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Dan Lanning's Playcalling Ripped After No. 9 Oregon Upset by No. 21 Oregon State

Nov 27, 2022
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, looks up at the scoreboard during review during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Washington, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Andy Nelson)
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, looks up at the scoreboard during review during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Washington, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Andy Nelson)

An epic second-half collapse resulted in Oregon losing to Oregon State 38-34 and severely damaging its opportunity to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

The Ducks were on cruise control with a 31-10 lead after Camden Lewis' 42-yard field goal with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter.

Oregon State proceeded to score touchdowns on its next four offensive possessions to take the lead. The comeback was aided by sloppy play from the Ducks, highlighted by punter Alex Bales mishandling the ball on 4th-and-5 from deep in his own territory.

The Beavers scored on their second play after the turnover to cut the deficit to 34-31. Head coach Jonathan Smith's defense came up big on the next drive when Bo Nix was stopped on 4th-and-1 from his own 29.

Four plays after the turnover on downs, Isaiah Newell's six-yard touchdown run gave Oregon State its first lead since 10-7 in the second quarter.

One theme that developed throughout Oregon's collapse was questionable play-calling by the coaching staff.

Head coach Dan Lanning opted to go for it on 4th-and-3 from Oregon State's 15 in the first half. Nix completed a pass to Troy Franklin, but it lost a yard and resulted in a turnover on downs.

Oregon had a chance to take the lead with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter after the offense had a 1st-and-goal from the 5. Lanning called three straight runs up the middle that were stopped and used his second timeout with 3:02 remaining to set up a fourth-down call.

Nix's pass into the end zone fell incomplete, giving Oregon State possession. Deshaun Fenwick's two-yard run on 3rd-and-1 gave the Beavers a fresh set of downs and let them run out the clock.

Needless to say, Lanning's decision-making left throughout the game left a sour taste in the mouth of analysts and Ducks fans:

https://twitter.com/mue11er/status/1596661870014128130
https://twitter.com/Skyler_Waterman/status/1596662552838406145

Lanning's first season as a head coach has been a success with a 9-3 record. The problem has been the missed opportunities for the Ducks in each of their past two losses.

Oregon opened the season with a 49-3 loss at the hands of Georgia, but its two conference losses have come by a combined seven points.

The 37-34 loss to Washington two weeks ago saw the Ducks give up 10 unanswered points in the final 3:54 of regulation. Lanning opted to go for it on 4th-and-1 from his own 34 in a tie game, but the Huskies stopped Noah Whittington to set up their game-winning field goal.

While the Ducks could still make the Pac-12 championship game, they will need Washington State to beat Washington on Saturday night. If the Huskies emerge as victors, though, the Oregon won't play for the Pac-12 championship for the first time since 2018.

Oregon's Kenny Dillingham Named Arizona State Football HC After Agreeing to Contract

Nov 27, 2022
Florida State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kenny Dillingham before the start of an NCAA college football game against Jacksonville State Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)
Florida State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kenny Dillingham before the start of an NCAA college football game against Jacksonville State Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)

Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham has agreed to become the next head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported on Saturday that Dillingham and Arizona State were finalizing a contract.

Dillingham is from Scottsdale, Arizona, and is also a graduate of Arizona State.

The news comes after Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported on Nov. 22 that Dillingham was the "leader in the clubhouse" for the Sun Devils head coaching gig.

Dillingham got into college coaching as an offensive assistant at Arizona State from 2014-2015. In 2016, he was hired as a graduate assistant at Memphis, and by 2018 he had worked his way up to being the team's offensive coordinator.

The 32-year-old served as offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2019 before taking over the same role at Florida State from 2020-2021. He is in his first season as offensive coordinator of the No. 10 Ducks.

Oregon's offense has flourished under Dillingham, so it's no surprise he has been eyed for the Arizona State head coaching position. Entering Saturday's game against the No. 22 Oregon State Beavers, Oregon's offense was ranked the third-best in the nation, averaging 511.2 total yards and 40.2 points per game.

