If this game were at Utah, then perhaps the talk would be about a potential upset -- the Utes knocked off Stanford at Rice-Eccles, and were a heartbeat away from doing in UCLA, Oregon State and Arizona State, as well. Alas, the game is on the road, where Utah has been largely terrible.
How to watch Utah vs. Oregon 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
Can the Ducks rebound? All signs point to yes.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
For the Utes to have any shot, they also have to pick up their offensive production, which has largely stagnated with outputs of 24, 3 and 19 points the last few weeks. That won’t cut it against Oregon, which regularly hits 50.
The numbers
Rankings and records: For the second consecutive season, the Ducks found their BCS hopes dashed by Stanford, and for the second consecutive season, they fell from the No. 2 spot in the rankings. This week, they find themselves No. 6, behind Ohio State, Baylor and yes, Stanford. Oregon is 18-8 all-time against Utah. The teams last met in 2009.
Vegas: Oregon is favored by 26.5 points. The over/under is 64 points.
Weather: 40% chance of rain on Saturday, with wind reportedly tracking up to 7 miles per hour. Don’t worry though. They say it never rains at Autzen.
Three names to know
Marcus Mariota (Oregon quarterback) - Can Mariota bounce back from what was a lackluster and likely Heisman-killing effort against Stanford? Keep an eye on his ability to run -- he has a reported knee issue that is limiting his mobility and likely compromised his effectiveness against Stanford.
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (Oregon cornerback) - One of the Pac-12's finest defenders, Ekpre-Olomu has been pegged by many as a future first-round pick. Terrance Mitchell has more interceptions, but it's Ekpre-Olomu who is regarded as being the better prospect.
Trevor Reilly (Utah defensive end/linebacker) - The do-it-all senior from Valley Center, Calif. has 14 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks this year. If that wasn't enough, also note that he has three fumble recoveries and leads the team in total tackles. Needless to say, with a few more in each category, he could put the Utes in a good place.
Two things at stake
Oregon needs Stanford to lose once more in order to regain the Pac-12 North, but its BCS National Championship hopes are essentially dead without some outside help. In order to get back to a top two ranking, the Ducks need four total losses from the five teams ahead of them. Still, they can keep themselves in position to get a BCS at-large bid by winning.
The Utes need to win two out of their last three games in order to make a bowl, and although both Colorado and Washington State are winnable, they could help themselves greatly with an upset.
How to witness
TV: 4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
Radio: Utah radio broadcast: KALL 700 AM | Oregon football radio broadcast: KUGN 590 AM | Oregon football radio affiliates
Stream: Xfinity subscribers can watch online here.
Further reading
Addicted To Quack is your Oregon home on SB Nation. This week, they’ve got video talking about the Stanford loss, and a recap of that game.
Block U has more on the implications of this Oregon game, and the hopes of pulling off a big upset.
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