Oregon's Dylan Raiola and Jay Johnson Partnership is a Match Made in Heaven

The Oregon Ducks hit their low point this season in Champaign, Illinois, when they went down mercilessly to the Fighting Illini.

Their season looked over as they stared down the No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats and the daunting, then ranked No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes. They were down, but they were absolutely not out.

Head coach Dan Lanning made a change that will define this season, define Dylan Raiola's reputation, and potentially define what could be a miracle run to the College Football Playoff. He relieved offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer of his duties and promoted veteran Jay Johnson to the play-calling position.

Johnson was a low-profile promotion, and frankly, no one really expected much. It didn't start off that great, as they were stuck in the mud against Northwestern in the first half, and then they took off. 

It was a 21-point outburst in the second half against the Wildcats that propelled them to a win; it was a 38-point straight onslaught against the Ohio State Buckeyes, and then it was a near-perfect start against the Michigan Wolverines in a must-win football game.

The Ducks are rolling right now, and most importantly, quarterback Dylan Raiola looks like a completely different player than he has ever been.

Raiola's career has been a fascinating story of someone who chased stardom, got stardom, and then got humbled. He went to Oregon just to get back on his feet, but then was thrust into one of the biggest responsibilities in the country. 

He was handed the keys to the most expensive roster in America and was charged with saving the season. 

Good luck with that. 

He started strong against USC, and then that same sporadic kid from Nebraska showed up. He was benched against UCLA, saved the season with one drive against Nebraska, but the questions were still there.

Under Johnson, Raiola has been incredible and just is playing with a calm sense of confidence to him. The ball is never in danger, and every time he drops back, there is real confidence that the right play is going to be made.

Just against Michigan in the first half against Michigan, he is 14-for-21 for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns. The play of the half was right before halftime, as he led a 4-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a beautiful 60-yard touchdown pass that Raiola created himself.

This version of Raiola allows the Ducks to beat anyone in the country. They need to win 2.5 more football games, and they will have a good argument to get into the College Football Playoff.