ICYMI: Oregon Blows out Florida State in Rose Bowl

((ht: espn.com))

It was a close game at the half.

The Oregon Ducks went into the locker room at halftime with an 18-13 lead over the undefeated Florida State Seminoles with a berth in the National Championship game on the line.

And no, even the Ducks couldn't have imagined what would happen next.

The once-invincible Florida State team, winners of their past 29 games started making mistakes.

Four straight Seminoles turnovers led to Oregon points.

The Ducks scored 27 points in the third quarter. And the game was over.

A 41 point 2nd half gave Oregon the statement win they were looking for, their first over a Top 2 team ever. The Ducks beat the Seminoles 59-20. And it could have been worse.

QB Marcus Mariota threw for 338 yards and 2 TD's and ran for 62 yards and another score, leading his team to the win.

As for FSU star Jameis Winston, he had a tough day. He threw for a lot of yards, but had an interception and perhaps one of the ugliest fumbles you'll ever see.

Oregon moves on to the National Title game versus Ohio State in Dallas.

Notes:

--Many of the FSU players left the field before shaking hands with the Oregon players and coaches. A big breach of sportsmanship that should be addressed. (Winston and several others stayed for a long time to congratulate the Ducks)

---Several Oregon players may--and should be in trouble for what they did after the game. A video showing them on the podium mocking the FSU Tomahawk chop and chanting "No means no" has been making the rounds. Once made aware of it, Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said they players involved will be disciplined.

Here's the video from Fox Sports West producer Bear Heiser:

Mariota Does Letterman

((HT: Worldwide Pants/CBS))

Our personal favorite is number three as the current Oregon QB went on wearing a full tux...


He is right, y'know...

Morning Wrap: Oregon Wins Pac 12 and CFB Playoff Spot

((ht: foxsports.com))

So we know at least one of the four teams in the inaugural College Football playoff.

The Oregon Ducks assured themselves of a berth in the playoff Friday night after destroying Arizona 51-13 in front of a really small Pac 12 Championship crowd in Santa Clara, California.

All world Ducks QB Marcus Mariota improved his Heisman bid by throwing for 303 yards and 2 TD's. He enhanced it by running for 33 yards and 3 more TD's.

The maligned Oregon defense held Arizona to 224 yards while the offense did all the flashy stuff.

The win moved Oregon to 12-1 on the season and like we said, pretty much guaranteed them a shot at the National title.

Arizona, who had a resurgent season under head coach Rich Rodriguez, dropped to 10-3 and will likely get a solid bowl game draw.

Your highlights from FOXSports:

Morning Wrap: Mariota Leads Oregon to Rout Over Oregon State

((ht: foxsports.com))

Marcus Mariota would be a humungous star if he played on the east coast. He's a pretty big college football star in his own right, but he plays out west, so a lot of people don't get to see him

They don't know what they are missing.

Mariota threw for 367 yards and 4 TD's and chipped in with 2 running TD's, leading the University of Oregon to a 47-19 rivalry week win over arch-rival Oregon State.

The Ducks jumped out to a 30-3 halftime lead and never looked back.

Two freshmen also stood out for Oregon, playing on State's home turf in Corvallis. Freshman RB Royce Freeman ran for 135 yards and fellow rookie Charles Nelson caught 2 TD passes as the Ducks moved to 11-1 overall, 8-1 in the Pac 12.

Oregon moves on to a date with Arizona in the Pac 12 Championship game next week, the winner likely will get a berth in the inaugural College Football playoff.

Your highlights from ESPN.com:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: The Rick Rolled Edition

You are welcome. Try to get that out of your head....

For that matter, try and get the idea that the SEC may still get two of your College Football playoff berths out of your heads too.

Because it's probably going to happen. And there are going to be a lot of people who aren't going to be happy about it.



So, yeah, we're feeling musical as we look ahead to the week before Thanksgiving and the last chance for all of college football to make a statement.

