When you’re breaking in a new quarterback, you might prefer a tune-up game rather than throwing them into the lion’s den for a neutral-site game on the national stage against an Oregon team that might be the Pac-12 favorite in 2019.
Auburn and Oregon have only met one-time before, with the Tigers topping the Ducks 22-19 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, a contest that some of us have never quite gotten over.
Oregon returns a lot of talent from last season’s nine win team, bolstered by the unexpected return of senior quarterback Justin Herbert, who probably would have been a top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft had he declared. Thousand-yard runner C.J. Verdell is one of the best backs in the country, and he’s spelled by rising sophomore Travis Dye, who topped 700 yards on the ground in his own right last season.
Along with a load of returning talent, head coach Mario Cristobal brings in one of the nation’s best recruiting classes, with several prospects who should be able to contribute right away. The most important is five-star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who could help a mediocre Ducks defense take a step forward. A pair of four-star wide receivers — Mycah Pittman and Josh Delgado — have impressed in spring and could lessen the sting of Herbert’s top weapon, Dillon Mitchell, being gone.
This is a pivotal early game for Auburn. This could be a quality early season win that puts them on the track toward a competitive season, or a loss that sends them spiraling down toward the cellar. A win here also doesn’t necessarily signal anything, as the Tigers knocked off eventual Pac-12 champion Washington in Atlanta to open last season before losing five of their final 11 regular season games.
Expect this to be close, but for now I’ll take the Tigers to come away with a key victory in Arlington.
Pick: Auburn 34, Oregon 31 (1-0)