The No. 9 Oregon Ducks have a bye this week after trouncing in-state rival Oregon State 49-14 last weekend in Corvallis. The Ducks (3-0) hit refresh after two weeks of weird, buggy nail-biters against less talented opponents that effectively deflated the preseason hype balloon. I pulled Mr. FishDuck from his fun at nové online casino to review the unusual position that Oregon is in after three games.
However, the Ducks have a lot of good stuff happening. So far this season, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is the nation’s most accurate passer, completing 79 of 94 passes for 914 yards and six touchdowns, boasting an 84% completion rate.
After Week 3, Oregon has also seemingly found its starting center, swapping out walk-on Charlie Pickard for sophomore Iapani ‘Poncho’ Laloulu and bringing some stability to the trenches after two weeks of bizarre shuffling. The line looked solid against the Beavs, allowing the team to finally meet the standard under Oregon coach Dan Lanning.
Before Oregon hits the road to open Big Ten play against reigning pillow-fight champions, the UCLA Bruins, I had the opportunity to reflect on the past three weeks and examine some other matchups from around the country, including former and current Pac-12 teams. Here are some cubes:
Are the No. 11 USC Trojans back? Nope. Sure, the defense has improved under new hire D’Anton Lynn, but all the mainstream bluster about the Trojans and wunderkind quarterback Miller Moss going to The Big House and throttling a wounded No. 18 Michigan Wolverines team was a bit premature. Michigan, the reigning national champs who finished with just 32 yards in the air while amassing 290 rushing yards over Linn’s “elite” defense, upset USC at home, 27-24. Keen observation: USC’s fight song, “Tribute to Troy,” still sucks.
Will Johnson became the first player in #Michigan history to record three career pick sixes in the win over USC! 🤯
The #Wolverines star cornerback continued to display why he’s considered one of the best players in the country.https://t.co/QxJG9VxoDN pic.twitter.com/ukZzKMItAS
— Chas Post (@chas_post23) September 22, 2024
San Jose State nearly pulled off a whopper of an upset in a double overtime shootout against Washington State in Pullman on Friday night. Nearly ain’t enough, and the Spartans fell 54-52 to the Cougs, who have jumped out to a 4-0 start for the second straight season. Don’t get it jumbled: The Spartans, led by former Wazzu gunslinger Emmett Brown (Ya, it was awkward) and sticky-fingered receiver Nick Nash, have a prolific offense that had Wazzu on its heels for a good portion of the late-night matchup.
Late-game heroics from WSU running back Dylan Paine and quarterback John Mateer, coupled with the Spartans’ bungled two-point conversion, saved the day for the Cougs. Keen observation: The combo of Brown and Nash is electric. Through Week 4, Brown leads the FBS in passing yards with 1,290 and Nash leads the nation in catches (50), receiving yards (637) and touchdown receptions (8). Is the Pac-12 still looking for teams?
Yes, Boise State fullback Ashton Jeanty is really that good. After Jeanty trampled the Ducks in Week 2 for 192 yards and three touchdowns, the Broncos’ bell cow back continues to elude defenders and post wackadoo stats that elicit severe bowel discomfort amongst opposing defensive coordinators. (Talk about preparing for the runs!)
In Week 4, Jeanty leads the country in rushing touchdowns (nine) and ranks second in rushing yards (459). He is currently the highest-rated Group of Five running back per Pro Football Focus. Keen observation: Jeanty Stud of the Year campaign continues unabated, somewhat softening the blow he delivered to Oregon at Autzen Stadium. Honestly, the Ducks were kind of fortunate to escape that game with a W.
#BoiseState junior RB Ashton Jeanty rushed for 127 yards on 11 carries before taking the entire second half off.#HEI2MAN pic.twitter.com/8WurXJ2KZG
— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) September 22, 2024
Another feel good moment this weekend was watching the down-but-not-out Oregon State Beavers hand down a 38-21 beatdown of Purdue at Reser Stadium. The victory is a moment of levity for the Beavs (3-1), who have been licking their pelts after a rough offseason. We all know the sob story (cue the violin): Former OSU head coach Jonathan Smith left Corvallis for the top job at Michigan State, stripping bare the cupboards stocked with some talented players and coaches.
The Beavers were also one of two teams left at the Pac-12 kids’ table following a mass exodus of conference teams for greener pastures (and better television deals). Fans have been understandably upset, with some even barking about calling off the 130-year Civil War rivalry game with Oregon.
However, much of the Beavs’ grievances aimed at the Ducks and other programs that jumped the sinking Pac-12 ship are misguided. For the Pac- 12 abandonment issues, blame flimflam man and hornswoggler Larry Scott. Seriously. This administrative dingleberry single-handedly tanked the conference and forced this catastrophe into reality. Then he blamed the teams for not winning enough, took his millions and went home. Canceling the Civil War game will not change Scott’s spectacular conference bungling.
For Beaver Nation, there are some bright spots: The Pac-12 is expanding after coaxing four of the best Mountain West teams — San Diego State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Boise State — to join the conference. Sound familiar? That’s college football. Another cool note: OSU defensive lineman Thomas Collins is rated the nation’s best through Week 4, boasting 10 pressures and nine hurries.
The Colorado Buffaloes continue to irritate and disappoint despite pulling off a 38-31 win over Baylor on Saturday night sparked by a game-tying Hail Mary touchdown from quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Before the game was over, fans rushed the field, prompting Colorado head coach Deion Sanders to issue an apology after the game, calling it unprofessional. The Buffs (3-1) won their Big 12 debut, but the weeks heading into the game have been fueled with plenty of face palm moments from Prime Time.
While Coach Prime is beloved for good reasons, the NFL legend hasn’t handled criticism and adversity very well. And it seems like every week, Coach Prime, donning a perfectly trimmed white five-o-clock shadow, is at the postgame microphone putting out fires by thumbing his nose at critics and pointing fingers at the media. In his most recent gem, Coach Prime accused journalists of criticizing players because they were jealous about NIL money. Sigh.
“Once upon a time, you guys never attacked college players. Now they’re making more money than y’all and some of y’all are envious and jealous about that.” – Deion Sanders on criticism of his players by the media pic.twitter.com/odmflNlGxJ
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 18, 2024
From reports that Coach Prime asked the school band to play his son’s rap song after scoring a touchdown instead of the Colorado fight song to video showing his assistant coaches fighting each other, a circus of controversy continues to plague the Buffs, who have not lived up to expectations despite landing two-way star Travis Hunter. Bold prediction: This will be Coach Prime’s last year in Boulder.
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Jordan is a lifelong Duck fan currently living in San Diego. Jordan graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, after serving a prestigious fellowship with the Washington State House of Representatives. Upon graduation, he worked as an English language teaching assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Ambassadorial Program in Monforte de Lemos, Spain. Jordan has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California, covering a wide range of topics, including sports, local politics, and crime. He is VERY excited to be writing about his beloved Oregon Ducks.