Tag: Pac-12 championship game

Mario Cristobal’s potential last game with Oregon Ducks leaves a poor and familiar taste

We don’t know if this was Cristobal’s last game with the Ducks. Either way, it’s going to be hard to forget this poor taste in our mouths.

If this was indeed the final game that Oregon Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal will experience with an ‘O’ on his chest, it certainly was one to forget.

The final score was ugly. A 38-10 win for Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game conjured up dark memories of just two weeks ago. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit called it an embarrassment several times on the telecast, and the Ducks were once again left watching from the sideline as Utah celebrated on the field.

[lawrence-related id=13941]

With growing rumors that Cristobal could be days away from potentially accepting a head coaching position with the Miami Hurricanes, we are now left wondering about the future of this Oregon team.

If this was the last chapter of the Mario Cristobal era, it sure left a pretty awful taste in everyone’s mouth.

The Ducks got outcoached on Friday. They got out-played. They got out-hustled and were overmatched in every facet of the game. A lot of that is on Cristobal for not having his players ready, but it also falls on OC Joe Moorhead, and DC Tim DeRuyter, and every coach and player on the roster.

[lawrence-related id=13944]

The season still isn’t over for the Ducks, who will now likely play in the Alamo Bowl on December 29th in San Antonio, Texas. But as far as meaningful football goes, this is pretty much a wrap on 2021. There will be no Rose Bowl or College Football Playoff. There may not be a Cristobal going forward either.

Make what you will about the Miami rumors. Where there is smoke, there is fire, and a billow came up from South Beach on Friday afternoon. Regardless of whether or not Cristobal stays or goes, though, this taste is going to be hard to get rid of for Duck fans.

Yet again, the Ducks were mismatched on a huge stage and embarrassed on national television. Cristobal once again had blunders as a coach, with poor time management, play calling, and situational football.

Any Oregon fan who watched this game and is okay with Cristobal potentially darting for Miami, I am here to tell you that’s not the right opinion. He is still an elite recruiter and someone who Oregon would hate to lose.

He’s not perfect, though, and that showed once again on Friday night in the conference championship game.

[vertical-gallery id=13790]

5 Chargers prospects to watch in Pac-12 Championship Game

Taking a look at five NFL draft prospects who could be on the Chargers’ radar in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

When the Utah Utes and Oregon Ducks meet up in Friday night’s Pac-12 Championship Game, several prospects will be showcasing their talents on a supersized stage, with a handful of NFL evaluators watching closely.

Let’s take a look at five who could be on the Chargers’ radar.

CB Mykael Wright, Oregon: The Chargers will be looking to fill the void left by Chris Harris Jr., a free agent, at the end of the season. While not physically imposing at 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds, Wright possesses elite athleticism, plus speed, good awareness in zone coverage, physicality in man, and solid ball skills. Furthermore, he is an elite kick returner.

TE Brant Kuithe, Utah: Jared Cook has been underwhelming this season, and he is slated to hit the market anyways. Kuithe has the hands and overall receiving ability to be a threat in the passing game. The last time he faced the Ducks, Kuithe went off for five catches for 118 yards.

DB Verone McKinley III, Oregon: Having the versatility to play multiple positions in the secondary is essential in Brandon Staley’s system, which is what McKinley possesses. While underweight, McKinley is a competitor who has the instincts and physicality to play in the box and the speed and range to play deep.

EDGE Mike Tafua, Utah: With Uchenna Nwosu and Kyler Fackrell both free agents, the Bolts should be looking to add reinforcements at the position. Tafua is a talented pass rusher who can also hold his own in the run game and drop into coverage. This season, he leads all defensive linemen in tackles for loss (13) and sacks (9.5), which also is No. 1 in the Pac-12.

OL Nick Ford, Utah: While the Chargers need to prioritize the right side of the offensive line, the team just simply needs more depth all across. In 42 games, Ford has logged snaps at all five positions. Ford has a quality combination of size and length, athleticism, movement skills, and physicality, which shows up in pass protection and as a run blocker.

Oregon needs to let it ride in Vegas with Pac-12 on the line

Oregon faces Utah for the second time in three weeks, but the Pac-12 title is on the line in Sin City.

The word embarrassed doesn’t get float around the Oregon Ducks practice facility very often, but that’s exactly how the Ducks feel when discussing the first game with Utah.

Now the two teams meet again just two weeks later and this time it’s in Las Vegas with the Pac-12 championship (5 p.m. PT, ABC) on the line. In order for the Ducks to come out on top, a lot has to change if Oregon doesn’t want to see 38-7 on the scoreboard again.

