By Pigskin Pete

 As we go to press, the unprecedented pre-season praise heaped upon our state’s Pac 10 schools is being tested on the field of play.  Studying personnel and schedules, we’ve formed opinions on what will happen to our heroes’ highest-ever hopes.

Here’s a game by game forecast: (Games in color have been played. Red is a win and blue is a loss.)

Oregon State—the dreaded Sports Illustrated cover jinx will strike early, as the Beavers travel to Fresno State to face a veteran squad that returns almost all the key components of a 7-5 bowl team.  Dennis Erickson will have trouble convincing his #1 nationally ranked squad how tough a test they face and we expect an OSU loss.  Beaver relief will come in the next two weeks with a trip to patsy New Mexico State and a home walkover of lowly Montana State. (NOTE: Postponed because of the terrorist bombing in NYC.)  Then things get serious again. UCLA comes to Corvallis with a high preseason rank, but will be beat up after facing the likes of Alabama, Arizona State and Ohio State, and OSU should start their Pac 10 bid with a victory. 

An awakened Beaver bunch should survive a trip to Washington State, then come home to dump a weakened Arizona (the ‘Cats have a new coach and lack veterans).  Next, the Orange & Black travel to Arizona State, with the latter suffering the same makeover problems as its in-state rival and unable to halt the OSU rebound.  Californiaexpects to be better this year, but won’t be good enough to bash the Beavs in Corvallis.  Beaver defensive quickness should be the winning difference on a journey to USC, but this should be a close contest.  Then Washington comes to town.  This late in the season (Nov. 10), a retooled Husky group should be clicking and OSU could be thinking too much about the season finale in Eugene the next week.  However, we’ll give a close nod to Erickson’s lads.  Finally, the one the whole state’s been waiting for…Civil War in Autzen Stadium.  We expect the venue to propel Oregon over its neighbors.

That leaves the Beavers with an excellent 9-2 season record and a major bowl invitation. (OMED: 12-1-01, The Beavs had a 5-6 season, so Pete missed four calls on OSU schedule.)

Oregon—the Ducks have a schedule to facilitate their claims on Pac 10 and national titles.  Their slate opens with three home games in a row at Autzen, where the Webfeet haven’t lost in 20 hostings. Wisconsin will be a strong opening challenge, but the Ducks bitterly remember losing at Badgerville last year and revenge will carry the day.  Utahdoesn’t have the talent to compete with upper echelon Pac 10 members.  Home field advantage should be enough to take the Ducks past an improved USC.  Next comes a cakewalk for UO at Utah State.

Two consecutive away games for Oregon, Arizonaand California, portend Duck wins, since these foes are understocked.  Good ol’ Autzen should provide the victorious edge over a good Stanfordsquad.  Next comes a possible upset situation at Washington State.  The underdog Cougs should be on the upswing this season and won’t be friendly toward their Northwest neighbors who come to Pullman undefeated and eyeing national glory.  However, Duck talent should tell.  Arizona State at Autzen bodes no challenge, but a Nov. 10 trip to UCLA could be a real Duck danger.  However, an appearance in the Rose Bowl is an incentive for excellent play by the multitude of southern California-bred talent on the Webfoot roster.  And then…here come the next door neighbors (Oregon State) for a nationally televised titanic in which the home field should be the Ducks’ winning difference.

If there are no cracks in our crystal ball, Oregon enjoys an 11-0 regular season and could return to the Rose Bowl on the first day of the New Year to play for the national championship.  (OMED: 12-1-01, Pete missed one call in the Duck schedule, Standord -- which was a game in which Oregon frittered away a big lead in the second half.  Oregon is 11-1.)  

But don’t take any of this to the bank, remembering that injuries are the bane of all forecasters. (OMED: 12-1-01, in spite of injuries and the schedule mess caused by the terrorist attack in New York, Pete is 16-5 !!!  No other sports journalist in Oregon could have done it.  All hail the master of pigskin prognostication !!!)