Frankly, that'd probably be true even if Oregon's offense looked more explosive and efficient than it did a year ago (spoiler: It doesn't). As a potential top-3 draft pick, Moore could be preparing for his first NFL game right now. Maybe it'd be with the New York Jets.
Or maybe in Arizona as the future of the Cardinals' organization. It is nearly unprecendented nowadays for a top-3 pick to eschew the pros, even in the NIL era. Instead of preparing to make his NFL debut Sunday afternoon, Moore is fending off criticism after No. 6 Oregon's stunning 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State.
Moore threw two touchdowns but was 14 of 29 and finished with a 26 QBR. If the season goes into the tank, he's going to end up leaving precious guaranteed NFL money on the table. The word "stunning" can be overused at times but this is an Oklahoma State team that was a 24-point underdog and lost to Tulsa last week.
A program that last beat a FBS opponent in 2024, hadn't beaten a top six opponent since 2022 and had lost its last 12 games. The Cowboys hadn't scored more than 30 points in a game since November 2024. Relative to the lofty preseason expectations Oregon entered this season, it's the worst loss of the Dan Lanning era in Eugene.
And it immediately calls into question Lanning's decision to internally promote Drew Mehringer to offensive coordinator and Chris Hampton to defensive coordinator rather than bringing in an outside voice. Mehringer had bounced around college football, including being let go at Texas as passing game coordinator, before catching on at Oregon under previous offensive coordinators Kenny Dillingham and Will Stein. Moore's future is in Mehringer's hands now.
There was a lot not to like about an offensive performance that totaled only 281 yards, went 5 for 14 on third downs and looked disjointed against the Cowboys. The nadir was a foolhardy decision to go for it on 4th-and-8 on Oregon's own 33-yard line in the fourth quarter when Moore and the offense looked confused and unprepared to execute the play. It's officially a trend at this point after Oregon struggled a week ago, particularly in the run game, and was 4 for 12 on third down attempts.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
