The hardest part now is now the wait.
The wait for two weeks to find out Oregon’s post-season destination. The Ducks know it will either be the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Calif., or the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
They know because of a 34-20 defeat of Oregon State on Saturday in front of a sold-out Autzen Stadium.
Oregon knows because of a convincing, all-around effort against the Beavers, ranked first in total offense and total defense in the Pacific-10 Conference entering the game.
So where to, Oregon: San Diego or El Paso?
“It doesn’t matter,” Oregon linebacker Kevin Mitchell said. “Our season could’ve gone the other way.”
The other way, as in down the drain, or to the cellar of the Pac-10. After starting off the season 4-0, the Ducks sunk to 4-3 after consecutive losses to Washington State, Utah and Arizona State.
At one point, the Ducks stood 5-4 overall. The 14-point win Saturday was a 180 degree turn from a month ago.
Oregon is now 8-4 after the win over Oregon State (7-4 overall, 5-3 Pac-10), keeping the Beavers winless in Eugene since 1993.
“Guys took it upon themselves to be dedicated and turn this season around,” Mitchell said. “Guys took it upon themselves to get better.”
Oregon made a statement in the win. The Ducks (5-3 Pac-10) stood up to some of the conference’s most prolific players in the Pac-10’s leading rusher, Steven Jackson, and its leading passer, Derek Anderson.
Jackson was held to 68 yards on 18 carries and Anderson threw for 271 yards on 21 of 45 passing. Both were far below their season averages.

“I was very pleased with my team’s effort,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “These kids battled and made it happen.
Defensively, we made a lot of key stops. Igor Olshansky played well the whole game up front, and I think Kellen (Clemens) really came of age today.”
Clemens finished the game with just 125 yards passing, but was second on the team in rushing. He finished the afternoon with 64 yards on 12 carries, with most of those yards coming by design.
If Clemens wasn’t scrambling because of Oregon State pressure, he was tucking the ball in and running. And he ran and ran and ran.
“There were more designed QB runs this week then there had been in previous weeks,” Clemens said.
Clemens threw three touchdowns, one each to Demetrius Williams, Terrence Whitehead and Dante Rosario.
The first came on a 15-yard loft to Whitehead that evened the score at 7 just four minutes after the Beavers took an early first-quarter lead.
On the first play of the second quarter, Clemens found a wide-open Williams in the back of the end zone for a 19-yard toss.
Ending his scoring contribution, Clemens finished the day with a 15-yarder to Rosario with 3:20 left in the third quarter.
“They made some third down conversions that kept the drives alive,” Oregon State head coach Mike Riley said. “They were very successful on first downs.”
Defensively, the Ducks held their own. They got to Anderson for six and a half sacks — three and a half by Olshansky and three by defensive lineman Devan Long.
Steven Moore returned after missing three games due to a bum
ankle and picked off two key passes in the fourth quarter.
“If we play our game, we can beat anybody,” Moore said.
So the Ducks must now wait. They wait to see the winner of USC
and Oregon State, set to be played on Dec. 6 in Los Angeles.
Oregon guaranteed itself a third-place finish in the Pac-10. If
USC defeats the Beavers, Oregon could slide up to the Holiday
Bowl, set to be played Dec. 30.
That will depend on whether Washington State earns a trip to the
Rose Bowl. If the Cougars don’t, the Ducks will be destined for
the Sun Bowl, which is played Dec. 31.
“That’s the hardest part is to find out where you’re going,” Mitchell said.

For now, Bellotti said the Ducks will take three or four days off. They’ll hit the field again after Thanksgiving and get ready for an unnamed opponent.
They’ll focus on improving, getting better on the small things.
A month from now, they’ll come back and do it all over again.
They’ll do it at a bowl.
For the seventh straight time.