Oregon-Ohio State listed as must-see matchup by ESPN in 2026

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Even before the Oregon Ducks made the move to the Big Ten prior to the 2024 season, a quiet, under-the-radar dislike had begun to form between the Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

This decade, the teams have met three times, with the Ducks storming into 'The Shoe' in 2021 and emerging with a stunning 35-28 victory led by CJ Verdell's 161-yard, 2-touchdown performance. The teams then met as conference opponents in 2024, with Oregon prevailing once again in a thrilling 32-31 contest in Eugene, where Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard's ill-timed slide ended the game.

The two teams met later in the season in the Rose Bowl, where Ohio State trounced Oregon from the very beginning. Holding a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and a 34-8 advantage at halftime, the game was over almost as soon as it began.

Though the Ducks and Buckeyes didn't meet in 2025, it's now turned into a full-blown conference rivalry between two of the powers in the Big Ten. They'll meet in 2026 in Columbus on Nov. 7, where the hatred — not dislike, anymore — will be on full display between the rivals.

ESPN ranked the early November matchup at No. 6 on it's list of must-see games in 2026.

"Oregon has lost only to eventual national title finalists over the past three seasons — Washington in 2023, eventual champs Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana in 2025," ESPN's Bill Connelly wrote. "If this is the season Dan Lanning's Ducks finally take that last step, this trip to Columbus will be awfully telling."

While it's impossible to predict the records heading into the game, it's hard to imagine any other matchup in college football having more prominence on Nov. 7. The expectation is that both are national championship contenders, with strong cores returning on both sides of the ball.

Aside from the Rose Bowl, which is a postseason meeting, the Ducks are 2-0 in the regular season against the Buckeyes in the 2020's. Motivation won't be hard to come by, and this one should be an instant classic just like the other two regular-season meetings this decade between Oregon and Ohio State.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon-Ohio State listed by ESPN as must-see game in 2026

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