Aggressive Play-calling
Question: Almost every Duck fan left the Fresno State game with a yearning for more aggressive play-calling when it came to the passing game, taking shots down the field. Do you think we will see more of that this week?
Neel: Seemingly one of the biggest disparities between the fans and the coaching staff this past week came down to playcalling. Talk to the Duck faithful after Saturday and they had gripes about constant runs up the middle and limited looks downfield. You ask the coaches about it, and they say that a number of aggressive plays were called, but not always executed the right way.
Regardless of who you believe, it’s clear that Oregon is going to need to be extremely aggressive this weekend if they have any hopes of keeping up with the Buckeyes. Ohio State sports one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, and they can put up 42-plus points in the blink of an eye. A nice mix of establishing the run and then taking the top off of the defense may end up being the proper game plan for the Ducks.
Smalley: I would like to think Joe Moorhead held a lot of the playbook back against Fresno so Ohio State will have a tough time preparing for the Duck offense. The Oregon offense is playing with house money here. Might as well throw the kitchen sink at them and see what happens.
Patton: It would be pretty disappointing if the play-calling we saw against Fresno State is replicated on Saturday against the Buckeyes. I believe we will see a lot more creativity from coach Moorhead – which will make it harder for Ohio State to accurately gameplan. Considering their struggles controlling the run game, their injuries in the secondary, and Oregon’s group of playmakers, a well-coached game on the offensive side of the ball could really turn some heads.