Season Opener Provides an Early Test for Mario Cristobal and New-Look Ducks

On Saturday, the No. 11 Oregon Ducks hope to upend the SEC>Pac-12 narrative and impose their will on the No. 16 Auburn Tigers.

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images

Oregon Ducks’ head coach Mario Cristobal – a former Miami Hurricanes’ offensive lineman – showed up in Eugene with a clear emphasis on imbuing his football team with the toughness and humility that made him a force in the trenches for legendary coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson. 

On paper, he has Oregon prepared to tackle the tall task of neutralizing, even dominating, an SEC team at the point of attack. On Saturday night, the Ducks will have a chance to exorcise some demons and prove that they can compete with the big boys. 

Under head coach Chip Kelly, the Ducks changed the landscape of college football with their high-flying, high-octane offensive attack. While they dominated their Pac-10 (and later, Pac-12) competition, marquee victories against tough-nosed opponents on big stages eluded them. 

The last time the Ducks and Tigers met, Auburn amassed 254 yards on the ground and disrupted the Ducks’ offense in the backfield all night on their way to securing a win in the 2011 BCS National Championship. Cristobal has made a concerted effort to remedy the disparity in power in the trenches that was present during that matchup, while maintaining the innovation and excitement on the offensive side of the ball.

Saturday will be the first major test of how effective his approach has been.

On paper, the Ducks will have the advantage, though Vegas oddsmakers don’t see it that way. The Oregon offensive linemen have the most skill – and depth – of any Oregon team in recent memory.  Rarely does a unit have a chance to prove their mettle so early in the season, and the Ducks can endear themselves to their coach and fans with a major victory Saturday night in Dallas.