Legends Take: Stanford physical enough to slow down Oregon

It’s not often that a Saturday in early October has Pac-10 title implications.

But that’s the case when No. 12 Stanford travels to Eugene to face the fourth-ranked Oregon Ducks.

“I think Oregon has so much speed,” said former USC head coach John Robinson. “They are just faster than the teams they’re playing. Can you neutralize it? Does a strong team neutralize that spread offense? I’m not sure.”

Oregon’s high-powered offense — led by running back LaMichael James — ranks second nationally in total offense to Michigan. The Ducks, however, average nearly 58 points per game, which is 17 points more than the Wolverines.

“Oregon is not a great defensive team,” Robinson said. “So, if they’re going to play a big time opponent, if you matched them with a team like Ohio State like they were 9 months ago, I don’t think they’re a good enough defensive team to stand up to a top-level team like that. But they can be a pain if you’re trying to defend that speed.”

Stanford may be physical enough to impose their will on Oregon. The Cardinal defense has allowed just under 14 points per game. Stanford also shut out UCLA on the road — the same team that put up 34 points on Texas.

“I think Stanford is a really good team,” UCLA legend Terry Donahue said. “They’re very physical on both sides of the ball. This is not a typical Stanford team defensively. It’s much stronger, faster, tougher. They knocked UCLA sideways.”

Stanford’s offense is no slouch either. Quarterback Andrew Luck has risen in most expert’s ranks as the top player for next year’s NFL Draft. According to the Legends, the game will come down to Stanford’s ability to keep Oregon’s offense off the field.

“I think Stanford can hang,” Robinson said. “Stanford is a pretty serious team. It’s that typical, ‘Can we control the ball and keep them off the field?’ They’re physical and they have a quarterback who is really a big time player.”

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