COLUMBUS — Undefeated through five weeks of play, No. 2 Ohio State has enjoyed a steady ramp-up to the meat of its schedule with dominant wins every step of the way. The soft portion of the schedule is firmly in the rearview mirror, however, as the Buckeyes return to the practice field this week for one of the program’s biggest conference games in recent memory.

On Tuesday, head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly spoke with the media to preview Ohio State’s clash with No. 3 Oregon in a game carrying massive conference and College Football Playoff implications.

After barely surviving in its first two games, the Ducks have shifted gears in recent weeks, reeling off three blowout wins and looking more like the elite team everyone forecasted before the season. In particular, the Oregon defense has emerged as one of the game’s better units, led by a defensive line featuring a combination of size and athleticism Ohio State won’t again see until Michigan comes to Columbus on Nov. 30.

Senior defensive end Jordan Burch, who stands at 6-foot-5-inches and weighs nearly 300 lbs., is tied for eighth in the country with five sacks already, and teammates Matayo Uiagalelei and Derrick Harmon have combined for six sacks.

“It’s a very, very good front,” Day said. “Burch is very good, athletic, and strong. He’s a good pass rusher and good against the run. Harmon, we know because he’s from Michigan State. He’s playing very good football. They have some good guys up front, and it’s going to be a good challenge for our offensive line. Each week, it’s ramped up, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Asked what stands out to him when watching film on Oregon, Kelly immediately identified Burch as a potential problem and also noted the depth of experience throughout the Ducks’ defense.

“They have a lot of seniors —I think there are nine of them —in that lineup,” Kelly said. “Everybody in the back end and linebacker (Jeffrey) Bassa, it seems like he’s been there for a long time. And then (Bryce) Boettcher is a really good player and has played really well. It kind of seems like he’s the heart and soul of that defense. And then they have veterans in the secondary. I know they’re transfer kids but they’re all seniors who have played a lot of football.

“I think they’re really gelling as a group. They’re going to present a lot of different looks, so we have to be ready for everything they can throw at us. And they’re going to throw a lot of things at us. That’s the challenge when you play a team like this, so you get excited about it.”

An Ohio State offensive line that has seemingly improved every week is in for its biggest challenge yet one week after faring well against a talented Iowa defensive line in its own right. While four of the five starting positions feature well-established starters, the right guard position has been a bit of a rotation between starter Tegra Tshabola and Austin Siereveld, who has performed well enough to see the field often in Ohio State’s first four games.

That rotation appears to be ending, though, as Tshabola played all but three snaps against Iowa. Asked about the possibility of Tshabola taking full control of the position moving forward, Day said it’s up to Tshabola and whether or not he can continue to build on a strong start.

“Probably but we’ll see and continue to evaluate it on a week-to-week basis,” Day said of Tshabola playing the entire game. “But he is getting better. We felt like he could handle those guys inside and gave us the best chance in that moment to win the game. If he continues to improve and do what he’s doing, it’ll look the same.”

On the other side of the ball, Oregon boasts its fair share of playmakers and a quarterback in Dillon Gabriel who was one of the gems of the transfer quarterback market this past offseason. Gabriel has thrown for 1,449 yards and 11 touchdowns this season while completing 78% of his attempts, but he has also thrown all three of his interceptions across Oregon’s last two games.

“I think he’s a very good football player,” Day said of Gabriel. “He’s played a lot of football, is experienced, and gets the football out of his hands quickly. He’s accurate and very accomplished. His production speaks for itself with his numbers and body of work.”

Ohio State was also a player in that quarterback market this past winter, ultimately deciding to pursue Will Howard due to his ability to affect the game as both a passer and runner. While Howard has not been asked to do much in the run game to date thanks in large part to a lack of need, he has recorded a rushing touchdown in each of the past four games.

“The ability to use your legs is really important because that could become the x-factor,” Day said of Howard’s mobility and why it was a deciding factor in bringing him to Columbus. “He can do that … We kind of made that decision and felt like that was important for us. And then all the other things —his size, intelligence, ability to throw the ball and throw accurately in the red zone and on third down —those are all really big traits you need in big games. I think we’re all still learning about Will because he’s only been here for six months or whatever it’s been. But we’re learning quickly as these games are coming and going.”

In addition to the talent level Oregon will feature on Saturday, Ohio State’s trip to Oregon may have an added degree of difficulty given the travel distance and change in time zones. However, Day downplayed the notion and noted the local kickoff time will help his team to remain on its normal schedule.

“I don’t really see it as much of a challenge in that way,” Day said. “I think it’s a four-and-a-half-hour flight, which is a couple hours more than Nebraska. We’re going to stay on East Coast time, and I think we have a good plan. We’re going to stay on our time schedule. The time of the game and everything kind of fits the way we practice, so we’re not going to look too much into it … We’re not going to make it a bigger deal than it is.”

As for how his team will approach its preparation this week, Day said the Buckeyes won’t change anything simply because of the stakes or noise surrounding the matchup.

“I think you always try to make sure you identify the things that fit the team that you have for sure,” he said. “But there are a lot of things that are consistent with every week. You don’t just all of the sudden change because it’s a ‘big game.’ They’re all big. But you want to make sure you’re also tailoring it to the guys that you have. If we say it’s about us all the time, then it’s all about us in games like this too, which it is. So we’re going to continue with the same routine. Our guys like that routine.”

Day added, “And it’s our job as coaches to make sure we give them a clean plan so they can go play. They shouldn’t be thinking on Saturday night.”

Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on X @DillonDavis56.