Nothing went right in Salt Lake City. The defense couldn’t win first and second down, so the Utes continually faced short-yardage situations on third down. That resulted into an 11-of-14 conversion rate. Utah also had the ball for over 35 minutes. If you factor in the altitude, Oregon’s defensive unit was dead tired in the middle of the third quarter.

On the other side of the ball, the offense just couldn’t sustain any meaningful drives, if not to score, but to give the defense some rest on the sideline. None of that happened and everything snowballed.

One thing the Ducks do have in their favor is that they’re veterans in being in this Pac-12 title game. This will be the third straight season of Oregon representing the Pac-12 North with a chance to win the conference title. The Ducks are also undefeated in four previous appearances.

According to head coach Mario Cristobal, this is all part of the plan before the season began.

“It validates the message in what we say. We don’t ever go out and proclaim an opportunity earned without earning it,” he said. “I think it’s important to get to this part of the season when you’re playing meaningful football, championship football that it validates hard work and it requires guys to be motivated and hungrier to keep on accomplishing some of our goals we set out at the start of the entire off-season.”

This game will also be on neutral ground and not a road game in front of 50,000 rabid Utes fans. The atmosphere will be quite different in Vegas. But for the Ducks to keep on playing meaningful football and go to another Rose Bowl, they’ll have to play a game similar to how they played against Oregon State.

Like the Utes, the Beavers presented a physical offensive line and an excellent run defense. In the rivalry game, Oregon proved to everyone, and probably more importantly, to themselves, that it can run against a physical team.

Oregon pounded out 231 yards on the ground against OSU, which is a stark contrast from the 63 yards the Ducks could only muster up in Salt Lake City.

This game could also be offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead’s last game as he is expected to be the next head coach at Akron. Since this will be his swansong at Oregon, Moorhead might throw the kitchen at the Utes.

It’s Vegas baby! The Ducks might as well let it ride.

[vertical-gallery id=13790]

ESPN FPI heavily favors Utah to beat Oregon in Pac-12 Championship Game

ESPN’s FPI predictor doesn’t see much of a change in this rematch between Oregon and Utah.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

One thing that we’ve routinely looked at throughout the college football season is the ESPN Football Power Index and use see how it predicts the Oregon Ducks will finish each and every week.

Throughout the year, the FPI prediction model was pretty reliable, giving the Ducks an unfavorable chance to win out, make the College Football Playoff, or win the national championship. As we noted a couple of weeks ago, they also predicted correctly that the Utah Utes would beat Oregon in  Salt Lake City.

So what does the FPI predict this time around, now that the game is in Las Vegas at a neutral site? Well, unfortunately for Duck fans, not much is different this time around.

According to ESPN’s FPI predictor, Oregon has just a 39% chance of winning this game, with the Utes holding onto a 61% chance of winning the Pac-12 Championship and moving on to the Rose Bowl.

Utah is favored by 2.5 points according to most sportsbooks heading into the matchup, and the Ducks will surely be viewed of as an underdog, following their 38-7 loss last time these two teams met.

[listicle id=13631]

LOOK: Oregon Ducks unveil return of ‘eggshell’ jerseys for Pac-12 Championship Game

The eggshell jerseys are returning for the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday.

On Tuesday afternoon, we got a sneak preview at what the Oregon Ducks might be wearing in their Pac-12 Championship Game against the Utah Utes on Friday night. The Ducks showed off their new Nike ‘Galaxy Vaporposite’ cleats that had sneakerheads going crazy.

Now we get the rest of the picture.

Oregon announced on Wednesday afternoon that they will be bringing back the eggshell uniforms, this time with a dark set of pants to go with it. The combination will have a dark green helmet that matches the pants.

With the bright lights of Las Vegas shining down, the Ducks will be sparkling once again.

[listicle id=13631]

Injury Update: Noah Sewell, Mykael Wright, DJ Johnson all expected to play in Pac-12 Championship Game

The Ducks got some great injury news on Monday, with Noah Sewell, Mykael Wright, and DJ Johnson all expected to play vs. Utah.

The Oregon Ducks got some great injury news on Monday, with head coach Mario Cristobal announcing that LB Noah Sewell, CB Mykael Wright, and TE/DE DJ Johnson are all healthy and expected to play on Friday in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah.

Both Sewell and Wright went down with apparent arm injuries in the third quarter of Saturday’s game against Oregon State, and neither were able to return to the field. Johnson did not suit up for the game, and has not played in three week.