Looking back at last week--7-2. Lots of BYE weeks. Oh, and we picked 'Bama, FSU and UGA to win. Not everyone did that. Makes us 113-29 on the season. Deal wit dat bitches!

But enough about me, it's time as the legendary Casey Kasem once said to get "On With the Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) FSU 10-0. Yep, we put the Seminoles, as much as we despise everything they stand for, at #1. They are undefeated, they haven't lost in 2 seasons. And because of that, they get to be #1.

Tell 'em Naitch:



This Week: vs. Boston College, Our Pick: FSU 43, BC 21

2) Alabama 9-1. Is this the best team like our CFB Playoff Committee says? Yeah, probably. But they lost a game this season. And to us, that matters. They've been dissed most of the season, but the Tide has gotten better every week. This Week: (CUPCAKE) vs. Western Carolina, Our Pick: Bama 47, WCU 10

3) Oregon 9-1. Quack, quack. Best front runners in the biz. They ran away from Utah after the goal line fumble and never looked back. When you've got Marcus Mariota, that can happen. Still not sold on them as a title team, but yeah, they'll probably be a Final 4 team. This Week: vs. Colorado, Our Pick: Oregon 47, Colorado 27

4) TCU 9-1. A Gary Patterson brain fart away from perfection. Sure, they're a Big 12 team with a ton of offense and very little defense. But that doesn't seem to matter these days. Trevone Boykin is awesome, and awesome will get you a shot at the title belt. This Week: BYE

5) Mississippi St. 9-1. The Bulldogs made a run at Bama after being dominated in the 1st half. But they shot themselves in the foot when it counted. Still, this is a pretty good team and Dak Prescott, yeah, he's pretty good too. They will probably end up in the playoff over TCU, but we don't agree with that. Just our opinion. This Week: vs. Vandy, Our Pick: Miss St. 35, Vandy 13

6) Ohio St. 9-1. We stick by our statement the Bucks are the most improved team in College Football over the course of the season. It mirror's J.T Barrett's growth. Are they Playoff contenders. Maybe not. But I wouldn't want to play them to find out. They are the kings of the Big 10 though. This Week: vs. Indiana, Our Pick: tOSU 37, Indiana 27

7) Baylor 9-1. Yes, we know, they beat TCU. But they lost badly to an ok West Va. team. And the schedule, outside the TCU and Oklahoma wins is oh, so soft. But they keep putting up big numbers every week and absolutely humiliated the Sooners in Norman. Which counts for something. This Week: vs. Oklahoma St., Our Pick: Baylor 51, Okie State 21

8) UCLA 8-2. Here's where things get dicey. The Bruins have been thoroughly unimpressive for the most part, but they are still very dangerous. They've gotten better each week. And they have Brett Hundley which counts for something. This Week: vs. USC, Our Pick: UCLA 37, USC 31

9) Ole Miss 8-2. The Rebs have lost the last 2 games that have counted. The offense may have gotten on track during their practice game vs. Presbyterian last week though. Injuries have decimated this team, but enough talent remains to cause havoc for others. This Week: at Arkansas, Our Pick: Ark 29, Ole Miss 23 UPSET!!!

10) Georgia 8-2. Their own worst enemies. But hey, they put together quite a game, totally dominating a good Auburn team last week. When the 'Dawgs' are on, they are dangerous good, when they remember who they are, they have a tendency to gag. Rather badly. And no, they won't miss Todd Gurley.  This Week: vs. Charleston Southern (Cupcake), Our Pick: UGA 51, Charleston Southern 10

11) Wisconisn 8-2. Any team featuring Melvin Gordon is going to be good. And dangerous. This is a very typical Wisconsin team, big, strong and outside Mr. Gordon, very slow. In other words a Big 10 team. They lost 2 close games, otherwise we'd be talking playoff team here. This Week: at Iowa, Our Pick: Wisconsin 47, Iowa 21.

