Football: Another Shot

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After two dominant New Year’s Day performances, Oregon and Indiana are all set for a rematch in Atlanta this Friday. 

The Hoosiers are consensus No. 1 in the nation, and for very good reason. If there was any doubt about their ability to handle “the big stage”, they answered it in Pasadena by manhandling Alabama 38-3.

Meanwhile Oregon, apparently pissed off from allowing 500 yards of offense to James Madison in Round 1, bumrushed Texas Tech 23-0.

Oregon didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard, but Tech has unquestionably the best defensive line in the country. 

So altogether, both teams look about as solid as you could ask for top to bottom. 

The biggest X-Factor, if there is one, is the whole “revenge game” dynamic. 

Revenge games weren’t particularly kind to the Ducks the last couple seasons. In 2023, Oregon lost a heartbreaker to Washington in Seattle only to find themselves in Vegas against the Huskies a couple months later with the opportunity to right the wrong. 

They lost another heartbreaker.

Last season, Oregon edged Ohio State in one of the most exciting games ever played in Eugene. 

The Buckeyes had the payback opportunity in the Rose Bowl. They got it. 

Third times the charm maybe?

It will come down to Oregon’s passing attack in the end. In the first game in October, Dante Moore looked flustered and did not play well, throwing for 186 yards with one touchdown and two picks. 

Considering it was a one possession game until the final four minutes, that in itself could have made all the difference. 

Yes, the Ducks had 64 penalty yards, which they have to clean up. But Moore spreading the Indiana defense across the field with his bevy of receivers will probably be what makes the difference in the end. 

How much will the revenge factor play a part in that? It remains to be seen. 

Lanning is no stranger to motivational tools, and the majority of the pundits have Indiana coming out on top again. You can bet he’ll twist that to his advantage. 

But it’s on Moore to take it personally. It’s on Moore to seek redemption.

Oregon just had one of its best postseason games of all time in Miami, and they’d love to get back there again for the National Championship Game. 

The key will be revenge…via an air raid.

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