Preview: #7 Michigan State vs. #3 Oregon

Date: 9/6/2014

Time: 6:30 PM ET

Television: FOX (National)

Spread: Oregon -13

Players to Watch

Connor Cook, Quarterback (Michigan State)

Oregon has a massive defensive front, which will make it tough for running back Jeremy Langford to make a huge impact. While the Spartans primary offensive focus is the running game, they will need Cook to make a huge impact if they want to walk out of Eugene with a win.

Shilique Calhoun, Defensive Line (Michigan State)

Calhoun faces the tough task of having to disrupt Marcus Mariota. Calhoun’s game is built on strength, which will help against the more nimble, but smaller, Oregon offensive line. If Calhoun can create pressure, it will force Mariota to throw without settling his feet, something that often drastically affects his accuracy.  

Marcus Mariota, Quarterback (Oregon)

Any player watch list for the Ducks will have Mariota on it. He is a dynamic playmaker from the quarterback position, able to make plays with his arm and his feet. However, this game will be interesting for him, as he’s struggled against these stout, physical defenses that he has played in the past (ex: Stanford). Mariota’s main focus in this game will need to be his accuracy. The Spartan’s aren’t going to give him many open windows, so he will need to take what is given and give his receivers a chance to make plays.

Jake Fisher, Offensive Line (Oregon)

Fisher, normally a right tackle, will be protecting Mariota’s blindside for the 2014 season after Tyler Johnstone suffered an ACL injury before the season began. Fisher is an incredibly athletic tackle, but he will have his hands full against Calhoun, who is more developed as a pass rusher than he’s faced in the past.

Michigan State’s Offense vs Oregon’s Defense

Despite being known as a team of small, quick athletes, Oregon’s defensive front is loaded with massive players, including Arik Armstead (290 pounds), Alex Balducci (310), and DeForrest Buckner (290). They also have one of the top cornerbacks in the country, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Ekpre-Olomu is smaller, standing only 5’10”, but is incredibly physical and aggressive. He suffered a minor injury against South Dakota last week, but all signs point to him playing on Saturday.

Michigan State’s offense, as usual, will focus on a strong running game, behind workhorse running back, Jeremy Langford. With a large, physical line, the Spartans will try to take advantage of their size and power. However, as mentioned earlier, the Ducks do have some large bodies along their front, so Connor Cook will have to make some big plays in order to keep pace with Oregon’s high octane offense.

Oregon’s Offense vs Michigan State’s Defense

Dyamic and fast are just a couple words to describe how Oregon plays. With Mariota at the helm, and playmakers like Byron Marshall, Thomas Tyner, Pharoah Brown, the Ducks can put points on the board quickly.

However, they, especially Mariota, have struggled against Stanford in recent years, and Michigan State runs a very similar scheme. Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi is one of the best in college at developing gameplans, and he will find ways to get pressure on Mariota, and put a damper on the passing game, as Michigan State’s defensive backs match up well against Oregon’s receivers.

Game Preview

All signs point towards this game being similar to the Stanford-Oregon games from the past couple years, which leans significantly in Michigan State’s favor. The Spartans run, at its core, similar offensive and defensive game plans and have players of similar skill level to the Cardinal.

This is where the world will see if Mariota has improved his mechanics, and how he handles the pass rush and having to throw in tight windows. As a top NFL prospect, he will need to show he can be successful against the NFL-style schemes.

Implications

This game will have a major impact on the college football playoff, particularly for the Spartans. Michigan State, through playing in the Big Ten, has a weaker schedule, so a win over the Ducks is a must for their title chances.

Meanwhile, Oregon still has UCLA and Stanford on their schedule, so they have the opportunities to make up for the loss.

Final Prediction

Michigan State- 21  vs. Oregon- 24