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ScoopDuck Roundtable: Surprise Storyline vs Purdue

On3 imageby:Justin Hopkins•10/14/24
Syndication: The Register Guard
Oregon running back Noah Whittington is hoisted into the air after a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks host Hawaii Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

It feels like we blinked and here we are. Right on to the next game. Oregon heads to Indiana for Purdue on a short week.

The Ducks second, and final, Friday night game is this week. This comes after a monumental win over Ohio State in Eugene on Saturday.

As usual we begin our roundtables with the surprise storyline of this game. There’s a number of ways we could go here so let’s check them out now.

Collin King: Ryan Browne gives life to the dormant Purdue offense, keeps it within 3 scores

Purdue was nearly able to complete the upset bid this past weekend against ranked Illinois and that was thanks to Coach Ryan Walters making a change at quarterback. In place of Hudson Card, Ryan Browne, a redshirt freshman, came in to toss for nearly 300 yards and 3 TDs and ran for over 115 yards as well. While I think this would definitely be a shock to most across the nation to see Oregon struggle here, coming off of an extremely emotional win and having to play a short week at Purdue isn’t necessarily a recipe for success.

Max Torres: Noah Whittington plays his best game of the season

Jordan James has been phenomenal for the Ducks this year, but we haven’t seen much from Oregon’s running backs behind him. He’s got 66 more carries than Noah Whittington (111 to 45), and there’s going to be a time this year where the Ducks need some production out of him. So why not feature Whittington more against Purdue, a game we expect Oregon to be heavy favorites in? Whitington hasn’t looked like the same player we saw a year ago, with the exception of his kickoff return against Boise State. I’m not sure if it’s because of last year’s injury or what, but I still think he’s a talented player and the Ducks need him to get him rolling.

Linden Hile: Oregon Starts Flat

This is a classic spot where teams tend to struggle a bit. By no means am I suggesting Oregon loses to Purdue but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see the Ducks come out a little flat.

Teams that win close, big, emotional games tend to not be quite as sharp the following week (see Alabama vs Vanderbilt) and a short week on a long road game compounds the issue. Like I said I’m not concerned for a loss but I think it will be closer than most fans expect.

Jhop: Oregon Wins by 40 Plus

I know we have a couple of predictions suggestion Oregon will be a bit sluggish in this one. Which is totally possible. Total trap game, on the road, new quarterback. A lot of unknowns.

But I think Oregon will come out with a different swagger than we’ve seen. This team knows its dangerous and can play with anyone. The Ohio State win will give them the confidence to arrive in Indiana and get out to an early lead against Purdue.

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