Oregon

Oregon Health Authority’s slowness to respond to drug crisis stymies expansion of care – Oregon Capital Chronicle

Published

2 years ago

February 16, 2024

Oregon Health Authority’s slowness to respond to drug crisis stymies expansion of care – Oregon Capital Chronicle

Last August, the Oregon Health Authority asked residential addiction treatment providers to identify “shovel ready” projects to increase the state’s ability to care for adults and youth.

Within weeks, providers submitted details on 16 projects that the state could fund. Many providers had already purchased or identified buildings, secured some funding from other sources and hired contractors or obtained cost estimates to renovate or expand existing facilities.

But they all are still waiting for a funding decision, according to interviews and records obtained by the Capital Chronicle.

Providers need state money to respond to the crisis, with overdose numbers skyrocketing, hundreds dying every year and streets awash with fentanyl. Construction costs alone require a mix of funding sources, including from foundations and the community. State money is a critical part of most behavioral health and addiction projects – it can increase the size and the ability to treat more people – and nonprofits need quick responses to obtain permits, hire contractors and finalize plans.

Yet the health authority makes providers wait for decisions for months. Officials are slow to respond to requests; they cancel meetings and are slow to reschedule even when providers are ready to go and even though state lawmakers have earmarked millions of dollars to the Oregon Health Authority for more residential treatment facilities.

“What I hear from my members is the slow response and lack of clarity and untimely payment processes is very concerning to all of our members,” said Heather Jefferis, executive director of the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health, which represents providers. “They are at the point where they have to start thinking about: Can I proceed with the project that OHA has to offer because of these timeliness issues?”

A Capital Chronicle analysis of public records and interviews with behavioral health providers with potential expansions reveal an agency that’s slow to respond to the crisis, forcing providers to wait to finalize plans or move forward with scaled-down projects.

Oregon lawmakers have stepped up: In the 2023 session, with backing from Gov. Tina Kotek, legislators approved $158 million in behavioral health money for new projects and programs. Of that, $15 million was earmarked for construction and expansion of residential addiction treatment facilities.

And again this session, lawmakers have made the addiction crisis – along with housing – a priority, with wide-ranging proposals that include increasing treatment capacity.

Just this month, the health authority released a report saying the state lacks nearly 3,000 beds to care for adults who need addiction or mental health care. Yet the Oregon Health Authority plods along at a frustratingly slow pace for behavioral health providers trying to move forward on expanding treatment services.

We don’t need another blue ribbon task force. We need to get our shovels out, get our development going.

– Tim Murphy, CEO of Bridgeway Recovery Services in Salem

The agency’s slowness is not new, but the stakes are higher than ever, with turmoil visible on the streets, while the available funding has rarely been higher. In the 2023 session, Oregon lawmakers, with backing from Gov. Tina Kotek, approved $158 million in behavioral health money for new projects and programs. Of that, $15 million was earmarked for construction and expansion of residential addiction treatment facilities.

Yet today, not one penny of that $15 million has been distributed, even as lawmakers look for ways to fund more projects this short session.

In 2022, the Oregon Health Authority also was flush with money to address the crisis. It had several hundred million in cannabis revenue to fund a range of services statewide under Measure 110, yet it was slow to act. Critics also were angered by the agency’s chaotic approach to awarding the first round of Measure 110 grants for addiction-related services and programs. A Secretary of State audit even said the rollout was burdened by administrative requirements and a lack of clarity around how to dole out money.

Advocates and local officials also raised concerns about the health authority’s pace at rolling out an historic $1 billion in new behavioral health investments that lawmakers allocated in the 2021 session.

Industry leaders and state government insiders who closely follow the state’s behavioral health system are growing weary of the red tape and task forces that often slow down the pace of meaningful action.

“We don’t need another blue ribbon task force,” said Tim Murphy, CEO of Bridgeway Recovery Services, which provides residential addiction treatment and other health services in Salem. “We need to get our shovels out, get our development going.”

