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According to David Teel (@DavidTeelatDP) of the Daily Press, the Hoos will host the Oregon Ducks on September 7th. This game replaces the previously scheduled Penn State game, which was cancelled last week by Penn State. Also according to Teel, the game is the first in a home-and-home series, and the Hoos will play the return game in Eugene in 2016.
Flush with Nike money, Oregon has been one of the top programs in the nation over the past decade. They have played in a BCS game for 4 consecutive years, including the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. They are 46-7 over the past 4 years, but just 2-2 in those BCS bowl games. They have also won 3 PAC-10/PAC-12 championships in the past 4 years.
Oregon is currently under investigation by the NCAA for alleged recruiting violations between 2009 and 2011, and Oregon head coach Chip Kelly left the program to coach the Philadelphia Eagles. In the past, coaches leaving a high profile school under investigation has often meant bad news for the school and the football program. Regardless, any NCAA sanctions won't affect our game.
The Ducks are famous for running the "Blur" offense, a super high tempo system designed to stop defenses from substituting. They score a lot of points, and they do it quickly, often going the length of the field in just a matter of seconds. They normally snap the ball with 17 or more seconds remaining on the play clock. Our defense will have to adjust to that speed and also to the speed of Oregon's athletes.
That offense scored nearly 50 points per game last year, good for 2nd in the nation. They were 5th in the nation in total offense, including 3rd in rushing. Defensive stats are somewhat misleading due to the fact that their defense tends to be on the field a lot, but they were 25th in the nation in scoring defense and 44th in total defense. They were also 1st in the nation in turnover margin. (All ranks are courtesy ncaa.org.)
This game will be a tough test for the Hoos, the toughest since the home-and-home with USC in 2008 and 2010. The Hoos did not fare well in those 2 contests, although they game close to winning the game @USC. In the home contest, the Hoos fell 52-7 in a game that was never in doubt. This year's Oregon contest may play out in a similar manner. Still, a game against such a high profile opponent puts the Hoos on national TV and will put fans in the seats. Also, the return game in 2016 can be a selling point to recruits on the west coast.