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Oregon football can't overlook a pesky Michigan State team in Week 6

By Connor Muldowney

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field ahead of the game as the Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field ahead of the game as the Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Sitting at 4-0 on the season after a second straight blowout win on the road, Oregon football is finally flying high after what can only be considered a disappointing first two weeks of the year.

The Ducks beat Idaho and Boise State by a combined 13 points in Eugene, but a switch was flipped before the Oregon State game and they went into Corvallis and left with a 49-14 rivalry win. Then they went into Pasadena and stomped on UCLA for four quarters, winning 34-13.

Winning by a combined score of 84-27 over the past two weeks on the road has everyone buying back in and Oregon is back up to No. 6 in the AP Top 25 after going from No. 3 to No. 9 in two weeks.

Things could get even better this week as a 3-2 Michigan State team comes to town after losing two straight games. The Spartans lost a heartbreaker at Boston College, 23-19, and then hosted Ohio State only to lose 38-7 despite being down just 10-7 in the second quarter. The Buckeyes ran away with the game and held the Spartans to just seven points.

But that final score was not quite indicative of how competitive the game actually was. Michigan State turned the ball over three times in Ohio State territory in the first half and dropped an easy interception in the end zone which could have led to at least 14-17 more points in the first half. If those results are flipped, we could be talking about a completely different outcome.

And for that reason, Oregon simply cannot overlook this pesky Michigan State team with Ohio State looming the following week. It'd be so easy to look ahead, but that's what the Spartans want.

Jonathan Smith is very familiar with Oregon and has beaten the Ducks in upset fashion before and has this Michigan State team playing better than expected in his first season in East Lansing. This is a recipe for a shocking outcome if Dan Lanning and the Ducks aren't careful.

Michigan State has an improved defense and a young quarterback with a rocket for an arm. Oregon needs to be ready on Saturday and focus on the Spartans and not the Buckeyes.

One week at a time.

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