Dillingham's quarterback, Bo Nix, has also been in the Heisman conversation, having completed 72.4 percent of his passes for 3,062 yards and 25 touchdowns against six interceptions, in addition to rushing for 513 yards and 14 scores.

In Arizona, Dillingham would be taking over for Herm Edwards, who was fired by the Sun Devils following a 1-2 start to the 2022 campaign. Edwards had been head coach at ASU since 2018.

Dillingham would also become the youngest Power 5 head coach in the country if hired by the Sun Devils.

Arizona State finished the 2022 season with a 3-9 record, including a 38-35 loss to rival Arizona on Friday. Dillingham would be tasked with bringing the program back to prominence in 2023 and beyond.

With the eventual departures of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, Arizona State will be expected to contend for a Pac-12 title in the near future.

Caleb Williams Celebrated as Heisman Frontrunner as USC Holds on to Beat UCLA

Nov 20, 2022
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans looks to pass against the UCLA Bruins during the first quarter in the game at Rose Bowl on November 19, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans looks to pass against the UCLA Bruins during the first quarter in the game at Rose Bowl on November 19, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The No. 7 USC Trojans clinched a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a 48-45 win over the No. 16 UCLA Bruins on Saturday night at Rose Bowl Stadium and improved to 10-1 on the season.

The Trojans sealed the win when Korey Foreman picked off Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson with 1:26 remaining in the game, but it was quarterback Caleb Williams who stood out above the rest.

Williams completed 32 of 43 passes for 470 yards and two touchdowns against one interception in the win. He also rushed for 32 yards and a score on eight carries.

Following the win, Williams was celebrated as the Heisman Trophy frontrunner on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/cfitzfox/status/1594190642237669376

Williams has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football this season. He entered Saturday's game having completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 3,010 yards and 31 touchdowns against two interceptions in 10 games, in addition to rushing for 283 yards and six scores.

If Williams is going to win the Heisman, he'll have to put together another impressive performance against the No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish next weekend to close out the season.

Michigan running back Blake Corum and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud have also been mentioned in the Heisman Trophy race.

Oregon WR Kris Hutson Says Injury 'Part of the Game Plan' vs. Washington

Nov 17, 2022
Oregon wide receiver Kris Hutson (1) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Oregon wide receiver Kris Hutson (1) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

During the waning moments of Oregon's 37-34 loss to Washington last Saturday, wide receiver Kris Hutson appeared to suffer a leg injury after making a first-down catch, forcing officials to stop the clock despite the Ducks having no timeouts.

While Oregon's comeback bid fell short, Hutson revealed on Wednesday that his injury was actually a strategy to get his team some extra time.

"It was just part of the game plan," Hutson told reporters. "It wasn't anything too special, but I'm all right, though."

Hutson, who finished with seven catches for 56 yards in the loss, added that he should be ready to suit up for this week's game against No. 10 Utah. Erik Skopil of 247Sports noted that Ducks head coach Dan Lanning declined to comment on the play while he met with the media after Wednesday's practice.

Oregon fell from No. 6 to No. 12 in both the College Football Playoff rankings and the AP Poll after the loss to Washington. The Ducks had their eight-game win streak snapped and now trail No. 7 USC for first place in the Pac-12 conference.

To make matters worse, Oregon starting quarterback Bo Nix was injured in the fourth quarter against the Huskies, and his status against the Utes is in question. Hutson expressed confidence in backup quarterback Ty Thompson if Nix can't suit up.

"Obviously, Bo is down, so it's the next man up," Hutson said. "...[Thompson] is good at decision-making. He has a great arm. He can extend plays. He's learned a lot from Bo, so he kind of took his game to the next level also. Ty is a good player, he's a great player, great quarterback; very smart. Can't wait to see him out there ready to go."

A redshirt freshman, Thompson has thrown for 72 yards and two interceptions in limited action this season.

College Football Playoff Rankings: USC, You're the Pac-12's Final Hope

Nov 16, 2022
Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley
Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley

If every season is solely judged on which programs reach the College Football Playoff, the Pac-12 has consistently fallen on the wrong side of that pass-or-fail exercise.

