Back to the NCAA Newsfeed

Misery Index: Distress for Ducks as Oregon gives away sure win against Stanford

Check out the top 10 teams in the country according to the Amway Coaches Poll following Week 4 of the college football season. USA TODAY Sports

There is no difference in the standings between losing a game and giving one away. Supposedly, they all count the same.

But everyone knows that’s not really true. Some losses count more than others, and for Oregon, the win they let slip away Saturday night was as bad as it gets. Stanford 38, Oregon 31 in overtime is the kind of result that could linger over the program and coach Mario Cristobal for a while, particularly because the Ducks were twice on the doorstep of a triumph that would have instantly solidified their credibility as a Pac 12 force.