(Photo: Clutchpoints)
Intriguing Game- Pac-12 Championship
(5) Oregon Ducks at (3) Washington Huskies
Oregon: They have steamrolled everything in their path the second half of the regular season and I’ve loved every second of it. Ever since their one and only loss of the season, I’ve seen a motivated, yet angry football team and how could you not be? Let’s look back at some of their recent games. They punched the Utah Utes in the mouth in Salt Lake City which is a tough place to play and yet alone win football games and four of their final five games were all decided by double digits, including a 24-point victory in the Civil War over the Oregon State Beavers. In just his second year as Head Coach, Dan Lanning has led this team to one of its better records in recent memory. What’s made this Oregon team so special? I can answer that for you! When it comes to their offense first, they are balanced, sharp, consistent, explosive and most importantly, they don’t make any big mistakes which means they take tremendous care of the football and you all know the old adage: The team that takes care of the ball best is the team that will escape with the W. It all begins with an Offensive Line that has been one of the best in the nation. They don’t allow sacks, they open lanes for the Running Backs and they give the Quarterback more than enough time to operate. There’s the segue I needed because I want to bring the Quarterback up. Bo Nix. He’s the anchor behind one of the two best offensive attacks in college football. I think this is the favorite for the Heisman this year with his stellar play all year long. I’ve had fun watching this group play all year long. Tomorrow night, they will travel to Vegas for a shot at the conference title.
Washington: They’ve been a nice story this year. There are three unbeaten teams in the power five conferences as we speak and this is one of them. Records don’t say everything and I’ve never been one of the analysts to judge a team by wins and losses, I look at overall performances and as of late, I have not liked what I’ve seen from this group. Yes, every game of theirs has been a fight. I’ll say every test and obstacle thrown in their way, they’ve been able to overcome so that, I’ll give them some love. Michael Penix Jr has hit the big throws when necessary and that’s just how the Washington Huskies conduct business. If the game is close late in the fourth quarter, they have found ways to close the game out and come out on top. Their offensive success has started with Michael Penix Jr. He’s been one of the best Quarterbacks in the nation this year and along with Wide Receiver, Rome Odunze, they have formed one of the elite tandems in our sport. It’s something about a Quarterback having that go to receiver that he can get the football too when he needs that big play. I’m talking about that spark that the entire team feeds off of. This Offensive Line has been absolutely phenomenal and will be one of the reasons why Michael will more than likely get the invite to New York City for the Heisman. Want to know just how good this line is? They are second in the country and do everything to keep number nine upright and on his feet. The Huskies were able to escape an Oregon State scare and last weekend in the Apple Cup, they just got by Washington State to finish the regular season 12-0. Next is the Pac-12 title game and they will have one more showdown with the Oregon Ducks.
Oregon X-Factor: Tez Johnson– Bo Nix has been able to succeed because he’s been put in a position to have two serviceable receivers. Troy Franklin is the number one option of course and you can make a case for him being their best player. Let’s not also forget about Tez. Of course, Tez benefits from Troy’s presence and Bo finds ways to get him the football. He has the ability to take the short pass the distance if you don’t circle in on him. Tez is a tough out in the open field and has the speed to breeze by anyone attempting to tackle him.
Washington X-Factor: Dillon Johnson– For as great as their passing attack has been, the value of Dillon Johnson has been very understated. He had a massive role against Oregon in the regular season game and I feel he will be a key contributor to this game tomorrow night. He’s that piece that provides balance and another dimension to their offense. Dillon is a tough runner between the tackles and can bounce outside. If this Washington offense does indeed become one-dimensional, Dillion’s role because even more massive against the Ducks.
Final Thoughts: Well, here we are. When they played on October 14th, it was a thrilling game that came down to the end. Oregon did everything right, until they didn’t….. Dan Lanning elected to go for it on fourth and short, the Ducks didn’t get it which gave Penix and company half the field to work with and they capitalized on Oregon not getting the first and went down the field to score. Oregon did get the football back and got into field goal range, but missed the kick. Since that game, both teams have gone in completely different directions. Also in the first meeting, both defenses were so synched into the Quarterbacks that both Running Backs ended up having big games. Expect Oregon to come out roaring as they have in every single game since their loss to these Huskies. Also, the Ducks must get pressure on Penix and if they can throw him off schedule, that will bode extremely well for them. For Washington: They must win and attack Oregon on third down! Oregon struggles on defense on third down as they allow to hit 32 percent of their chances. Keeping everything moving will be extremely crucial for the Huskies because Oregon will throw everything they can. The stakes are high. The winner will more than likely hear their name called on Sunday for the playoff bracket. Oregon gets their revenge on Friday night. I like the Ducks.
Prediction: Oregon 38, Washington 31
