All of the Oregon Ducks' potential postseason possibilities, whether it be the Big Ten title game or an at-large bid to the College Football Playoff, are out of their hands. They need help in both scenarios, but will need to take care of their own business for any help to matter.
In a sense, the pressure is off of the Ducks. They're underdogs. After losing their third game of the season by Week 8, who would've expected Oregon would be in the position they're in now, ranked No. 16 in the second CFP rankings? Close to nobody, is the answer, especially outside of the program.
But here we are, with Oregon's Week 11 home date with the Michigan Wolverines suddenly becoming a must-win for the Ducks.
At a time when Oregon finally seems to be turning around
their season after poor offensive play leading to a coaching change, Michigan finds itself in the same position, firing their offensive coordinator this week. Oh, and the starting quarterback wasn't announced until Tuesday, as the Wolverines have been poor at that spot as well. All of the uncertainty on the Michigan side may very well favor the Wolverines, making it tougher for the Ducks to gameplan against them.
With Oregon looking to send Michigan home with a loss on Saturday, the Ducks have these five prominent questions that they'll have to answer.
Will the game flow favor Oregon or Michigan?
By now, fans should know what the Michigan way of winning is. And if you don't, let me explain.
The Wolverines want to drag teams under water and keep them there. At the same time, the Wolverines are using so much energy to keep the opponent underwater that they can barely breathe themselves, popping up for air every now and again, squeaking by to win the fight. It's not a pretty brand of football, unless you're a fan of punts, no team scoring more than 20 points and a few turnovers here and there.
The Ducks can't fall into the Wolverines' trap. They have to dictate what the pace of the game will be, and it can't be the slow slog that favors Michigan — it's their only way of winning, so it makes sense for them to try this strategy week after week.
The reason that it's so important for Oregon to dictate the game flow isn't just so that they can come away with a win, as they have the ability to out on top in slog-ish games. No, a close win won't do it. As double digit favorites, the Ducks are supposed to dominate. And with the CFP being so wishy-washy with their rankings, winning and looking good doing so is imperative for the Ducks.
Can the Ducks establish the run early?
The Wolverines have the 17th-best rushing defense in the country, allowing just a hair above 100 yards per game. This season, Oregon has been below average in terms of rushing yards, ranking 94th. On paper, it's not a good matchup, certainly favoring the Wolverines.
That can't stop Oregon's offense from putting an emphasis early on of pounding the rock right at Michigan's strong front four. Getting creative with their run schemes is important as well, but the message has to be sent in the first quarter that the Ducks are up for the physical battle.
By the time the fourth quarter comes around, especially if the Oregon defense is able to bottle up Michigan's offense, the Wolverines' front will be gasping for air, potentially giving way for chunk runs for the Ducks.
How does the defense perform without Teitum Tuioti?
The news of the Ducks missing starting edge rusher Teitum Tuioti is crushing, as his impact on the field was paramount towards Oregon's success on defense. But there's a case to be made that his leadership was the biggest loss, as Tuioti has repeatedly been the vocal leader of the defensive unit during a tulmultuous 2026 season.
Without Tuioti, others will have to step up and use their voices. Fellow edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei has a quiet nature about him, but his voice is needed now more than ever. Fifth-year senior linebacker Devon Jackson has been in the program for half a decade. He's stepped up with his production in Year 5. Now, his leadership is what's needed the most.
I'd be very surprised if the Ducks see a major drop-off in their play against such an awful offense that Michigan has, but the bricks need to be laid now in the leadership category so that if this team is in the playoff against better opponents, they're not just then turning to a new voice in Tuioti's absence.
Can Oregon force turnovers?
One way to disrupt the game flow and put points on the board is to force turnovers, something that Michigan is prone to giving away. They rank 129th in the nation with 17 turnovers, a good trend considering Oregon's defense is 38th in college football with 13 forced turnovers.
True freshman quarterback Tommy Carr has three interceptions and has taken 11 sacks in three starts, so there will be opportunities for the Ducks to pick the ball off and potentially strip-sack the young passer. That's how the game could be turned in favor of the Ducks.
Can Gage Hurych perform if needed?
After starting the season 9-of-9 and looking like the best Oregon kicker in some time, Gage Hurych has come down to Earth. Immediately after being featured in a press conference with a 100% field goal rate, Hurych went 1-for-4 against Illinois. He rebounded nicely against Northwestern, knocking in both attempts.
But he missed again against Ohio State last week, missing a 52-yarder short. That caused a talking to from head coach Dan Lanning; normally a kicker tells the coach the range he's comfortable from during pregame warm-ups, but Hurych clearly didn't hold up his end of the bargain.
If, on the off chance, the Wolverines are able to pull the Ducks underwater, can Hurych be relied upon to put points on the board in a tight, low-scoring game?
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Five questions for Oregon to answer against Michigan in Week 11
