Oregon heads to Florida for the next round of CFP action.
The Ducks are back in the spot where they found themselves last season before it all went terribly wrong against the Buckeyes. This time, they'll face a different opponent in the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the champions of the Big 12. After opening up a 34-3 first half lead against James Madison, Oregon put it in cruise control and coasted to a decisive win to set them up for the Orange Bowl today.
The Ducks welcomed the return of a couple of their receivers in the first round game against the Dukes as they seem to be getting healthier at the best possible time. Once again, the speculation turns to whether or not it will be Dante Moore's last game in his short Ducks career, as many draft projections have him going near the top of the draft. Personally, I feel like he's got a good shot at staying put if there's anything short of a championship victory, but nothing would really surprise me. With the imminent departure of the offensive coordinator (Will Stein) who lured him back to Oregon, I could also see him thinking that it's time to move on.
Texas Tech retooled its coaching staff after a 8-5 season and found their biggest ever success as a member of the Big 12, finishing at the top of their conference. The Red Raiders are led by QB Behren Morton, one of the few players who was on the roster the last time these teams met in 2023 (he did not play.) Both teams are very similar in that they have explosive, powerful offenses and stellar defensive play to boot. This game truly feels like a toss-up, but one team will definitely be sent home feeling disappointed.
Notes and miscellany:
- This will be the first Orange Bowl appearance for both schools, as the traditional bowl fixtures and alliances between conference have given way to... whatever madness this is. I think just about everyone wanted a true playoff system in FBS, including me, but this just doesn't feel like "it".
- Opponent fun fact: One of the Red Raiders mascot is named, naturally, Raider Red. He seems like a rough 'n tumble, rootin' tootin' stereotypically Texas style guy. There's also The Masked Rider, some Zorro lookin' dude who rides around on a horse. They like their finger guns, which is something that would almost certainly get a football player in trouble if one was to do it on the field at an opponent.
- Opponent history: The Ducks lead the all-time series 3-0, including the recent 38-30 win in 2023 in Lubbock when ex-Duck Tyler Shough (hey, that rhymes!) started at quarterback for TTU.
- Game time is 9:00 AM PST on ESPN in Miami Gardens. Go Ducks!