12) Kansas St. 7-2. Never great, always good. Jake Waters has carried them, statistically they shouldn't be this good, yet they are. Though we thought they'd give TCU a better fight then they did. This Week: at West Va., Our Pick: West Va. 41, K-State 33

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



Yeah...congrats to Troy, who won their 3rd game and moved out of our poll. While they've been bad, we are happy they've been able to graduate to mediocrity, it's a big improvement. We are quite sure SMU has the Toilet Bowl title wrapped up, but Georgia State is giving them a run for their money.

Enough of that...

5) Tulsa 2-8. Didn't this used to be a dangerous team to play. Oh, wait, that was back in the 1990's, never mind. But hey, they did beat SMU, so they season wasn't a total loss. Okay, maybe it was. This Week: at Houston, Our Pick: Houston 53, Tulsa 31

4) Kent State 1-9. What is this? Their game this week has been delayed by snow? It's never a good sign when you have to go somewhere where the snow total has outscored you too. Maybe the Golden Flashes should just tell the MAC to skip it? This Week at Buffalo (maybe), Our Pick: Buffalo/Lake Effect Snow 12 Feet, Kent St 3

3) Idaho 1-9. Fear not potato fans, the season is almost...mercifully over. Sure, you haven't been "blown out" by anyone and you won a game. But it was vs. New Mexico St. Look at it this way, you aren't in Buffalo (snow). This Week: BYE

2) Georgia St. 1-9. Two successes this year. 1) They won a game. 2) They lead the nation in worst rushing attack and worst rushing defense. Not easy to do. No, we won't post a Jeopardy video here. Though we did think about it. Anyway. This Week: at Clemson (really?), Our Pick: Clemson 30 daily doubles, Ga. State 5 daily doubles (think about it)

1) SMU 0-9. Wow! The ponies almost beat South Florida. Almost. Though rumor has it, it's not that big of an accomplishment anymore. But hey, near victory!



Haha! Yeah, we referenced Johnny Drama. The Mustangs continue the march to the Toilet bowl with another Florida team. This Week: at UCF, Our Pick: UCF 37, SMU 10

Victory!

Here's something new to get rid of the Rick Roll we threw on you to start this...

BASTA: Oregon Beats Stanford At Their Own Game

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

Despite a dominant start by Oregon that left the Cardinal down 14-3 mid-way through the first quarter, Stanford charged back and pulled within striking distance. However, the Ducks and Heisman Trophy favorite Marcus Mariota made plays when the Cardinal could not, making the game an absolute laugher. Oregon gave Stanford a dose of their own medicine, dominating them on the ground behind a healthy (finally) offensive front. The Ducks outrushed Stanford 267-131, and were too much for a usually-dominant unit. The Ducks did not let up with the score out of hand until midway through the fourth, clearly releasing two years of pent-up frustration in a 46-16 blowout. Oregon was the first team to score more than thirty points against Stanford since Arizona in 2012.

The Ducks took the ball on the opening kickoff, and wasted no time in marching down the field, going seventy-five yards in just over four minutes. Mariota burned Stanford on the ground and through the air, totaling twenty-seven yards rushing and capping the drive with a six-yard touchdown pass. Stanford’s depleted front seven offered little resistance, letting the star quarterback have his way. Stanford felt the absences of nose tackle David Parry and end Aziz Shittu, key parts of the previously first-ranked defense nationwide. This drive was a microcosm of the rest of the game; Oregon’s speed and physicality brutalized the Cardinal.

Kevin Hogan quite possibly had the best half of his career in the first half, completing thirteen of his seventeen attempts for 162 yards and a touchdown, but he could not finish drives, including the first drive of the game. He was not plagued many of his customary miscues, and was very accurate and collected. He wasted great field position stemming from a Ty Montgomery return, forcing Jordan Williamson into attempting a forty-seven yard field goal, which he nailed. Autzen Stadium has been kind to the fifth-year senior, who hit the redemptive game-winning field goal in 2012. Oregon answered with an even quicker score, taking just over two minutes to go seventy-five yards for the touchdown, a twenty-two yard run in which Mariota escaped pressure and ran in untouched to take the 14-3 lead. Hogan played better on the next drive, but the end result was the same, another field goal to cut the lead to 14-6. The early deficit left Stanford on its heels, forced to play catch-up against the high-tempo Ducks, not a position the Cardinal are built to succeed in.

