Week 9 Upset Alert

There are a lot of teams that have tough challenges this week. Missouri travels to Nebraska, Michigan State travels to Iowa, and Auburn goes on the road to face Ole Miss. But the 1 team that is sure to be upset on Saturday is the #2 Oregon Ducks. Shhhhh… wipe the surprised look off your face and let me explain.

Anyone reading this blog right now is surely thinking “didn’t this guy see Oregon crush UCLA and Stanford?” To be fair, I’ll answer that question and say “yes”. But those aren’t the 2 games that have me thinking this will be an upset. Its Oregon’s other games that give me reason for concern. Here’s a quick breakdown:

-Oregon was tied at halftime against the Tennessee Volunteers. Sure, the Tennessee name carries some weight, but in reality that Volunteer team is the worst in the program’s last 20 years. They are currently (2-5) with an (0-4) record in the SEC.

-Oregon trailed 24-14 to Arizona State before rallying to win 42-31. Sure, Arizona State is a Pac-10 team, but they are the 2nd worst team in the Pac-10 and are below .500 at this point in the season for the 3rd straight year.

-Then, there is the game against Washington State. Oregon was down 14-8 to the Cougars and Oregon only led the Cougars by a score of 36-23 entering the 4th quarter. Washington State scored 23 points on the Ducks. We’re talking about the same Cougars team that only could manage 23 points against Montana State and 21 points against SMU.

Now, in Oregon’s other 4 games, they have played dominant football, beating UCLA, Stanford, Portland State, and New Mexico. So, what has been the difference in the performance of the team in these games? Simple. The 4 games that they played dominant football all happened in Autzen Stadium in Oregon (one of the toughest places to play in the country). The 3 games where they struggled… yep, you guessed it… all came on the road.

It just so happens that this week’s matchup with #24 USC comes on the road in what will be a sold-out, raucous, “Red Out” Coliseum. Add to that the fact that College Football Gameday will be there (they have been at the site of past 3 weeks of #1 upsets), and also keep in mind that USC had an extra week of preparation to get ready for this contest.

Lastly, we can all agree that Oregon is a speedy team. Maybe one of the fastest in America. The only thing that nullifies speed is.... speed, which is something that the Men of Troy are never lacking. This will be the fastest defense that Oregon will face all season.

So, while everybody else in America may be surprised when the Oregon Ducks go down Saturday night… if you took the time to read this blog… you wont be one of those surprised individuals.