Bill Oram: Oregon football’s moment of truth has arrived

EUGENE – Oregon’s moment of truth has arrived.

The Ducks looked like a national contender in every way on Friday night with a 31-10 win over Michigan State.

But the Spartans are at the beginning of an institutional transformation. Jonathan Smith has a lot of work to do in East Lansing. So the Ducks’ stunning victory was less a statement than the starting point for a long-simmering question.

“Finally,” Dan Lanning told reporters Friday evening, “you can talk about it. “We’re finally here.”

Let’s go…

Are the Ducks ready for Ohio State?

Will it be the Ducks?

Or the Bucks?

On Friday, Traeshon Holden caught a pass while lying on his back. Jordan James pushed Spartan defenders out of the way and totaled 166 yards. There is a depression in the midfield in the form of Aidan Chiles after Jordan Burch repeatedly threw him to the turf.

OK, one of them is slightly decorated.

But only slightly.

The student section was empty early in the fourth quarter of Oregon’s Big Ten home opener. The Ducks nearly doubled Michigan State’s offensive output, racking up 477 yards to the Spartans’ 250. Fans poured out before Michigan State could even score a goal midway through the final period.

The ducks Supporter were certainly ready to turn the page.

And why shouldn’t they be?

Next weekend features one of the most exciting matchups in school history. The Ducks are No. 6 in the country and could be higher by next week. The Buckeyes are ranked no lower than No. 3, assuming a win over Iowa on Saturday.

The matchup is not only a test for the 2024 Ducks and their ambitions to win a national championship, but also a test of what Lanning has built in his three years at Oregon. A test of his decision to put down roots in Eugene instead of using it as a springboard like his predecessors.

A loss to the Buckeyes wouldn’t necessarily destroy all of that. There could still be a rematch in the Big Ten championship game. And the Ducks have a long life ahead of them in the Big Ten.

But a victory…

That would be the ultimate validation of Oregon’s development. Of the hype that accompanied the Ducks’ move to the Big Ten.

While it’s easy to overstate the importance of a single game, especially in the era of the 12-team playoffs when a team can overcome virtually any stumble to still find its way to a national title, this matchup does carry weight .

Ohio State only allows 196.5 yards per game. Only Tennessee was more oppressive. The Buckeyes rank fourth nationally with 48.5 points per game.

The Ducks had two dominant defensive performances. In the last two weeks, Oregon has allowed just one offensive touchdown, and that came only after the Ducks were well in control of the game on Friday.

The common refrain in the press box on Friday was that the Ducks have truly arrived in the Big Ten: They win games by running the ball and playing stifling defense.

As Michigan State drove to the Ducks’ 2-yard line on its first drive, defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell blocked Chiles, the talented but raw quarterback who followed Smith to East Lansing, and forced a fumble that was recovered by Burch was fixed.

That fumble recovery came along with 2 1/2 sacks for Burch, who was as dominant defensively as any Oregon player during Lanning’s tenure. The Spartans offensive line had no answer for Burch.

“He played with great force,” praised Lanning.

When Dillon Gabriel stalled and threw two stunning interceptions inside the 10-yard line in the first half – his second and third of the year – the Ducks’ defense forced two punts in nine total plays.

When Gabriel was on the ground, the defense picked him up.

That was good enough against the Spartans. It will take more against the Buckeyes.

The luster of this Ducks team was lost in the first two weeks of the season. Getting past Idaho and Boise State — as good as the Broncos may be — doesn’t inspire much confidence.

But if you didn’t know that those games went that way, and only knew that in the next three weeks the Ducks had beaten Oregon State, UCLA, and Michigan State by a total of 14, 13, and 10 points, then you would know, I think that they were ready for the biggest test of their season.

Or at least as ready as they could be.

— Bill Oram is a sports columnist at The Oregonian/OregonLive.