The Oregon Ducks moved up multiple spots after taking down the USC Trojans this week.
The Oregon Ducks got one of the biggest wins of the college football season over the weekend against the USC Trojans on the road.
Despite losing starting quarterback Dante Moore for the second half of the game, Oregon was able to rally around backup Dylan Raiola. Moore left the game with what ended up being a concussion following a scary hit that he took.
But Raiola was able to hold down the fort for the Ducks, helping the team grab the massive win over the higher-seeded Trojans. Raiola threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, showing full command of the offense against USC.
For the Ducks, this was huge since the team already saw a loss this season, leaving them with a very small margin for error the rest of the way. But getting a win over USC now puts a solid victory on Oregon's resume as the year moves forward.
After the win, ESPN's college football analysts ranked all the top teams, with Oregon moving up a few spots. Oregon came in ranked at No. 18, and now they sit at No. 14 following the win over the Trojans.
Moving forward, it remains to be seen when Moore will be able to get back on the field. But the team is optimistic that he avoided a more serious injury, even with the ongoing concussion.
Concussions are scary on their own, and Moore will need to pass a series of tests before being cleared. These can be tricky, and the Ducks will just hope for the best with him moving forward.
Oregon will allow Moore plenty of time to rest, with the hope if him being able to return when they take on the UCLA Bruins on October 10. The Ducks thankfully have a bye this week, giving Moore some extra time to rest and heal.
But if he can't go, Raiola showed that he could take this team where they need to go, even if it was one game. Raiola is a veteran quarterback, who has seen success in college while at Nebraska before coming to the Ducks.
Oregon's roster is one of the deeper in football, and having a talent like Raiola to come in shows that as a fact. But Raiola will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders if he has to replace Moore, especially with the Ducks trying to go after a title this season.
The Ducks don't have room to drop another game this season, so the pressure is on for this entire team, whether Moore or Raiola are under center. But the win over the Trojans did show that Oregon is still a team to be dealt with, and this group will try to keep it going when they take the field next.
