College Football: 3 underrated non-conference games to watch in 2020
2. North Dakota State at Oregon
Right before Oregon plays host to Ohio State for the most prominent non-conference game of the 2020 season, they face reigning FCS national champions, North Dakota State. Having a history of upsetting FBS teams, the Bison will come into Autzen Stadium with a chip on their shoulder.
The Ducks are coming off a Rose Bowl-winning season that was one road loss to Arizona State away from making the College Football Playoff. The bad news: Oregon is losing quarterback Justin Herbert after he was a top 10 pick in the NFL draft. The good news: over half of the production from last season returns, including projected top-five pick and offensive tackle Penei Sewell, plus one of the best defenses in the country.
As of now, the favorite to replace Herbert is a former four-star recruit in Tyler Shough. Already spending two years in the program, Shough will get a tougher than usual test in his first game as a starter. The Bison only gave up 12.3 points per game last season and just under 200 yards.
For the Bison, three members of the first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference will return in 2020, with the star being quarterback Trey Lance. The redshirt-sophomore had a staggering 2019 season, throwing for 2,786 yards while throwing for 28 touchdowns and no interceptions. His feet did damage as well, going for 1,110 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. NFL scouts have been knocking on his door, seeing Lance as a potential first-round pick next year.
Looking at FBS versus FCS matchups, North Dakota State is the expectation when it comes to unbalanced competition. Since 2010, the Bison have played six games against FBS opponents and won them all. Colorado State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Minnesota have all fallen victim to the FCS powerhouse.
Just as Oregon will be facing a new challenge, so will North Dakota State. The Bisons and their high powered offense did not see a defense as good as the Ducks’ will be this season. Kayvon Thibodeaux lived up to the hype as a freshman, recording 9.5 sacks last season. While they are losing heavily at the linebacker position, the top two high school inside linebackers in Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe will be replacements.
To make it all better, Oregon’s secondary ranks early as the best in the country. Mario Cristobal’s defense is going to shine all of next season, not just against North Dakota State.
A game circled by many as a “trap game” more than likely will not be that for the Ducks. Instead, it will be used as an interesting litmus test for both Oregon before the huge matchup against Ohio State and Lance against a top Power Five secondary.