After two months of optimism in 2022, the conference is merely a USC loss removed from another failing grade.

Heading into Week 11, the Pac-12 had three legitimate contenders. Oregon, UCLA and USC each entered its contest with a single loss against a team currently in the Top 15. Relative to the CFP chase, any of those setbacks could be easily forgiven in a few weeks.

USC wrecked Colorado last Friday, improving to 9-1 and taking the first step toward what could have been a glorious Pac-12 weekend. The looming showdowns in Week 12ā€”USC at UCLA and Utah at Oregonā€”had an immense potential impact on both the Pac-12 and CFP.

The latter, not so much anymore.

In order to maximize the College Football Playoff stakes, USC needed Oregon and UCLA to hold up their ends of the bargain at home. The full expectation was a couple of wins, considering they arrived as double-digit favorites over Washington and Arizona, respectively.

Instead, the night turned into two demoralizing losses that rapidly diminished the conference's shot at a national title.

Washington rode a late touchdown and last-minute field goal to edge Oregon, and Arizona also put together a fourth-quarter rally to stun UCLA in Pasadena. The results moved Oregon and UCLA into the dreaded two-loss territory, from where no team in eight previous editions of the CFP has emerged to finish in the all-important Top Four on Selection Day.

Suddenly, barring a string of improbableā€”even while not impossibleā€”chaos, seventh-ranked USC has become the Pac-12's lone candidate to make the College Football Playoff in 2022.

Jordan Addison
Jordan Addison

The silver lining is that the Pac-12 is enjoying a resurgent year as a whole. That positive news can be lost within a CFP-or-bust mentality but deserves praise.

Yes, there is value in discussing the Pac-12's absence from the tournament since Alabama beat Washington in 2016. It's fair to criticize the former leadership, this extended drought and that the conference hasn't won a national championship since USC's (technically vacated) title in 2004.

Simultaneously, the Pac-12 has USC at 9-1 and a quartetā€”Oregon, Utah, UCLA and Washingtonā€”of 8-2 squads. All of them remain in contention for the Pac-12 Championship Game, which will include two teams with the best conference winning percentages. This depth of above-average teams is exactly why eliminating divisions is a wise choice.

Throw in 7-3 Oregon State and 6-4 Washington State, and the conference already has seven bowl-eligible schools. Last year, the league mustered six such teams.

This progression must be a massive sigh of relief for a conference with an uncertain future.

PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: A high angle view of the Pac-12 logo on the field of Stanford Stadium before a Pac-12 college football game between the USC Trojans and the Stanford Cardinal played on September 10, 2022 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: A high angle view of the Pac-12 logo on the field of Stanford Stadium before a Pac-12 college football game between the USC Trojans and the Stanford Cardinal played on September 10, 2022 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)

During the summer, USC and UCLA revealed their plans to join the Big Ten in 2024. That announcement sent the Pac-12 scrambling to retain its 10 other membersā€”particularly Oregon and Washington, seemingly the most appealing options for further B1G expansion.

However, the praise due to a decent-sized group of competitive teams has a ceiling when there's no CFP representative.

The inconvenient irony is the Pac-12's hopes of refurbishing its status as an elite conference rests in the hands of a school that is leaving the league after next season.

This particular brand of USC schadenfreude is complicated, huh?

If you're rooting against Lincoln Riley and Co., do your thing. If you support USC or are Team #SaveThePac12, the best-case hypothetical is still a promising one.

After traveling to No. 16 UCLA, the Trojans host No. 18 Notre Dame. If they survive both teams, the Trojans will take on a strong opponentā€”perhaps the winner of Utah's trip to Oregonā€”in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Win there, and a 12-1 USC team is certainly playoff-bound.

But those Oregon and UCLA losses have narrowed the national focus of a potentially huge night for the conference to a single team.

On the CFP grading scale, on Saturday through the rest of the season, the Pac-12 is USC-or-fail.

