It’s not often when a Power 5 school plays an undefeated team in a New Year’s Day bowl and still be favored by more than two touchdowns.
That’s the scenario the College Football Playoff committee set up as they scheduled a 13-0 Liberty Flames team out of Conference USA against an 11-2 Oregon Ducks squad in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
The Ducks are double-digit favorites ( 16.5) and it would be easy to assume that margin is for good reason. But as we saw last season in the Sugar Bowl with Tulane and USC, sometimes betting point spreads can be an unwise move.
Liberty will come at the Ducks with everything they have with a spread-option offense that Oregon once perfected, but now it’s an offense this current Duck squad hasn’t quite seen this year.
Even then, it would be understandable if the Ducks took the Flames lightly.
Receiver Tez Johnson said that would be a huge mistake and it won’t be the case for this Oregon team.
As a former Troy Trojan, also a member of Conference USA, he saw first-hand how good Liberty can be and how they can’t be underestimated.
“If I’m playing Liberty, I’m going to come out like it’s a championship game. Which they are. It’s the Fiesta Bowl,” said Johnson this week.
“Anybody in the Group of Five schools that goes to the Fiesta Bowl, they’re going to be coming out swinging every time.
“I know that because I played in that conference. They’re a really good team. I take nothing from them. They’ve done really good things as a team. They have a really good coaching staff. I played them. I know what they’re capable of. But we can’t overlook them, which we’re not.”
The attitude might be different if the Fiesta Bowl faced a problem so many bowls this season have had to face … opt-outs.
It’s led to a diminished product on the field and lopsided games such as Notre Dame beating the Beavers 40-8 in the Sun Bowl and Georgia crushing Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl.
But, thankfully for everyone involved, the opt-outs for this New Year’s Six game in Glendale have been minimal and fans will get to see a true product on the field.
As for Johnson and his expectations?
He has some payback in mind.
“So playing and actually losing to them, there’s I believe, some personal things that I want to get done, obviously winning the game” explained Johnson when asked about his past experience with Flame coach Jamey Chadwell.
“I lost during the first time I played them. They have good corners. They played fast and physical. I played Coastal Carolina. He’s a really good coach (Jamey Chadwell). He’s got a really good team put together. I’m looking forward to playing them to see what they can do.”
