Autzen at full throttle is an awesome thing to experience, and the College Football Playoff Committee's scheduling choices added extra juice for the Oregon Ducks.
They host the James Madison Ducks at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday December 20, televised on TNT, truTV and HBO Max, and the placement is just perfect for Oregon.
A night game guarantees a packed house and a fully energized, fully lubricated crowd, a party atmosphere. It will be loud, festive and enthusiastic. Given that the game is the largest spread of any of the first-round contests at Oregon -21.5, the Ducks are a little lucky to get the primetime TV slot rather than some weird early morning kickoff like Miami at Texas A&M at 9 a.m. PT, 11 a.m. in College Station.
Dan Lanning expects an amped-up crowd and intimidating atmosphere
Dan Lanning is counting on it. "I don't think I have to create a pitch. Our fans are going to show out for this game," he said.
"There's zero doubt in my mind that they'll be there. If it's not a student, it'll be another Oregon fan that's in there, but they don't want to miss the opportunity. To see the one playoff game in Autzen Stadium, that hasn't happened before. So I think we'll have a lot of fans there ready to support it and ready to see that myself."
Autzen at night for the biggest game in school history will be a show. The game itself figures to be a bit like the Ducks versus Liberty in the 2024 Fiesta Bowl, a game they won 45-6 behind 401 yards passing and five touchdowns by Bo Nix.
The noise will be a challenge for the Sun Belt Champions. It will be interesting to count the presnap penalties that might induce.
The Dukes counter with a potent offense that features shifty running back Wayne Knight, 5-7, 190, who averages 6.6 yards per carry, 1,295 yards this season. Dual-threat quarterback Alonza Barnett III stresses defenses with RPO magic, putting linebackers and ends in a Zone-Read bind.
Barnett III has passed for 2,533 yards and run for 544, accounting for 35 total touchdowns. His versatility makes James Madison very tough on third down and in the Red Zone. For the Ducks, the Caucasian Collision Unit, Bryce Boettcher, Dillon Thieneman, and the Oregon defense need to win the line of scrimmage, particularly on early downs.
On defense, JMU is led by senior linebacker Trent Hendrick, 6-0, 234, a tackling machine with 96 stops this year, three sacks and six tackles for loss.
The Ducks get another scheduling break in their potential quarterfinal game. Although Texas Tech is a formidable opponent with a physical, swarming defense, that game is slated for 9 a.m. PT January 1st at the Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. It could have gone to the Cotton, a loud sea of Red and a hostile environment. Instead, it's a truly neutral field.