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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.
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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.
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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.”
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