The Oregon Ducks finally had a real road trip when it came to their Big Ten season. Sure, Oregon had hosted Ohio State and Michigan State and sure, Oregon had visited UCLA on the road but did any of it really count until the Ducks visited Purdue in West Lafayette?
Purdue consistently upsets the top Big Ten team, that's just the truth. Consistently, teams on a hot streak, specifically ranked No. 2, repeatedly lose to the Boilermakers of all teams.
At the end of the day, Oregon took down the Boilermakers 35-0 however, if the Ducks are going to be a National Championship-bound team, the point differential wasn't quite enough.
Yes, it was Oregon's first shutout win of the season and pushed the Ducks to a flawless 7-0 record. However, the Boilermakers are one of the worst teams in the country and other teams have been able to put up a lot more points on the Purdue defense.
Purdue is now 1-6. The only win Purdue pulled off this season was against Indiana State, an FCS team. Leading into the game against Oregon, Purdue's defense had been ripped to shreds.
Purdue's six losses
- 66-7 versus Notre Dame
- 38-21 versus Oregon State
- 28-10 versus Nebraska
- 52-6 versus Wisconsin
- 50-49 versus Illinois
- 35-0 versus Oregon
Sure, the Ducks were the first team to shut out the Boilermakers but even little brother Oregon State was able to score more points on Purdue. The only FBS team that wasn't able to put up more than 35 points on Purdue was Nebraska, who still scored 28 points, only seven less than Oregon.
If Oregon wants to remain in contention for the No. 1 spot in the country, the Ducks' offense has to clean up its act. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has to limit his errors. Gabriel's interception against Purdue was a big misstep in the usually steady QB's game.
Yes, the game was a great win. It was Oregon's first road shutout since 1992. However, the Ducks should have been able to put up more points, it's just that simple.