The highly anticipated match between No. 2 and No. 3 was well worth the wait. The Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks battled it out in one of the more back-and-forth games in recent memory.

In the 32-31 win for the Ducks, Ohio State was exposed defensively, meaning one side of the football will earn a lot of the stock market drop references.

There were certainly some players who played well in this game, but for the Buckeyes this loss is painful and the negatives stand out.

Denzel Burke was burned in this game because of the speed of the Oregon receivers. While Burke was clearly the weak link in the secondary that night, Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock were both hit with pass interference penalties after being beaten.

This was a tough game for these three and begs the question, “Why didn’t Jermaine Matthews Jr. get reps to sort out the issues?”

It was no surprise that Egbuka reappeared when the lights were brightest. The veteran wide receiver had 10 receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown.

On the final drive of the game, he managed to get his team within 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 won’t be popular because Smith had nine receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown. He played a strong game, but because of the end 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. The offensive pass interference on him cost the Buckeyes 15 yards and ultimately the game.

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

I would have liked to see the former wide receiver become more involved in the receiving game and the tight end delivered. Scott Jr. tallied three receptions for 46 yards.

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

This is my first time adding a coach to this list, but this game deserves it. Ohio State’s defense has been excellent under Knowles, aside from high-ranked opponents.

Not only do the secondaries require a lot of blame, but they were also asked to hold out for longer periods of time without rushing. JT Tuimoloau again received very little push and Jack Sawyer was held in check for the first time this season.

Knowles didn’t apply much pressure until late in the second half with very few blitzes. By then, Dillon Gabriel was already in a good rhythm.

Another big matchup torching the same defensive coordinator’s group is a problem.