We may still be a few days away from the showdown in the Palouse between no. 12 Oregon and no. 25 Washington State, but it appears that Cougar fans are already in Saturday form given the way they welcomed the College GameDay production trucks to town Wednesday afternoon.
Welcome to Pullman!!! @CollegeGameDay #GoCougs #GameDayPullman pic.twitter.com/FQwWYTBX4H
— Cougar Sports Network (@CougSportsNet) October 17, 2018
Needless to say, Pullman is quite literally bulging at the seams in anticipation of Saturday’s game. If the video wasn’t proof enough, consider the fact that the City of Pullman has already declared a state of emergency to prepare for the transportation demands.
This is what makes college sports, and in particular college football, unlike any other sport that exists on planet Earth. It’s also what makes the challenge for Oregon so daunting entering Saturday. For the overwhelming majority of the players on the Oregon sideline, the scene in and around Martin Stadium will be among the most hostile and emotionally charged settings for a game that they’ve ever experienced. And in what has been a season of firsts for much of this group, it’s not outlandish to posit that Saturday’s game will be perhaps their toughest, most demanding test to date.
With roughly 48 hours ’til kickoff, WFOD addresses the burning questions surrounding the Ducks as they set to face Washington State.
How does Oregon handle going from hunter to hunted?
We touched on this a little bit in Wednesday’s article, but it’s worth a closer look considering the radical role reversal that has taken place in the days that have spanned last Saturday’s win over Washington to this week’s game at Washington State. For much of the offseason and for the better part of the first half of the regular season, the Ducks have been largely considered a darkhorse in the Pac-12 North division and the conference at large. Now, after defeating Washington – the preseason conference favorite – and looking like the vastly superior team despite the loss to Stanford, Oregon has positioned itself as a veritable contender, and perhaps even the favorite, to win the conference title.
For a group of players that are relatively new to success on this level, the sudden shift in outside expectations and perception can have a negative affect on focus and preparation. Over the course of the next six weeks, the Ducks will have to embrace the role as the Pac-12’s top dog and prepare themselves as such if they are to successfully navigate the choppy and uncharted waters ahead. However, if there’s anything to be said for Mario Cristobal’s coaching acumen through six games, it’s that motivation and attention to detail are two areas in which the Oregon head man excels. Expect Cristobal to have this team ready to play at a high level, but don’t be surprised if it takes this team some time to adjust if punched in the mouth early.
How will Oregon fare without the services of Penei Sewell?
Somewhat obscured by the excitement of the win over Washington is the high ankle sprain suffered by true freshman Penei Sewell, which is expected to sideline him for the next six weeks. The injury initially occurred in the first half, as Sewell’s ankle was caught underneath a pile as he was simultaneously getting bent back by a Washington defender. At first, the injury looked potentially devastating, as Sewell was tended to on the turf by the Oregon medical staff for some time before ultimately being helped off the field. Surprisingly, he returned in the second half, but re-aggravated the injury which forced him to the sideline for the rest of the game. On Tuesday, it was determined that Sewell’s ankle injury will indeed shelve him for the remainder of the regular season. It’s anticipated that Sewell could return for a potential appearance in the Pac-12 Championship Game should Oregon make it there, but almost certainly before a bowl game.
The injury is a tough blow for a player who had been living up to every ounce of his billing coming out of high school. Ranked as one of the top offensive line recruits in the entire country for the 2018 class, Sewell quickly established himself as a mainstay along the Oregon offensive line by securing the starting left tackle position during fall camp. Through six games, Sewell proved more than worthy of the job, ranking as the top freshman offensive lineman in the country, the no. 2 offensive tackle in the Pac-12, and the no. 6 offensive tackle nationally, per Pro Football Focus. Fortunately for Oregon, offensive line is a position they are well stocked at – so much so that it’s hard to imagine there will be a significant drop off from Sewell to the next guy on the depth chart. Replacing the talented freshman at left tackle is Calvin Throckmorton, an über talent in his own right who had been serving as the Ducks’ starting right tackle. Taking Throckmorton’s vacated right tackle spot will be redshirt junior Brady Aiello, a savvy veteran who has a wealth of playing experience and is essentially considered a co-starter by Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal. Yes, losing Sewell is far from ideal, but there’s plenty of talent waiting in the wings for Oregon to absorb and overcome the loss.
Can Oregon snap their three-game slide to Washington State?
It’s certainly not going to come easy. The Cougars have had the Ducks’ number each of the past three seasons and will be playing with a ton of energy, emotion, and motivation given the backdrop of Saturday’s game. College GameDay’s appearance in Pullman this week should have the loyal Cougar fan base in rare form, but even without that, Martin Stadium has been a den of despair for visiting teams the last few seasons. In fact, the Cougars are riding a 10-game home winning streak and have won 15 of their last 16 games on their home field.
However, there’s no debate that this Oregon team will be the most talented team Washington State has faced this season to date. Not only that, but the Cougars will also be facing (by far) the best quarterback the Ducks have had in the last three meetings between the teams (say hello Jeff Lockie, Dakota Prukop, and Braxton Burmeister). Regardless, it would be a shock to see this game be anything other than a complete dogfight and it’ll likely be decided by whoever handles the emotion of the game best. Does Oregon have the capacity to match Washington State’s intensity following last week’s emotionally exhausting win over Washington? And conversely, is Washington State able to block out the distraction and hype around this game and execute like they have in their five wins this season? Either way, this has all the makings to be one of the more entertaining/nerve-wracking games we see in the Pac-12 this season.