taking a swing pass 70 yards to the end zone.
On defense, the Buckeyes did not look strong at all last Thursday. They were gashed by runs from Gopher running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who unfortunately was lost for the season. On top of that, the usual trademark pass rush from the Buckeyes front four was non-existent. Zach Harrison did have a nice strip-sack that Haskell Garrett returned for a touchdown, but other than that, the front seven was average at best. The secondary showed that once again you can throw on Ohio State. With four new starters in that end of the field, mistakes are bound to happen. However, if Ohio State wants to stay on the elite level with Alabama and Clemson, they need to figure this “defense” thing out.
Oregon vs Ohio State College Football Betting Picks
Ohio State 42, Oregon 31
This is the first time these two have met since 2015, when they played for the first College Football Playoff National Title. The rosters are also completely different. However, one thing has remained the same, in that all the Ohio State skill players are some of the best in the country. Miyan Williams, Master Teague III and TreVeyon Henderson should be able to gash Oregon with big runs. Ohio State’s offensive line is also one of the best in the country, so if the Ducks don’t have Thibodeaux, they will be in for a world of hurt. If Thibodeaux does play, he will make a difference, but not enough for me to change my pick. Buckeyes roll at home.
The official college football betting picks are Ohio State to win the game, but Oregon to cover the spread. The over is also in play for this Week 2 game.
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