Oregon capped off its best-ever football season Saturday with a 17-14 win over Oregon State in the 105th Civil War to claim the throne as the outright Pacific-10 Conference champion.
Everything else is a little complicated.
First, there’s the BCS hoopla. If this team does that, and that team does this… I know what you’re thinking: “Just give me the results when they’re finalized Dec. 9.”
But that’s no fun. The Bowl Championships Series is here to tease your hopes, when really, there’s not much to cling to. Yes, the Ducks are one of the best teams in the country and will be in one of the best bowls in the country, but save yourself some grief and some money and buy your plane tickets to Tempe, Ariz., for New Year’s Day.
The Ducks, now third in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls, are guaranteed a trip to the Fiesta Bowl, but need help to get to the national title game at the Rose Bowl. Even with Texas and Florida losing this weekend, Oregon will probably be no higher than fourth in the BCS when it’s released today.
That leaves Tennessee, now No. 2 with a game against Louisiana State on Saturday, and Nebraska as possible opponents to play undefeated Miami in the national championship.
Odds are that the Ducks will play a dangerous Colorado team in the Fiesta Bowl.
“We’re happy with the Fiesta Bowl, but the rest is not in our hands,” Oregon linebacker Kevin Mitchell said. “Whatever happens, happens. If it does happen, we’re ready.”
Then there’s that other race involving the golden boy, quarterback Joey Harrington. A national audience tuned in to see if Harrington could take control of the Heisman Trophy debacle, but you can be sure the East Coast voters took notice of the dismal 11-for-22, 104-yard, no-touchdown performance against Oregon State. Most notably, Heisman winners don’t fumble the ball with less than two minutes to play and the game on the line.

To Harrington’s credit, the conditions Saturday weren’t exactly suitable for a quarterback… wait a tick, was that Jonathan Smith throwing for 252 yards on 20-for-38 passing and one touchdown in those horrible conditions?
Harrington deserves a seat in New York, but don’t expect to see the trophy in Eugene any time soon.
It turns out that it does rain at Autzen Stadium. It also hails — sideways.
The conditions may have warmed up the Oregon defense, which silenced critics against Oregon State by allowing just six points until late in the fourth quarter. The Beavers also netted just 107 yards on the ground, and Ken Simonton was denied in his bid to become just the fifth running back in NCAA history to have four 1,000-yard seasons. He finished the season with 971 yards.
Oregon State did rack up 359 yards of total offense, but as head coach Mike Bellotti said, “Yards don’t beat you, points beat you.”
“It was the funnest game of the year,” said Mitchell, who had a career-high 17 tackles. “I loved every minute of it.”
Comparable to a pitcher’s duel with 15 intentional walks, the 105th Civil War was an all-around defensive battle. Oregon State was brilliant against the Ducks’ high-powered offense, allowing just 209 total yards and forcing seven punts. Oregon forced eight Beaver punts — the biggest coming with 14:36 to play in the game.
Keenan Howry took a kick from Oregon State punter Carl Tobey at the Oregon 30-yard-line, found an opening through the middle and dashed into the end zone to put the Ducks up 10-6.
“We knew that the game was over after Keenan’s return,” senior defensive back Rashad Bauman said. “We knew our defense would be able to hold up.”
The defensive stop came in the form of Bauman’s 12th career interception with 52 seconds remaining, clinching the Oregon victory.
If nothing else does, it makes sense that Bauman ends his Autzen Stadium career in dramatic fashion.