Millions watch the Ducks on TV every time they take the field, while Wittenberg played in front of a total of 11,983 fans in five home games at Edwards-Maurer Field this season.
Wittenberg does have some things Oregon does not, though, including a spot in the 800-win club and five national championships.
The Tigers have three wins over Ohio State (one more than Oregon), and they are the last team to beat the Buckeyes twice in the same season — albeit 130 years ago.
Coach Dan Lanning’s Ducks can match both of those feats if they beat Ohio State in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, though that may not have been the No. 1 thing on his mind earlier this week when he was asked about drawing a rematch against the Buckeyes.
“Getting the opportunity to play great teams, that’s what it’s about,” said Lanning, whose team beat Ohio State 32-31 in Eugene on Oct. 12. “This part of the year, you know, I think when you play great teams, that gives you some extra motivation to go work really hard, to be prepared and ready to be out there on the field.
“So obviously Ohio State’s a great team and the path to the end is tough, which is exciting for our team and certainly for me.”
Much has changed since Wittenberg swept Ohio State in two games in 1894.
Touchdowns were worth four points, field goals five and extra points two as the Tigers took the first matchup 6-0 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds that September then topped the Buckeyes 18-6 in Springfield in October.
But there were 11 men to a side, and blocking and tackling were no doubt critical to a team achieving victory even if the forward pass was still more than a decade from being legalized and the official ball was not a “prolate spheroid” until three years later.
“It’s about execution. It’s about our preparation,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Monday about his team’s next game. “It’s about how we go about our meetings, how we go about our walkthroughs, how we go about our practices so that when we get out to Pasadena, we’re executing at a high level.
“And that’s what it comes down to.”
Ohio State and Oregon have played 11 times with the Buckeyes losing the last two after winning the first nine.
The series began in 1957, a 10-7 Rose Bowl victory to cap that season on Jan. 1, 1958.
Wittenberg and Ohio State played 15 times with the Buckeyes winning 12. The last meeting was in 1929, a 19-0 Ohio State win.
Aside from the two wins in 1894, the Tigers’ other triumph was 24-6 in 1896 in Columbus.
Wednesday’s Game
Ohio State vs. Oregon, 5 p.m., ESPN, 1410
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