CFB Twitter Declares Oregon's CFP Chances over After Upset Loss to Washington

Nov 13, 2022
EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 12: Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze (1) runs after the catch against Oregon Ducks defensive back Bennett Williams (4) during a PAC-12 conference college football game between the Washington Huskies and Oregon Ducks on November 12, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 12: Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze (1) runs after the catch against Oregon Ducks defensive back Bennett Williams (4) during a PAC-12 conference college football game between the Washington Huskies and Oregon Ducks on November 12, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Pac-12's hopes for the College Football Playoff rest solely on USC after Oregon's 37-34 loss to Washington at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night.

Peyton Henry's 43-yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining was the difference for the Huskies. It came after Washington gained possession at Oregon's 34-yard line when Noah Whittington lost his footing on a 4th-and-1 play by the Ducks.

Oregon played that series without star quarterback Bo Nix. He limped off the field during the previous offensive possession. Ty Thompson filled in for one drive, missing on his only pass attempt.

Nix came back on the field for the final drive to either tie it and force overtime or win with a touchdown. He appeared to complete a 15-yard pass to get the Ducks down to Washington's 23-yard line with one second remaining, but officials flagged Troy Franklin for illegal touching when he stepped out of bounds without being touched before the catch.

The final play of the game saw Nix's pass skip in front of his intended target well short of the goal line.

Oregon was ranked No. 6 in the Playoff standings this week, but its second loss of the season will almost certainly end its chances of making the top four.

Here's what Twitter had to say about the Ducks' playoff chances and head coach Dan Lanning's decision to go for it on fourth down in his own territory in a tie game.

There is still the possibility for the Pac-12 to get into the Playoff, but it will require a few things going right over the final three weeks of the regular season. USC entered this week ranked eighth in the Playoff standings.

Four of the teams ahead of the Trojans play each other in the coming weeks. No. 2 Ohio State hosts No. 3 Michigan on Nov. 26. No. 1 Georgia takes on No. 7 LSU in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 3.

Oregon had been rolling since its season-opening loss to Georgia. It entered Saturday having won eight straight games.

The news isn't all bad for the Ducks. They are still in the driver's seat for a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game if they can win their final two regular-season games. Their next test will be a showdown against No. 13 Utah at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 19.

Oregon HC Dan Lanning Denies Auburn Buzz: 'The Last Thing I Ever Want to Do Is Leave'

Nov 8, 2022
BOULDER, CO - NOVEMBER 5: Head coach Dan Lanning of the Oregon Ducks looks on from the sideline in a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on November 5, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
BOULDER, CO - NOVEMBER 5: Head coach Dan Lanning of the Oregon Ducks looks on from the sideline in a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on November 5, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Dan Lanning has no plans to use Oregon as a steppingstone.

The Ducks head coach offered an extended denial of rumors he'd be interested in taking the Auburn head coaching position Monday, telling reporters Oregon "has everything I could possibly ever want."

"First off, I'll say things like this are gonna come up when you have team success and when you do your job and things go the way they're supposed to go. That's credit really to our team. That being said, I think there's a little bit of a problem in society today with people looking for what's next and where there's an opportunity, and the reality is the grass is not always greener. In fact, the grass is damn green in Eugene, right? And I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me.

"This place has everything I could possibly ever want, my family could ever want. I've got an 11-year-old that's lived in eight states. The last thing I ever want to do is leave. I want to enjoy this opportunity here. It's been a phenomenal place for us. And when you talk about things that align, things that match your vision for what you're looking for as a head coach, Oregon checks every box for me.

"I think history maybe shows that this is a great place to be and not a great place to leave. I want to be here. Hopefully, that's the last time I have to really address it. But the reality is this is a destination, not just for me, but for elite players. And why is it a destination? Because reat administration, great fans, great support, and it's a good reason to be here and why we're having the success we're having."

Oregon has seen its last two coaches (Willie Taggart and Mario Cristobal) use the program to boost their resumes before leaving for what they perceived as better jobs (Florida State and Miami, respectively). Taggart lasted less than two seasons at Florida State before being fired, and Cristobal is 4-5 in his first season at Miami.

