Despite being ranked No. 2 in the nation and deploying arguably the most talented roster in program history, there were still questions facing the in Week 1 against the victory, even more questions have arisen as the team sets their sights on the How much will the early start and temperature affect the Ducks?
As mentioned, the game will be kicking off in the morning hours from Oregon's perspective, and while the team has already arrived in Stillwater and is attempting to get acclimated, it's a factor to consider — especially with how slow they were out the gates in Week 1. Now, they'll be facing high temperatures and an easy start.
So, how will Oregon as a collective respond? While a win is a win, it's paramount that the Ducks turn it on early against the Cowboys, showing that their late start gimmick against Boise State was a one-off. When resumes are compared by the Playoff Committee come November and December, how a team looked in a win can be a differentiator.
If the Ducks can prove that the Boise State showing isn't their true identity early in games by blasting Oklahoma State out of the water, it could wide away any stink that may arise from their Week 1 win.
Can they establish the run?
While Boise State has a solid front seven, the Ducks were supremely more talented than the Broncos and should've been able to run up and down the field. But that wasn't the case, with and combining for just 126 yards. While some of that had to do with the game script of Oregon falling behind early, offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer has to have an emphasis of establishing the run and allowing it to open up the passing game, not the other way around.
The Oklahoma State defensive line is much less imposing than Boise State's, so the Ducks should be able to run all over them. Tulsa, Oklahoma State's Week 1 opponent, rushed for 127 yards, providing hope that Oregon could far surpass that mark with much more talent leading the way.
is as good as it gets at the quarterback position and he can lead a passing attack against nearly all the defenses in college football. But when the going gets tough, it's going to have to be the run game that's established first.
Can the defensive line disrupt Drew Mestemaker's rhythm?
Oklahoma State runs an air raid offense under head coach Eric Morris, which produced the nation's leading passer in 2025 at North Texas in quarterback Drew Mestemaker. Now leading the Cowboys' unit, Mestemaker feasted on a combination of quick throws and field-stretching throws, patented routes from the air raid.
While the defensive line won't have much say if Mestemaker gets the ball out in less than two seconds, though defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington had seven pass deflections in 2025, they will have a say if Mestemaker decides to look deep. The Oklahoma State offensive line simply doesn't project to be good enough to keep the Oregon defensive line off their quarterback, likely leading to even more quick, short throws.
In that case, the Ducks' secondary should be ready to jump on those throws. But at some point, Mestemaker and the Cowboys will have to look down the field — and that's when the Ducks could disrupt Mestemaker, who struggles against pressure and could be rattled as the game progresses.
Will the Ducks play more disciplined football?
There were a lot of things that head coach Dan Lanning wasn't happy about coming out of Week 1, but the Ducks committing ten penalties for 90 yards has to be near the top of the list.
It was Week 1, and that sort of stuff happens. But ten penalties is egregious and could've turned the game if it were against a stiffer opponent. Bucking the trend of penalties becoming a norm starts now in Week 2. As much as Lanning and his staff can preach playing clean football, there's no way to prove that they can do it until game time.
Oregon was a clean football team in 2025, so there's no reason to believe they can't be this season. But they have to show that they can play penalty-free, with an opportunity to do so coming up on Saturday.
Which wide receiver is the star?
was the star against Boise State, both getting open for Moore and continuing his skill of making contested catches against tight coverage. By game's end, he had caught six passes for a game-high 150 yards and a touchdown.
Lost in the shuffle was the production of fellow receivers and , who combined for 14 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown. While McClellan has the ability to be a WR1, this appears to be one of those highly-powered college offenses with multiple players capable of starring in a game — McClellan, Moore, Stewart and potentially Iverson Hooks once he's healthy.
Who will it be against Oklahoma State? It's hard to say, and it's even harder to defend against for the Cowboys.
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