Oregon Health Authority officials insist they are moving forward with urgency, and a spokesperson said the state plans to award money to projects this spring. But when asked, Tim Heider, an agency spokesperson, offered no examples of any changes the authority is making to get money to providers sooner.

In an interview, Dr. Sejal Hathi, the Oregon Health Authority’s new director, said the agency has identified about $87 million in funds that are “immediately available” to help projects. But she also said the needs are much higher and years of work are ahead to erase the state’s deficit of beds.

“We’ve identified a series of shovel ready projects to begin to chip away at that behavioral health providers are poised to break ground for with funding that we have received,” Hathi said. “But right-sizing that system of care is going to take more than five years and likely going to require additional investments from the Legislature of more than $500 million. And so this is a marathon. It’s not a sprint.”

Elisabeth Shepard, a spokesperson for Kotek’s office, said the OHA’s new leadership is focused on accountability and improvements. Hathi, hired from New Jersey, started in mid-January. Last year, Kotek recruited Ebony Clarke, the authority’s behavioral health director, from Multnomah County.

“She is never satisfied if things take longer than they need to,” Shepard said when asked if Kotek is satisfied with the pace of the agency’s work getting money to providers. “Her administration inherited an agency exhausted by a global pandemic and significantly lacking internal systems and leadership on behavioral health.”

Parrott Creek’s slog

A children’s services provider’s struggle offers just one example of the difficulty providers face trying to get funding from the agency.

Last year, Parrott Creek Child & Family Services in Oregon City was in the midst of planning a new youth residential facility to treat teenagers for addiction to fentanyl and other drugs. Managers at the Clackamas County-based organization recognized the growing threat of fentanyl – and the need for more young people to access treatment.

In June, they were optimistic. Annaliese Dolph, the governor’s behavioral health initiatives director at the time, connected Parrott Creek managers with Clarke. In an email on June 28, 2023, Dolph told health authority officials the group was planning a project to serve youth in addiction and needed funding.

“This project should be on the radar for you and your team,” wrote Dolph, now director of the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission.

An artist’s rendering of the planned residential facility for youth at Parrott Creek Child & Family Services in Oregon City. The project will serve 40 youth when finished. (Courtesy of Parrott Creek/El Dorado)

Parrott Creek is a well known provider in Oregon and works with children with mental health and addiction challenges who sometimes have been in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. It opened in 1968 and has worked with tens of thousands of children, youth and families over the years. But even after an introduction from the governor’s office and months of lobbying health authority officials, Parrott Creek officials have received no money from the agency.

Records show Parrott Creek officials repeatedly stressed the urgency of the crisis and the implications of a delayed decision.

With $8 million, they told state officials they could finish Parrott Creek’s planned two-part expansion and open 40 beds by the end of 2024. Without state money, Parrott Creek only has enough funding to complete a smaller expansion of 28 beds scheduled to be open by the end of this year.

Agency officials visited the site in August, and Parrott creek submitted project details in September. On Oct. 26, Parrott Creek officials asked the health authority for a response to its request.

“We are asking for an investment of $8M from the state so that we can ensure our 40 new beds come online by November 2024 as opposed to 2025 or, most likely, 2026,” Fulford wrote in the email.

Parrott Creek managers made follow-up calls and persisted, to the point of apologizing for their repeated check-ins.

“I REALLY apologize if any of that has been annoying but I hope it shows you that we are committed to delivering this much needed additional capacity for Oregon’s kids,” Fulford wrote in October.

On Nov. 2, his team met with agency officials. But a follow-up meeting on Nov. 7 was canceled.

“Unfortunately due to the demands of legislative presentations it looks as though we will need to reschedule today’s call,” Robert Lee, the agency’s senior policy advisor, emailed the group.

Fulford tried again.

