I was very adamant that against OSU the extreme temp and humidity were the reason we lost (which I still stand by), so to be fair, I think we lose this game with a 5pm start time.

Nebraska played us very tough, but I don't think physiologically you can operate at peak performance at 2am.

It's the same reason for pac12 after dark craziness playing at 11pm, but on steroids for Nebraska with such a late time for their body clocks.

Yes DR came in and started making key throws , but there were straight ahead plays that weren't working all game that started to working better the later it got. Nebraska didn't wear down like that against Indiana (they just got coverage beat twice by NFL level receiver talent).

Still happy we won, but circumstances were definitely in our favor with Nebraska playing in a foreign environment way past their bedtime.

UO, UW, USC and UCLA are asked to do the same only in reverse and a lot more often. Game prep starting at 6am is equally difficult.

Add travel miles and UO is at an even greater disadvantage as the season wears on and travel starts to compound.

I don't think I will be feeling sorry for any B1G team around body clock and travel miles.

Starting time was likely a factor, but it can't be the only one IMO. Our play was better with backups for the past three games.

To me that means the team is somehow limited, but once a backup enters, winning becomes the entire focus. To my eye it looks like the receivers get open more and catch more, the line suddenly creates running lanes and the offense is suddenly playing closer to an intensity foreshadowed by their reputation.

I had thought that it was play calling, but I didn't see that this game. Overall the backup being the catalyst isn't sustainable. They still need to figure this out and right the ship. After all not every game will start at 8pm.

1 hour ago, Fair Weather Duck said:

Starting time was likely a factor, but it can't be the only one IMO. Our play was better with backups for the past three games.

To me that means the team is somehow limited, but once a backup enters, winning becomes the entire focus. To my eye it looks like the receivers get open more and catch more, the line suddenly creates running lanes and the offense is suddenly playing closer to an intensity foreshadowed by their reputation.

I had thought that it was play calling, but I didn't see that this game. Overall the backup being the catalyst isn't sustainable. They still need to figure this out and right the ship. After all not every game will start at 8pm.

There are a million factors the teams control, but the game start time isn't one of them, which is why I bring it up. It made a big enough difference to affect the outcome of a close game in my opinion.

Coach Lanning has said that playing a game at a different time zone than you are used to can have more of an impact than the travel itself. It probably didn’t help Nebraska on Saturday and I don’t love that the Ducks will have a 9:00 AM PT game on Saturday.

26 minutes ago, OregonDucks said:

I don’t love that the Ducks will have a 9:00 AM PT game on Saturday.

We don't.

The Oregon Ducks at Illinois college football game kicks off on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 12:00 PM PT (2:00 PM CT / 3:00 PM ET). [1, 2, 3]

• Date: October 24, 2026

• Time: 12:00 PM PT / 2:00 PM CT

• Location: Gies Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL)

• TV/Network: Big Ten Network [1, 2, 3]

During our Oklahoma game the start time was 7 am, Pacific. Players (and coaches) probably had to get up at 3 am Pacific or even earlier to start game preparations. I challenge readers to start their day at 3 am and see how well they do. If you are an athlete, get up at 3 am (or 4 or 5) and do your normal run, etc., at 7 am and see how your performance changes. You probably won’t break any personal records. Going east is a lot harder than going west.