Earlier this month, I had Oregon Ducks legend Joey Harrington on the Bleav in Oregon Podcast to look ahead to the upcoming College Football Playoff run in Eugene. At the time, we didn’t know who the Ducks would be facing — Ohio State or Tennessee — in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, but the question was still pertinent: Who would you rather face?
Without hesitation, Harrington gave me his answer.
“Tennessee.”
Why?
“Because it’s always hard to beat a team twice,” Harrington explained.
That has been the sentiment from Oregon fans over the past week since the Buckeyes blew out the Volunteers in the first round of the College Football Playoff, 42-17. You always want to beat the best teams to become the best team, but having to beat a really good team like Ohio State twice is a tall task since they saw your tricks the first time around.
Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher doesn’t see it that way, though. On Friday afternoon following the Ducks’ practice, the senior dual-sport athlete denounced that idea.
“I think people have this misconception that when you play a team twice, you know, it’s harder to beat them twice,” Boettcher said. “Maybe if we’re playing baseball, that might be the case. But I think football is a little different. When you beat a team, there’s definitely a psychological aspect knowing that they’ve obviously already lost, you’ve already won.”
The Ducks definitely have the confidence of knowing that they can beat the Buckeyes going into this game. Back in October, Oregon won 32-31 at Autzen Stadium, watching as Ohio State quarterback Will Howard ran out the final seconds of the clock before sliding down in defeat.
More than just the confidence that they can win, Oregon knows that they can play better, as well. That Week 7 game featured an interception that went uncalled on the first possession of the game, an ejection of WR Traeshon Holden, a missed field goal, a blown PAT, a 2-point conversion stopped short, and a missed TD pass from Dillon Gabriel to Tez Johnson. On top of all of that, the Ducks got the win without arguably the best player on their roster, DE Jordan Burch.
Despite all of those things, Oregon won. Of course, any team will look back and think of things that they could have done better, and plays that could have been made. Ohio State certainly has a valid argument when claiming that they should have won that game. They almost did, and if not for a few late-game calls, they very well could have.
But the Ducks emerged victorious in the end, and they know that going into this Rose Bowl, they can beat the Buckeyes.
They already did.
“Nothing changes,” Boettcher said. “We’re going to go out and do what we do.”
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