“I will continue to stress the urgency on our side to know of funding commitments so that we can plan effectively to (hopefully!) bring our 40 new beds online for Oregon youth in 12 months as opposed to 24 or 36,” Fulford wrote on Nov. 7.

Later that month, Fulford again pushed health authority officials to meet, reminding them of the state’s lack of youth residential programs. Between 2018 to 2022, nearly 300 Oregonians aged 15 to 24 died from a drug overdose, according to federal data that also shows the state has the fastest-growing rate of teen drug deaths in the country.

I’d argue that kids in Oregon can’t wait until 2026 to address their growing acute mental health and addiction needs.

– Simon Fulford, executive director of Parrott Creek Child and Family Services email to the Oregon Health Authority

“I’d argue that kids in Oregon can’t wait until 2026 to address their growing acute mental health and addiction needs,” Fulford wrote on Nov. 20.

Health authority officials scheduled another meeting for Dec. 7. About three hours before it started, health authority officials canceled it, citing “other pressing issues.”

Later that month, state officials did meet with Parrott Creek managers. Fulford is still not sure what to expect.

“We feel like we’ve become a bit of an annoyance by continuing to ask them sort of the status of that decision making,” he said in an interview. “We feel like we’re in a bit of a holding pattern with OHA.”

For now, he’s hoping that lawmakers will fund the $8 million. But now that they’ve started the first phase of the project, completion of any additional beds won’t happen until 2025 at the earliest, he said.

“If we had secured that money by the end of 2023, we would have been able to guarantee the full completion by the end of 2024,” Fulford said.

Providers in Redmond, Salem wait, too

Fulford is not alone in his frustrations.

Rick Treleaven, CEO of BestCare Treatment Services in Redmond, which provides addiction treatment to people in central Oregon, is also waiting for answers. He’s been trying to get funding for two projects. One request is for about $506,000 that would help him add 10 more beds. The other is a 16-bed residential facility to serve Latinos.

“I’ve written that and sent that in maybe six times at this point,” he said. “Somehow it gets garbled. And so we’ll see what comes out of that.”

His organization contracts with the state to provide residential addiction treatment services for Latino men. But they currently lack the space to house Latinas in residential programs. This means Latinas have no options for residential treatment, even though the population of Latinos has continued to grow, he said.

“We have 13 male beds and that’s it,” he said. “That’s a classic example of institutional racism.”

Treleaven speculated that the slowness stems from an exodus of senior staffers during the pandemic.

“My sense is that during the pandemic, most of the senior staff who had been there a long time and knew how to do these things retired out,” he said, leaving a handful of experienced top managers.

The outside of Bridgeway Recovery Services, an addiction treatment provider in Salem, on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

In September, Salem-based Bridgeway Recovery Services, which provides residential and outpatient behavioral health care and addiction treatment services, requested funding to purchase two-six bedroom houses that would add 10 to 14 beds to its existing 24 beds, records show.

Bridgeway officials hope lawmakers will approve about $10 million for a 34-bed detox project to help people manage their withdrawal symptoms.

Bridgeway has about $6 million of Measure 110 funding, which is enough for it to break ground, but $10 million more is necessary to complete it, Murphy said.

Murphy said he understands the state needs to be careful making funding decisions, but said officials need to move more quickly. For example, he said, it’s typical for agency officials to acknowledge a request and say they’ll respond in 30 days.

“Why can’t they get back to me within 10 days?” he said. “That would make things work a little faster.”

The need is urgent, he said.

“Because of the high need we have in the state, because of the high overdose rates, because of the homeless population, we really need to expedite the services and try to develop an easier path for providers like Bridgeway and others,” Murphy said.

‘Let’s move’

State lawmakers again this session plan to allocate money to “shovel ready” projects, and providers have submitted a list, including some submitted to the health authority last year.

Providers are seeking money for about 40 projects across the state, from rural eastern Oregon to the coast, according to a list obtained by the Capital Chronicle. Not all of them will be funded. Even if they were, the state would still have a shortage of beds. But the quicker some of them are funded, the more quickly the state can address the addiction crisis.

