Oregon finds themselves No. 4 in the country and currently would be in the College Football Playoff, though another loss would almost surely eliminate them from contention.
Utah is coming off of a disappointing loss to Arizona State, but are still ranked No. 20 and are looking to get a marquee win to get them into the playoff conversation.
Records:
Oregon: 8-1 (6-1 Pac-12)
Utah: 6-2 (3-2 Pac-12)
Last Meeting: Oregon won 44-21 in 2013
Oregon Outlook:
The Ducks have responded extremely well since their loss to Arizona on October 2nd, winning their past four games by an average of 21 points. They've set themselves up to make the inaugural College Football Playoff if they can continue to take care of business, and have proven to be one of the nation's top teams.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota is a big reason for that success, and he's in line to win the Heisman if he can continue his high level of play.
Utah Outlook:
The Utes have been one of the surprise teams in the country after pulling off big wins over UCLA and USC, but fell back to Earth a little bit after their 19-16 loss to Arizona State.
They're still No. 20 in the country and have an outside chance at making the College Football Playoff if they can win out, and a win over Oregon would go a long way in doing that.
What to watch for:
This is a stereotypical strength vs. strength matchup. Utah's defense is one of the best in the Pac-12, while Oregon's offense is one of the best in the country. The Ducks have traditionally had a problem dealing with physical defenses, which the Utes most certainly are.
If Oregon can get on the board early, they'll be able to cruise to an easy win. However, if Utah's defense keeps the Ducks off the scoreboard on their first couple drives, they'll have control of the game and a chance to pull the upset.
Prediction:
Oregon wins 34-20
Utah is a good team, but the Ducks simply have too much firepower. Their elite speed and athleticism is going to be a problem for the Utes, who simply won't be able to put up enough points to match Oregon.
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