re: Oregon now vs. years past - what is the difference?

I think Oregon fans would be able to better answer this than me, but I'll give one perspective.

For me, the greatest improvement is their offensive line. Early in the year (when they lost to Arizona), the line looked absolutely horrible. I suspect injuries were playing a role, but they've certainly jelled a lot in the past couple of months.

Mariota's speed, his familiarity with the offense after three years, and his accuracy on planned routes is another key.

A third key is that Oregon's defense is a little more stout against the run this year. They aren't elite, but they also aren't getting beaten down by a Ka'Deem Carey, Tyler Gaffney, or Stepfan Taylor like they have in the past.


Two problems, though:

Ezekiel Elliott might prove me wrong about the improvement of Oregon's run defense.

Also, I'm not 100% sold on Mariota when he's trying to salvage a broken play. When Mariota is scrambling, he has a lot of highlight reel plays against some of Oregon's lesser competition. However, last night, he forced a couple of passes that should've been intercepted. Ohio State might pressure him into poor decisions more often.