“I would just like to see less talk – more action,” Murphy said. “Let’s move. We’ve got people ready to go.”

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Source link

Click to comment

Oregon

Indiana vs. Oregon prediction: Who wins the Peach Bowl, and why?

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Indiana vs. Oregon prediction: Who wins the Peach Bowl, and why?

It’s a family affair for the Big Ten with a spot in the national championship game on the line as No. 1 seed Indiana squares off against fifth-seed Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal.

Indiana has smashed up just about everything in sight, marching out to a 14-0 record with its first outright Big Ten title since 1945 by edging out reigning champ Ohio State and then pounding the bewildered SEC runner-up Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.

If they go all the way, the Hoosiers would become the first 16-0 team in college football since Yale did it back in 1894. Not bad for a program that has the most losses all-time.

Oregon is a 13-1 team with that one loss coming courtesy of these Hoosiers back during the regular season, but is coming off a dominant 23-0 victory over Big 12 champion Texas Tech in the quarterfinal round.

Indiana vs. Oregon: Keys to the game

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

1. Indiana’s Defensive Discipline vs. Dante Moore

Indiana’s biggest edge arguably remains a very disciplined defense that already solved Oregon’s scheme once, holding Dante Moore to 186 passing yards with two interceptions and six sacks in the October win at Eugene.

The Hoosiers compress space, tackle cleanly, and rarely bust coverages, forcing Moore to sustain long drives instead of living on explosive downfield gainers.

Key to this rematch is turning that discipline into disruption again: winning on early downs, disguising pressures, and closing throwing lanes so Oregon’s timing‑based pass game never finds a rhythm.

If Indiana can keep Moore uncomfortable without giving up cheap shots in the deep field, it tilts the game back toward another grind that favors the unbeaten No. 1 seed.

2. Oregon’s Early‑Down Efficiency and Protection

Oregon’s path back into the national title picture depends on staying ahead of the chains and protecting Moore far better than in the first meeting.

This is not a max‑protect offense; the Ducks prefer to get the ball out quickly on first and second down to avoid Indiana dictating pressure looks on third and long.

With top back Noah Whittington healthy and Jordon Davison sidelined, Oregon must manufacture run efficiency with motion, RPOs, and constraint plays rather than stubborn downhill calls into Indiana’s stout front.

If that early‑down formula works, Moore’s accuracy, Oregon’s speed at receiver, and a more confident offensive line could finally stress a Hoosier defense that has thrived when opponents become predictable.

3. Mendoza, Complementary Run Game, and Game Control

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza has turned Indiana into a complete, ball‑control machine, pairing 36 touchdown passes with just six interceptions while adding some key rushing scores.

The Hoosiers average over 220 rushing yards per game, using a deep backfield and a physical line to stay on schedule and keep their defense fresh.

Against an Oregon defense coming off a 23–0 shutout of Texas Tech, Indiana’s key is balance: steady run success, efficient intermediate throws, and red‑zone poise that converts long, methodical drives into sevens instead of threes.

If Mendoza controls tempo again, limits negative plays, and avoids the rare turnover, Indiana’s complementary profile again looks built to survive a tight matchup.

Indiana vs. Oregon prediction: Who wins?

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Line: Indiana -3.5, 48.5, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

If a team of destiny exists, it might be Indiana. Give them credit: they created that destiny themselves, playing a punishing brand of defense and riding an efficient offense behind a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

Dante Moore had the worst game of his season against the Hoosiers’ defense, and his late interception, one of two on the day, helped seal the deal in what remains Oregon’s only loss this year.

Jordon Davison was the Ducks’ leading rusher in that first meeting, and his absence in the rematch makes it difficult to see this going another way, in particular after watching the Oregon offense fail to capitalize as much as it could have in the Orange Bowl.

