Here you have it, the staff predictions for this major Pac-12 clash between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Oregon Ducks.
Brad | Cory | Ben | Nick | Cody | Ryan |
|
|
Brad Denny: Oregon wins 38-31
For the last few years, ASU has had the talent to beat Oregon, but not the discipline. In addition to fighting the Ducks, the Sun Devils were also battling their own self-destructive tendencies. But no more. These two teams will line up and each has several reasons why they can emerge victorious. ASU's defense is capable of disrupting the Ducks enough to throw them off, and the offense may be able to score enough to keep pace. It will ultimately come down to mistakes: if ASU can avoid them while forcing Oregon into three or four big ones, the Sun Devils have a good chance. However, I think they come up juuuuust short on Thursday. Game MVP: De'Anthony Thomas
Cory Williams: ASU wins 38-34
The 'A' is back in black. Puddles the Duck is going to have a black eye after the blackout knocks the Ducks from BCS contender to Pac-12 also-ran. Taylor Kelly continues his ascent into the upper echelons of the Pac-12 quarterback rankings, while the Sun Devils pull off a huge upset on their home turf. The defense will be essential to stopping Oregon, and the combo of Chris Young, Brandon Magee and Will Sutton find a way to neutralize the impact of superstar De'Anthony Thomas. Heck of a game, a nailbiter all the way. Game MVP: Taylor Kelly
Ben Haber: Oregon wins 38-31
Oregon is one of the nation's elite teams. Conversely, ASU is 5-1 and prospering, yet nowhere near as talented. The Sun Devils best asset is their tremendous depth at running back, but are still weaker than Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas. However, Ducks' freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota may struggle against the Devils talented defensive line. Will Sutton was recently compared to Warren Sapp by ex-head coach Dennis Erickson; he needs another big time performance for ASU to have a shot. The scary part for Sun Devil Nation, Oregon is arguably better now than in previous seasons. Media members surrounding the Ducks program believe this year's defensive unit is the best Chip Kelly's owned. Although, Oregon did allow 34 points against Arkansas State, meaning Taylor Kelly should do well. Over the last two match-ups, ASU has played Oregon tough, losing by 14 and 11. I expect the Devils to make even more progress, but not enough. This clash will provide the sold out crowd/ESPN audience with countless touchdowns and flat out entertainment. Game MVP: Kenjon Barner
Nick Marek: Oregon wins 34-28
To keep things short and sweet, this game is very much up in the air. On paper, second-ranked Oregon will beat Arizona State this year. This game is a little different because of the intangibles. ASU has a duck hunter that Oregon does not know how to scare. His name is Todd Graham. A coaching change has already done this program wonders. Every ASU game thus far has been televised and this Thursday night game will be the second straight week on ESPN. There is no need to comment on Oregon's fantastic Pac-12 leading offense (51 points per game). We all know it's good and that the Ducks will perform every week. One X-factor for ASU besides home field advantage is that they have a far more disciplined team than last year. In the 42-31 loss against Oregon in 2010, the team turned the rock over seven times and committed 90 yards worth of penalties. I'm not saying the Sun Devils will win this game, but they can fly with Oregon. ASU has a few things on their mind as well - a Top 25 AP ranking and a chance to move closer to the Pac-12 championship game. Do not miss this one because it will be a closer game than most people expect. Heck, even Las Vegas dropped their point spread. Ducks should hand ASU its second loss of the season, but do not be surprised if Sparky and company can black out the Duck. Game MVP: Marcus Mariota
Cody Ulm: Oregon wins 44-31
As well as this team matches up against Oregon, I just can't see it happening. The Devils excel in fast break scoring like the Ducks do but a lot of their punch is taken away when there's no run game to fall back on. The Ducks have shown a tendency to put the ball on the ground with seven fumbles lost but ASU will have to win the turnover battle to stand a chance (which I don't see that happening). And even if they get a few takeaways, they'll still have to play some extremely disciplined defense the rest of the time as Oregon always finds a way to get their playmakers the ball with lots of room to work with. At the end of the day, I believe ASU's defense is going to get warn out too quickly and Mariota's accuracy will expose this secondary for what it really is. Expect a valiant effort with the greater of the two talent quotas being too much to take down. Game MVP: QB Marcus Mariota
Ryan Bafaloukos: Oregon wins 38-24
I think the Sun Devils will keep it close for at least a half. ASU does not match-up terribly with the Ducks, and ASU has the offensive weapons to keep up with the Oregon. That being said, the ASU defense has not seen anything like the Oregon offense. The speed and talent that Oregon brings to the table is overwhelming for any defense. The scary thing about Oregon is that there defense is vastly improved and most believe that this unit is the best it has ever been under Chip Kelly. The game will be close going into the half, however Oregon's speed will be too much in the second half and the Ducks will begin to pull away. Oregon MVP: Kenjon Barner, ASU MVP: Taylor Kelly