Lanning, meanwhile, is 8-1 in his first year in Eugene with a shot at making the College Football Playoff. The Ducks recovered from an ugly 49-3 loss to Georgia to open their regular season to reel off eight straight wins, scoring 40-plus points in each contest.

Lanning came to Oregon after working his way up from a high school special teams coach to being Georgia's defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021, winning a national championship with the Bulldogs last season.

The combination of Lanning's age (36) and history in the SEC makes him a natural target for Auburn, which fired Bryan Harsin on Halloween.

While the program will have little trouble finding interested parties, the Auburn job isn't strong at the moment. The Tigers haven't won 10 games since 2017 and are looking into an uncertain SEC future that includes the impending additions of Texas and Oklahoma. By 2025, Auburn may be the seventh- or eighth-best job in the SEC.

By contrast, Oregon is the pillar of the Pac-12ā€”especially with USC and UCLA set to join the Big Ten.

Stanford Student Suspended as Tree Mascot After Holding 'Stanford Hates Fun' Banner

Oct 31, 2022
The Stanford tree mascot dances in front of the Stanford band during a college basketball game between Stanford and Maryland in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. Stanford won 72-66. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The Stanford tree mascot dances in front of the Stanford band during a college basketball game between Stanford and Maryland in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. Stanford won 72-66. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The Stanford Tree will have a new inhabitant for the time being.

Jordan Zietz, who became the 44th student to occupy the costume in April, was suspended from his Tree-related duties after holding a banner that read, "Stanford hates fun." The marching band, of which the Stanford Tree is a part, handed down the ban.

The offending banner was shown at halftime of the Cardinal's 15-14 win over Arizona State on Oct. 22.

Theo Baker of the Stanford Daily reported how the act of protest reflected concerns of students who believe the school has launched a "war on fun" and been too heavy-handed in restricting on-campus parties and events.

Even though Stanford administrators weren't involved in issuing the punishment, the Tree's suspension is unlikely to help that perception.

UCLA, USC Communities Not In Favor of Move to Big Ten, Pac 12 Commissioner Says

Oct 26, 2022
Los Angeles, CA - November 20: USC wide receiver That Washington, right, UCLA defensive back Cameron Johnson deflect a pass in the first quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Los Angeles, CA - November 20: USC wide receiver That Washington, right, UCLA defensive back Cameron Johnson deflect a pass in the first quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff believes USC and UCLA leaving the conference will be an unpopular decision.

"I think saying hundreds would be an exaggerationā€”dozens, more than a hundred," Kliavkoff said when talking about discussions he has had with people connected to the programs, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN. "And I have yet to talk to anyone in the UCLA and USC community who's in favor of the move. I will say that I probably hear from folks who are not in favor, not surprisingly."

As Medcalf noted, the Trojans and Bruins will become members of the Big Ten in 2024 as the landscape of college sports continues to change with conference realignment that will also see Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC from the Big 12 in July 2025.

While Kliavkoff is a biased source who would clearly benefit from the two major brands staying inside the conference, there is something to be said for the difficulties it will present.

USC and UCLA will be in for multiple long road trips in football, basketball and other sports as they travel to places such as Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State. The Big Ten is also based in the Midwest and operates its high-profile conference championships and tournaments in cities such as Indianapolis and Chicago.

USC and UCLA will also lose some long-standing rivalries within the Pac-12 as they play new schedules.

Kliavkoff suggested expenses that come from additional traveling and salaries with the move to the Big Ten will counteract the gains available from a financial standpoint, but Medcalf noted reports say "UCLA will reap an eight-figure gain annually" with the move.

Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times pointed out the Pac-12's "archaic TV deal" has hamstrung powerhouse programs from a financial perspective, with the conference giving $33.6 million to each school in 2019-20 when the Big Ten gave an average of $49.2 million to its schools in that same period.

The gap figures to only grow, considering the Big Ten agreed to a new television rights contract with CBS, Fox, NBC, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Big Ten Network and FS1 in August. It will start in July 2023 and run through the 2029-30 season and give the conference between $7 billion and $8 billion.

