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The college football world is waiting for another opportunity to dismiss Oregon as a novelty act.
Whenever the No. 3 Ducks play a tough, traditional opponent such as No. 7 Michigan State, the game becomes a referendum on Oregon's style of play and the entire culture of the program. So Oregon will have something to prove again Saturday, when the Spartans visit Autzen Stadium for the biggest nonconference game of the season involving a Pac-12 school.
This is a classic matchup of style and substance, staged in the Ducks' frenzied environment. The game could go a long way toward determining a College Football Playoff contestant and is generating considerable buildup, with ESPN's "GameDay" crew coming to Eugene.
The Ducks are known for their flashy uniforms, fast-paced offense, creative schemes and consistent success — just not necessarily against the country's best teams, with tough defenses. That's why beating Michigan State would validate Oregon to a significant degree, even if the Ducks would like to believe they've moved beyond that point.
Oregon coach Mark Helfrich understands the way the game is being framed — "Great story line, absolutely," he said — but he's not playing along with the validation theme. Nobody suggested that Stanford's whole operation should be overhauled after last year's loss at Utah, considering the upset "an aberration," Helfrich observed. Yet every time the Ducks lose, they're treated dismissively, which he views as unfair.
He's right. The reality, though, is Oregon's glitz and glamour create attention, so the Ducks have to live with the occasional backlash.
Michigan State resembles Stanford, which has subdued Oregon's offense each of the previous two seasons in low-scoring victories on its way to Pac-12 titles, although the Spartans' scheme is radically different, according to Helfrich. The issue is whether an MSU defense that had to replace seven starters can play at its usual level, facing an Oregon offense that returned almost intact and is built around dynamic quarterback Marcus Mariota.
"The most intriguing thing to me is Michigan State's defense," said Stanford coach David Shaw, whose team lost 24-20 to MSU in the 2014 Rose Bowl. "You're talking about a dominant defense, a year ago. … The whole thing hinges on that defense. I love what the coaches do at Michigan State and the way they play - tough, physical, aggressive."
As Shaw pointed out, dealing with Oregon's offense involves personnel matchups and speed. Stanford and the teams from the Southeastern Conference that have beaten Oregon in recent years have been known for their toughness, yet athletic ability certainly played into their success.
The caricature of a Big Ten team is big and plodding, but that's not true of the conference's elite teams. Wisconsin's speed impressed me last weekend against LSU, for example, and Michigan State's defense features outstanding athletes such as end Shilique Calhoun and linebacker Taiwan Jones.
The Spartans' defense ranked in the top three nationally in every major category last season, and coordinator Pat Narduzzi was a hot name in head coaching searches. Michigan State will challenge an Oregon offense that "does some amazing things … cutting edge," said MSU coach Mark Dantonio.
The home-and-home series is ambitious for Oregon. "We love this game," Helfrich said. "We've certainly made our bed, and we'll attack it."
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Quack attacks
Oregon's results against marquee opponents of the previous five seasons:
2009 • Ohio State (Rose Bowl) L, 26-17
2010 • Auburn (BCS title game) L, 22-19
2011 • LSU (Neutral site) L, 40-27
2011 • Wisconsin (Rose Bowl W, 45-38
2012 • K-State (Fiesta Bowl) W, 35-17
2013 • Texas (Alamo Bowl)W, 30-7