The non-league schedule is over, the warm-up games are complete and now it is time to focus on the eight-game league schedule to determine the Pacific-10 Conference champion.
“We play some of the front-runners in the conference at our place, and that is good,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said.
Oregon’s home conference schedule includes USC, the University of California, as well as rivals the University of Washington and Oregon State University.
The Ducks kick off with two-time defending national champion USC. Oregon hosts last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, USC quarterback Matt Leinart and the rest of the Trojans Sept. 24.
Oregon defensive end Devan Long is amped about the match-up and the potential to sack Leinart.
“He’s a quarterback just like anybody else,” Long said. “I really don’t care what he did last year. He’s just a quarterback. He’s got the ball, and I want to just take it away.”
The Trojans hold a 24-game winning streak and have won 35 of their last 36 contests, including a 44-33 victory over Oregon in 2002, the last time the two teams met.
“Any time you get a chance to have the national champion on your schedule, I think you ought to be pretty excited about that,” Bellotti said. “To have them at home is a great opportunity.”
The Duck’s first road game since the season opener (Sept. 1 at Houston) is Oct. 1 at Stanford University.
Oregon defeated the Cardinal 16-13 last season with a late fourth quarter touchdown. Stanford returns 17 starters, including 10 on offense from last season’s 4-7 squad.
A game at Arizona State University on Oct. 8 looms on the Oregon schedule. The Sun Devils defeated the Ducks 28-13 last season en route to a 9-3 record.
Arizona State leads the series against Oregon 16-9 overall, and will take on the Ducks one week after hosting USC.
Oregon returns home Oct. 15 to play rival Washington, a game in which the Ducks won 31-6 last season.
Washington is coming off its worst season in school history, recording only one victory – defeating San Jose State 21-6.
The Ducks travel to the state of Arizona for the second time in the month, as they play at Arizona Oct. 22.
Oregon defeated the three-win Wildcats 28-14 last season.
A bye week will allow Oregon to rest before hosting Cal on Nov. 5.
Cal defeated the Ducks 28-27 last season, when they finished with a 10-2 record and nearly made it into a Bowl Championship Series game.
The final road trip of the season concludes at Washington State on Nov. 12, where Oregon won 41-38 last season.
The loss to Oregon began a four-game losing streak as Washington State finished 5-6 on the season.
Oregon hosts in-state rival Oregon State on Nov. 19 to finish the regular-season schedule.
The Beavers defeated the Ducks 50-21 last season, knocking Oregon from postseason contention and earning themselves a trip to the Insight Bowl.

[email protected]