Who Else Thinks Oregon is Playing Very Well?

[Mic]

We've heard various pundits around the country admit, (even if reluctantly) that Oregon is probably the best 1-loss team in the country.  Who else thinks they're "better than their record"?

 

Opening line for the Championship game this Friday had #5 Oregon favored by -7.5 over #3 Washington.  The line has since moved to -9.5. Las Vegas is a neutral field eliminating the ~3 points usually given for home field advantage.  The O/U is 67.  Evidently the gamblers think Oregon is > UW.

 

Do you guys think Oregon will cover?  Will they score their season's average of ~42 points?  We all know they'll win, right ?   GO DUCKS!

Edited November 27, 2023 by Mic

[BeaverStateDuck]

Ducks only need to beat 3 likely undefeated top 4 teams and they will be national champions. Piece of cake! 

 

[GODUCKS15]

Honestly I'll be a little shocked if the Ducks beat wa by more than 10 pts. WA won't roll over in this game and will be playing their best game of the season. I still see this game tighter than the odds makers. 

[Jon Joseph]

A win by 10 as of today would cover the spread.

 

I think -8.5 now bet up to -9 in some places is a balance-the-book kind of line. Amateur gamblers focus on the now. Oregon dominated its rival on Friday and UW struggled to put away WSU. 4 of UW's last 6 wins have been 1-score wins. Penix has not been the same since the 3-point win over Oregon.

 

I would have definitely had money down on Oregon at the -7.5 opening line. I expect this game will be a fist fight for a half with Oregon pulling away for a win by 7 at least.

 

David Marsh's excellent article noted Oregon's troubles in the red zone. I expect Bo and Stein to have focused on this all week. I hope so because I do not want the game to come down to Cam the kicker.

[Grandpa Duck]

I saw my first Duck game in 1956.  I was a senior at Marshfield and we came up to play Eugene High, with Charlie Warren as their QB.  We beat them soundly at Civic Stadium.  We had the choice to stay over after the Friday night game and were treated to watching John Brodie QB Stanford to a victory over the Ducks on Saturday.  I already was a Duck fan, but started following them closely after that game.  

 

No Oregon team has ever played as consistently as this Duck team is playing since the mutt game.  At times we have had better players at every position, but never have we had as many who are close to being the best, at one time, and been as solid in all aspects of the game, except field goal kicking, as we have today (and the same kicker has been one of our best, last year).  

 

The Ducks will beat the 9.5 spread, but not score to it's season average of 42 points.  Our defense, despite the secondary injuries, will stop the mutts cold.  Penix is injured and may not finish the game.

 

And, our coaching staff is the best ever and getting better with each game.  The sky's the limit with this group of players and coaches. 

[Desert Duck]

On 11/27/2023 at 11:10 AM, Jon Joseph said:

I hope so because I do not want the game to come down to Cam the kicker.

 

 

Oh good Lord, NO. Oh please, oh please, NO.

 

I am now going to go directly to my happy place and put any possible thoughts of this happening out of my head.

 

 

[Mic]

On 11/27/2023 at 10:45 AM, Desert Duck said:

 

Oh good Lord, NO. Oh please, oh please, NO.

 

I am now going to go directly to my happy place and put any possible thoughts of this happening out of my head.

 

 

I think the Ducks will cover.  I think the Ducks will overwhelm a pretty darn good UW team.  The Ducks are better than pretty darn good.  That's my happy place.

[Desert Duck]

On 11/27/2023 at 11:40 AM, Grandpa Duck said:

No Oregon team has ever played as consistently as this Duck team is playing since the mutt game.

 

 

While I have 'only' been going to Duck games since 1973, in my humble opinion, you are 100% spot on with your above comment.

 

We've had some great teams along the way, but I don't remember seeing a team with the focus and consistency that this team has displayed over these last 6 games.

 

Just 3 more games with this kind of focus to go.

 

[Mic]

On 11/27/2023 at 10:54 AM, Desert Duck said:

We've had some great teams along the way, but I don't remember seeing a team with the focus and consistency that this team has displayed over these last 6 games.

I don't remember a Ducks team being this strong at the end of the season.  One reason is they've remained healthy and are deep in crucial positions.  The other reason being Dan Lanning.  Something happened to the Ducks after that loss in Seattle.  Somehow, they became a better team.  It's like they just ... woke up to their full  potential. That part I attribute 100% to their Head Coach.

[Desert Duck]

On 11/27/2023 at 12:04 PM, Mic said:

I don't remember a Ducks team being this strong at the end of the season.  

 

 

Yes... exactly. I actually meant to mention that in my post.

 

If a team is going to fade in the season, it's pretty much always in the 2nd half of the schedule. Teams get ground down, injuries start to kick in, and they're often just exhausted. 

 

Not only is Oregon not fading, they have been getting better and more focused with each passing week.

[Jon Joseph]

In Pac-12 champ games, the team that won the 1st game has won 6 times. The team that lost, once.

 

But the 1 team that lost before winning the rematch and the conference championship was Oregon. Lost to Rich Rod and AZ in the regular season and totally destroyed AZ in the champ game. 

 

I'm looking for the same result out of the Ducks in Friday's coming sequel.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Jon Joseph

[Chas Man]

In 2021 Dan Lanning’s Georgia defense gave up 41 points to Alabama (their first meeting of the season). When they met again for the national championship, with all the marbles on the table, Dan Lanning’s Georgia Defense gave up only 18 points in a 33 to 18 thumping.

 

I expect a similar performance from DL’s crew this Friday.

 

Go Ducks!

Edited November 27, 2023 by Chas Man