Last week, we got a chance to see just how good two of the Pac-12’s one-loss teams really were. One of them was thoroughly impressive. The other ... wasn’t.
How to watch Oregon vs. Utah: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
The Utes are the last big test for the Ducks before the Pac-12 Championship Game.
The latter was Utah. The Utes’ offense could never get going against a somewhat-inconsistent Arizona State defense, falling, 19-16, in Tempe. That score is all sorts of confusing. On one hand, it “exposed” Utah’s offense, but on the other hand, the Utes almost won against a very good opponent. As SB Nation’s Bill Connelly wrote, “that Utah almost won a huge conference road game while averaging 3.3 yards per play is a strange, impressive backhanded achievement of sorts.” So Utah isn’t bad, but any hopes the Utes had of winning the Pac-12 title look to be in serious jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Oregon reminded everyone why it should be taken seriously in the Playoff picture. The Ducks demoralized a Stanford team that has typically given them fits, winning, 45-16, at home. They moved into second place nationally in the F/+ rankings. Can Utah ruin Oregon’s chances of playing for the national title? They’re probably the last team with a chance to do so until the Pac-12 Championship Game.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN (Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe)
Radio: Oregon Sports Network, Utah Radio
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Our blogs on these schools
The numbers
Rankings and records: Oregon is 8-1 (5-1 Pac-12), and ranked No. 4 in the Playoff rankings and No. 5 in the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll.
Vegas: Oregon opened as a 9.5-point favorite and is now an 8-point favorite. The over/under is set at 60.
Weather forecast: Sunny, high of 61 and low of 41.
Two things at stake
The College Football Playoff is at stake for Oregon. The Ducks have to win out to make it.
If Utah has any hope of winning the Pac-12 South, it will need to win this game. Three conference losses won’t win that division.
One big matchup
Oregon offense vs. Utah defense: It’s pretty clear that Utah’s offense isn’t going to be able to keep up with Oregon’s in a shootout, so the Utes will need to keep this game low-scoring, much like Arizona did in its win over the Ducks. Utah has a solid defense, and while Oregon’s offense is among the best in the country, the Utes have the potential to slow down the Ducks and steal a win at home. However, it’s going to take their best performance of the season — one even better than the defense’s impressive game at Tempe last weekend. Considering how well the Ducks were rolling against Stanford, that’s going to be a tough task.
Further reading
Read Addicted to Quack for more on Oregon and Block U for more on Utah.
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