The Ohio State Buckeyes have to pick up the pieces quickly after a disappointing 30-18 loss to the USC Trojans in Week 9 of the college football season. Next up for Ohio State is a Week 10 home game against the Oregon Ducks in Columbus, and there isn’t much margin for error left.

The loss to USC was the second of the season for the Buckeyes. Because of that upset, Ohio State is now in must-win territory the rest of the way. A game that once looked like it could be a top-5 battle against Oregon no longer carries that billing, but it’s still a big one in Columbus.

Oregon arrives in Columbus with a new quarterback, still presents a challenge

The Ducks haven’t lived up to expectations this season. Oregon enters the game as a three-loss team, a far cry from where most people expected the program to be by November.

Still, Oregon looked better last time out. The Ducks beat a ranked Northwestern team 34-26 at home, which is a result Ohio State can’t ignore going into Saturday.

Oregon will also have a different look under center. Quarterback Dylan Raiola is running the offense for the Ducks with Dante Moore out due to the concussion he suffered against USC in September. Raiola is likely to remain Oregon’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

Even with the Ducks’ struggles, this is a game Ohio State has to go out and win. That’s especially true after how the Buckeyes looked against USC.

Ohio State has to fix its defense and red zone issues

Two problems stood out in the loss to USC. Ohio State had a defensive letdown, and the Buckeyes’ struggles in the red zone kept them from turning drives into touchdowns.

Those issues are on the rest of the roster, not the quarterback specifically. Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey, a true freshman, made his first career start against USC. Fahey played well enough to win, and the Buckeyes didn’t do enough around him to make it happen.

That’s the encouraging part for Ohio State heading into Week 10. The young quarterback didn’t look overwhelmed in his first start. Now, the defense has to get back to playing at a high level, and the offense has to finish drives when it gets close to the end zone.

Oddsmakers lean toward the Buckeyes getting back on track

Going into the game, FanDuel lists Ohio State as a 7.5-point favorite against Oregon. Oddsmakers are clearly leaning toward the Buckeyes getting right at home after their second loss of the season.

A trip closed the country is a tough one for a Ducks team still finding its footing with a new starting quarterback following Moore’s exit. 

Ohio State sits at No. 11, while Oregon is unranked. Neither program is where it wanted to be when this matchup was circled on the calendar before the season with a combined five losses.

With two losses already, every remaining game carries weight for the Buckeyes’ postseason hopes. A bounce-back win at home against Oregon would go a long way toward putting the USC loss in the past.

Saturday in Columbus will be telling for where this Ohio State team goes from here.