The Cardinal’s defense let Mariota have all day to throw, and they paid for it, falling behind 24-6 midway into the second quarter. With their backs to the wall, Stanford mustered an excellent seventy-five yard drive for a touchdown, capped by a one-yard touchdown from Patrick Skov to cut the lead to 24-13. Hogan completed eight passes for fifty-five yards on the drive, utilizing screens and sideline passes to his speedy, physical receivers, including Devon Cajuste. Cajuste had a field day against the undersized Oregon secondary, snagging five catches for 115 yards. Stanford went into the half with a chance to steal a win from the Ducks despite only scoring one touchdown in four trips inside the thirty-five yard line.

Stanford came out of the locker room energized, taking the ball all the way down to Oregon’s thirty-two yard line. Hogan ruined a seemingly promising drive with an ugly interception, throwing into double coverage on a pass intended for Devon Cajuste, handing the ball to the potential Heisman Trophy winner at his own one yard line. He had become overly reliant on Cajuste, and missed multiple open options shorter on the right side. Hogan’s blunder ultimately did not cost the Cardinal too much, as Alex Carter snagged an interception on the ensuing drive. Had Mariota thrown outside to his receiver, Carter would have had no play, but Mariota threw it right into Carter’s hands for an easy pick at Oregon’s forty yard-line.

Down 24-13, the ensuing drive could have been a defining moment for the embattled Hogan. Instead, it was just another typical Stanford drive, stalling in the red zone. A holding call against the undersized, overmatched center Graham Shuler contributed to this, leaving Stanford with a first and twenty at Oregon’s twenty-six yard line. Shaw also made a questionable decision on fourth and two at the eight, electing to take a field goal. Stanford needed a catalyst, and a first down would have been. A score would have cut the lead to four points, yet Shaw stayed with his conservative ways, destroying any potential momentum, despite cutting the lead to 24-16.

The end of the third and fourth quarters were another story for the Cardinal. After another Ducks’ touchdown, Kevin Hogan was stripped on an apparently promising drive, giving the Ducks the ball at the forty and the victory. Tony Washington stripped the ball from Hogan on a strong man’s play; ball security was not an issue for Hogan, but it killed any waning hope. Marcus Mariota took advantage of the field position, running in for two more touchdowns to make the game a rout. Mariota finished with 258 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and eighty-five yards and two scores on the ground.

Here's the highlights as proof...
((HT: Pac-12/FoxCFB))


Stanford’s ineptitude on both the offensive and defensive lines is concerning going forward. Oregon’s offensive line was a perceived weakness, yet there was no “Party in the Backfield,” as the Cardinal put almost no pressure on Mariota, and sacked him just once. With the loss, Stanford falls to 5-4 and loses all realistic hope for a Pac-12 North title (The Cardinal would have to win out and Oregon would have to lose out). The loss was their most lopsided since 2007, in which they went 1-11 and fell 41-3 to ASU. Oregon showed no weaknesses, and barring injuries, their path to the College Football Playoff should be relatively easy. They pushed the Cardinal around on both sides, imposing their will on a team that had previously established such an identity.

ICYMI: Oregon Outscores Cal in Friday Night CFB

((ht: foxsports.com))

This would be the reason why though we like Oregon, we don't think IF they make the College Football playoff, they'll last very long.

On the strength of 5 TD passes by quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Oregon Ducks outscored Cal 59-41 Friday night moving them to 7-1 on the season, 4-1 in the Pac 12.

The game featured 1150 yards of offense and 21 penalties and probably finished long after most of the East Coast was sleeping.

Much like Baylor, who can score with anyone, the Ducks are dangerous as heck. Mariota is arguably the best quarterback in College Football. But he can't play defense, which over the years has been the one thing that's kept Oregon from winning titles.

We'll see if Oregon can run the table. If they do, the Ducks will surely be one of the four playoff teams. But then again, we aren't even in November yet....

