Oregon football roundtable for rivalry game vs. James Madison Dukes

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

The College Football Playoff is finally here, and while the Oregon Ducks have been waiting patiently for three long weeks, they are now seemingly healthy and ready to enter postseason play once again, this time with a nice tune-up game to start things off.

The James Madison Dukes come to town on Saturday night for the first-ever playoff game in Autzen Stadium, and while Oregon is listed as a massive 21.5-point favorite to win, anticipation will be high with win-or-go-home stakes on the line.

As we head into this game, we’ve broken down the matchup, looked at some top players for James Madison, and tried to pick apart the two rosters.

Now it’s time to make some predictions.

To preview the game, we go through our weekly roundtable with the writers from Ducks Wire to offer our opinions and predictions for what’s to come. Here’s another edition of the roundtable.

The Autzen Environment

Question: There’s an odd juxtaposition taking place on Saturday night. It’s the first-ever College Football Playoff inside Autzen Stadium, but it is also against James Madison, a team that the Ducks are favored to beat by three touchdowns. How do you think the environment will be for this game?

Zachary Neel: I think the environment for this game will be incredible…for the first half. After that, a combination of the score and the weather might lead to some early exits as the Ducks prepare for their second-round matchup against Texas Tech.

Don Smalley:I think the environment will be off the charts, similar to the Ohio State game last season. It’s going to be loud and crazy. 

Paul White: I think the crowd will be buzzing regardless of the opponent. I think the Ducks could get matched up with a junior varsity high school team, and the fans would still be crazed.

Bjorn Bergstrom: I have no doubt that it will be rocking inside Autzen. It’s a night game and the program’s first time ever hosting a playoff game. The stakes are high, and Duck fans know that. The atmosphere will be what it often is for big games in Eugene: one of the best in college football.

The Rust Factor

Question: One of the biggest issues with Oregon’s CFP run last year was the extended time off before their first game. They had almost as much time off this year before the first round. Why do you think things will be different this time around?

Zachary Neel: I think Oregon learned from last year, and Lanning was able to adjust the schedule this time around to better prepare and handle the time off. Of course, I think rust may still be an issue early on, but it’s a lot easier to handle when you’re playing James Madison, not Ohio State.

Don Smalley:First, the opponent is a bit different. This isn’t the Buckeyes and eventual national champs. It’s James Madison. It’s in Autzen Stadium, not the Rose Bowl. A place where everyone on the Duck sideline is comfortable.

Paul White: The main thing I think is that the coaching staff knows how to handle it this time, or they at least know what not to do. Plus, the Ducks haven’t been great out of their regular bye weeks this year, so Dan Lanning and the rest of the coaches have a ton of experience and examples to draw back on.

Bjorn Bergstrom: Jeremiah Smith won’t be walking out of the tunnel for James Madison. That’s the difference. If the Ducks do come out flat (which I doubt will happen at home), they should be able to rally and still take down the Dukes. Coming out flat against Smith, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, Caleb Downs and Co. with Ohio State last season is significantly different than coming out flat in this game.

James Madison’s Strengths

Question: James Madison is here for a reason — they are a good team and they played their way into the CFP. What do they do that gives you the most pause, and could potentially give the Ducks problems?

Zachary Neel: JMU is really good at stopping the run, so I will be interested to see early on how they can answer the Ducks’ rushing attack. However, I do feel like Oregon will be able to find an answer.

Don Smalley:They have a good run game, which could use some of the clock and limit possessions. Oregon should stack the box and make JMU throw the ball. They should like their chances there.

Paul White: Their quarterback. Dual-threat quarterbacks are the worst because you could have a play covered perfectly and still get gashed for an explosive play because there was nobody to account for the quarterback. The defense has to find a way to contain him.

Bjorn Bergstrom: It’s their rushing defense for me. Allowing under 80 rush yards per game is no joke, regardless of the competition, and I’m very interested to see the battle at the line of scrimmage for the Ducks offensively. If they stifle the run game, it’ll be on Dante Moore to come through against the 12th-ranked pass defense. JMU is balanced defensively and that could give Oregon some fits.

Staying In The Moment

Question: If you’re Oregon, you go into this game knowing that if you handle business, you get a big matchup against Texas Tech a week later. How do you not get ahead of yourselves and not let the future matchup get in the way of the task at hand?

Zachary Neel: I think Oregon has done a good job of this all year, so I don’t think that’s going to be any different this time around. You don’t get to that game against Texas Tech if you can’t take care of business here. Simple as that.

Don Smalley:This is do or die, survive and advance. No reason to get ahead of yourself here. Stick to the task at hand and everything will take care of itself.

Paul White: I think they should stick with the mindset of knowing that they can’t win a national championship this week or next week. It’s pointless to look ahead to a more competitive matchup because as we get deeper into the tournament, there is always going to be someone better waiting.

Bjorn Bergstrom: You face the reality that if you lose, the season’s over. This is the playoffs, not a regular season game. Looking ahead at this point is unacceptable and I don’t think Lanning will let them do so.

Gambling Corner

Question: Gambling Corner: You get $100 to spread across the point spread (Oregon -21.5), and the over/under (48.5 points). How are you allocating your funds?

Zachary Neel: I’m not sure about the O/U in this game because the weather might play a factor, but I do like Oregon to cover. All $100 on -21.5.

Don Smalley:All $100 for Oregon to cover.

Paul White: I would put $50 on the spread for Oregon, but I would put the other half of my money on the under. I think it will be more of a defensive battle, but the Ducks will still win in a blowout.

Bjorn Bergstrom: The extra half point over the three-touchdown lead scares me off the line, so I’d put all my money on the under. Both these teams want to establish the run, shortening the game in the process. I think the game going under 48.5 points is a relatively safe bet.

Final Score Prediction

Question: Final Score Prediction: Who wins the game?

Zachary Neel: Oregon 35, James Madison 10.

Don Smalley:Oregon 48, JMU 10

Paul White: I have the Ducks taking this one 28-6.

Bjorn Bergstrom:  31-10, Oregon. I can see the Ducks taking a two-score lead to halftime and cruising to the win in the second half, setting up a meeting with Texas Tech. 

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon football predictions for CFP game vs. James Madison Dukes

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos