Is Oregon Shoe-in for BCS Title Bid?
Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE
The combination of a high-octane offense and a solid defense makes the Oregon Ducks a lock for the Pac-12 title and a scary foe in any BCS title game.
Oregon has made a name for itself as one of the most versatile offenses ever to grace the gridiron in college football. Year-in and year-out, the Ducks have piled on the points, ranking as one of the top, if not THE top, offensive football programs in the nation. And there’s no sign of it stopping this year.
Through nine games, Oregon is undefeated and could very well run the table this season. They rank No. 1 in the country in scoring, averaging an astounding 54 points per contest, which includes a 62-point shellacking on the road against USC in Week 10. Two weeks prior, the Ducks handled Colorado with ease, posting an emphatic 70-point outing against their division foe.
So, can they keep it up?
Oregon’s slate poses few problems in their quest to return to the BCS title game. In the final three games of the season, there is not one team which ranks Top 10 nationally in scoring defense. Stanford presents the biggest risk to their perfect season, giving up only 16.6 points per game. But the Ducks still have the advantage when they host the Cardinals at home, in which they’ve tallied 55.5 points per game this season (best in CFB).
The Ducks also face the California Golden Bears, who, for all intents and purposes, are a shell of what they used to be last year. At 3-7, they rank 64th in the country in scoring defense, letting up more than 27 points per contest. It doesn’t take a mindreader to project another easy Oregon win.
Finally, the Ducks will face off against Oregon State in a Civil War battle that will likely conclude their perfect season. The Beavers pose little threat in defending their home turf against their in-state rivals. Their last win against Oregon came as far back as 2007. Since then, the Ducks have hung 49, 37, 37 and 65 points in what’s turned out to be four consecutive victories for the green and white.
The only thing that can upset the Ducks’ perfect season is another defensive collapse, one in which they saw Arizona post 48 points against them in early October. Anything short of that, and Oregon can backpedal to another conference championship, punching their ticket to yet another BCS championship birth.
