Michigan has never played a Big Ten game at Autzen Stadium. It picks a brutal time to start, with both programs still trying to prove they belong in the playoff conversation.
Bush’s Picks
MICHORE
MICHORE
OverUnder
Best BetOregon
Oregon returning Dante Moore instead of losing him to the draft is the single biggest swing factor in this game, and it's the kind of edge that shows up on the scoreboard against a Michigan team still trusting a sophomore quarterback in a new system. Backing the Ducks at home makes sense as long as Underwood hasn't clearly turned the corner by mid-November. Michigan's defense could keep it interesting, but this is Oregon's game to lose on paper.
Michigan
+Jordan Marshall (932 yards, 10 TDs) anchors run game
+Secondary trio Hill, Berry, Moore all healthy
+New staff overhaul could unlock Underwood
−Underwood struggled badly as a true freshman
−Coming off 9-4 season, blown out in Citrus Bowl
−Linebacker depth reportedly thin
Oregon
+Dante Moore (3,565 yards, 30 TDs) returned instead of turning pro
+Defensive front projected among nation's best
+Home game at Autzen in prime time
−New defensive coordinator replacing a proven system
−Nickel corner spot unsettled after departure
−Inside linebacker depth is a real question mark
Bryce Underwood was supposed to be the sport's next great quarterback the second he signed with Michigan, and instead he looked like exactly what he was: a true freshman, thrown into a broken offense that finished 9-4 and got run out of the Citrus Bowl 42-27 by Texas. New head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck were brought in partly to fix that, with a scheme that's supposed to use Underwood's legs more and simplify what's being asked of his arm. Dante Moore doesn't have that problem. He threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, turned down a shot at the NFL Draft to come back, and gives Oregon a legitimate difference-maker under center heading into this one.
The supporting cast matters here too. Jordan Marshall (932 yards, 10 touchdowns) is back in Michigan's backfield with 5-star freshman Savion Hiter behind him, giving Underwood a run game to lean on while he grows into the new system. Oregon counters with what might be the best four-man front in the country up front defensively, Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington clogging the middle with Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti off the edges. Both defenses are also breaking in new coordinators this year, Jay Hill at Michigan and Chris Hampton at Oregon, which adds a layer of unpredictability to how either group actually plays once the season's underway.
Show fees
11:00 PM CT
Spread
ML
Total
MICH Michigan
ORE Oregon
None of that changes what this game represents on the calendar. Michigan and Oregon have met plenty of times historically, but never in a Big Ten context, and never in Eugene. A night atmosphere at Autzen against a top-10 caliber roster is as tough a road environment as exists in the conference, and by the time November rolls around, this could easily be a game with real Big Ten title and playoff seeding stakes attached for both sides.