Cristobal also announced that LB Keith Brown’s availability for Friday is up in the air, while DL Keyon Ware-Hudson will be out for the game.

On top of that immediate injury news, Cristobal said that S Bennett Williams will be unable to play on Friday, but should be ready to go later in the month in Oregon’s bowl game. Williams has not played since Week 5 against Stanford after breaking his fibula in practice.

[listicle id=13573]

‘We’ve had them boys in the back of our heads;’ Ducks ready for chance at redemption vs. Utah

Until they beat Oregon State, there was no point in talking about Utah. However, the Ducks are now ready for redemption in Las Vegas.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Just over a week ago, the Oregon Ducks were the butt of the joke in the college football world. Many pundits were calling them overrated, and much of the social media universe didn’t seem to be shocked that they were upset by Utah in a grandiose fashion.

Seven days later, finally given the opportunity to put that performance behind them and show that they’re better than the team that lost by 31 points to a lower-ranked team, the Ducks did everything they could, beating Oregon State in commanding fashion.

[lawrence-related id=13545]

More than that, Oregon earned the right to try and avenge their loss to Utah, advancing to the Pac-12 Championship Game and securing a rematch with the Utes in Las Vegas.

“We are definitely looking forward to that,” freshman receiver Kris Hutson said on Saturday. “We’ve definitely had them boys in the back of our heads. Our mindset is even better. The first time, you’ve got to put that behind us. We’re moving forward, we beat Oregon State, and now we get to see them boys again.”

You wouldn’t catch any Duck players or coaches talking about Utah this past week. Nor should they have been. Oregon faced a win-or-go-home game against the Beavers, and there would be no chance for redemption if they didn’t take care of business in the rivalry game that is currently without a name.

[lawrence-related id=13516]

So now that their trip to Las Vegas is secured, it’s no longer taboo to look forward. In fact, it’s expected. The Ducks can celebrate this division title for a moment, but with a short week ahead, preparation for Utah starts bright and early on Sunday.

That’s when the work starts, and the chance to right some wrongs is finally here.

“We earned this opportunity to get back in this game with them,” said QB Anthony Brown. “I feel like we will do everything that we can to flip that narrative of what happened the week previous.”

[listicle id=13515]

 

Oregon-Utah odds, picks and best bets: Utes favored in Pac-12 title game

Previewing Friday’s Pac-12 Championship Game between the Oregon Ducks and Utah Utes, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Oregon Ducks (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12 North) and Utah Utes (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12 South) will battle Friday to determine who will be the conference champion. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

We analyze the Oregon-Utah odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Oregon vs. Utah: Three things you need to know

1. The only conference loss by either team is an opponent the other defeated handily. Utah lost to USC 30-23, while Oregon beat the Trojans 56-24 several weeks later. The Ducks lost 31-28 to Arizona State Nov. 23, while the Utes beat the Sun Devils 21-3 in mid-October.

2. Utah and Oregon have the two best defenses in the Pac-12. Utah allows only 11.3 points per game; Oregon yields 15.3 points per game.

3. Utah leads the conference with 214.6 rushing yards per game, while Oregon is second with 178.6 rushing yards per game. The Utes also lead the league in rushing yards allowed, holding opponents to 56.3 YPG. That’s nearly half of what the Ducks surrender (106.1 YPG), which ranks second in the Pac-12.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Oregon vs. Utah: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 1:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Utah 24, Oregon 20

Moneyline (ML)

This is a rare case in which betting the underdog makes sense even when it’s no guarantee it will win. The Utes are a heavy favorite at -250, while the DUCKS’ +200 will double your investment if they win outright. This game will be close enough that taking Oregon on the moneyline is worth the risk.

New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered on Oregon would profit $2 if the Ducks prevail. A $10 winning wager on the Ducks returns a $20 profit.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Utah is heavily favored at -6.5 (-110). Both teams are led by senior quarterbacks with the Ducks ranking second in the Pac-12 in points per game (35.8), just ahead of the Utes (35.6 PPG).

Utah is 9-3 against the spread, while Oregon is 6-6.

That would suggest Utah is the better bet, but this will be tightly contested and come down to the wire. Take the underdog DUCKS +6.5 (-110).

Over/Under (O/U)

The total is set at 46.5 points. With two great defenses that stop the run and cause turnovers, don’t expect a lot of points. Utah is 3-8-1 O/U on the season, while Oregon is 5-7.

What does that mean? This is easy. Take the UNDER (-121).

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1623]