Ted's Takes: Oregon Looking Like Playoff Team, the Rise of Shaq Thompson

Neither the Oregon Ducks nor Marcus Mariota clinched anything Saturday in their 45-16 win over Stanford. But both entities confirmed their serious national presence—the Ducks made a case for a spot in the first College Football Playoff and Mariota asserted himself as a leading Heisman contender.

Oregon enacted its predicted offensive edge against Stanford. It used Royce Freeman and Thomas Tyner as running backs who bludgeoned the Cardinal defense. When Mariota moved the ball to any Duck on the perimeter, Stanford did not tackle with the precision that was its hallmark in its previous two seasons.  

And Oregon has speed. Devon Allen, a national champion in the 110-meter hurdles, has transferred his speed from the oval track to the 100-yard field. Thus, Oregon has found a replacement for the big-play capability of the injured Bralon Addison (torn ACL).

Then, there is Mariota. After Freeman had established his running chops in the early going, Mariota called a read-option run from the Stanford 22-yard line in the first quarter. Defensive end James Vaughters crashed, buying the fake to Freeman. Mariota kept the ball, ran to his left past a leg-locked Vaughters and sprinted for a touchdown through a Cardinal defense that appeared mired in quicksand.

When I first met Mariota two seasons ago, I asked him if he had heard any comparisons to Colin Kaepernick. He had just started to hear them but admitted being unsure as to their accuracy.

Just watch the 22-yard touchdown run. It is an eerie view of a younger Kaepernick—the long strides that chew up yards in larger chunks and speed that stuns.

Mariota executed an offense, though, that wasn’t just Oregon flash. This was Duck strength. As receiver Darren Carrington told Andrew Grief of The Oregonian, a flier had circulated in the Oregon locker room earlier in the season. It contained the views of ESPN pundits who claimed “Oregon’s too soft for Stanford.” (Is there a Stanford fan on the planet who ever imagined those words relating to Cardinal football?) 

Oregon firmly smothered that belief with its third touchdown. The drive's finish didn't consist of isolating receivers in space or Mariota’s speed, rather straight-on running from Freeman (two runs of 10-plus yards in the red zone, made possible due to a penalty) and a scoring burst from Tyner.

The runs were Oregon’s repayment for the pounding it received from Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney, the Cardinal’s elite runners of the past two seasons.

Oregon established a tougher brand of football in beating Michigan State Sept. 6. But this was the moment every Duck fan needed. Oregon has reached an era where it expects to contend annually for national championships. Stanford had denied it twice. The Ducks were emphatic in proving they were no longer “too soft for Stanford.”

Mariota also needed this game. A rough night at Stanford Stadium last November removed him from Heisman consideration. This was the brilliant performance he needed on a significant stage.

While early names like Kenny Hill and Todd Gurley have dropped, Mariota remains a constant at or near the top of most Heisman lists.

Lest anyone think a Pac-12 player can be a Heisman lock, consider these 2009 Heisman results:

Player, School	1st	2nd	3rd	Total
Mark Ingram, Alabama	227	236	151	1304
Toby Gerhart, Stanford	222	225	160	1276
Colt McCoy, Texas	203	188	160	1145
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska	161	105	122	815

Pac-12 standout and Stanford running back Toby Gerhart put up a good fight, but he ultimately lost to Alabama's Mark Ingram.

Taking a look at the 2009 Heisman Trophy votes by region, one can see why. 

Player	South	Southwest	Mid-Atlantic	Midwest	Northeast	Far West
Mark Ingram	254	214	222	214	238	153
Toby Gerhart	176	180	187	206	219	319
Colt McCoy	165	216	187	173	179	214
Ndamukong Suh	113	254	105	146	104	93

Gerhart won the West region but could not overcome the lopsided vote from the South and Southwest.

Now, to 2011. 

Robert Griffin III won the Heisman with a decided margin in first-place votes, 405 to Andrew Luck’s 247. As expected, each player carried his “home” region.

But, here are the South region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee) results:

1. Griffin: 303 points
2. Trent Richardson: 256 points
3. Luck: 182 points

Griffin’s victory was deserved, unlike Ingram besting Gerhart in 2009. But the South voting in 2011, like Ingram’s win, highlights the utter lack of respect for Pac-12 football from that region and threatens the integrity of the Heisman vote.

(Disclosure: I became a Heisman voter in 2011, after declining multiple invitations. The biggest factor in my acceptance was the 2009 vote.)

I see nothing yet to cause a change in that line of thinking for 2014—Mariota will need to be significantly better than his peers from the SEC.

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Mariota is the Pac-12’s best player, but charging into second place on this list is Washington’s Shaq Thompson.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

UCLA’s Myles Jack and his occasional forays into the offensive backfield impressed us last year. Thompson has set a very high standard for two-way play, starting the year with four defensive touchdowns before moving to running back.

Thompson shredded the Colorado defense for 174 rushing yards and a 41-yard pass reception. And, he covered punts.

It may be too late for Thompson to enter the Heisman derby. But he is as important to his team as any conference player.

Nick Aliotti summed up Thompson perfectly on Pac-12 Networks after his Boulder performance, saying, “Washington does not win that game without Thompson playing offense.” 

Elsewhere in the conference, Arizona State found a way to beat Utah, 19-16. Most accurately, it survived 60 minutes and then watched one of the nation’s best kickers, Andy Phillips, miss two field-goal attempts in overtime. Utah dominated the line of scrimmage and special teams.

Utes QB Travis Wilson did enough damage with his legs to generate some offense. And Devontae Booker continues to be this year’s version of Ka’Deem Carey, a tireless workhorse running back.

Then, at the end, Taylor Kelly and the Sun Devils were celebrating a win. Sun Devils coach Todd Graham did not waver when Kelly recovered from a foot injury. Mike Bercovici had played well, giving many some pause about the starting job. Not Graham. He returned to Kelly, and the Sun Devils are a Saturday win over Notre Dame from the Top 10 and forced entry into the national playoff picture.

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Not so for Washington State. It has been a horrid football fall in Pullman, but the most unpleasant moments were in Saturday’s first half when Connor Halliday suffered a broken leg after a hit from USC’s Leonard Williams.

Halliday’s Cougar career ended with huge individual numbers but no team success. The latter is not to indict Halliday. Despite a scheme that makes no attempt to run and has little ability to pass protect, Halliday competed in a supreme manner.

As for Oregon State, the Cougars' upcoming opponent, Sean Mannion is healthy and, now, is the Pac-12 career passing yardage leader. But the Beavers have suffered a meltdown and have only this week’s game as a possible remaining win. Post-Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks, the Beavers pass game has suffered. Injuries have decimated the defensive line, normally an Oregon State staple.

Mannion is a pro prospect, but scouts will have to look beyond a lost senior season.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.