Somehow Joey Harrington got caught up in the worst-case scenario.
As a guest on the "Pardon My Take" podcast the Oregon Sports Hall of Famer went down a rabbit hole of doom regarding the Ducks first-round playoff game with James Madison, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PT at Autzen Stadium, televised on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.
"This is the worst possible matchup, in one sense, if you're an Oregon fan right now," Harrington said.
"Because we're coming off, who we played Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl a couple of years ago. They tried to bring it up like it was going to be a big matchup and it was over by the start of the second quarter."
"But there's always that thing in the back of your mind. You get lulled. This is just going to be another walk in the park. But there's always somebody."
JMU is the worst possible matchup for Oregon pic.twitter.com/aPkFTHlZYk
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) December 19, 2025
Third on the all-time list for quarterback wins at UO with 25, Harrington cited the example of the NCAA basketball tournament. "Everyone can remember the No. 1-seed that got knocked off by the 16."
It was an odd tangent for such a successful competitor, so reliable in the clutch Duck fans called him Captain Comeback. Yes, upsets happen. They're much rarer in playoff football than the memorable examples from March Madness-- in basketball in only takes one shooter with a hot hand from distance.
Harrington is right in the sense that it's a lose-lose situation for the Ducks. If they win it'll be immediately discounted because they were supposed to. Their playoff run won't be a success unless they can beat a much tougher Texas Tech team and make it to the semifinal.
In his time at Oregon Dan Lanning has never lost a game as a big favorite. His teams take care of the games they're supposed to win. He's proven himself to be a master of mental preparation, and Saturday's game shouldn't be an exception.
The Ducks earned a No. 5 seed with a strong November. That's the way these playoffs were structured. JMU was the fifth highest-ranked conference champion and that's how they got in. The Ducks earned a good draw in this tournament so there's nothing to fear or being anxious about.