With each passing day, the buzz surrounding Saturday night’s game in the Coliseum between the 7th-ranked Oregon Ducks and the unranked USC Trojans builds.

With the Pac-12 North division all but locked up, Oregon justifiably has its sights set on something bigger than a conference title, as it now finds itself in the thick of the College Football Playoff discussion after a slew of upsets last week shook up the top 10. USC, meanwhile, has motivation of its own. Not only do the Trojans have aspirations of reaching the conference title game currently sitting atop the Pac-12 South standings, but they’re also playing for a head coach who may be in his final days as the man in charge.

It goes without saying that there’s a lot riding on the showdown this weekend between the Ducks and Trojans, with the final outcome having very real consequences for both the victor and the vanquished. As we look ahead to Saturday, WFOD examines the biggest questions facing Oregon as they prepare for perhaps their biggest road test of the year at USC.

1. How much bounce back does Oregon have after back-to-back emotional weeks?

We wrote about this in depth on Tuesday, but the question remains as the Ducks prepare for Saturday’s game. On paper, the game doesn’t appear to be much of a heavyweight bout. After all, Oregon is ranked and USC is not. However, given amount of talent that resides on both sidelines, it’s difficult to envision this being anything other than a four-quarter battle.

Unlike recent years, the Ducks have demonstrated impressive resolve since letting the Auburn game slip through their fingers to open the season. Whether it’s been dealing with crippling injuries, double-digit deficits on the road, or having to engineer a game-winning drive with a minute remaining against divisional foe that has bested you four years running, Oregon has answered the bell more times than they haven’t, proving that they’ve grown out of the failures that often plagued them in crunch time as season ago. Given the quality of Saturday’s opponent and the fact that USC is unblemished at home in 2019, it’s likely that they’ll once again need some heroics in order to come away with a victory this weekend. The only question is, will they have enough in the tank to work up a bit more magic for a third straight week?

2. Can the Ducks slow USC’s pass attack?

In terms of the game within the game, the matchup between the Oregon defense and the USC offense is expected to be one that ultimately determines who walks away victorious. Specifically, the matchup between the Ducks’ defensive backfield and the Trojans’ deep fleet of receivers.

As Duck fans well know, the last two weeks have seen the Oregon defense take an astonishing step back from the way they had performed over the first six games of the season. During that span, the Oregon defense ranked near the very top of every major statistical category nationally and was the clear-cut catalyst for a team that looked primed to take the Pac-12 by storm. The Ducks still look to be that team, though perhaps not to the degree we originally thought, especially with the defense surrendering an average of 440 yards of total offense and 33 points per game in back-to-back weeks vs. Washington and Washington State. The secondary – the perceived strength of this team – has been particularly victimized, as they were shredded by Washington’s Jacob Eason (23-for-30, 289 yards, three touchdowns) and Washington’s State’s Anthony Gordon (32-for-50, 406 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions) through the air.

Things won’t get any easier this week facing what is perhaps the Pac-12’s most talented passing attack in USC. Led by a rising star at quarterback in Kedon Slovis (72.3% completion percentage, 1,625 yards passing, 13 touchdowns, five interceptions) and one of the best collections of receivers in the country in Michael Pittman, Jr., Tyler Vaughns, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Ducks will have their work cut out for them when it comes to finding answers to what has ailed them on defense of late.

3. Is CJ Verdell due for another big day, or will a different RB carry the Ducks on the ground?

After getting off to a slow start over the first month of the season, the Oregon ground has seemingly found its stride over the last several weeks. Behind perhaps the most talented offensive line in the country, the Ducks rushed for 225.5 yards per game through the month of October and have received signature performances in particular from redshirt sophomore running backs CJ Verdell and Cyrus Habibi-Likio. Against Washington two weeks ago, Habibi-Likio was the hero, rushing for a career-high 81 yards – all in the second half – as the Ducks overcame a 14-point deficit to leave Seattle with a 35-31 win. That game was sandwiched between two brilliant outings from Verdell, who rushed for 171 yards on 14 carries vs. Colorado before exploding for a career-high 257 yards and three touchdowns last Saturday vs. Washington State.

Against an injury-riddled USC defense this Saturday, another big game on the ground could be in store for the Ducks, as the Trojans have been a sieve this season against run, ranking 10th in the Pac-12 in rushing defense (190.13 yards/game). Like it was against Washington State, Oregon’s rushing attack, whether it’s led by Verdell, Habibi-Likio, or someone else, could once again be the great equalizer should the Duck defense once again struggle to come up with stops.

Top Photo: Oregon LB La’Mar Winston (Jenny Rydstedt/Whole Flock of Ducks)