Your highlights from FoxSports:

Maybe Oregon Should Stop Playing Arizona When They're Ranked (UPDATED W/Locker Room Reax)

((HT: Pac-12 Network))

You could see the signs early on...

Constant pressure in Marcus Mariota's face and keeping all the receiver activity in front of the secondary. In addition to that, the Arizona defense made sure that Mariota didn't get loose in his own and break off a big run.

Arizona traded punches with Oregon and won in Autzen Stadium- again...

Whaddya want to bet that folks ni Michigan are REALLY rueing the idea that Rich Rod ended up in Tucson and wasn't around in Ann Arbor for all this Brady Hoke mess...


Great strip and steal by Scooby Wright and:

WHAT IS UP WITH THOSE UNIFORMS???!!!

Yes, the HQ knows despite their hideousness, they will sell out and some of the proceeds will hopfully go to a great cause.

Here's the reaction in the Arizona locker room...
((HT: Arizona Wildcats their own selves))

The Dirty Dozen and The Bottom of the Barrel: Jameis Winston is an Idiot

With all the problems going on in the NFL, the disciplinary issues of the NCAA often take a back seat.

Take for example defending Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and Florida State.

It's not so much that he did something stupid, jumping up in the middle of the Student Union and yelled an obscenity. And it's not that he leisurely strolled out of a Publix this summer with a bunch of Crab Legs.

And it's not even that he walked away from a questionable sexual encounter with another student in late 2012 that somehow got him a mere slap on the wrist.



It's the combination of all these things that make him the NCAA's chief idiot. And he gets to sit out for a half in a fairly big game for his Seminoles. A game he shouldn't get to play in at all. Then he MIGHT learn a lesson. But we doubt it.

Okay, we're done with the righteous ranting....

It was an interesting college football week last week. A few surprises and a few disappointments. And no clear cut team jumping out from the pack....which we like. It makes things much more fun for us.



So another 12 win week for us, 12-2 to be exact, which raises the 2 week total to 24-3. Which folks ain't bad. We may not always get the score or spread right, but more often than not, we'll tell you who wins.

But enough gloating, it's time to quote the legend Casey Kasem and get "On With the Countdown"


THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Oregon 3-0. Welcome to the top spot Duckies. We don't think you'll be here at the end, but enjoy the ride. The conference schedule now begins and it will be time to ride the Marcus Mariota train. Which actually may get you pretty far. (This Week: at Wash. St. Our Pick: Oregon 49, Wash St. 31)

2) FSU 2-0. You get demoted because your star QB is a moron who thinks he's above everyday life. He's not. In the long run, with him, yeah, you have the best team in the country. But all things considered, will you have him for the long run. We'd like to pick you to lose this week, you might, it would be justice...sort of. (This Week: vs. Clemson. Our Pick: FSU 23, Clemson 21)

3) Auburn 2-0. Last years runner up is still pretty good. They sort of had a week off after a cupcake game and they go on the road this week. Sometimes the spotlight games (ESPN Thu. night) can be a curse, but K-State isn't enough to bite back. (This Week: at Kansas St. Our Pick: Auburn 50, K-State 30)

4) Alabama 3-0. Team Saban/Kiffykin moves on. After 3 cupcakes. Ok, maybe W.Va isn't a cupcake, the meat of the schedule kicks in. The Tide have been good, not great. There are still questions. But not enough to slow them down this week. (This Week: vs. Florida Our Pick: Bama 34, Gators 17)

5) Oklahoma 3-0. No, the Sooners haven't been pushed yet either. While they do seem to be the class of the Big 9, we have questions about how they'll play against the SEC. Oh, wait, the rolled Tennessee last week. Yes, good for you. (This Week: at W.Va. Our Pick: Oklahoma 48, W.Va 34)

6) Texas A&M 3-0. Still don't get the whole "Trill" Hill thing, though we give Aggie QB Kenny credit for stepping in and performing very, very well. But our hat tip goes to Kevin Sumlin who may be doing his best coaching job ever this season. (This Week: at SMU (yikes). Our Pick: Aggies 126, SMU 3)

