One down, one to go.
The Ohio State Buckeyes entered their bye week a distant fourth in the national title race, needing two upsets to gain position for a possible bid to the championship game.
Stanford gave the Buckeyes one of those upsets Thursday night when it beat No. 3 Oregon 26-20 in Stanford Stadium.
The Cardinal controlled the game, shutting out Oregon’s offense, which entered the contest averaging 55.6 points per game, for the first 50 minutes of action. Stanford used its power run game to essentially play keep away as the Cardinal dominated with a three-to-one time-of-possession advantage.
The Ducks finally got on the board with 10 minutes to play when Marcus Mariota found Daryle Hawkins for a 23-yard score. Stanford was looking to ice the game on the ensuing drive, but Oregon blocked Jordan Williamson’s field-goal attempt and returned it 65 yards to make it a 26-13 game.
Stanford was still in control, but Oregon gained momentum when it recovered an onside kick, then drove 43 yards in 10 plays to cut the Cardinal’s lead to six.
The Ducks just ran out of time. Stanford hauled in Oregon’s final onside kick and iced the game with three straight runs.
Needless to say, there were some engaged viewers in Columbus, Ohio:
RIP Oregon
— Bradley Roby (@BradRoby_1) November 8, 2013
It was a big upset to aid the Buckeyes, who return to the field after their bye week with matchups against Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. If Ohio State roles…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Football: Stanford’s Upset of Oregon Boosts OSU’s Title Chances
