Record-setting quarterback Dillon Gabriel and undefeated Oregon will be out to solidify the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings when the Ducks visit inconsistent Wisconsin in a Big Ten matchup at Madison, Wis., on Saturday. Oregon (10-0, 7-0), No.
1 in the CFP rankings released Tuesday, routed Maryland 39-18 last weekend behind three scoring passes by Gabriel, who broke the NCAA record for total career touchdowns. Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3) is coming off a bye after a 42-10 loss at Iowa, one of the worst defeats in Luke Fickell's two years as coach. "We're still having a lot of fun, coming up every single day to get better and find ways to improve," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Monday.
"The challenge of this new conference, the travel and some of the teams that we got to play, it's been a lot of fun for us." Gabriel, a sixth-year transfer from Oklahoma, completed 23 of 34 passes for 183 yards against the Terrapins. That gave him 180 total touchdowns (147 passing, 33 rushing), surpassing the 178 touchdowns (155 passing, 23 rushing) that Case Keenum produced for Houston from 2007-11.
Gabriel leads the nation in pass completion percentage at 74.1 percent (237 of 320) for 284.8 yards per game, with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Gabriel and the Ducks' passing game present obvious difficulties for the Badgers' secondary. "They're going to be challenged in different ways," Fickell said Monday. "That's the beauty of college football.
You can be challenged each and ev.