7) LSU 3-0. Eh...not sure the Tigers will be worthy of this ranking when the dust clears, but right now, hey why not? The meat of the schedule begins now and trips to A&M and Auburn are on the horizon. (This Week: vs. Miss St. Our Pick: LSU 24, Miss St. 14)

8) Baylor 3-0. Ok, everyone still loves the Bears and hey, who wouldn't, they are averaging nearly 60 points a game. But they've also fattened up on 3 straight cupcakes, so don't use this as a guide. The Big 9 schedule starts this week, let's see what happens. (This Week: at Iowa St. Our Pick: Baylor 40, Iowa St. 27) 

9) Ole Miss 3-0. Is this team a mirage or are they living up to their potential? Hard to tell, they too have fattened up on cupcakes. That will eventually change, but not this week. (This Week: vs. Memphis. Our Pick: Ole Miss 34, Memphis 21)

10) UCLA 3-0. They've underachieved, but persevered. An injury to Brett Hundley meant Rick Neuhiesel's kid Jerry had to step up. He did, leading the Bruins to a win at Texas. Which still isn't easy to do. Test time's a comin' though. (This Week: OFF)

11) Notre Dame 3-0. So, the Irish are off to a good start, but again haven't been challenged. But they are Notre Dame, so if they're 3-0, they're in the Top 10 in the polls. We question if they'll stay, but all games but maybe 1 are winnable for them. (This Week: OFF)

12) Arizona St. 3-0. Yes, another Pac 12 team. If you are undefeated, you too have a shot at making our list over a team with a loss. That's the way we roll. (This Week: OFF)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) New Mexico 0-2. Yes, the song above is for you Lobo fans and you Bob Davie. Former long time resident comes home. The Lobos were here through the entire Mike Locksley era and have returned. You must earn your way back out. That is all. (This week: at NM State. Our Pick: NM State 25, NM 10)

4) SMU 0-2. Oh boy, it doesn't get any easier. Lose your head coach, check. Score 6 points on the season, check. Travel to the Trill show this week, check. (This Week: vs. Texas A&M. Our Pick--see #6 above)

3) UMass 0-3. Way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory Minutemen. You had Vandy down and on the ropes, yet you let them wiggle free. That's why you are here and probably won't leave. (This Week: at Penn St. Our Pick: PSU 31, UMass 12)

2) Troy 0-3. Oh boy. My how Larry Blakeny's boys have fallen. This was once the crown jewel of the Sun Belt. Not any more. And it won't get better. (This Week: at UGA Our Pick: UGA 51, Troy 13)



1) Miami OH 0-3. No, you don't get to leave the bottom here Redhawks. You still aren't good, you haven't won in over 2 seasons. You can't leave. Nor will you anytime soon. (This Week: at Cincinnati. Our Pick: Cinci 48, Miami OH 13) 

The End For Mack Brown: Let's Face It, Oregon Let Up...

It was the blowout that Oregon kept from being a blowout...

Marcus Mariota was trotted out there out of shape and the Oregon offense still ran rings around the Texas...

Well, the Texas everything...
Here's Mack Brown after the fact...
((HT: Longhorn Network))


With analysis from San Antonio from Kirk Bohls and Cedric Golden from the Austin American-Statesman
And highlights from KVUE-TV

Oregon Barely Wins The Civil War 36-35, Sixth Win In A Row Over Oregon State

The 117th Civil War Between Oregon and Oregon State came down to a 12 yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Josh Huff with 29 seconds left to give the Ducks and 36-35 win over the Beavers.

Thanks Fox Sports 1:

Thanks KEZI-TV, Eugene, Oregon

"Quite frankly, it was a bad throw," Mariota said. "Huff made a great catch. I said, 'Thank you, man, that would've looked bad.'"

