Everybody's eyes will be on Texas versus Tennessee this weekend, with Arch Manning and the No. 1 Longhorns heading into one of the most hostile environments in college football, Neyland Stadium. But there's another Big Ten showdown happening later that day with massive implications for the College Football Playoff: No. 20 Oregon at No. 12 USC. Both coaches are under a lot of pressure this season and have built rosters capable of going all the way.
But while the Trojans sit at 4-0, the Ducks are just 2-1 after their shocking loss at Oklahoma State in Week 2. That's put them up against it, and college football analyst Josh Pate made it clear on Thursday's episode of "Get Up" that this is a must-win for Dan Lanning and the Ducks. "Yes, hyperbolic though it may be," Pate said of whether this is a playoff game for Oregon.
"If they have two losses already before October gets here, and I know who they got left, and they probably lose because the same flaws prop up, and they haven't really pulled the nose up on what was a glaring patch of deficiencies against Oklahoma State, yes I am very, very concerned for Dan Lanning and Oregon. And also, this has a huge chunk of the public concerned because a lot of us, and I group myself in, had Oregon deep in our bracket. Some people sprinkled some USC flavor, and I do think there's a ton of heat on Lincoln [Riley] to win this weekend too.
But most people had Oregon going deep, and no one wants to see a busted playoff bracket before we even start putting Halloween decorations out." More news: Steve Spurrier Drops Bold Prediction for Tennessee-Texas Showdown Lanning replaced Mario Cristobal as Oregon's head coach in 2022 and has built the Ducks into a perennial contender. They went 10-3 in his first season at the helm and 12-2 in Year 2, before back-to-back 13-win seasons. Everybody thought last year might be the year they finally went all the way, but the Ducks ultimately fell to eventual national champion Indiana in the CFP semifinals (Peach Bowl).
More news: Arkansas AD Leaves No Doubt on HC Ryan Silverfield After Blowout Loss More news: Deion Sanders Takes Drastic Action After Blowout Loss to Northwestern Oregon continues to recruit well under Lanning, bringing in top-five recruiting classes each of the last three years, but they haven't yet gotten over the hump. Saturday will be their first Big Ten matchup of the season, but a loss could be enough to keep them out of the postseason. Two losses is a devastating hole for any team to climb out of, and when one of those is to Oklahoma State, it becomes next to impossible, especially with Oregon still facing other ranked opponents on their schedule, including Ohio State and Michigan.
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