Less than two months ago, Oregon was considered a favorite to win the national championship. It put together one of the most expensive rosters in the country, and Dante Moore turned down the possibility of being a top-10 NFL Draft pick to return for one more College Football Playoff run. Following a 17-15 loss to No. 21 UCLA, the Ducks have a good case as the most disappointing team in the country, and their margin for error is gone.
After Oregon overcame the loss of Moore to beat USC on the road in Week 4, it seemed like the Ducks were on the path back to contention. They got an open date to prepare backup quarterback Dylan Raiola before hosting the Bruins and were comfortable favorites in Autzen Stadium. Then the game started, and what ensued was a disaster of epic proportions for Oregon.
Raiola was 6-of-19 with 43 yards and two interceptions before getting benched in the second half. On the ground, Oregon averaged just 2.7 yards per carry. It converted one of 12 third-down attempts.
The Ducks turned the ball over seven times. Despite all that, Oregon had a chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion with just over two minutes remaining. After a facemask penalty against UCLA, the Ducks needed one yard.
Their vaunted offensive line got knocked back, and Jordon Davison got stuffed for no gain. The circumstances weren't ideal for Oregon with Moore out, but it had the best backup quarterback in the nation, at least on paper. Besides, the Bruins didn't even play the full game with their starting quarterback because Nico Iamaleava exited the contest with an injury of his own and was replaced by Ty Dieffenbach.
With two losses and three weeks until Halloween, the Ducks and their $40 million roster are officially out of mulligans despite boasting one of the most expensive rosters in college football. If they want any chance at reaching the College Football Playoff, they'll have to go undefeated the rest of the way, and they have a date with Ohio State in Columbus on Nov. 7. Then again, no game is a layup based on how disappointing Oregon has been through the first six weeks of the season.
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