Missouri's win marked the third week in a row that the #1 team lost, setting up Oregon to become the undisputed #1 team across the board, from the AP, USAToday and the BCS polls. This means that Saturday's game (Oct 30) in prime time on ABC, will be a monumental game.
The Ducks are trying to win in Los Angeles for the first time since 2000, and in the past 5 years (2005-2009), of Oregon's 15 losses, 10 of them have been on the road. This is the first time ever that the Ducks have been ranked #1, while USC should end up climbing back into the AP 25 after losses by West Virginia, K-State and Texas.
Huge game. Can the Ducks avoid setting history and becoming the 4th straight #1 team to lose? Can they beat a resurging USC team whose defense appears to be on the rebound after a shutdown defense against Cal in the Coliseum? Can the Ducks avoid crumbling like they did against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl last January, in the spot light and predicted to win?
I'm quietly confident and excited that USC will beat Oregon. For USC, there is no downside to losing to Oregon, as they're expected to lose to them anyway, and USC's on sanctions this year preventing them from going to a bowl game. On the other hand, Oregon's got a lot of pressure to meet or exceed expectations that come with being #1. If it's a blowout win by USC, how will the poll voters reconcile the chaos?
Can't wait till Saturday, baby!
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