“It’s surreal,” Huff was quoted in the Eugene (OR) Register-Guard. “I didn’t imagine my last game would come down like that. It was everything I dreamed of. As a little kid growing up in the backyard playing with my dad and cousins, I always went through those scenarios, and it finally came true. I have been waiting for this moment.”

Huff's touchdown winner capped off a career day with 186 yards receiving, 10th best in Duck history.  Huff added career highs in receptions with 9 and touchdowns with three.

Not a bad final impression by Josh Huff to the Duck fans in Eugene.  A career day, the winning touchdown catch against their in-state rival and the sixth win in a row of Oregon State.

DeAnthony Thomas Was Half Right...

((HT: KVAL-TV))

The Oregon running back said that his team would put up 40 on Stanford...

Hate to say it (actually, the HQ doesn't), but Oregon needed the other half as their national title hopes went up in smoke (for now, it is November...) and lost to Stanford 26-20...

Offensively, Stanford stayed with the run and kept Oregon's defense on the field...
Defensively, Stanford pressured Marcus Mariota and kept the running game to only 20-percent of its weekly efficiency...

So much for that idea...

Here's Collin Harmon...


For the second straight year, Stanford knocked them off and blew up Marcus Mariota's post-season trophy hopes...

For now, it is November...

Stanford's Statement, We Are Still Hanging Around, Cardinal Defeats Ducks 26-20

Florida State fans are rejoicing.  Number 2 Oregon has a loss.

In a game that had the west coast buzzing Stanford raced out to a 26-0 lead until the middle of the fourth quarter.  Oregon rallied as Marcus Mariota threw two touchdown passes but the rally fell short.

Stanford defeats Oregon 26-20.


"Our guys played extremely well today." Stanford head coach David Shaw said. "The fact that we've won two in a row against these guys, credit to our players, the coaches and preparation. Bottom line, they didn't give it to us. They didn't give it to us. We had to play our game and finish the game at the end, and we did."


"Our guys competed, no question." Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said.

The Ducks defense couldn't figure out how to stop Stanford running back Tyler Gaffney who had a school record 45 carries.  Gaffney ended up with 157 yards rushing and a touchdown.

"Tyler Gaffney ran the ball tonight the way running back backs are supposed to run the ball in this game of football." Shaw said.

"Oregon's really good at filling in with their safeties, with their backside backers." Gaffney said. "It came down to lowering the shoulder and hoped for the best."

Marcus Mariota ended up 20-34 for 250 yards and two touchdowns.  Mariota admits he banged up, the knee brace he wore against Stanford is evident of that but he's not making excuses.

"I've got to learn to play with it."  Mariota said. "I've never really played with a knee brace before, so that's something that I've been doing in practice and getting used to."

With the Oregon loss Florida State sits in good shape to be Alabama's opponents in the BCS National Championship Game.

That is if the season ended today.

Late Night CFB: Oregon sprints past Arizona State

Oregon was down 7-0 after fumbling on their 1st play from scrimmage.

It would be the only time they trailed Thursday night. The Ducks used 143 yards rushing from Kenjon Barner and 135 from QB Marcus Mariota to fuel a 43-21 rout over Arizona State which quite honestly, wasn't that close.

Oregon's defense forced 4 turnovers and Arizona State's supposed #1 Pac 12 defense (if there is such a thing) couldn't stop the Quack Attack from doing whatever it wanted to.

There was concern...at least by the 4-letter pundits that Oregon might struggle because of Mariota's inexperience and it being his 1st road game. And...raising that question did a good job of drumming up interest.

But there's a difference. Oregon easily justified their #2 ranking in the Weeks OSG Sports Dirty Dozen and now climb to 7-0. They still face games with USC, Stanford and a really tough Oregon State team that could knock them off. But it would be a surprise if that happens.

As for the Sun Devils, they drop to a very respectable 5-2 under 1st year wandering coach Todd Graham. The program, which had been struggling under previous coach Dennis Erickson seems to have found some footing, drawing 70,000 to a Thursday night game in the "Valley of the Sun".

KVAL-TV in Eugene provides us with some highlights: