Oregon got its wake-up call.
The Ducks had to overcome a 10-point deficit to beat Boise State 34-27, dropping from No. 2 to No. 6 in the AP Poll despite winning. Dante Moore was excellent, throwing for a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns, but Oregon certainly didn’t look unbeatable.
Now I think we see a completely different performance.
Oklahoma State opened its season with an ugly 24-10 loss to Tulsa, extending its losing streak to 12 games. New quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw two interceptions and lost a fumble as the Cowboys committed four turnovers.
That’s a horrible matchup against Oregon.
The Ducks produced 497 yards against Boise State, including 378 through the air. If Oklahoma State couldn’t consistently pressure Tulsa’s quarterback, giving Moore time to throw to Oregon’s loaded group of receivers could get ugly quickly.
And we already know how big the talent gap is.
Oregon embarrassed Oklahoma State 69-3 last season, producing 631 yards while holding the Cowboys to just 211. This year’s game being in Stillwater should make things slightly more difficult, but not enough to change the result.
Oklahoma State might keep it interesting for a quarter because of the home crowd.
After that?
Oregon takes over.
Moore has another big afternoon, the Ducks force multiple turnovers and Dan Lanning gets the dominant performance he probably wanted in Week 1.
