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The more I look back the at the LSU game, the more I'm convinced that it's very tough to draw many conclusions from the game.
Yeah, Oregon didn't do very well. The offensive line was bad, the receivers were worse. Darron Thomas and LMJ were off. The defense played well, but allowed too many touchdowns. But due to mistakes, the Ducks were rarely able to play the game that they wanted to. I think it's very hard to judge the performance of many of the players when they were facing situations that they will (hopefully) not face again the rest of the season. Against a team like LSU, the chances of the team succeeding in these situations were very slim.
Against Nevada, the Ducks have the advantage at just about every single point on the field. Oregon's offensive line is better than Nevada's defensive line, and should give Oregon's wide receivers a chance to make plays in one-on-one coverage. Darron Thomas should have more time to throw, and LMJ should have bigger holes to run through.
Defensively, the Ducks have a ton of talent. While I think that Nevada will be a stiffer test than last week, the Ducks looked really good last week against one of the top offensive lines in the country. The secondary (even without Cliff Harris) should be able to handle the Nevada receivers, though they'll likely make some plays throughout the game.
This isn't to discount Nevada's chances. They are a solid football team that will take advantage of opportunities handed to them. If Oregon doesn't play well, Nevada will make a game of this. They have plenty of experience, and one of the best coaches in college football.
But there is a reason that the Ducks are almost four-touchdown favorite tomorrow. Oregon is all-around a far superior team. It was tough to really assess the Ducks after the LSU game. I expect a big win, and this game will give us a much more complete picture of where the Ducks are at.