Toto, we’re not playing Nevada anymore.
In the world of the Bowl Championship Series, you have to play
tough to get respect, and the Oregon football team will test itself as
soon as possible this season. Scary soon. Sept. 1 soon.
That’s when Wisconsin will roll into town. The Badgers are ranked
preseason No. 22 by The Associated Press and No. 23 in the USA
Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.
Both the Ducks and Badgers will have different factors working for
them on Sept. 1. The Ducks will have the fabled Autzen advantage
— a 20-game home win streak — a healthy team and a little thing
called revenge.
“It’s been on our minds all summer,” Oregon tight end Justin
Peelle said. “We let one get away last year.”
Peelle referred to the Ducks’ 27-23 loss in Madison last season.
Oregon receivers dropped several passes, and Wisconsin’s
Michael Bennett broke out for rushes of 83, 75 and 59 yards in the
Badger victory.
This season, Bennett is gone, as he is now playing for the
Minnesota Vikings. Wisconsin has a trio of newcomers — none of
whom have ever carried a ball in a college game — attempting to
fill Bennett’s large shoes.

The Badgers do have a bright spot in returning quarterback Brooks
Bollinger. The second-highest rated quarterback in Wisconsin
history, Bollinger also gives the Badgers a running threat. He has
913 career rushing yards, 185 short of the Badger record. In last
year’s contest with Oregon, Bollinger managed only 12 yards on
11 attempts, but he did rush for the winning touchdown.
Besides Bollinger, the Badgers have an advantage in the form of a
game with Virginia Saturday. The annual Eddie Robinson Classic
will give the Badgers a chance to form their team in a hurry,
Oregon linebacker Kevin Mitchell said.
“They’ll already have a game under their belt when we see them,”
Mitchell said. “But we’ll get a chance to see them on film and learn
some of their schemes.”
Mitchell will be one of the Ducks’ defensive forces trying to counter
Bollinger’s running and passing abilities. Oregon will also rely on
its secondary to shut down Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez’s
high-flying offense.
On the Ducks’ side of the ball, quarterback Joey Harrington will try
to improve his record to 15-2 as a starter, and will attack
Wisconsin with a potent offense surrounding him. Maurice Morris
and Allan Amundson — who had an impressive showing in the
Ducks’ first scrimmage Saturday, rushing five times for 47 yards —
will head the running attack. Harrington will toss passes to a
versatile, fast receiving corps led by returning starter Keenan
Howry.
With the amount of hype building over Oregon’s upcoming season,
the Ducks’ showdown with the Badgers represents not only an
opening-game test, but a make-or-break game as well.
The popularity of the game is evident, as general-admission
tickets sold out weeks ago, and students lined up at the EMU and
Casanova Center Monday to get their free stubs.
The game, which will kick off at 5 p.m. Sept. 1, will be televised on
ABC.