Stanford’s 27-21 loss to Utah hurts the Ducks a bit in the national championship race: that November 7 marquee matchup between undefeated teams was supposed to be a key part of Oregon’s resume in a year where multiple undefeated teams are jockeying for one of two spots in the BCS title game.
Saturday’s hero was Thursday’s bum: Travis Wilson tossed a pair of TD passes just a week after coughing up six interceptions, leading Utah to an upset win over David Shaw’s #5-ranked Cardinal (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer photo).
Getting to Pasadena for the biggest game requires a resume. Oregon’s probably in if they stay undefeated, but a win over a Top Five ranked undefeated Cardinal squad would have been a major bullet point in the 15-week panel interview that pits the Webfoots in direct competition with Alabama, Louisville, Clemson, Ohio State and Florida State.
A few of those candidates will shake themselves out. Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins host the Seminoles this Saturday. But Missouri, Baylor, UCLA and Texas Tech are also undefeated. Oregon’s a strong bet to stay #2 in the polls, but they’ll be some pressure from the winner of Clemson-FSU, and the pesky BCS computers will downgrade the Ducks playing in a conference where everyone faces tough head-to-head matchups and absorbs a loss or two. #9 UCLA travels to #13 Stanford on Saturday; as it stands now the best outcome for Oregon would be for the Bruins to come to Autzen 6-0 and ranked 7th or 8th.
Should Stanford bounce back with the win, it leaves the Ducks, through no fault of their own, without a marquee opponent on the schedule, but a few wins against the Top 25. In BCS math, that matters more than it ought to.
Even so, an undefeated Oregon team is likely to claim one of those top two spots at the end of the year should they make it. They are just too entertaining and dominant to be denied, though Urban Meyer would lobby loud and long from Columbus. Lotta football left, of course, and all the Ducks can control, as always, is winning Monday and preparing for Washington State.
On the gridiron in the conference of champions, the Utes built a 27-14 lead and hung on with a goal line stand in the closing minutes to upset Stanford in Rice-Eccles Stadium, their first regular season win ever against a top five team.
The Cardinal had two turnovers but got another 100-yard kick return from Ty Montgomery. Utah quarterback Travis Wilson bounced back from a 6-interception performance the week before to throw a pair of touchdown passes, including a 51-yarder to Dres Anderson that tied the score at 14-14 with 10 seconds to go in the first half. That lifted the underdogs as they added a td and a field goal in the third quarter and another field goal in the fourth. Running back Bubba Poole ground out 111 yards on 22 carries against the vaunted Stanford defense.
The Beavers are up to their old tricks. Fumbling and inept in September, they’re now 5-1 after a road victory over Washington State yesterday. Their wins have come over Hawaii, Utah, in overtime, San Diego State, Colorado and the Cougars. This week they face Cal, but in the last quarter of the season they host Stanford, USC, travel to Arizona State, host Washington before The Civil War, in Autzen this year on Friday November 29th. Yesterday Sean Mannion cruised to another big day, 34-51 passing for 493 yards and four tds, 11 completions to favorite target Brandin Cooks, for 137 yards and two tds.
Without a running game or a defense, they still look destined for 8-5, but the Civil War remains a treacherous test of unequals.
Elsewhere in the PAC-12 USC won its first game under Ed Orgeron 38-31 on Thursday night, holding off a 14-point Arizona rally in the last seven minutes. Cody Kessler tossed two td passes for the Trojans, including a 62-yarder to Nelson Agholor, and Silas Redd provided some much-needed punch on the ground, 19 carries for 80 yards, including a run for a clinching first down on third and 8 in the closing minutes.
UCLA took care of California in the Rose Bowl 37-10 to remain unbeaten, and Arizona State stuck a fork in the Buffaloes 54-13.
Oregon State is 3-0 in conference play, joining the Ducks and the Bruins as the only undefeated teams remaining in the PAC-12.
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