Having their rushing output compromised to that degree will only put more pressure on Moore to win the game, and Indiana’s secondary coverage unit is a little too good to let that happen. The Hoosiers will play for the national championship.

College Football HQ picks…

Indiana wins 33-20
Covers the spread
And hits the over

How to watch the Peach Bowl Game

When: Fri., Jan. 9
Where: Atlanta

Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
TV: ESPN network

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks

Source link

Oregon

Oregon turns to Peyton Woodyard, Zach Grisham to fill secondary gaps for Peach Bowl

Published

22 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Oregon turns to Peyton Woodyard, Zach Grisham to fill secondary gaps for Peach Bowl

ATLANTA — Oregon’s options for who to rotate in at safety and nickel in the Peach Bowl are finite, but not inexperienced.

Peyton Woodyard has 22 tackles and an interception as a backup this season. The sophomore is the next player behind starting deep safeties Dillon Thieneman and Aaron Flowers and could also play nickel behind Jadon Canady in the Peach Bowl against No. 1 Indiana.

Woodyard was UO’s only freshman defensive player not to redshirt last season. Though he fell behind Flowers and Lopa prior to the season, he’s still prepared to play a significant role, which could come in Friday’s College Football Playoff semifinal.

“You’d have more concern if you had a guy that wasn’t preparing like he wasn’t a starter,” defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi said. “But that’s the way he prepares. I’ve got the faith that we’re not going to put somebody out there that we don’t trust. … I don’t think if he’s out there competing for us, I wouldn’t hesitate one bit to put (him) out there.”

No. 5 Oregon lost Kingston Lopa and Daylen Austin to the transfer portal since the start of the playoff.

Walk-on Zach Grisham (44) and Woodyard (30) have the most snaps at nickel behind Canady and Austin. Woodyard has played 171 snaps this season, but just one in the Orange Bowl when Canady came out for a play. He played three snaps at deep safety during the October 11 game against Indiana.

Grisham has nine tackles in 11 games, splitting time between defense and special teams. He came in for the last defensive play in the Orange Bowl.

Lupoi called Grisham “an absolute baller” for the effort he brings to the field.

The Ducks may need to rely on one or both for a few snaps in the biggest game of the season.

“(Woodyard) brings a lot of range and he’s really smart,” Flowers said. “A really vocal leader. Great tackler. I feel super comfortable playing out there with him. Zach, he’s a man of the game. He knows every position; he knows star, safety. He’s really quick, really good man coverage.”

No. 1 Indiana (14-0) vs. No. 5 Oregon (13-1)

When: Friday, January 9
Time: 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV: ESPN
Stream: You can watch this game on DIRECTV (free trial) or with Sling (a Sling day pass to watch this game and more is just $4.99). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.

Source link

Oregon

CFP Semifinals Preview, Picks: What to Expect in Oregon-Indiana, Ole Miss-Miami

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

CFP Semifinals Preview, Picks: What to Expect in Oregon-Indiana, Ole Miss-Miami

Two powerhouse matchups. One step away from the national championship.

After a longer wait between games in the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, we should have two fantastic games in the semifinals, and Vegas thinks so, too.

Miami (Fla.) and Ole Miss go head-to-head fresh off their stunning upsets over Ohio State and Georgia, respectively, in the quarterfinals. Indiana and Oregon, meanwhile, will meet up in the Peach Bowl in a game that I’m really excited about.

So, let’s dive into what I think will happen in each game, and who I have winning to advance to the national championship game.

Fiesta Bowl: No. 10 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 6 Ole Miss

When I first started watching film of this matchup, the first thing I thought of — and Miami fans are going to love this, because the last thing they want is me picking Miami after picking against the Hurricanes in the first two rounds — is that this Ole Miss team resembles the SMU team it lost to.

