Oregon Football: Preseason game-by-game predictions for 2017 season

After several charged encounters between these two teams, Arizona and Oregon have not faced one another in the past three seasons. The series resumes in 2017 with Arizona’s trip to Autzen Stadium in the penultimate game of both teams’ regular seasons. The Wildcats won both regular-season games in 2013 and 2014, but the Ducks got the better of Arizona to win the 2014 Pac-12 championship.

Arizona should know by this point of the year whether or not Rich Rodriguez is going to be back as the Wildcats coach in 2018 and beyond. The embattled head coach has overseen a consistent downswing in Arizona fortunes since that appearance in the 2014 conference championship game.

Arizona has a fair amount of talent, and they should be good enough to compete for bowl eligibility. They will still be toward the bottom half of the Pac-12 South, but they will also be hungry to enter their season finale against Arizona State on a high note. Unfortunately, Oregon will be looking to do the same ahead of the Civil War, and they should roll to a blowout at home.

Look for Willie Taggart to potentially throw freshman quarterback Braxton Burmeister into this contest after it gets out of hand in the second half. Oregon managed to flip the former Arizona commit at the 11th hour. It would be fitting to see him take on his former school for a few drives and throw a touchdown against the school that thought they had him locked into their roster.

FINAL: Oregon 52, Arizona 20 (7-4)