Oregon takes halftime lead over Ohio State following incredible play call by Dan Lanning
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Oregon trailed at Ohio State, 14-0, after a rough first quarter, but the Ducks didn’t blink.
Instead, an Oregon team that has had its season derailed came to life in the second quarter in the hopes of derailing the Buckeyes’ season. Ohio State’s College Football Playoff hopes are hanging by a thread after last Saturday’s loss at USC, and Oregon would love to be the team that gives the Buckeyes their third loss of the year to knock them into being irrelevant — like the Ducks are.
But first things first for Oregon was roaring back in the second quarter to take the lead after that 2-touchdown deficit, and the Ducks did just that in the final seconds of the first half.
All it took was a tight end performing a running play, as Oregon head coach Dan Lanning’s design was performed to perfection by senior Jamari Johnson.
The Ducks lined up with a heavy package of wide receivers all the way to the left side. There were also some Oregon players lined up all the way to the right side on a first-and-goal play at the Ohio State 2-yard line.
It was stunning enough that the Ducks had gotten within 14-10 after such a poor first quarter, but then the touchdown play in the final seconds of the first half happened, which was equally stunning. Quarterback Dylan Raiola lined up in a shotgun formation to take the snap, as normal.
But nothing was normal about this play. Instead, at the last moment before the snap, Johnson came in motion from the right side and took the snap instead. He bullied his way into the end zone from 2 yards out for the touchdown and the 17-14 halftime lead.
It was a frantic play that happened to be the final play of the first half, and it had to shock the packed house in Columbus who had come to see their Buckeyes save their season.
Instead, at the end of the first half, they were left with this:
What would the second half hold for these 2 teams whose 2026 season hadn’t exactly gone as planned?
That would be determined after the shock wore off from the play that ended the first half.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
