Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban stopped by The Pat McAfee Show and discussed Oregon football's transition to the Big Ten. The Ducks head coach, Dan Lanning, was a graduate assistant with the Crimson Tide in 2015. Saban spoke candidly about Lanning and his evaluation of his time with Oregon football.

“I think [Lanning has] done a great job. I thought he did a great job when he was at Georgia as a coordinator. I think he's done a great job here and had a fair amount of success. I think [Oregon football] is the one team that can be successful in the Big Ten out here more than the others.”

Lanning, hired as the Ducks' head coach before the 2022 season, has led Oregon football to a 27-5 record. The winner of this game will take a big step forward in the Big Ten, as Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State are all 5-0 and ranked back to back from Nos. 2 to 4, respectively.

Predictions for the Ohio State-Oregon matchup

NCAA insider Joel Klatt believes the Ducks will have a great home-field advantage but will falter against the Buckeyes.

“Autzen Stadium is one of the best environments in college football,” Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt said in regard to matchup. “It is fabulous up there, and Oregon is outstanding at home. In fact, if you look down, you'll realize that the Ducks have won 34 of their last 35 in Autzen Stadium. Their only loss was back in 2022 over that span to Washington. So the Ducks know how to get it done at home.”

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“I think Ohio State goes on the road and they get the win,” Klatt said. “Ohio State is favored by three and a half. I actually think they cover that three and a half. I like Ohio State something like 28-22. 22 is an odd number. I know that. But remember, Oregon always will go for two at some point and so they always kind of have those odd numbers in terms of their offense, so I like 28-22 Buckeyes getting the win on the road against Oregon.”

The Buckeyes have handled business, as demonstrated by their 5-0 record, but they haven't faced any great teams, and neither have the Ducks.

Ohio State's more balanced offense should be the difference here. With their dominant ground game, they should be able to control the football in the second half.

The Buckeyes travel to Eugene to face the Ducks on Saturday, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. EST.