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Michigan Wolverines Football vs. Oregon Ducks

Angelique S. Chengelis, Connor Earegood, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News predict the outcome of Saturday's Michigan-Oregon game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor (3:30 p.m., CBS/950).

▶ Angelique S. Chengelis: Oregon is as complete a team as you can get and will pose problems for Michigan, which is incomplete in so many areas. The Wolverines are coming off a confidence-boosting win over Michigan State and are taking the approach of ruining the seasons for the ranked teams they face, starting with the No. 1 Ducks. If Michigan has a chance to do something wrong with Oregon, they need it Wolverines a game like last week in which they had no turnovers or penalties and did not allow a sack from Davis Warren, who will start for a second game in a row and for the fifth time this season. They could also put cornerback Will Johnson back in the starting lineup. Sure, it's tough traveling across the country to play, but the Ducks and quarterback Dillon Gabriel aren't slowing down much these days. Pick: Oregon, 31-14

▶ Connor Earegood: The reigning national champion against the team that will probably win the next title. Passing the torch won't be much fun for the Wolverines. They lost this game six months ago because they couldn't find a quarterback in the transfer portal, which led to Davis Warren taking the reins again. The Ducks, meanwhile, signed Dillon Gabriel to round out the group of already talented returnees. Gabriel is a likely Heisman Trophy finalist who has already thrown for 2,371 yards this season. Even if you ignore the key offensive factors, Oregon has the 10th best defense in the country at 15.6 points per game. Michigan's own defense could be without its best individual player in cornerback Will Johnson, which will only make the game more difficult. The Ducks are legit and I don't think the Wolverines can pull off that big of an upset. Pick: Oregon, 34-9

▶ John Niyo: Davis Warren won back the starting quarterback job, but his reward is the No. 1 team in the nation and a defensive front that could overwhelm Michigan's leaky pass protection. Unless the Wolverines can mix in some QB runs or get a few play-action shots downfield, the Ducks should be able to repeat MSU's success in limiting Kalel Mullings and the run game . A surprise is possible, but probably requires a few turnovers. And Michigan needs to come up with a third-down plan that makes sense against one of the most efficient offenses in the country. That didn't happen against Texas earlier this season. That wasn't evident last week against Michigan State either. Pick: Oregon, 28-17

▶ Bob Wojnowski: If this has a familiar, uneasy feel to Michigan fans, that's understandable. No. 1 Oregon is just as dynamic as Texas, which went 31-12 in the Big House. UM's quarterback situation gained clarity as Davis Warren played solidly and Alex Orji made big runs against Michigan State. But the Wolverines don't have nearly the amount of talented players that Oregon offers. From the QB (Dillon Gabriel) to the star receiver (Tez Johnson) to the shifty runner (Jordan James), the Ducks can score in every way imaginable. If Sherrone Moore has at least settled UM's quarterback crisis, coordinator Wink Martindale needs to strengthen his defense. That means putting defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant under center and leaving Josaiah Stewart free to handle the pass rush. It's not impossible, but it will take a lot of sacks and turnovers for UM to have a chance. Pick: Oregon, 30-15

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