The Toughest Test

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to hammer the opposition week in and week out like Oregon had until Saturday's close victory over the Cal Bears.

Now people are calling the Ducks frauds, lucky, overrated, blah, blah, blah.

Perhaps Oregon should have taken the foot off the pedal at certain times--you know, beat UCLA by fifteen and not thirty or more. They should have handled Washington with kid gloves, rather than clobber them with a rolling pin.

They could have let Stanford stay a little closer in the fourth quarter, win on a last second drive rather than going away.

The expectations of people, many of whom don't really understand the nuances of the game (some have played it, others haven't), create an unrealistic picture of what is involved in attempting to remain undefeated throughout a season.

Look at the top four teams in the current BCS standings. Among them, Boise State is the only team to not have a close call while remaining undefeated. But Boise doesn't play top-flight competition all year long. They beat a Va Tech team that manged to lose to James Madison the following week. By the way, JM plays second-level football, like Portland State.

Boise State also beat Oregon State. Well, a lot of luster has fallen off that win, considering that Washington State also beat the Beavers Saturday.

Boise doesn't have a quality win or a close game, in other words. They're good, but not that good.

TCU let San Diego State stay close until the end Saturday--the Horned Frogs won by five. Auburn has had four close calls this season, including three 3 point games. That's a field goal in each game, friends. But Auburn is great because they play in the supposedly regal SEC. Well one of those close calls was at Kentucky.

Kentucky?

Oregon has its Cal experience--a close call.

I'm not worried about Oregon's effort moving ahead. The players have that part of the game figured out. They know everybody is giving them their best shot.

Whether they beat Arizona by 1 point or fifty points on Nov. 26th doesn't concern me. They're at home and have something to prove, so I think they'll be fine, clinch the PAC title, guaranteeing a second consecutive Rose Bowl.

The Sears Cup is sitting in a vault in Glendale, Arizona. The Ducks want it bad--the Roses be damned.

But I think OSU in the league finale at Corvallis will be the Ducks truest test. That final hurdle is always the highest one at the end of any race.

I didn't run track, but even I know that.



TS