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- Whenever a team slows down Oregon, you know you're going to start hearing about the "blueprint." To Mike Riley's credit, he dismissed that idea. There are a number of things that jumped out to Riley on the tape. Stanford made plays in the open field and didn't allow the Ducks to get up the field, but executing that is easier said than done. It all starts with controlling the line of scrimmage. If the Beavers can do that, they have a good shot at slowing the Ducks.
- For the Oregon offense, Hronnis Grassu will look to make sure the Oregon offensive line doesn't have a repeat performance. Adam Jude profiles Grassu, who has taken a lot more responsibility this year. Make sure to stick around to the end of the article, where Carson York talks about the energy of the offensive line.
- Oregon's defense played well against Stanford, but they have a different task in front of them with the Beavers. Oregon State reminds Nick Aliotti of USC. Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks are both top notch receivers that present matchup problems for the Ducks. Luckily, OSU's running game does not instill much fear, ranking 102nd nationally in yards per game with 102. If Oregon can turn OSU's offense one-dimensional, I like our chances.
- Ted Miller and Kevin Gemmell have their predictions for the week. Both predict Oregon wins, with Oregon's offense back to it's normal self, but OSU's offense keeps it relatively close.
- USC's backup QB Max Wittek is apparently excited for the matchup with Notre Dame. He says the Trojans are going to win.
- Congrats to Oregon TE/DL Koa Ka'ai who was named to the first all-academic conference team.
- Stewart Mandell has some good comments about the playoff vs. BCS debate. Under the playoff that will be instituted in a couple years, Oregon's loss to Stanford likely wouldn't make much of a difference, which could arguably hurt the importance of the regular season. But Mandell argues that late in the season there are very few must-see games. With a playoff, that number will increase overall. He also warms to the idea of a selection committee.
That's all I got. Drop anything else in the comments. For all you travelling over the next couple days, stay safe, and GO DUCKS!