The Oregon Ducks just picked up their biggest win of the year as they went to No. 25 Washington and came away with 35-31 win. Although No. 24 Arizona State is still on the schedule, that might have been Oregon\u2019s last matchup against a ranked team this season. They\u2019re now a sizable favorite at home against Washington State, who is coming off of one of their best games of the year. Can the Ducks take care of business or will they be a bit sleepy after a big win over a rival?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Cougars are in a very good position to cover the spread here. First of all, Oregon is coming off an emotionally draining comeback win against the Washington Huskies. Oregon-Washington is a fierce rivalry and that game was extremely important for Oregon in the Pac-12 North Division race. It also meant something very personal to an Oregon team, which needed to send a message to Washington that it was ready to become the prominent program in the Northwest after Washington won two of the previous three Pac-12 championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oregon will be mentally drained and in good position for a letdown, which opens the door for a Washington State team that\u2019s fresh off a big 41-10 win. The Cougars just crushed Colorado in a very effective performance, compiling 497 yards with 369 of it coming through the air. Head coach Mike Leach has called his team out for being soft; this is their opportunity to change that perception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ducks will find it hard to play with the same intensity as they showed the week before. Last year, they similarly came out flat against Washington State the week after playing Washington, and the Cougars beat them. Washington State might not win this game outright but it has an excellent chance of playing this game close and cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ducks are going to be full of confidence after the comeback win over Washington. Oregon beat its toughest rival after being down 28-14 in the third quarter. Justin Herbert was outstanding as Oregon\u2019s quarterback, leading three straight touchdown drives and displaying the leadership his teammates expect of him. He finished the day with four touchdowns, no picks and a QBR of 90.8. That was big as for three quarters, it looked like the narrative for Oregon\u2019s season would be of a team that was close but no cigar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a chance that Oregon is sleepy in this game but one reason why they\u2019re not likely to be is they lost at Washington State last season. The Ducks were 5-1 heading into that game and it started a stretch where they dropped three of four. Because of that, the Ducks won\u2019t take this game lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re looking at a matchup with two good offenses and only one good defense (Oregon). However, they might have a bit of a letdown after the win at Washington last week and even if not, this defense did give up 31 to Washington and 27 to Auburn. They\u2019re not as good as the wins versus Colorado, California and Stanford might indicate (16 points allowed in total in those three games).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other key here is that Washington State plays well in this series, covering 17 of the last 27 meetings. Look for them to keep this close but the score to go over the number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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