Oregon Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2020 season
During game predictions, I typically don’t spend a ton of time talking about games between FCS opponents and try to move on to talk about the bigger games in a team’s season. North Dakota State is not a normal FCS team, by any means.
The Bison have won eight of the last nine national championships at the FCS level and will come into Eugene with a 37-game winning streak and a potential top-five pick in next year’s NFL draft in quarterback Trey Lance. The Ducks can’t afford to be looking ahead to the showdown with Ohio State the next week or it could result in a big time upset.
NDSU has pulled upsets over FBS opponents before and will show no fear of the Ducks. Oregon’s defense will have to put pressure on Lance and force him to make mistakes, which will be tricky because he did not throw a single interception last season and is also a mobile threat.
Expect a close game early, but the Ducks talent and depth will take over.
Final Score: Oregon 38, NDSU 24 (1-0)
Pick Analysis. Sept. 12. Ohio State Buckeyes. player. Scouting Report. Eugene (Ore.). 2. 812
In the most anticipated non-conference game of the season, the Ducks and the Buckeyes square off in rematch of the 2014 College Football Playoff title game, a game in which the Buckeyes won handily 42-20 behind some guys named Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa and Michael Thomas.
This will be an opportunity for the Ducks to secure an early signature win and the results of this game will be felt throughout the season. The Buckeyes are a preseason favorite to get back to the playoff and might even be ranked No. 1 heading into the season.
Ohio State will return Justin Fields, who is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy and be a top-10 pick in the draft next spring and there will be plenty of talent to work with on the offensive side of the ball.
The Buckeyes will have to replace some star talent such as dewfensive Chase Young, cornerback Jeff Okudah and running back JK Dobbins, but they have recruited as well as anyone so they will be fine.
An unknown factor in this game will be the fans. Autzen Stadium is a tough place to play when at full capacity and it might be easier to pick an upset if we knew there would be fans there. I don’t anticipate any fans in that stadium, making it an easy choice to pick an Ohio State win here.
Final Score: Oregon 27, Ohio State 30 (1-1)