Predicting the Final Score of No. 9 Oregon Ducks vs. Stanford Cardinal
Week 5 brings a road matchup for Dan Lanning and the No. 9 Oregon Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) against Troy Taylor and the Stanford Cardinal (1-3, 0-2 Pac-12).
The Ducks will travel to Palo Alto for what looks on the surface to be an easy matchup, but this team can't get complacent with the daunting schedule that awaits them on the other side of their bye week.
After all, Stanford won the last time these two squared off on the Farm, taking home a 31-24 overtime win. In what's shaping up to be the last game in this storied Pac-12 North Rivalry, Oregon enters as the heavy favorite.
There are a few overarching storylines heading into this weekend's game. First is the Ducks' ability to win on the road. They've shown they can do it in 2023, but it was a sloppy 38-30 win over Texas Tech that Dan Lanning and his players weren't pleased with.
PREDICTION: Oregon to land elite defensive back
The best teams can win at home, on the road or even at a neutral site. Lanning wants his team to do all three and this weekend is a chance for the team to bring their own juice coming off a blowout win inside a roaring Autzen Stadium.
The second major storyline for the Ducks comes on offense. Quarterback Bo Nix has been his usual dominant self and everyone is pitching in on the offensive line and at the skill positions. But this week Oregon will be without running back Noah Whittington, who has been a big part of the offensive attack.
The Ducks should be fine though, as they still have Bucky Irving, arguably the best running back in the Pac-12, as well as Jordan James, a true sophomore who has thrived in a larger role this season. Stanford's opponents are averaging 32.75 points per game and more than 300 yards through the air, which means their vulnerable through the air.
Their run defense hasn't been too bad, allowing 122.3 rushing yards per game. But either way, this should be a clinic for Nix and the rest of Will Stein's offense. They do have some nice pieces up front with guys like David Bailey and Aaron Armitage, but the Ducks should be able to handle them.
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On the other side of the ball, Oregon is coming off their best defensive showing in the Dan Lanning era, clamping down on what some had billed as an explosive Colorado offense. The Cardinal are still figuring things out offensively, as they've rotated quarterbacks between Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson thus far.
They have some talented pieces like E.J. Smith, Casey Filkins and Benjamin Yurosek, but their offensive line has struggled. Stanford ranks 118th nationally in sacks allowed, allowing 13 in 4 games, which averages out to 3.25 per game.
Oregon's defense has all the momentum in the world and has way too many good pieces up front for this Stanford line to contain them.
After playing their most complete game of the season last week, Oregon comes into Palo Alto and rolls from start to finish against the Cardinal, winning in blowout fashion once again.
Prediction: Oregon 63 Stanford 10
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