When No. 22 Oregon takes the field against Nebraska on Saturday, more will be at stake than a simple victory over a Big-10 team.
After the years of Chip Kelly, Marcus Mariota and top-five national rankings, the Ducks have dropped off significantly. While it’s difficult to pinpoint one single reason for the descension, something about Oregon football has changed.
Offensively speaking, the Ducks can keep pace with, or outscore, any team in the country. With the amount of offensive weapons Oregon has at its disposal, it’s no secret why the Ducks have ranked in the top-five of scoring every season of college football since 2010.
With Heisman candidate Royce Freeman running the ball and NFL prospects at wide receiver and tight end, the offense continues to execute at a high tempo and light up scoreboards.
If that’s the case, then why isn’t Oregon still among the nation’s elite? The reason is simple: defense.
Oregon has never been one of the best defensive teams in the nation, but they have excelled in two areas — forcing turnovers and red zone defense.
Consistently, the Ducks have found ways to force turnovers in big-time situations and take advantage of them. As for the red zone, Oregon’s bend-but-don’t-break philosophy has worked because too many times opponents have settled for field goals while the Ducks’ offense scored touchdowns.
That’s not the case anymore. The Ducks aren’t forcing the turnovers and aren’t getting the necessary stops. Combinations of blowing coverages, not being physical enough and missing tackles have plagued Oregon the last two seasons.
With those issues and the game against Nebraska pending, it begs the questions: Is Oregon going to change direction and head back to being a national power? Or are the Ducks going to continue their downward trend from the nation’s elite?
If Oregon can travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, march into Memorial Stadium and run roughshod over the Cornhuskers on Tom Osborne Field to the tune of a victory, the Ducks might just prove that they’re back.
Make no mistake, the Cornhuskers aren’t one of college football’s elite teams. This trip isn’t the same as traveling to Death Valley to play No. 3 Clemson or traveling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to play Nick Saban and the No. 1 Crimson Tide.
Still, this game has to mean just as much to the Ducks.
Nebraska is no walk in the park. The Cornhuskers have an elite quarterback and are consistently in the running to challenge for the Big-10 west division. They possess above average units in all three phases of the game and have a formidable coach in Mike Riley, the former coach of Oregon State.
Plus, they have the x-factor of playing in front of 87,000 screaming fans called the “Sea of Red.” Traveling into the Cornhusker’s home is no easy task, which is why they are 89-25 at home since 2000. Before last year, Nebraska had 46 consecutive years with a winning record at home.
Oregon won’t have to play perfect to win, but it will have to be better than what its shown the previous two games. An Oregon victory starts the path of its return to national prominence while a loss continues its current descent to national mediocrity.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka