Michigan is welcoming the number one team in the country, Oregon, to town in a game the Wolverines would love to steal away from the Ducks.
Below are predictions from the Maize & Blue Review staff as the Wolverines take on Oregon.
Josh Henschke
The warm and fuzzies on offense might continue this week but Oregon is the vastly superior team right now. The Ducks' offense is explosive and can score on you in a variety way. AARP-eligible Dillon Gabriel will show the importance of having an established quarterback run an offense as he has a big day. A lot can be said about the timezone lag this season, and I do think it's real, but I don't think it can slow down the Ducks enough for the Wolverines to steal a win.
Oregon 35, Michigan 17
Trevor McCue
The win over Michigan State was needed, and while there was some positives that came out of that game, some of the same issues continue to linger. Michigan's passing game was better under Davis Warren, and Kirk Campbell did a great job of integrating Alex Orji into the game plan, but Michigan still only scored 24 points. In fact, the Wolverines have not scored 30 points all season.
I don't expect the Michigan defense to hold Oregon under 30, especially with the tackling and coverage issues, along with Wink Martindale's insistence to run exotic looks on third down. So many things need to go right for Michigan to be competitive in this game, and I just can't see it happening. Throw injuries into the equation, and Michigan covering will feel like win.
Oregon 31 Michigan 17
Dennis Fithian
If Michigan wants to make a statement, beating the top ranked team in the country with the current Heisman favorite would be a great start. Stranger things have happened, especially if Michigan plays its best game of the year on both sides of the ball. Nobody wants to see Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.0 starring Dillion Gabriel with Dante Moore making a cameo. I’ll take the 14.5.
Oregon 31, Michigan 20
Brock Heilig
There’s not much to write about this game. One team is operating at an elite level; the other is not. One is the top-ranked team in the nation; the other isn’t receiving votes in the AP Poll. Perhaps Michigan did receive a big confidence boost after beating the Spartans last weekend, but Oregon is a different animal. The Ducks are the No. 1 team in the country for a reason, and they’ve backed that ranking up with their three top-25 wins. Oregon is the much better team, and it should beat Michigan going away. Don’t be surprised, though, if Oregon comes out sluggish — that time zone curse is no joke.
Oregon 35, Michigan 14
Seth Berry
Michigan comes off a much-needed win over its rival Sparty last week. This weekend, however, presents a much different test for the Oregon Ducks as the Wolverines welcome the No. 1 team in the nation to the Big House. As bleak as the trajectory of Michigan’s season still looks at 5-3, a win over Oregon on Saturday could change everything. To have a chance, Michigan is going to have to find a running game again, Davis Warren will have to play his absolute best…and it still might not be enough. Something tells me, coming off the victory last week, we will see a much different version of U-M than we did early in the season against Texas. Oregon, however, has too many athletes who can make you miss in space (Tez Johnson, Jordan James, etc), and that isn’t a good formula for a defense that has struggled with tackling.
Oregon 31, Michigan 24
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