Washington State vs Oregon Ducks: Three Things I’ll Be Watching

Sep 26, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Taylor Alie (12) throws the ball against the Utah Utes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

QB? QB? Three In The Mix For Oregon on Saturday

Last weekend it was a platoon of Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie, with Alie throwing his first touchdown pass to Jalen Brown. Oregon took care of business, mainly on the ground against Colorado and picked up a win, although it was not impressive enough to get them back into the polls.

Two losses may be too many to overcome to get back into the College Football Playoff talk, but the Pac-12 Championship is certainly still in discussion and anytime you have an extra game, it never hurts.

As it stands, Jeff Lockie is completing 66 percent of his passes, best on the team, but Alie is coming along and was on display against Colorado. He found his way out of some tough situations with his legs, and at times appeared Mariota-like, at trait that Lockie does not posses. However, if Adams had a healthy index finger he is the one that can throw the long ball the best. If there is any problem at Quarterback today, Oregon could find themselves in a shoot out or worse behind by so many points there is no coming back (See Utah 2015).

Regardless of who starts at Quarterback, all three signal callers have experience this season. Vernon Adams should take this week and again rest his finger in my opinion as both Lockie and Alie have the ability to throw the ball, but this game will likely again feature a heavy dose of the Ducks Ground game. When you have a weapon like Royce Freeman, you use him. From scrimmage in 2015 he is among the best in the country.

Next: Oregon May Need To Ground Out The Win