ANAHEIM – Predicated on the foundation of winning each day that its faced with, the Oregon football team has taken a path back to southern California for the 2015 Rose Bowl – the Ducks’ first appearance since 2012 and the first for Mark Helfrich as the team’s head coach.
As Pac-12 Champions, Oregon and its Heisman-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota have become a full testament to the notion “Win the Day” this season. A winner of eight consecutive games and sporting a 12-1 record, the Ducks will face the the reigning BCS National Champions Florida State in the first semifinal of the College Football playoff on Jan. 1.
The two teams were properly introduced to each other Saturday at the Disney California Adventure Park as part of the lead-up to the game that will pit the second and third ranked teams in the nation. In addition, it served as a gateway for all of the coaches and players to enjoy a day at the universally-known amusement park.
Which provoked the question, how do you win a day at Disneyland?
“You have a great time and you represent the University of Oregon,” Helfrich said. “During the holiday time its being great at segmenting off in your mind its time to practice and its time to go eat  gravy. This is only time this will ever happen, and to savor it. And to honor it in celebration mode like this and work mode.”
It’s been that type of month for Helfrich. From bouncing around the recruiting trail, to witnessing Mariota accept the Heisman Trophy in New York, to the actual preparation that goes into playing a team that has won 29 consecutive games, the balance between football and everything else has certainly been full.
And as for a day like Saturday, in which he gets to watch his players be “big-little-kids,” it comes as a must embedded in between everything.
“You have to enjoy it,” Helfrich said. “We don’t get too much time. We’ve done it logistically so they have times to spend time with family, be a normal human being as much as possible and then go out like heck and compete on the football field.”
For Hroniss Grasu, the last time he came to Disneyland was with the team when they faced Wisconsin in 2012. And when asked same question, his answer, although a bit different, rung true to what his coach preached.
“Eating as much funnel cake as we can,” Grasu, who has missed three games since injuring his leg on Nov. 8, said. “Just enjoying ourselves with the team, enjoying the entire day, enjoying all of this.”
The light mood persisted throughout. When shown a photo of a terrified looking Lamichael James from the last time the team traveled to the Rose Bowl, Mariota said that Grasu would most likely replicate that on California Adventure.
Although it may not be even possible. According to Grasu, the 6-foot-3, 297-pound center doesn’t know if he’ll fit in the seats of a ride and can’t remember the last time he’s rode one.
As for Helrich, he got word that his kids were having the “best day ever” and that its been full of cotton candy and the new Cars Exhibit featured at the park.
But echoing the same sentiment the program’s mantra prefaces, Helfrich said that it is game week now. In other words,  amidst the festivities that underwent, there’s still a job to do.
Grasu added: “Everything apart of this bowl game is a lot of fun, but there’s only one thing we came here to do and that’s win a football game.”
Notes: 
– Defensive backs Dominique Harrison and Stephen Amoako did not make the trip with the rest of the team, according to Helfrich. Helrich said that it was because of team rules.
–  Tight end Pharaoh Brown arrived in southern California and joined the rest of the team at practice this morning, which came as a bit of a surprise to some players.
“It was great to see him,” Helfrich said.
 Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise