In the preseason, the Oregon Ducks at the Illinois Fighting Illini looked a lot different on paper than its does right now. In August, this felt like an eventual 11-1 or 10-2 team versus an eventual 7-5 or 6-6 side. Now this feels like 8-4 vs. 4-8. Both sides are one setback away from seeing their seasons derail.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Oregon Ducks
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2 p.m. CT, BTN
OU Content: Jeremiah Johnson Exclusive Dante Moore on His Mental Health Advocacy
Illini Content: Why they sacked Bobby Hauck Emergence of Collin Dixon
Fun Fact: Illinois will host the Ducks for the first time since 1993.
Spread: Oregon -12.5 O/U 50.5
Supposedly, only a limited tickets remain for the Illinois vs. Oregon game, but you can easily get in for less than $30 per for this one. The Illini have sold out seven of their last 10 home games, but this one is not going to make it eight out of 11.
Oregon Ducks QB1?
Will Dante Moore be cleared to return for this one? Did Dylan Raiola earn the starting job back, from Brock Thomas, if Moore remains sidelined?
Moore suffered a concussion against USC on Sept. 26, on a play that was just brutally ugly; a total cheap shot by the Trojans defender. Moore has cleared concussion protocol, returned to practice, and we’ve seen him in pregame warm-ups the past two weeks.
However, Dan Lanning has only talked without saying anything at all when it comes to his QB depth chart, and the status of Moore. Let’s see what happens with the Big Ten injury report on Wednesday.
Michael Clayton II Era Begins Now
Katin Houser may not be healthy enough to play another college football. We’ll see if he can come back from injury to play against Iowa or the LOLHAT game, but who knows. It is now Clayton’s time.
He looked good in relief of Houser up in East Lansing, but now he gets his first start, and inaugural home game. Obviously, he’ll be fired up here.
DL/LB Woes Could be Exacerbated Here
A lot has been made of the Illini football program mismanaging the offseason. Plenty has been said about what a disaster it was to let the d-linemen leave and not replace them accordingly. We’ve had enough words written and said about the linebackers woes.
However, it doesn’t seem like too many media members have pointed out that the two weakest position groups on this team just happen to play right next to each other, and that only exacerbates the issues further.
Like one could argue that the DL and/or LB are not that bad, as a standalone, but when you combine them with each other…yikes! The Oregon Ducks have the personnel to exploit this weakness.
Prediction: Oregon Ducks 35, Illinois Fighting Illini 21
Regardless of who starts at QB for Oregon, the Illini will simply be overmatched against Nike University. There is a disparity in talent and depth between these two sides. Larry Gies cannot match firepower here with Phil Knight.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.