How Good is This Oregon Team in Reality?
It’s fair to think that the Oregon Ducks were a little bit overrated by being ranked No. 3 in the nation ahead of last week. Admitting that doesn’t make you any less of a Duck fan, but rather someone who is rational and able to identify holes in your favorite team.
The Ducks have a lot of holes. Their passing offense leaves a lot to be desired, the rushing defense often falls behind and needs a half to get into the game, and in general, they have never shown the ability to truly dominate an opponent.
The best this team looked was in Week 2 against Ohio State, but I don’t think it’s crazy to think that the Buckeyes aren’t as good as they’re perceived to be either.
We always knew this team had a lot of flaws, and they came back to be fatal on Saturday. Unless Oregon can find a way to open up the passing game down the road, it will be hard to trust them in a tight spot. You can run the ball all you want, but it’s inevitable that at some point in the game, you’ll likely be faced with a down and distance where you need to rely on a QB-WR connection that can get you 8-15 yards. Right now, the Ducks definitely don’t have that.
On Saturday, we saw Oregon’s floor. Against Ohio State, we saw what is perceived to be their ceiling. Who they really are is somewhere in between those two, but it’s getting pretty hard to pinpoint just how good their good is.
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