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Oregon: Bad Injury News for Offense Before Ohio State Game
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- Oregon: Bad Injury News for Offense Before Ohio State Game
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Oregon Ducks are still alive in the College Football Playoff race, with the committee revealing on Tuesday night that the program is ranked No. 23 despite having a 5-3 record.
The Ducks face an uphill battle to get back into the CFP after losing quarterback Dante Moore for the season after he suffered an injury in Oregon's 41-27 win over USC on Sept. 26. The Ducks must win out in November, and that means going on the road to play Ohio State on Saturday.
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The Ducks have a concerning injury before playing the Buckeyes. Per On3's Pete Nakos, running back Jordon Davison is not expected to play on Saturday while he's dealing with an injury. He rushed just three times for 17 yards in Oregon's 34-26 win over Northwestern in Week 9.
Davison is the leading running back for Oregon this season. He's carried the ball 91 times for 439 yards and seven touchdowns. Dierre Hill Jr. is the Ducks' second leading rusher, with 399 yards and three touchdowns on 83 carries. Overall, Oregon has rushed for 1,123 yards on 264 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per rush.
The Ducks are expected to turn to quarterback Dylan Raiola against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are dealing with injury issues of their own. Quarterback Julian Sayin is out indefinitely with a right shoulder injury.
With Sayin out, Oregon has a good chance to go into Columbus and earn a big win over Ohio State. That would improve the Ducks to 6-3 overall, and wins over Ohio State and USC would help their resume with the CFP committee. Oregon will finish its season with three winnable games against Michigan, Michigan State, and Washington.
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Even with Sayin out, Ohio State still has scary offensive weapons that will threaten the Oregon defense. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith will be a go-to target for the Buckeyes, and Oregon head coach Dan Lanning noted that he will present challenges for his defense. He needs his linebackers and secondary to work as a cohesive unit to stop the future NFL player.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 30-18 loss to USC in Week 9. The CFP committee gave them the No. 12 ranking on Tuesday night. Ohio State will be motivated to beat Oregon at home on Saturday, as a loss (which would be their third of the season) could end the Buckeyes' hopes of earning an at-large bid for the CFP
