The Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines face off on November 2 in Ann Arbor for Oregon’s first trip to The Big House as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the teams couldn’t be on more different trajectories.
Oregon comes into the game at an undefeated 8-0 and ranked first in the AP Poll. The Ducks are similar to where Michigan was at this point last season: undefeated, the inarguable best team in the country, and rife with national championship hopes.
Michigan, on the other hand, has had no shortage of disappointment this season. The Wolverines come into the game out of the AP Poll for back-to-back the first time since early in the 2020 season. They’ve used three different quarterbacks, Davis Warren, Alex Orji, and the recently retired Jack Tuttle, all of whom have struggled en route to the team’s 5-3 record this season.
Despite all the advantages that the Ducks seem to have going into the game, head coach Dan Lanning knows better than to take Michigan’s down year for granted.
“It’s different based on who’s in the game. They’re both capable and they can win in different ways. But I think (Warren) played well in the last game and I think getting in a rhythm and finding some consistency is probably important for them. But they both can beat you in different ways,” Lanning said Monday during his media availability.
Last week’s victory over the Michigan State Spartans did seem like head coach Sherrone Lewis had come up with a more concrete plan at quarterback. Warren went 13-for-19 for 123 yards and a touchdown pass while Orji ran the ball whenever he was taking snaps, finishing with six rushes for 64 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Can that be sustainable against Oregon? It’s unlikely, but it’s been a strange college football season.
Michigan and Oregon kick off at 3:30 ET on Saturday. The game will air on CBS.
