With Dan Lanning’s championship aspirations facing a catastrophic crossroads, the analyst weighs in on whether Lincoln Riley’s Trojans can exploit the Ducks’ early-season struggles in Los Angeles.
The No. 20 Oregon Ducks are looking for their first win over a Power 4 opponent when they travel to Los Angeles to take on No. 12 USC on Saturday night.
That's right, the Ducks will have to wait until their final game of September in Week 4 to defeat a Power 4 team, as Oregon was defeated 39-31 in its last road contest against Oklahoma State.
After losing to an Oklahoma State team that won one game last year, the Ducks have little margin for error to lose to USC on Saturday night. The Trojans will be motivated for the contest, as head coach Lincoln Riley is facing pressure to lead the program to the College Football Playoff for the first time.
During "Josh Pate's College Football Show" this week, the host gave his prediction for the winner between USC and Oregon. He thinks the Trojans will prevail.
"It brings me absolutely no joy, but at this point, if Dan Lanning needs the kind of motivation we've been giving (Texas Tech head coach) Joy McGuire, so be it," Pate said. "USC is going to win this game outright. Good for Lincoln Riley. I can't believe it. What just happened?
"I can't believe it. It's like Will Ferrell in Old School. I was just kind of entranced during the whole preview, and now I came out of it. What happened? I blacked out. I picked USC to beat Oregon? That's pretty stupid. We'll see how that works out for me.”
A loss for Oregon would be catastrophic for Lanning, who was already facing criticism for being blown out two years in a row during the CFP. With quarterback Dante Moore and several starters on defense returning, the Ducks were supposed to be a championship or bust team.
Oregon would live dangerously if they had two losses before playing No. 7 Ohio State, No. 18 Michigan, and Washington (currently 3-0). Any loss to one of those teams would shut the door on what had been a promising preseason hypothetical.
Oregon needs Dante Moore to start fast
The quarterback battle between Moore and USC's Jayden Maiava will be a key storyline for Saturday night's contest. Moore won the duel last season, when Maiava threw two interceptions in USC's 42-27 loss.
Moore and Oregon got off to slow starts against Boise State and Oklahoma State, which absolutely cannot happen with the Ducks taking on the Trojans. USC could quickly blow the doors off if Moore isn't leading Oregon down the field for a touchdown during their first couple of possessions.
Interestingly enough, Pate said he'd choose Maiava over Moore for this contest, which probably played a role in his decision to pick USC on Saturday night. Maiava has only thrown one pick this season, but he'll face a tougher defense in Oregon.
Oregon's defense will have to play better than they did against Boise State and Oklahoma State, but Moore's arm will be the key in deciding if the Ducks move to 3-1 this weekend.
