Ducks back in black, reaching for No. 1 with a bullet

Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Johnson (3) yells in excitement Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions, 45-37.
Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Johnson (3) yells in excitement Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions, 45-37. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon revealed their uniform combination for Indiana Saturday afternoon, a green helmet, black jersey with green pants but fans are requested to wear yellow.

It's the first time the Ducks have paired the green helmets with the raised silver wings, the first time in apple green for the helmets and pants. The shoes are black with a silver swoosh. Angus and Malcolm Young would be proud of the spirit of it, a tribute to the Fright Night win over USC in '07.

Opposing fans misunderstand Oregon's uniform combinations and live to make fun of them. They're a hit with players and recruits. They both honor history and tradition and thumb their noses at it.

Dillon Thieneman, hero of the double overtime win over Penn State, was the uniform model. The "Fly Era" color combination looks a bit like the Philadelphia Eagles, but the details are uniquely Oregon.

Playing another traditional Big Ten school, it seems appropriate.

The betting line remains steady at Oregon -7.5 after plunging early in the week, while the over/under inched up a point from 54.5 to 55.5. The No. 3 Ducks host No. 7 Indiana at Autzen Stadium 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday on CBS. Both teams are 5-0 with two of the top quarterbacks in college football in Dante Moore and Fernando Mendoza of the Hoosiers.

The quarterback battle gets hyped up in a game like this but Dan Lanning downplayed it this week. “Well, he’ll never be on the field the same time as Mendoza,” Lanning said. “Mendoza will never be on the field the same time as him, and so all he has to do is go out there and play his game, and the rest of the rest will take care of itself. He’s competing to be the best version of himself, he’s not competing against him.”

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