TEMPE, Ariz. — Today, school begins once again.
Today, Ryan Schmid is in Seattle making the transition from his gig on Oregon’s underrated offensive line to his pastoral internship that will mark the first step in his path to the real world.
Today, Joey Harrington will not be in class, having wrapped up his college degree, and is now preparing to impress NFL scouts, starting with Saturday’s East-West Shrine game in San Francisco.
Today, the thousands of Ducks fans who cluttered the streets of Tempe and celebrated like teenagers on a snow day are now back at work, dressed not in green and yellow but in regular work attire.
And today, the sports world and the sports fans’ interests turn to the NFL, NCAA hoops and maybe even the NBA, leaving college football as last week’s news.
But while the natural reaction today is to start moving forward, let us not forget what happened down here in the desert on the first day of 2002.
And don’t let the domination of Miami in Pasadena or any beef you have with computer ratings cloud your memory of New Year’s Day.
Because what transpired in those three-and-a-half hours when Oregon thumped Colorado, 38-16, was so much more than the Ducks having a chance at a split national title.
The new year began, and with it, a new era began for Oregon.
It takes a game like this, with people across the country watching with their families while eating burgers and drinking suds, for a program to advance upward.
Oregon was in the spotlight more than ever this year, beginning with the Harrington billboard and the Sports Illustrated cover. The Ducks kept winning, and even after they slipped, they climbed back up to give the BCS the controversy it deserves.
But it took a special kind of performance against Colorado to solidify Oregon’s status as an elite program.
Lose, and you’re back to being viewed as one of those solid teams in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Win, and you’re now being viewed as one of those emerging powerhouse teams in the NCAA.
And to win the way they did? Well, welcome to the big time, Ducks.
The postgame emotions on the field of Sun Devil Stadium had a different feel than those from Qualcomm Stadium after Oregon beat Texas.
While the two on-field celebrations were similar in that they both involved a stage with Bellotti and Harrington accepting congratulations and trophies, they differed in one crucial way:
In San Diego, the Ducks took a huge step that led to the sky-high preseason expectations and continued their climb up the college football ladder.
But in Tempe, the Ducks arrived.
Sure, there’s still more room for growth, with the national championship not yet attained and the Rose Bowl barely eluding Oregon two years in a row.
Though what really matters is that the Ducks were presented with a program-changing opportunity in the Fiesta Bowl — and they didn’t waste it.
“I hope it leaves a mark to the rest of the nation as to what kind of team we are,” Schmid said.
Schmid doesn’t have to worry. This will be a game that few will forget, if not more for the BCS madness and the wonder of whether Oregon would have given Miami a better game than Nebraska did (which it clearly would have).
Although Miami claimed sole possession of the national championship, the Ducks have a lot to be proud of given that they were the No. 2 team in the country in the final polls.
Years from now, this season will stick out in fans’, players’, coaches’ and even reporters’ minds alike for the uniqueness and freshness of big-time college football fully introducing itself to the town of Eugene.
So before you start looking forward too quickly, pull the car over to the side of the road.
Adjust the rear-view mirror.
And look back on all that was accomplished and realize how fortunate you were to be along for the ride.
Contact assistant sports editor Jeff Smith at [email protected].