Welcome to the point in the season we all have been waiting for. It’s time to enter conference play in the Big Ten for the first time ever.

Not only do we have a better feel for this Oregon team, we have a better feel for this conference and Oregon’s remaining opponents. The schedule sets up favorably for Oregon. Maybe not as nicely as Miami’s path through an inept ACC, but favorable nonetheless.

With three games in the books let’s take a new look.

1. Ohio State — No question who’s at the top. Nothing has changed here. But if Oregon plays like it did on Saturday we should have one heck of a game. Let’s hope that’s the case.
2. Michigan — I think Michigan has to get the nod here but not by much. They are good, not elite. This is definitely a winnable game for Oregon. Adding to the difficulty is playing in Ann Arbor.
3. Michigan State — I think Jonathan Smith will play Oregon tough (er) than most expect. I’m glad this one is at home for Oregon however.
4. Illinois — You could probably make an argument for 2-5 swapping positions. Again, the great news is that it’s a home game for the Ducks. Don’t sleep on the Fighting Illini.
5. Washington — Like I said, you can flip 2-5 however you want. I’m not writing them off because of a tough Apple cup loss. A lot of emotion in that game. The Huskies still gotta deal with Michigan, USC and Penn State before Oregon.
6. Maryland — Did you know Maryland is 2-1 with only a 3-point loss to Michigan State. They are a tough out. But I think just a step behind UW here because of the rivalry UW offers.
7. Wisconsin — Losing Tyler Van Dyke for the season is a tough blow for the Badgers. Frankly I thought they’d be a lot better this year. And I’m still concerned about Oregon playing them on the road. But Oregon should win by 2 scores fairly easily.
8. Purdue — The last two are whatever. Neither are very good. But Purdue is on the road and right in between Ohio State and Illinois. Absolute definition of a ‘trap game’ here.
9. UCLA — The Bruins are not a good football team. Chip Kelly left the team short on talent and Foster is unproven. It was always going to be a tough season for UCLA.

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