Oregon Football: Oregon Ducks and LSU Tigers to Play In 2011

To be the best, you must beat the best.

This is true especially if you’re a team that plays out west and does not have the luxury of playing weak non-conference games year after year.

The defending Pac-10 champions Oregon Ducks will go against a perennial top-25 LSU Tigers team that won the BCS National Championship just a few years ago in 2007.

Both teams will do battle on national television on September 3, at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. This will be Oregon’s first regular season battle at a neutral site since 1985 in Tokyo.

Big things are sure to be in the Ducks future with the expansion of the conference and a coach who would play a top-25 team every week. Too bad for Coach Kelly and Oregon, no decent team from one of the other major conferences wants to play at Autzen Stadium.

The Ducks are forced to switch roles and do their own kind of hunting. It seems they landed a big catch with LSU and a victory in Arlington could prove to set the stage for the 2011 Ducks as they try to go beyond just getting to the Rose Bowl.

But before any of that madness, the Ducks need to prepare for the first test of this season after their 72-0 warm-up last Saturday. My focus will be on how sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas responds as he enters into Tennessee and Neyland Stadium to the echoes of 100,000+ screaming fans belting Rocky Top.

Oregon has more talent, but Oregon must score early then ride the offense to another easy victory.