The chatter returned in earnest on Saturday, back for the first time since the LSU game in early September.
“The Ducks are right back in the BCS hunt,” people said.
“A few lucky breaks and there’ll be a rematch with LSU for the national championship.”
One ESPN headline even read, “Ducks ready for LSU rematch.”
Well, all right then.
Look, I hate to bring everyone down after that spectacular win over Stanford. It’s easy to get excited and look ahead, wondering if, somehow, the Ducks can slip their way into a second straight BCS National Championship Game. With so many contenders going down, from Oklahoma to Clemson, Alabama and  — most recently (and delightfully) — Boise State, Oregon’s chances have certainly improved. With each passing game, that season-opening loss seems more and more like a relic of the past.
But the road to New Orleans is still exceedingly difficult, even after all of these developments. LSU is almost certain to run the table (and even if it doesn’t, nothing really changes). Oklahoma State, the only other legitimate undefeated contender (sorry, Houston), has a tough test against No. 5 Oklahoma to close the season, but take a closer look at this Cowboys squad.@@http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/fbs@@
Oklahoma State is averaging nearly 400 yards passing per game and its opportunistic defense (first in the nation in turnover margin) makes up for a high opponent scoring average. Oh, and it beat Texas Tech by 60 on the road this past Saturday. Yes, the same Texas Tech team that upset Oklahoma in Norman earlier in the year. Something tells me the Cowboys will take care of business against the Sooners.
We haven’t even gotten to Alabama, which inexplicably ends its season with a cakewalk (Georgia Southern) and a mild-at-best challenge in Auburn. The chances of the Crimson Tide losing either of those games are slim to none.@@http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/alab-m-footbl-sched.html@@
Which, in spite of all this hoopla and general excitement, leaves Oregon in quite a predicament. Assuming that the Ducks win out (which is no sure thing, with a talented USC team coming into town on Saturday), it would take a minor miracle for them to earn a Bayou rematch. If Oklahoma State loses, Oregon would still have to somehow jump Alabama. If LSU loses, they still play for the championship against the Cowboys. If Alabama loses, the Ducks move up one spot and nothing really changes.
It was with this in mind that Chip Kelly professed on Saturday not to pay attention to the BCS chaos. It was the same “take one game at a time” message that he preached last year, but it carried a different sort of tone this time around. This time, the Ducks cannot decide their own destiny. This time, they aren’t undefeated and that bold-lettered “1” in the loss column signals a certain loss of control. They could very well be the second-best team in the country, but it might not be enough.
It’s all a shame, really, because it’s been a joy to watch this team develop from week to week. The Stanford game seemed to be a culmination of sorts — a demonstration of what the Ducks are truly capable of. That suffocating pass rush, the one that knocked Heisman darling Andrew Luck entirely off kilter. It wasn’t there at the beginning of the year. Neither was the linebacking corps, flying from sideline to sideline, or the secondary flying to the ball with reckless abandon.
If the Sept. 3 iteration of Oregon wasn’t quite ready for prime time, this one is. The team that took the field at Stanford Stadium on Saturday could beat just about anyone in the country. Even LSU.@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=233&SPSID=3377@@
Barring some sort of BCS explosion, we may never get to see them try. It’s unfortunate, but also a symptom of the system that makes this the best regular season in college sports.
The chatter after a season-defining game for both Stanford and Oregon was real and warranted. Whether or not it will ultimately pan out into anything substantial for the Ducks has yet to be seen, but I personally have my doubts.
Are we having fun yet?