Has Oregon done enough to be No. 1?
Is it time for Oregon to be No. 1?
That’s the question many voters should be asking themselves following the Ducks’ 45-24 win at Washington.
The win was impressive, it was decisive, it was exactly the type of result one should expect from the No. 1 team in the country even in a hostile environment.
Week after week, Oregon has dominated its opponents. And week after week it remains at No. 2.
If we’re looking at resumes, Oregon’s win against Washington is every bit – if not more – as impressive as Alabama’s win against Texas A&M. The difference is that Oregon went into Seattle, one of the toughest places in the country to play, fought through some early adversity came away with a lopsided victory.
Oregon also has impressive wins at Virginia and against Tennessee, which gave Georgia all it could handle last week.
That Tennessee win is probably on par with Alabama’s triumph against Ole Miss, especially since the Rebels lost last week.
And there’s no question Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is the best player in the country. He threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 88 yards and a score. He’s the only quarterback to have both a rushing and passing touchdown in each game this season and he has yet to throw an interception.
There’s no doubt this will present a tough decision for voters, which gave Oregon five of the 60 first-place votes last week.
Even if Oregon doesn’t move ahead of Alabama this week, the Ducks have more opportunities for statement wins than Alabama has as the season treks on. Still, Oregon shouldn’t have to keep proving itself. The impressive and dominant win against a Washington team that many regard as one of the best in the country should speak for itself.
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