When it was announced that the University of Oregon would be leaving the Pac-12 Conference, there were a lot of emotions.

But those critical of the Ducks’ entry into the Big Ten at least recognized that there would be some big, exciting games on the schedule this season.

It might not get any bigger or more exciting than this Saturday. The Ohio State Buckeyes will compete in Eugene, where two top-five teams meet.

Sportswriter Tyson Alger, publisher of online newsletter The I-5 Corridor, says this game could prove the wisdom of the Ducks’ conference switch.

“That’s why they went through all this stuff, right?” says Alger. “That’s why they left the Pac-12. That’s why they threw overboard a tradition that was over 100 years old. That’s because games like this are promising.”

Alger previewed the highly anticipated game with Geoff Norcross, co-host of OPB’s “All Things Considered.”

Related: Oregon hosts Ohio State on Saturday in one of college football’s most anticipated games

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Geoff Norcross: Autzen Stadium isn’t as big as some of the Big Ten’s other stadiums, but it can get loud. Are you expecting a big home-field advantage for the Ducks this Saturday?

Tyson Alger: Yes, quite a bit. That’s what’s fascinating.

When you look at how Oregon compares to some of its new Big Ten peers, you realize that there are some awfully large stadiums in the Big Ten. Ohio State plays in a stadium affectionately known as the “Horseshoe” that seats approximately 102,000 spectators. When they play Michigan, the stadium seats 107,000. When you look at Autzen Stadium and factor in the crowd noise, it just doesn’t seem like a 54,000 seat stadium that could perhaps expand to 60,000 with standing room only bringing the same type of noise.

But there’s just something special about this place – it can hit the same strides as almost every other place I’ve been. So I think this will be more of a home advantage than I think opponents might give the Ducks credit for.

Norcross: Well, considering Autzen isn’t as big as many of the stadiums you mentioned, that would mean the number of seats is limited. I’m wondering what you’re seeing out there about how this is affecting ticket prices.

Alger: It’s been pretty crazy this week, especially when you look at the secondary market. I’ve seen some Oregon-related Facebook groups completely collapse. You’ll see tickets at the base level ranging from hundreds of dollars upwards – and if you want a better overview, it goes into the four figures there.

So Oregon has had some big games in the past, but just based on the hype, I don’t think I can remember anything that really compares to this one because it’s the No. 3 team vs. the No. 2 team.

It’s the first big game of this new era of superconferences, pitting Ohio State, which has been leading the Big Ten for the past few decades, against Oregon, which was previously the leading team in the PAC-12 merger.

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Norcross: Yes, Oregon and Ohio State don’t have much history, but they have played each other before. Is there anything in the previous games that could give us a clue as to what to expect on Saturday?

Alger: One thing I found really interesting is when you look back at Oregon’s last meeting against Ohio State, they played the Buckeyes in Columbus in 2021 and they upset them. It was one of the most shocking results I can remember while covering the Ducks.

A big part of that was because Ohio State had a great offense, which had been the Buckeyes’ bread and butter for a very long time – but their defense was just so porous that Oregon could really break through them. Ohio State coach Ryan Day talked about how this was a bit of a turning point for their program and that they understood where they needed to improve going forward.

Three years later, Ohio State University emphasized its defense. They come to Eugene with the best defense in the country and still have a very good offense. I think you can look at their development over the last three years – this is a completely different Buckeyes team.

With Oregon, it’s a little harder to make those direct connections simply because they were still under Mario Cristobal as head coach in 2021 and he’s obviously now in Miami and the Ducks are under Dan Lanning. But I think Lanning is currently 2-3 in his career against top-10 teams, and this is definitely the biggest game of his Oregon career so far.

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Norcross: There is a lot of resentment about Oregon moving to the Big Ten. I wonder what the outcome of this game might mean for people’s feelings about this move.

Alger: That’s why they went through all this stuff, right? That’s why they lost the rivalry with Oregon State. That’s why they left the Pac-12. That’s why they threw away over 100 years of tradition. That’s because games like this from Oregon take place on this stage, where (ESPN’s) College GameDay will take place in the city where the national media is descending on Eugene.

This will likely be a scene the likes of which I have never seen while covering Oregon football. You just hope you get a good game out of it, because you’re going to have all this hype – and you’d hate to see Ohio State win by three or four points and it be a do-nothing.