WSU Cougars(4-3SU,5-2ATS) @No. 2 Oregon Ducks(6-0SU,6-0ATS)
College Football Week8
Date and Time:October 19, 2013 7 p.m. EST.
Where:Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon.
TV:Root Sports
byWilson,Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread:WSU +38/UO -38
The Washington State Cougars will travel to Eugene, Oregon this Saturday to take on the No. 2 ranked Oregon Ducks. This game is not going to be on ESPNsCollege GameDaybut you never know what can happen when the Cougs and Ducks meet up in the Pac 12! Hey, dont laugh this game off just yetI remember when the Ducks were ranked No. 3 in the nation and plastered on the cover of Sports Illustratedonly to go down hard at home to these same WSU Cougars! However, the Cougs will definitely be the dog in this one by most likely 5 TDs. The books are already spotting the boys from the Palouse 38 points so you can bet the ticket windows will be flooded with both sides trying to earn a buck on this game. The last time WSU beat Oregon was October 21, 2006 by a score of 34-23. It might be another 7 years before the Cougs can do it again given the level of talent and efficiency the Ducks bringthis season especially.
No doubt, the Ducks are a better football team than the Cougars. Autzen Stadium will be packed with the crazy quacking Oregon faithful seeking yet another blowout victory in route to a potential National Championship showdown with No.1 Alabama if both teams stay on track.
This game should be all Oregon. The WSU secondary is non-existent! They are slow; dont make good reads, and are usually 5 yards behind their mark. All Oregon has to do is lob the ball up in the air and let their super-fast athletes go get it for 6! Marcus Mariota is both a passer and a runner which equals double threat as weve already seen this seasonhe will dismantle the Cougars defense all by himself much less get his teammates involved.
WSUs QB Connor Halliday is ranked 3rdin the nation for passing yardage and rightfully so given Head Coach Mike Leachs offensive scheme of pass, pass, and pass. Although the Cougs have turned things around since last season they are still trying to perfect the offense and God knows they need help on D, so all they need is for their offense to outscore Oregons offenseyeah, thats not gonna happensorry Coug fans. I appreciate Leachs controlled passing attack but it has its downside as well. The plus side of the controlled passing game is the”hurry-up and hike effect” that keeps defenses on edge and constantly adjusting which allows for the offense to take advantage by hitting quick strikes via a variety of targets and different offensive sets. The downside of this approach is it limits Hallidays ability to check off receivers and or go mobile if the play breaks down. Oh, and Halliday makes way to many mistakes when under pressure; he tends to force the ball at times which results in turnoversa lot of INTs. How many ESPN highlights of Oregon Duck defenders will we see completing pick-6s this weekend? Im gonna go with two for sure!
Meanwhile, back at the Duck pond, Oregon is solid on both sides of the pigskin. They are averaging over 49 points per contest and have scored 55 or more in 5 of their 6 games. They faced a fired up UW Huskies team last week in Seattle but eventually pulled away behind the play of who? Yes, Mr. Mariota of course; Heisman anyone?. The Oregon DBs or lightning quick, and their D-line blows by bodies to put pressure on QBs. To be honest, Oregon looks better to me than the almighty Crimson Tide at this point in the season and I dont see anyoneany teamslowing them down. Sometimes ya just gotta say What the Duck? Do these guys breed talent in a basement on campus somewhere or is big-brother Nike recruiting with incentives? Either way, the Ducks dont even ruffle a feather this weekend at home against the WSU Cougars!
The Vegas books are thinking WSU +38, and a total of 73. As tempting as it may seem to take the Ducks, I gotta go with logic here. I believe that WSU can score 17 points in this game. I estimate the U of O to score 52.
Wilson’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread:Cougs cover “just barely”. Luck to ya
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