To beat LSU, Oregon has to stop the run, react to the play action pass, avoid giving up big plays, win the line of scrimmage, establish tempo and avoid turnovers.
Just like every other game on the schedule.
The Twitterverse and Internet will continue to go crazy about every garbage bag collected from Jordan Jefferson’s apartment, every windsprint Les Miles orders (convenient that the “team punishment” dovetails nicely into extra preparation for Oregon’s fast pace) and every practice rep Zach Mettenberger is reported to take and Josh Huff doesn’t. As to the bar brawl, the painstakingly thorough investigation is likely to conclude sometime during the week of the Tigers’ game with Northwestern State.
For the Ducks, the news from Baton Rouge is another distraction, another outside influence to be ignored. Whether Jordan Jefferson or Jarrett Lee starts, Oregon’s biggest challenge in the game is to stop Spencer Ware running behind that big offensive line. If Mettenberger enters the game, they’ll pass a little more, but the basics of the offense and the responsibilities of Oregon’s defensive unit won’t change much. Rally to the ball and tackle. Kris Brauner of LSU’s Saturday Night Slant says Lee has a bigger arm but is more prone to mistakes. Third string quarterbacker Zach Mettenberger, a promising JC transfer with a great passing touch, is just behind him on the depth chart. Mettenberger is 6-5 222, and threw for 32 touchdowns with just four interceptions last year while leading Butler Community College to an 11-1 record and the juco national championship game. Look for him by the second half if the Ducks jump out to a lead of two touchdowns or more.
When the Tweeting and coachspeaking is all done, the two teams will line up and play a football game. And the outcome of that game will be determined not by the distractions or the predictions, but by blocking, tackling, executing and football. Darron Thomas will have to hit his targets. Carson York will have to hold his blocks. Nothing that’s said, reported or speculated will make a yard of difference.
Finally, in nine days, the SEC dominance and Oregon-in-big-games and all the other various debates will become back story and the dissipated steam from the hype machine. Oregon and LSU will play a football game, and the best-prepared, most focused team will win.
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