Escalators could even bring the value to $10 billion.

Money talks, and USC and UCLA are headed to the Big Ten even if some within the Pac-12 wish it wasn't happening.

ESPN College Gameday 2022: Week 8 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions

Oct 21, 2022
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix (10) passes against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Andy Nelson)
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix (10) passes against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Andy Nelson)

Only two Pac-12 teams have reached the College Football Playoff since the system was implemented in 2014. Oregon was part of the inaugural tournament, and Washington made the CFP two years later.

Over the past five seasons, the Pac-12 has been shut out of the annual event, but that could soon change. No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 Oregon are two of the top teams in the country this year, and one could go on to win the Pac-12 championship and even reach the CFP.

That's why this Saturday is so important. The undefeated Bruins are going on the road to face the Ducks in a marquee matchup with potential playoff implications. Whichever team wins will be the front-runner for the Pac-12 title.

It's a huge clash, and ESPN's College GameDay will be in Eugene for the occasion. The popular college football kickoff show airs live at 9 a.m. ET on Saturdays on ESPN, with this week's edition taking place at Memorial Quad on Oregon's campus.

Before further breaking down the UCLA-Oregon matchup, here's the schedule for ranked teams in Week 8, along with predictions for each game.

Week 8 Top 25 Schedule, Predictions

Saturday, Oct. 22

Iowa at No. 2 Ohio State, noon ET, Fox

Tennessee-Martin at No. 3 Tennessee, noon ET, SEC Network

No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson, noon ET, ABC

No. 21 Cincinnati at SMU, noon ET, ESPN

No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon, 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox

No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Boston College at No. 13 Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network

Memphis at No. 25 Tulane, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Minnesota at No. 16 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU, 8 p.m. ET, FS1

Picks in bold.

UCLA-Oregon Preview

Oregon hasn't had much trouble against UCLA in recent years. The Ducks have won nine of the past 10 meetings between the two programs, including each of the past three. The only win for the Bruins during that stretch came in 2017.

It's been even longer since UCLA has won in Eugene. The last time the Bruins defeated the Ducks on the road was in 2004.

However, this year's UCLA team is better than recent iterations. And head coach Chip Kelly, who was in charge at Oregon from 2009-12, will likely have the Bruins ready to play a competitive game on Saturday.

UCLA will be in a hostile environment, but it will be one the 58-year-old is familiar with. However, he has lost his two most recent trips back to Eugene, in 2018 and 2020.

"It's a difficult place to play, just like anything in this league," Kelly told reporters. "You go to Washington and it's hard; you go to Oregon, it's hard. I think that's part of it when you're playing meaningful games in October is you've got to be prepared for crowd noise, so we'll be prepared for it."

This season, UCLA has been well-prepared every week. It is the only unbeaten team remaining in the Pac-12, after winning each of its first six games. Those include home wins over Washington and Utah in its previous two contests before the Week 7 bye.

UCLA isn't the only Pac-12 team with an unblemished conference record, though. Oregon also hasn't lost to a conference rival this season.

After suffering a 49-3 loss to No. 1 Georgia in the season opener, the Ducks have won five straight games. They're 3-0 in conference play, having defeated Washington State, Stanford and Arizona in their past three contests.

It's been an impressive turnaround for Oregon, but it hasn't faced a team as talented as UCLA during its winning streak. And with College GameDay in town, this matchup has a big-game feel.

"These are games that don't take a lot of pep talks. Guys are excited," Ducks head coach Dan Lanning told reporters. "We all realize the moment here. Guys want to play at a high level. But it's also about keeping that energy directed, right? That's what it's aboutā€”a one-play focus."

This may not be the only time that UCLA and Oregon meet this season. It's possible both teams could reach the Pac-12 Championship Game on Dec. 2, but plenty of things can change between now and then.

However, whichever team wins Saturday will have a legitimate chance to reach the College Football Playoff, while the loser likely won't.

So, even though there's plenty of football to play over the next six weeks, this is an important game for UCLA and Oregon. And it's a matchup that could go either way, considering how strong both teams are.

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