It's hard to think of a worse offensive showing than what the Oregon Ducks put forward on Saturday against UCLA, falling 17-15 at home after committing seven turnovers and switching quarterbacks before the fourth quarter. As the Ducks move forward to next week, now with some mystery surrounding who will start at quarterback, the opponent on the other sideline doesn't get any easier.
Nebraska will make the trip out west to Autzen Stadium for a game against the Ducks on Oct. 17, and there will likely be plenty of red in the stands to cheer on the visiting Cornhuskers. The Cornhuskers went toe-to-toe with Indiana at home on Saturday, leading throughout and nearly pulling off the upset. However, a pair of big plays in the fourth quarter by the Hoosiers'
offense sunk Nebraska, 20-17.
FanDuel Sportsbook has opened the line in favor of the Ducks, despite the drastically different directions the two teams appear to be heading. Oregon is a 6.5-point favorite over Nebraska with -265 odds on the money line. Nebraska has +215 odds on the money line, and once we have some clarity around who the Ducks will start at quarterback, the line is likely to shift throughout the week. The total points spread is also set at 51.5 points.
Dante Moore is still recovering from a concussion he suffered against USC, and Dan Lanning was non-committal about whether or not Moore would return against the Cornhuskers, or at all during the remainder of the regular season. Dylan Raiola could make his second start with the Ducks, this time against his former team in a game that will feature plenty of emotions, or the Ducks could turn to Eugene local Brock Thomas, who took over in the fourth quarter against UCLA and sparked the offense.
Meanwhile, Nebraska has a star at quarterback in Anthony Colandrea, who gets it done through the air and with his legs, and with dynamic playmakers Jamal Rule and Kwazi Gilmer in the offense as well, the Cornhuskers can strike quickly on offense. The Ducks could run through the defense, however, which has struggled to tackle and is prone to coverage busts. However, nothing is a given with the current state of Oregon's offense.
The game time and network have not been set yet for the Ducks and Cornhuskers, but should be revealed soon.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon opens as surprising TD favorite over Nebraska
