On an early second-quarter third down, Stanford had Marcus Mariota trapped behind the line of scrimmage, like so many times before the last two years. Mariota spun out of the tackle, spliced between two defenders and picked up the first down.
You could've stopped the fight there. No way No. 5 Oregon (7-1, 5-1) loses this game. No way Mariota loses this game. The Ducks won 45-16 and made a few things clear in the process:
Oregon is a playoff team: The Ducks deserve and should be ranked in the top four when the second installment of College Football Playoff committee rankings are released Tuesday. Stanford (5-4, 3-3) might not seem like a quality win by record, but it is a statement win for the Ducks. Oregon averaged 17 points and 358 total yards the last two seasons against Stanford. On Saturday, the Ducks rolled up 525 total yards.
The Cardinal had allowed more than 20 points in a game once this season. Oregon had 24 points by halftime. Michigan State, Notre Dame and TCU have arguments. Oregon, however, has the head-to-head win against the Spartans. They have the best argument right now.
Mariota vs. Dak is a toss-up: Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota are even money for the Heisman right now, but Mariota’s campaign is gaining team. He totaled 210 total yards and two TDs by halftime. The final line looked like this: 19-of-30, 258 yards, nine rushes, 85 yards, four total TDs.
Rolls Royce: The Ducks have won four straight since the loss to Arizona on Oct. 2, and that coincides with the rise of running back Royce Freeman (19 carries, 98 yards), who missed a fourth consecutive 100-yard game by two yards. Freeman has 88 carries for 500 yards and eight TDs through the win streak. A running back is a dual-threat quarterback’s best friend.
What's next: It all comes down to next week’s road test at No. 17 Utah. If Oregon passes, then they should sprint to the Pac-12 championship with an 11-1 record. Will Arizona be waiting for a rematch?
