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The Oregon Ducks are ranked second in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings and have won five consecutive Pac-12 games by an average of 21.6 points following their only defeat of the season to the Arizona Wildcats. The Colorado Buffaloes have yet to win a conference game this year and have only defeated the Massachusetts Minutemen and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors this season, who have a combined six wins between them in non-power conferences. These are two teams going in very different directions and should be a fairly easy win for a Ducks team possibly on the road to their first ever National Championship.
The Ducks defeated the Buffaloes last season 57-16 on the road and have won three consecutive games in this series by a combined score of 172-32. The possibility exists of a letdown as the Ducks have already clinched a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game and they face their in-state rivals, the Oregon State Beavers next weekend, but even an Oregon team lacking focus should have no problem putting away Colorado.
The Ducks feature the third highest scoring offense in the FBS, putting up an average of 46 points per game. Pharaoh Brown, who was tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions with six, is out for the season after suffering a knee injury. Starting center Hroniss Grasu will also miss the game following a surgical procedure on his ankle, but the Oregon offense has always been based on the system itself, not necessarily the players who take the field. Oregon’s offense should still be fine against a Buffaloes defense that ranks eighth-worst in the FBS in allowing 38.6 points per contest and 104th in total defense in allowing 449.6 yards per game.
And then there’s Heisman frontrunner Marcus Mariota. Despite all the changes going on with the Oregon offense, Mariota will still be focused on defeating the Buffaloes and continuing his march towards becoming the first Heisman Trophy winner in the storied history of the Oregon Ducks program. He threw for 355 yards and five touchdowns in last year’s game and currently leads the nation in passing efficiency at 184.6 to go along with 29 touchdowns and only two interceptions through the air and 524 rushing yards and another eight touchdowns on the ground.
If Oregon’s gaudy offensive statistics weren’t enough to convince you this game should enter blowout territory, take into account the fact that Colorado’s starting quarterback, Sefo Liufau, is recovering from a concussion and might not play this weekend. That would thrust backup quarterback Jordan Gehrke into a starting role, and he has only thrown 26 passes in his collegiate career and has never started a game.
The Oregon Ducks are riding a wave of momentum in the Pac-12 over the past five weeks – a wave that has carried them back into the hunt for the National Championship. They should have no trouble defeating an over-matched Buffaloes squad and should blow them out by a score of 63-21.
Phillip Jacques is a Pac-12 Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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