No. 7 Oregon takes winning streak, playoff hopes to face USC
With a swell of momen- tum from seven straight victories, the route to the College Football Playoff is increasingly clear for No. 7 Oregon.
In fact, the Ducks might be facing the biggest remaining obstacle in their path today they visit USC, which still has Pac-12 title plans of its own.
Oregon (7-1, 5-0 Pac-12) will attempt to keep roll- ing against the Trojans (5- 3, 4-1), who are unbeaten at home this season. While the Ducks look more polished and better poised than up-and-down USC, no program takes a trip to the Coliseum lightly — particularly a team stacked with California-grown talent like the Ducks.
“We recruit Los Angeles so hard, and we love it, and we’re going to continue to do so,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said. “I think the juice behind going home to play is going to naturally be there.”
Both of these programs have a fraction of their onetime fearsomeness, but the Ducks appear to be building something impressive in Cristobal’s second season. Much of that success is built on recruiting in California, the home of a whopping 48 Ducks attracted to the school facetiously known down here as the University of California at Eugene.
With the Trojans in a state of uncertainty following last year’s 5-7 finish and this year’s inconsistent results, Cristobal’s staff is making big gains among LA-area high schoolers. Along with the obvious implications on his job and the Trojans’ season, coach Clay Helton could desperately use a victory over the Ducks to show recruits that USC still belongs among the West Coast elite.
Justin Herbert started at the Coliseum during the schools’ last meeting in 2016, but the freshman passed for just 162 yards and was outclassed by Sam Darnold in the Trojans’ comfortable win. Herbert returns to L.A. as an elite NFL prospect and arguably the nation’s top quarterback, throwing 21 touchdown passes against just one interception this season.
The freshman starting quarterback in this Oregon-USC matchup is Kedon Slovis, the Trojans’ 18-yearold surprise contributor. He ranks sixth in the nation by completing 72.3% of his passes, and he sits 10th in passing efficiency along with 13 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Coaches believe Slovis took a significant step forward last week in Colorado when he threw for career highs of 406 yards and four touchdowns and led the Trojans’ late rally despite a couple of major mistakes on the final drive. NEW YEAR’S SIX BOWL ON LINE >> The stakes might be higher when it comes to the playoff race, but the matchup of American Athletic Conference contenders No. 15 SMU (8-0, 4-0) and No. 24 Memphis (7-1, 3-1) has the potential to be the best combination of important and really fun. The winner emerges with an inside track to a division title and is a prime contender to reach a New Year’s Six bowl if it can go on to win a conference title. Plus, it features two of the country’s best big-play offenses.
Behind star freshman running back Kenneth Gainwell, the Tigers are fifth in the country in plays of at least 30 yards with 30. Quarterback Shane Buechele and SMU are fourth on that list with 31. OKLAHOMA STATE’S WALLACE
REPORTEDLY TEARS ACL >> Oklahoma State star receiver Tylan Wallace will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, according to published reports. Wallace suffered the injury during a non-contact portion of practice on Wednesday and underwent an MRI exam on Thursday.
Wallace, a junior, has 53 receptions for 903 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award last season.