The first-ever Big Ten conference game arrives in Eugene, Oregon on Friday night as No. 6 Oregon hosts Michigan State. The Ducks won on the road last week against fellow conference newcomer UCLA, and now comes a stretch of seven games in seven weeks, all against longtime Big Ten incumbents.
Oregon's Big Ten baptism will include a home game against Ohio State and road trips to Maryland and Wisconsin, but the Ducks must first deal with Michigan State. The Spartans started 3-0, but are reeling a bit after losing 38-7 to Ohio State at home last week and falling at Boston College the week prior. Michigan State did open its Big Ten campaign with a win at Maryland, but that Sept. 7 victory is the team's last against an FBS opponent.
The matchup also brings some old Pac-12 beef to the forefront as Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith was the head coach at Oregon State for six years and a former star quarterback for the Beavers. Smith went 2-4 against Oregon as a head coach, but both wins were of the spoiler variety taking down top-10 Ducks teams on rivalry weekend. This marks the rubber match for the Dan Lanning vs. Jonathan Smith rivalry, currently tied 1-1.
Oregon vs. Michigan State: Need to know
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel on pace to challenge Bo Nix's completion record: The Oklahoma transfer has settled right in at Oregon, currently leading the nation in completion percentage (81.5%) while ranking in the top 15 nationally in multiple major passing categories. This strong start comes just one year after Bo Nix set a new NCAA single-season record with a 77.4% completion percentage, showcasing just how efficient the Ducks have been in the last couple of years with offensive coordinator Will Stein. And that's not the only records Gabriel is chasing, as the sixth-year senior continues to climb up the career lists and threaten Case Keenum's all-time NCAA records for passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Aidan Chiles leads Michigan State's offense in his third road start: When Jonathan Smith left Oregon State for Michigan State, then-Beavers quarterback Aidan Chiles also made the move to East Lansing. A promising high school prospect who saw action as a true freshman backup in 2023, Chiles took control of the Spartans' starting job and been a part of both the highs and lows fort the offense in 2024. Chiles has eight total touchdowns (five passing, three rushing) but also eight interceptions through five games, including three picks in a four-point loss at Boston College. If the Spartans are going to pull off the upset, the offense will need to play a cleaner game than it did the last time out on the road.
Oregon riding success of improved offensive line play: While Gabriel carries an efficient body of work on the season, the offense as a whole was falling short of expectations in the early weeks of the season. One reason was inconsistent offensive line play. The group was dealing with injuries and still trying to find the right combinations of players across all positions, but over the last two games has settled into a groove for the first time all year and finally started to thrive like Oregon lines from recent years. Oregon has not allowed a sack in the last two games and the rushing attack has put together its two best performances of the year.
How to watch Oregon vs. Michigan State live
Date: Friday, Oct. 4 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Autzen Stadium -- Eugene, Oregon
TV: FOX | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Oregon vs. Michigan State prediction, picks
After struggling in a pair of tough road trips to Maryland and Boston College, this will be the steepest challenge yet for a Michigan State team still early in its rebuilding process. Maybe that plays out in the Spartans' favor because they are battle tested, but a cross-country trip on a short week after playing Ohio State is a brutal turn of the schedule. Oregon has a lot of advantages on the field already, so I can see the Ducks being able to choose their score. Pick: Oregon -24
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