Instead of finding open Ohio State wide receiver Brandon Inniss right by the sideline to get a little more yardage and stop the clock for a field goal try or capping his scramble sooner for Ohio State to get in its final timeout, Howard kept running and slid right as the game clock hit zero.

Ohio State has a chance to take a big step toward getting back to the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time in four years on Saturday night. Winning a top-three matchup against Oregon won’t automatically make that happen,

The Buckeyes would not get a shot at a game-winning field goal. The fans began to stream from the Autzen Stadium stands. No. 3 Oregon had beaten Ohio State, 32-31, in a back-and-forth Big Ten clash that lived up to all the anticipation and hype that preceded it ahead of Week 7 on the college football schedule.