By the way, it’s an SMU team I just spent time around during the Holiday Bowl and I had a conversation with SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee about Miami. We both talked about how dominant Miami is on the offense and defensive lines — that defensive line is excellent. But one thing SMU was able to do was utilize tempo on offense. So, a quicker tempo to try and tire those pass rushers while getting the ball on the perimeter as much in the first half as possible. Once the pass rushers got tired in the second half, it was easier for SMU to play offense and and it took advantage of that.

Well, Ole Miss can do that. I think Trinidad Chambliss is a better quarterback than SMU’s Kevin Jennings. Ole Miss can run the ball with Kewan Lacy. The Rebels can get on the perimeter and Chambliss can create. He’s wonderful at creating. He was so good against Georgia, buying time, showing off his strong and accurate arm.

Miami takes on Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl 🔥

So, at first blush, I liked Ole Miss in this game and the question for me was whether it would be able to hold up at the line of scrimmage. But that’s not the main question for me with this game. The main question of this game is who is coaching for Ole Miss? I cannot believe we’re in this situation where the head coach of a team playing in the semifinal is saying, “Well, I don’t really know what’s going on with the offensive coaching staff.” Are we kidding? What in the world is going on? In what world are we operating?

This is what I find so frustrating about this situation. This moment is meant to be so special for the players. It should be about Chambliss, Lacy and all these players who’ve put themselves in a position to win the national championship. Yet, they’re not being given the best possible opportunity to do that. This is not a coach’s moment.

Now, we’re talking about whether Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is back to game plan for the offense? I think Weis should’ve stayed at Ole Miss in the first place, but he followed Lane Kiffin to LSU and is still working with the Rebels through the CFP. Weis proved that he can call plays and that he doesn’t need to be under Kiffin in the win over Georgia. But now we’re sitting here and we don’t know what’s going on with Ole Miss’ offensive coaches. They should be there to build, implement, execute and call the game plan. It’s not just about who’s there on Thursday, it’s about who’s there the last seven or eight days. What should’ve happened in this situation was Kiffin allowing those coaches to remain in Oxford in a full capacity until the end of Ole Miss’ CFP run.

Miami takes down Ohio State, Indiana rolls Alabama, Georgia stunned by Ole Miss & Oregon advances

Because of that, it has made me rethink what I believe will take place in this game. What I know about this game is that Miami has something that it can rely on, and it’s at the line of scrimmage on both sides. The offensive line with tackle Francis Mauigoa and the run game with running back Mark Fletcher Jr. have allowed Miami to not put quarterback Carson Beck in a position where he needs to throw the ball on third-and-long. How many times was he able to pick up a first down on a first-and-manageable? He had huge pickups with his feet, and he hasn’t needed to throw the ball 150 yards so far in this playoff. If Miami can control the tempo and line of scrimmage in this game, it’ll have a great chance to win this game.

On the flip side, it’s about corralling Chambliss if you’re Miami’s defense. If he can create, who knows how many points Ole Miss can score? This is a very good Ole Miss offense and it’s led by a quarterback who can force a lot of problems.

What do I think is going to happen? The quickest way to be defeated is to be distracted, and Miami fans, I’m sorry to do this to you, but I’ve got to go with the Canes.

Pick: Miami (Fla.) 30, Ole Miss 24 (Miami -3.5)

Peach Bowl: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Indiana

This is going to be one heck of a game, and we’ve already seen these two teams go head-to-head. We saw Indiana beat Oregon in Eugene in an incredible game that was tied in the fourth quarter before the Hoosiers pulled away with an incredible drive from Fernando Mendoza.

Let me talk a little bit about Indiana. You’re here because you love this sport like I do, but there are things that can be frustrating and there’s one thing that’s frustrating with this Indiana team. There’s an overlooking of Indiana that’s happening right now across the country. The reason I know that is that Indiana’s résumé is the best résumé in all of college football, without a doubt. Indiana’s the most tested team in the country. The Hoosiers are 14-0 and have handled everybody. They have only given up more than 15 offensive points one time this year, and that was in a game on the road against Penn State. Indiana has only given up more than one touchdown in two games. This is the team that’s so sound, mistake-free and just absolutely bludgeoned Alabama.

