Dave Portnoy tried to put Oregon and Michigan in the same bucket after a messy opening week for both programs, but the comparison runs into a pretty obvious problem: the opponents were not the same, and the finishes were not the same either.
No. 2 Oregon survived Boise State 10-0 in the fourth quarter at Autzen Stadium to escape with the win, while No.
16 Michigan needed a stunning and controversial ending to get past Western Michigan in Lansing. The Wolverines won 13-12 after the officials added one second back to the clock, which gave Michigan just enough time to launch a wild Hail Mary that was completed.
That final sequence lit up social media, where plenty of people argued Western Michigan had been robbed and even questioned whether the NCAA should look into the officiating decision. It was the kind of ending that can swallow the whole conversation around a game.
Portnoy, though, wasn’t buying the idea that Michigan’s escape should draw more heat than Oregon’s close call. The Barstool Sports president and Michigan alumnus argued that Oregon’s narrow win over Boise State deserved the same kind of scrutiny, if not more.
The problem with that take is that Boise State and Western Michigan are not operating on the same plane. Boise State has been one of the strongest Group of Five programs in the country for years, a team that is regularly ranked in the Top 25 and has stayed in the mix for conference titles and College Football Playoff discussion. Western Michigan, meanwhile, came to Ann Arbor as a MAC team and a 28-point underdog.
That gap matters. There’s a real difference between stumbling against Boise State and barely surviving a four-touchdown underdog by needing a last-second Hail Mary.
None of that means Oregon should get a free pass. DraftKings had the Ducks as 24.5-point favorites, and for a team carrying national championship expectations, struggling that much against Boise State was always going to bring criticism. It was a bad look for the No. 2 team in the country, and Dan Lanning’s group has plenty to clean up before conference play.
And Oregon did get blasted. The notion that “nobody cares” about the Ducks’ performance doesn’t hold up.
National voices came after Oregon quickly, with FOX Sports lead analyst Joel Klatt questioning Oregon’s toughness and readiness to contend for championships after the sluggish opener. Josh Pate of CBS Sports’ Late Kick with Josh Pate was even more direct, saying Oregon looked completely detached from the standard of a national championship contender.
What separates the two games, though, is simple. Oregon won on the field. The Ducks were pushed, they were sloppy, and they looked vulnerable for long stretches, but they still finished the job without needing a disputed officiating call to create another chance.
Michigan’s win is the one that still leaves people debating whether the Wolverines should have had that final possession at all. The officials put one second back on the clock, Michigan threw the Hail Mary, and the 13-12 victory followed. For many, that looked like the game being handed back to Michigan after it had already been lost.
So while both top-16 teams had rough openers against underdogs, the details matter. Oregon’s win over Boise State was ugly.
Michigan’s win over Western Michigan was ugly and controversial. That’s a big difference.
In Other News...
Boise States Brutal Travel Day Raises A Bigger Concern Before Kickoff
Boise States trip to Eugene turned into a long day of delays before the Broncos even got to think about kickoff, with weather and runway conditions at Eugene Airport forcing the charter to abort its landing attempts. The flight was diverted to Portland instead, and the team had to regroup there before continuing on by bus to Eugene, a detour that pushed arrival back nearly seven hours from what had been planned.
The travel hiccup added an unwelcome layer to a game week that already carried enough moving parts on its own. Between the aborted landing, the bus ride and the extra time spent huddled in meetings at the Portland airport, Boise State lost more than just hours on the clock, and the bigger concern now is how much a disrupted arrival can affect everything that follows once the Broncos finally settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Hijacked Oregons Tradition And Ducks Players Clearly Felt It
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Oregon players reacted in different ways, with some clearly taking it as disrespect and others viewing it as the kind of move a team uses to spark itself late in a game. Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said the idea had been planned during fall camp as a way to keep the group joyful and focused in the fourth quarter, which only adds another layer to a moment that clearly landed with both teams. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Helped Spark A New Oregon Secondary Debate
Davon Benjamins college debut came with a little more spotlight than most freshmen get. The Oregon cornerback got his first taste of game action against Boise State in the Ducks season opener and, even without a gaudy stat line, managed to make his presence felt on defense while playing a limited role.
Afterward, Dan Lanning pointed to Benjamins instincts, versatility and work ethic, all the kinds of traits that can quickly turn a young defensive back from promising newcomer into a real part of the conversation. A four-star recruit who drew attention during fall camp, Benjamin has already put enough on tape to make Oregons secondary look like a spot worth monitoring closely in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]