Nov 154 min read

No. 1 Ducks Hit The Road to Face Wisconsin Badgers

The No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten Conferece) are set to "Jump Around" the country on Nov. 16 to face off with the Wisconsin Badgers (5-4, 3-3) at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. The game will be aired on NBC at 7:30 p.m. EST. Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has his team answering all the questions fans and analysts had in the summer.

The Ducks are currently 13.5-point road favorites. Lanning wants to improve his record as Oregon's head coach to 33-5, and his team hopes to reach 11-0. Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell has had an up-and-down season, but the Badgers have been without starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke since Sept. 14. The Badgers will have to exhibit more of the disciplined behavior we have seen this year to defeat the top-ranked Ducks. Wisconsin is ranked No. 11 nationally in penalties with 41.

Dan Lanning, Oregon — © Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What's at Stake For The Ducks?

An appearance in the B1G Championship game is at stake for the Ducks at this point. Oregon is tied for first place with No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0) atop the B1G. To make it to Indianapolis for the conference championship, you must hold one of the two best conference records in the B1G. The Hoosiers and Ducks are both 7-0 in the B1G with a total record of 10-0. However, the Hoosiers' remaining schedule is less forgiving than Oregon's.

The Ducks are left with Wisconsin, a bye week, and will host their regional rival Washington Huskies (5-5, 3-4). Oregon is favored by multiple possessions against the Badgers this weekend and will certainly be favored at home against the Huskies in Week 14. Indiana is still tasked with a road trip to No. 2 Ohio State (8-1, 5-1) next weekend, followed by the last game at home against the Purdue Boilermakers (1-8, 0-6). The Ducks are quite familiar with Wisconsin because they faced them in two Rose Bowls in the last 15 years. Oregon won both of those matchups (2020, 2012). The Ducks are currently on a three-game win streak against the Badgers. Oregon won both of those games thrillingly. The 2012 matchup was headlined by De'anthony Thomas' 91 yard touchdown run with the chrome helmets. The 2020 matchup was headlined by Justin Herbert, who put on a 3-touchdown performance with his legs.

The Ducks have been handling business as favorites for the last several weeks. They even covered a 14-point spread on the road against the Michigan Wolverines (5-5, 3-4) earlier this month. Many critics were skeptical of how Oregon would perform with constant road trips against a more "physical" conference in the B1G. Those same critics also were skeptical if Oregon and the other newcomers (Washington, USC and UCLA) could consistently win in cold weather road games in the Midwest.

The Ducks have silenced those doubters. However, the other three new teams have struggled, as many expected. Oregon will get a bye week for Week 13 next week in preparation for the Huskies. Washington is Oregon's biggest rival as of late, and they ended the Ducks season in the Pac-12 Conference title game last year. Duck fans have not forgotten about getting beaten twice by their rival in 2023 and will certainly be playing angrily in Week 14.

Key Players: Oregon Ducks

Offense: Josh Conerly Jr., LT

Josh Conerly Jr. is an essential foundation for the Oregon offensive line unit and the entire offenses' success. Lanning has shown that in key moments, such as third down and short yardage situations, he likes to run the ball behind Cornerly on the left. Cornerly, who stands at 6-foot-5 and roughly 320 pounds, exhibits everything you want in a tackle prospect. According to nfldraftbuzz.com, Cornerly is a mid-first-round projection in the upcoming NFL draft.

The Badger defense in 2024 has been elite in some places, but not-so-elite in others. Wisconsin is giving up 164.6 yards per game against the run. That is ranked No. 92 nationally. However, the Badgers are only giving up an average of 159 yards per game against the pass. That ranks No. 6 nationally, giving the Badgers a top-10 pass defense in the country as of right now. The Duck offense has been consistently balanced this season and will need to remain as such against the Badgers. Conerly will be key in the run game, and Jordan James will lead the way as the starting tailback. Conerly will also be pivotal in protecting Dillon Gabriel when he drops back to throw against a great Wisconsin pass defense.

Defense: Derrick Harmon, DL

Harmon has played himself into first-round draft projections this season. He has been wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines. Wisconsin's passing attack has been sub-par, to say the least in 2024, partially because of Van Dyke's injury early in the season. Braedyn Lock was asked to step in for Van Dyke and his performance has been a roller coaster ride this season, logging 1,418 yards so far with 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lopoi won't be worried about the Badger pass game defeating them, but potentially their run game. Badger running back Tawee Walker has 676 yards so far on 142 carries. He averages an impressive 4.8 yards per carry, something Harmon and that nasty Duck front should look to neutralize.

Wisconsin Badgers — © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Trends to Watch

A trend to look for early in this game is to prepare for offensive coordinator Will Stein to establish the run early. The rush defense for the Badgers this year has been poor, while their passing defense has been the opposite. Oregon is excellent this season in both passing and rushing offense, so Stein should set up the pass through the run's success. In order to take the top of a good pass defense, you would want to bring down the linebackers and safeties on play-action fakes and consistent gains on the ground.