Head-to-head history
There isn’t much history here since Oregon was in the Pac-12 for a long time. These two programs haven’t met since 2007 and the Ducks came out victorious. They’ve won two straight against Michigan but again, it’s been years since they’ve faced off.
Oregon is flourishing
The Ducks are looking like a legitimate national championship contender and have truly killed the competition this season. Oregon is 15th in the country in total yards and 24th in points with 35 per game. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has thrived after transferring to Eugene. He’s completed 76.2% of his throws for 2,371 yards and 18 touchdowns against five interceptions. Gabriel has himself in the Heisman conversation.
Oregon is second in the Big Ten and has been ranked No. 1 for a few weeks now. They completely wiped the floor with Illinois, allowing a mere nine points. Gabriel threw for two touchdowns, while the Ducks running back room dominated. Jordan James averaged 5.5 yards per carry while Noah Whittington averaged eight yards per run.
This program hasn’t been 9-0 since 2012, but that doesn’t exactly matter. The main goal is winning a title in January and Oregon certainly seems on track to be in the mix. The Ducks are also fantastic defensively, surrendering just 15.6 points per game. Oregon is a very well-rounded football team that should have no issues winning here. That being said, they also won’t take Michigan for granted because, after all, this is the defending national champion. The Ducks are a two-touchdown favorite at Sports Interaction.
A different Michigan
A lot of change happened in Ann Arbor in the offseason. Jim Harbaugh took a job with the Los Angeles Chargers, Michigan lost their QB JJ McCarthy to the NFL, and several other players took their talents to the league. As you can see by their 5-3 record, it hasn’t been the smoothest transition. The Wolverines are seventh in the Big Ten and nowhere near the team they were a year ago.
They’ve lost to Texas, Washington, and the same Illinois team that just got destroyed by Oregon. Michigan isn’t thriving in any particular area, scoring just 21.5 points per contest and allowing 21.5 as well. Their quarterback play has been rather poor under mostly Davis Warren as of late. He’s completed just 67% of his passes for 567 yards and three touchdowns against a disappointing six interceptions.
On a more positive note, Warren was a bit better in the win over Michigan State, completing 13 of 17 passes for 123 yards and a TD. Hopefully, he can build off that performance and put his best foot forward against Oregon, who have a devastating pass rush. The Wolverines are an underdog at all online betting sites.
