We conjured up a crystal ball-gazing forecast here just prior to the launch of the 2005 collegiate grid wars...an exercise that caused some derisive comments and flew in the face of any other published guessing games. To date, we don’t look so bad. Our choice for Pac10 titleist, Oregon’s Ducks, remain undefeated heading this weekend into their home arena showdown with national champion USC. This titanic matchup follows a Duck validation of potential with a solid win over a very tough Fresno State, accomplished with two key Quackers sidelined by injury, and, we suspect, by design.

This pair, freshman running back phenom Jonathan Stewart and senior pass rusher par excellence Devan Long, were held back to prep for the Southern Cal battle. All other Duck squad members of import are healthy and now seem adapted to the wide-open scheme of new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. 

UO veteran quarterback Kellen Clemens is shining at both passing and rushing as he relives an offense he ran as a prep star in Burns, OR. Crowton, with head coaching stints at Brigham Young and Louisiana  Tech, is proving a brilliant aide choice by head mentor Mike Bellotti.  SC has warmed up for its Duck visit with a pair of runaway wins over weak opponents Hawaii and Arkansas. There is  reason to believe that the legions of Troy have no equal anywhere on the collegiate scene of their versatile offensive juggernaut.  However, graduation did result in some depletion in a defensive corps that could be vulnerable to Oregon’s attack, its first serious challenge of the season. 

Oregon’s defenders are dominated by veterans up front and in the secondary, though the latter  group maintains a penchant for giving up the long pass, a failing that must have SC Heisman trophy-winning QB Matt Leinart salivating.  Pass rush a key for Ducks Oregon defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is living up to his quick 340-pound potential as a fearsome threat to opposing passers and the return of teammate Long will be welcome in pressuring Leinart. 

This will be the the first conference clash between SC & UO since 2002. While the Trojans have earned back to back national honors with undefeated seasons, Bellotti’s Ducks have had an unimposing 11-11 record since their landmark upset of then-#3 Michigan at Autzen in 2003.  Those who don’t have seats Saturday at sold-out Autzen Stadium can watch with the most
talented broadcaster duo currently on TV, ABC’s Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts, with the latter struggling to forget his status as a Duck alumni. 

Oregon State surprised us with a victory over Boise State in their second outing, but returned to an expected status by succumbing to a 63-27 rout at Louisville. We expect Arizona State to extend the embarassment in the Beavers’ conference opener this weekend. UCLA is looking better to date than the sixth-placed Pac10 finish we predicted for them, while Washington’s  Huskies are looking unlikely to justify our forecast of a seventh place conference finish. Washington State and Cal still look like a top-5 league record. Sorriest squad among the ten has to be Stanford, which succumbed to Division II Cal Davis. Arizona shows little improvement over a weak 2004 showing.

ROSES & RASPBERRIES...a packet of posies to Linfield’s current effort to repeat as Divison III national football champions, who are so far showing what a former Division I star QB Brett Elliott can accomplish at a lower level...no plaudits for the Portland State Vikings’ failure so far to put fan bodies in the PGE Park seats, and we doubt the Vik grid program can long survive at this pace...blooms however to PSU’s basketball program, which needs far less shekels to prosper and has been strengthened by new coaching personnel to follow last season’s success...Oregon prep football is in a boom stage, with a plethora of potential college performers spread across the
state and more parity among the schools...we can utter only sustained boos for any deluded sports follower who cannot be excited by the excellence of the University of Portland’s women’s soccer program, crafted by the coaching/recruiting performance of the late Clive Charles and bidding for a national title this season.

© 2005 Oregon Magazine