EUGENE, OR — Since the College Football Playoff selection committee released its initial rankings on Nov. 4, it had made a point to Oregon it wasn’t a shoe-in for the field. Sure, the Ducks stook at 7-1 with the only loss to unbeaten Indiana, but there were not enough quality victories on their resume.
The committee made it clear to Dan Lanning: impress us, or there won’t be a chance to redeem last season’s quarterfinal exit in the Rose Bowl.
Since then, the Ducks have responded. They pulled out a gritty win at Iowa and cruised by Minnesota. In presenting its best case to the selection committee, No. 5 Oregon put a bow on it with a 42-27 defeat of No. 16 Southern California.
Stamped. Checked. Signed.
However you want to do it, make sure it’s for the Oregon Ducks, who have certified they are likely bound for the College Football Playoff after the statement win over the Trojans. Only a loss at Washington next week could potentially knock them out, and even that might not be enough.
‘We just played a really good team. We beat them,’ Lanning said. ‘All we’re worried about is playing the teams that we play and doing the job that we need to do and we did that job today.
‘All we can do next week is try to do the same thing.’
Oregon knew USC and its high-powered offense weren’t going to be easy to take down. It proved to be true with Trojans quarterback Jordan Maiava throwing for 306 yards against the nation’s top passing defense, the most yards through the air the Ducks have given up all season.
Only two players – Montana State’s Taco Dowler and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt – eclipsed 100 receiving yards against the Ducks this season. USC’s Tanook Hines and Ja’Kobi Lane both did it Saturday, making several tough catches that resulted in big plays.
USC did many the things it wanted to do on offense, but it largely didn’t matter.
The Trojans were forced to alter its style and play from behind, trailing for most of the final three quarters because they simply couldn’t handle the other parts of Oregon. It also doesn’t help when it had just 52 yards on the ground.
Those high-powered, strong Ducks the college football world had grown accustomed to seeing returned in on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Autzen Stadium. The offense rolled and special teams made momentum changing plays.
Whether it was throwing or running the ball, USC didn’t spend much time silencing either. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was zipping it across the field, throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns. The running duo of Noah Whittington and Jordon Davison found open lanes, with Whittington accounting for two touchdowns.
‘They hits they hit some big plays on us. I was really pleased with the guys be able to hit the reset button and saying, ‘Let’s go again,” Lanning said.
Then there were the special teams. With the game tied in the second quarter, Oregon’s Malik Benson fielded a punt and sped past the USC punting unit, going 85 yards untouched into the end zone to give the Ducks a lead they never relinquished.
Lanning called it an ‘awesome play,’ while USC coach Lincoln Riley said it was one of the ‘defining sequences’ of the game.
‘They made more plays than us, and that was really, in my opinion, the difference in the game,’ Riley added.
It all clicked when Oregon absolutely needed it to.
Now at 10-1, the Ducks still have hope of a first-round playoff bye and a Big Ten title. A loss by Ohio State at Michigan and a win by Oregon in that finale next week against Washington sends the Ducks to Indianapolis.
But if they miss out, is it really all that bad? Oregon is in solid position to host a quarterfinal game if it can win beat the Huskies.
Try to find a team that wants to come to Eugene, Oregon in late December and have to play against the hostile crowd inside Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks are 25-2 since Lanning took over. It’s not a situation many want to find themselves in, knowing it will feel like playing with a deficit just as the ball gets kicked off.
Take it from USC, who had its season on the line against the Ducks and couldn’t ever find control of the game.
‘We can play with some of the best,’ said Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher.