Why Marcus Mariota's College GameDay Appearance Could Boost Ducks vs. USC

Former Oregon star quarterback Marcus Mariota will be the celebrity guest picker for ESPN's College GameDay show ahead of the No. 7 Oregon Ducks' high-stakes matchup against No. 15 USC Trojans. How can Mariota's appearance give the Ducks a boost vs. USC?

Marcus Mariota College Football Oregon Ducks Big Ten matchup celebrity guest picker quarterback Dan Lanning Heisman Trophy | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Oregon Ducks star quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota will be the celebrity guest picker on Saturday for ESPN's College GameDay. The show is set to be in Eugene for the second time this season for the No. 7 Oregon Ducks' high-stakes Big Ten matchup against the No. 15 USC Trojans.

College GameDay was also in Eugene for Oregon's week 7 game against the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers on Oct. 11, which the Ducks lost 30-20. Former Oregon women's basketball star and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu was the celebrity guest picker for the week 7 show in Eugene.

Why the Appearance Of Marcus Mariota Can Give Oregon a Boost vs. USC

Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) and linebacker Tony Washington (91) celebrate with the Leishman Trophy after defeating the Florida State Seminoles in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Ducks are hoping the appearance of their former star quarterback can lead to a signature win over the Trojans on Saturday. A win over USC in their final home game of the regular season will strengthen Oregon's hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive year.

Having a former star quarterback back in Eugene for a crucial game against a bitter rival will provide a much-needed boost for Oregon when it takes on USC. Mariota faced off against USC one time in his Oregon career in 2012 when the Ducks beat the Trojans in a 62-51 thriller at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

In that game, Mariota threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns against the Trojans. Saturday's matchup at Autzen Stadium has the potential to be another high-scoring game, just like the game Mariota played in during his Oregon career.

Mariota knows what it feels like to play in big-time games at Oregon. Having him there for a season-defining matchup to fire up the Ducks' crowd in anticipation of the game will be beneficial. The crowd at Autzen Stadium for the Ducks' matchup against USC is expected to be one of the most hostile environments of week 13.

Marcus Mariota's Oregon Career

Dec 13, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota poses with the Heisman Trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the Heisman Trophy. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Mariota was the Ducks' starting quarterback for three seasons from 2012 to 2014. In those three seasons in Eugene, Mariota recorded 10,796 passing yards, along with 105 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

In his Heisman trophy-winning season in 2014, Mariota led the Ducks to a Pac-12 championship and a dominating 59-20 win over Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles in the first-ever CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl.

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Mariota and the Ducks fell just short of winning their first national championship in program history, as they fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-20 in the title game. Mariota finished his Heisman Trophy-winning season with the Ducks, recording 4,454 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Mariota's NFL Career

Jan 19, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs the ball during the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Mariota was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans and had his fair share of highs and lows as the starting quarterback. In his five seasons with the Titans from 2015 to 2019, he played in 63 games. Mariota recorded two 3,000-yard passing seasons with the Titans and led Tennessee to a playoff win in 2018 over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mariota lost the Titans starting quarterback job to Ryan Tannehill, who has struggled offensively to start the 2019 season. The switch ultimately proved to be successful as Tannehill led the Titans to an appearance in the AFC Championship game that same season.

Since leaving the Titans, Mariota has been with several franchises as a reliable backup quarterback, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders. Mariota has played seven games this season for the Commanders in the absence of injured starting quarterback Jayden Daniels. In those seven games, Mariota has thrown for 1,065 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.