After picking up the biggest win of the season thus far, the Oregon Ducks get to spend the weekend on the bye. The time off couldn't come at a better time, as the Ducks have dealt with injuries to Dante Moore, Jamari Johnson, and several other key pieces. The time off also allows the Ducks an extra week to prepare for their next Top 25 test, which comes against the UCLA Bruins.
Oregon will be very familiar with this UCLA team, and their playing style as they're now coached by former James Madison coach Bob Chesney who the Ducks faced in the College Football Playoff. This time around, Chesney has a team that can test Oregon talent wise, and Dan Lanning's team can't afford to overlook this game.
Early Oregon vs. UCLA spread is far too big for the Ducks to acknowledge
Ahead of next week's matchup against the UCLA Bruins, the Oregon Ducks open as massive favorites with the spread set at 12.5 points (-115), while they're -530 favorites to win the game according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The points total is set at 58.5 points as a shootout is expected.
Odds and lines change periodically and are subject to change.
Oregon opens as a massive favorite over UCLA, but the Ducks have seen this story before as the lines were high for both the Boise State and Oklahoma State games, and the games were far closer than expected.
The Ducks opening as massive favorites is also surprising, given that the status of Dante Moore is still unknown. Concussions are impossible to predict, as every case is different, and while some players can return within a week, everyone reacts differently. The good news is that Moore didn't suffer any additional injuries according to the testing, but it's also unfair to predict when he may return.
This UCLA team isn't a pushover under Bob Chesney, and the Bruins are built to give any team a fight. Nico Iamaleava brings a ton of experience at the quarterback position, while James Madison transfer Wayne Knight has quietly been one of the best running backs in the country with 9 touchdowns in 4 games. The Bruins defense ranks 38th in the country, allowing just 18.8 points per game, led by Oklahoma transfer Sammy Omosigho, who's racked up 3 sacks and 4 forced fumbles.
If this Oregon team is going to reach its goals this season, the Ducks can’t afford to take any opponent lightly. Oklahoma State already picked off the Ducks in non-conference play, and starting the season 3-2 would mean the rest of the season the team would have to walk a tight rope as it’s almost impossible to make the College Football Playoff with 3 regular season losses.
The Oklahoma State game should serve as a lesson for this team, and the coaching staff will have the team prepared. Dan Lanning is almost certainly going to show this team all the positive press UCLA has gotten through 4 weeks and have the team ready to crush the buzz like we've seen in the past.
Oregon hosts UCLA in Autzen Stadium on Saturday, October 10th. The game is set to kick off at 12:30 PM PT and will be broadcast on CBS. Oregon will be unveiling special uniforms for the game on Tuesday, September 29th.
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