The highly anticipated duel between No. 2 and No. 3 overall was worth it. The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks played one of the most back-and-forth games in recent memory.

In the Ducks’ 32-31 win, Ohio State was exposed defensively, meaning one side of the football took a lot of stick-down references.

There were certainly some players who played well in this game, but for the Buckeyes this loss hurts and the negative aspects stand out.

Denzel Burke was burned in this game due to the speed of the Oregon receivers. Although Burke was obviously the weak link in the secondary that night, Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock were both assessed pass interference penalties for reaching after a loss.

This was a difficult game for these three and begs the question, “Why didn’t Jermaine Matthews Jr. get representatives to resolve the issues?”

Unsurprisingly, Egbuka emerged again when the lights were brightest. The veteran wide receiver had 10 receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown.

On the final drive of the game, he managed to get his team into field goal range, but a costly penalty put them out of reach again. Egbuka did everything he could to give his team a chance.

This will be unpopular as Smith had nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. He played a strong game, but based on the final result, the stats won’t be what people remember from this game.

Egbuka helped get his team into field goal range, and Smith helped get them right back out of the firing line. The offensive pass interference cost the Buckeyes 15 yards and ultimately the game.

Sure, it may feel like a weak call, but if a receiver fully extends his arms to push away a defensive back, that’s what most officials will call. This was a costly mistake and showed Smith’s youth and experience in this situation.

I wanted the former wide receiver to be more involved in the receiving game and tight end delivering. Scott Jr. caught three balls for 46 yards.

If he can continue to perform well as a blocker and route runner, this could be a strong season for him.

This is the first time I’ve added a coach to this list, but this game deserves it. Ohio State’s defense has been outstanding under Knowles, barring ranked opponents.

Not only did the secondary need a lot of blame, but it also had to endure extended periods without a pass rush. JT Tuimoloau once again received very little pressure and Jack Sawyer was kept at bay for the first time this season.

Knowles also only applied a lot of pressure towards the end of the second half with very few blitz attacks. At this point, Dillon Gabriel already had a good rhythm.

Another big matchup that torches the same defensive coordinator group is a problem.