Revenge can be a powerful thing.
Remember a month ago? The UCLA Bruins marched into Eugene as if they owned the place. In a sense, they did — or at least they owned the Ducks, who had lost six of eight contests in the 1990s to the blue and gold conquerors.
The national spotlight was on Autzen Stadium. Some would argue that Oregon had the cards stacked against them, others the opposite. But nobody on the UCLA bench thought the Ducks would be such a threat.
To that point, Oregon had won two, lost one, and its momentum sputtered in two of those games. Meanwhile, UCLA beat three teams — two of them ranked third nationally — and they did so in high-pressure, thrilling fashion.
When asked about the upcoming game, Bruin wide receiver Freddie Mitchell said it would be a “breakout” performance for him.
Is it all coming back to memory yet?
Think about how much the city of Eugene hated the Bruins for what they did to the Ducks in the last two years. Two close losses in Los Angeles, either just as heartbreaking as the other, the second one yard away from being a win.
So, as the Ducks walked onto their home turf to face the Bruins this season, everyone who’d been a part of the program for the past two years carried part of the collective chip which burdened Oregon’s shoulder.
Perhaps hatred doesn’t justify that need to win that was so thick in the air that day.
Add resentment, pain and grief — the constant wondering of what might have been, if only.
Well, the battle between Ducks and Bruins ensued. It was fast, furious, and then it was done. Oregon 29, UCLA 10. For more than 45,000 people on hand, redemption was sweet.
Granted, Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest places to play anywhere. But on that day, and the next weekend against Washington, the home fans and the players were fueled by something other than a love for the game.
But now the Ducks leave their beloved home for Southern California, where they face a limping Trojan football team.
Beware, Oregon.
Southern California might have an upset up its sleeve, powered by those same intense emotions that drove the Ducks past the Bruins and Huskies, regardless of their comparable lack of talent on paper.
Revenge.
Think about it, the triple-overtime showdown a year ago when Oregon won over USC by a field goal. A toe-to-toe slugout, the kind that is as terrible to lose as it is amazing to win.
And then there’s Carson Palmer, who broke his right collarbone two minutes before halftime and missed the rest of the season, watching from the sidelines as his team won just three conference games the rest of the way.
Revenge.
Looking beyond USC, think about Arizona, and then Arizona State. Both were games that were decided in the final moments. Both of those final moments swung fatefully in the Ducks’ favor.
The Wildcats are looking good. What would be more fitting than snapping the glorious Autzen winning streak?
Revenge.
After facing the Arizona schools and Washington State, Oregon plays its final home game on Nov. 11 against California. Sure, they’re not so great this season, but they weren’t last season, either. Again, the teams’ last meeting came down to the final moments, with the Ducks converting a certain loss into a breathtaking win when Brian Johnson intercepted the Bears’ pass into the end zone.
Revenge.
Of course, no team would love to shove the dagger into Oregon like Oregon State would.
More than anyone, the Beavers have reason to hate the Ducks. Those poor Oregon Staters. Made fun of by fans, media and the football community throughout the nation, while just a 45-minute drive away, that other state university was propelling itself into the nation’s elite. How dare it!
Now, those Beavers have a decent team. Anything could happen, including Oregon and Oregon State running their tables through Nov. 18. The big prize — the Rose Bowl — would be on the line.
Not simple revenge.
The ultimate revenge.
So don’t think for a moment that the Ducks are out of the woods yet. Had they not made so many enemies last season, well, then perhaps the road to Pasadena would be a little more certain.
For those who still don’t buy the power of redemption, look at what happened in Seattle last Saturday. The Beavers were a missed field goal away from taking Washington into overtime. Is it mere coincidence that Oregon State’s game against Washington the year before was its worst that season?
The point is this: What goes around, usually comes around.
Oregon better be ready to put up some fights.