Oregon faces Indiana in a Big Ten CFP semifinal 🔥

If you listen to some of the loudest voices, you get a sense that they think anyone can win the national championship. But if this Indiana team had any other logo, we would all be talking about whether this is the best team we’ve ever seen in college football. Yes, I know I’ve been guilty of this as well with the way I talked about Ohio State earlier this season, but no team in the history of our sport has ever gone 16-0. Granted, that’s a scheduling thing, but Indiana has a chance to do that and it’s been one of the great defensive teams we’ve had in a long time.

So no, this isn’t a wide-open playoff. Indiana and Oregon are the odds-on favorites to win it all by a wide margin because of how tested they’ve been. That’s specifically the case for Indiana, which beat three teams that played in the CFP quarterfinals. No other team can say that. This team stands on business as the best team in college football.

To that end, there are four tight games Indiana has played this year. If you’re Oregon, you’ve got to mimic those tight games. Oregon understands that blueprint because it played in one of those games. The blueprint isn’t simple, but in every one of those games, a few things happen. One of them is attacking Indiana’s strengths and making it work to succeed. The first area I would go after is Indiana’s run game. In all four of its close matchups, Indiana ran for less than 4 yards per carry. You have to do that just to remain in the game. When Indiana is able to run the ball efficiently, it’s almost unstoppable on third down. Indiana had the No. 1 third-down offense in college football because it’s in short-yardage situations.

Second, Oregon has to find a way to score in the red zone, and I’m not talking about field goals. One of the things that goes unnoticed with Indiana is how elite its defense has been and how strong its red zone defense is. Indiana is No. 1 in the country in red zone touchdown percentage against at 26%. It’s a low number that we haven’t seen in several years. Oregon was 0-for-3 in scoring red zone touchdowns in the first matchup.

Indiana adds Josh Hoover and Nick Marsh from the transfer portal 👏

Lastly, Oregon has to play cleanly against this Indiana team. Indiana plays clean and doesn’t make mistakes. Indiana is ice-cold, no mistakes, to quote Ice Man from “Top Gun.” Maybe we should start calling Curt Cignetti Ice Man because Indiana is phenomenal at limiting penalties and turnovers. Indiana posted the third-fewest penalties per game this season and has only committed eight turnovers so far. Indiana’s turnover margin is plus-18, which is tied for first in the nation.

Those are three things Oregon needs to do just to be in the game late. Even then, that might not be enough because Indiana might be the most clutch team in college football. The Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, was clutch in all four of Indiana’s tight wins this year.

This Oregon team is no slouch, though. What Dan Lanning has built at Oregon can’t be overstated. Oregon is 38-4 in the last three years, losing to Washington twice (played for national championship in 2023), Ohio State (won national championship in 2024) and Indiana earlier this year. This is a great program that’s deep and strong at almost every position. It just happens to be going against a team that’s suffocatingly good.

Indiana dominates Alabama, Are they the new powerhouse of college football?

When Oregon’s offense gets its chances, quarterback Dante Moore has got to capitalize. Oregon can’t have mistakes and miscues. Lanning is going to have to manage a really great game because if you miss a chance against Indiana, there’s a good chance the Hoosiers are going to win the game.

If there’s one team that can do it, though, it would be Oregon. If you take away sacks, Oregon ran the ball for 4.8 yards per carry in its first matchup against Indiana. That’s the best way to protect Moore. We saw Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson struggle against Indiana when their respective teams didn’t run the ball efficiently and early in down sets.

I can talk all day about this game, but I’ve got to make a pick. I’ve got Indiana winning and covering, although this will be a phenomenal game.

Pick: Indiana 27, Oregon 21 (Indiana -4.5)

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Follow him @joelklatt and subscribe to “The Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

Source link