Welcome to the official, “we didn’t want him anyway” post. Jeremiah Masoli to be charged in the infamous theft case? Eh, didn’t want him in the first place. LaMichael James changing his plea? Psh, not like he was the best back we ever recruited.

Right? Who’s with me? Still need some convincing? Just check out these side by side comparisons based on actual facts. Click on the projected stats link for Seastrunk. It’s mind-boggling how good he is going to be (and one has to wonder how long before ESPN sends a team of lawyers to my door step).

I think we can all agree that Oregon is in fine shape for the 2010 season and, in fact, may have just improved their standing with the criminal charges being brought against these supposed “superstars.”

NOTE: I should mention that this isn’t the end of basketball at Mac Court, only of Pac-10 games. The non-conference slate is still being played in the fall/winter of 2010 at Mac Court before making the move to the new building. But my experiences with Mac Court have always been about the Pac-10 and a few remaining games against directional schools is of little interest. With that said, on with the nostalgia.

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For 72 years, Mac Court existed and I could care less. But then I went to a game and a torrid four year affair began.

McArthur Court will get its final farewell today and while my four years wasn’t much in the grand scheme of its existence, it was enough for me to know that this building is special and will always have a prominent place in Oregon Duck history.

It’s 1998, I’m a high school senior and it’s my first time

I’m taking an early January road trip to Eugene to see my future school take on the UCLA Bruins, led by Baron Davis, and I’m awoken to a special building. Time may have burdened its aesthetic and functional appeal, but passionate, adoring fans continue to pump life inside its walls.

I’m in the 300 section, far above the action sitting on a wooden bench. There is a group of rowdy students below and the game is intense. The crowd injects energy throughout the building and I’m either happy to know when the place collapses I’m on top or frightened of the extra distance I’m going to fall.

Davis hits a jumper for UCLA at the buzzer to give UCLA a two point win,  but the losing is overshadowed by the intoxication of this raucous environment in a rickety old gym that shakes with every footstep of 9,087 people. I’m hooked.

It’s 2000 and I’m sitting beneath Mac Court in a dark room

I’ve been to enough games sitting in the student section as a freshman now to know that this building has an aura that you cannot ignore. I have yet to witness what it’s really capable of, but I can sense it. Deep in the bowels of Mac, I sit with 10-20 others and listen to athletic department officials talk about forming an organized group to support the basketball team. We’ll call it the Pit Crew.

It’s Thursday, January 27, 2000 and an oompa loompa is having problems with his free throw.

The Pit Crew at its finest.

Yes, Brandon Granville*, the basket is shaking and yes, you still have to make your free throw. You can point and complain to the ref. They can make an announcement to calm everyone down, they can even award you an extra free throw, but you simply can’t change a building’s character. That’s just how the game  is played here at Mac Court.

*couldn’t verify this was Brandon Granville taking the free throw but that’s my memory and I’m sticking to it!

It’s Thursday, March 2, 2000 and I’ve witnessed the greatest finish ever

Only in a building like this can a team be down four points with what, four, maybe five seconds left on the clock and still hope (expect?) to win. Arizona State lets Oregon’s Ben Lindquist heave a length of the court pass to Alex Scales who easily drills a three point jumper to cut the lead to one.

There’s maybe 1 or 2 seconds left now, Ducks down 1. ASU struggles to inbound the ball and overthrows the intended target. No one touches the ball as it goes out of bounds, the clock never starts and Oregon gets possession under its own basket. This time, the Sun Devils play some defense and force an imperfect pass beyond half court that sails past one ASU player and into the hands of Darius Wright who has just enough time to turn and launch a 30 foot prayer.

And it’s answered. Swish.

Ducks win and pandemonium ensues. Its the loudest noise I’ve ever heard and we’re deliriously running on the court. I can only imagine what those that left early are thinking as they hear the cheers that slip through the cracks of The Pit’s aging walls.

It’s two days later and the madness won’t stop

Oregon gets down by 17 to the nation’s number three team, Arizona. With around 12 minutes to go, Oregon goes on a tear and the building stirs to life. Ducks win by five and it’s time to rush the court.

Again.

What a weekend.

It’s Thursday, Feb. 22, 2001 and the cheers are for me

UCLA is always a big deal and this time around, Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl is in town to cover the game. He comes by our front row seats and a friend of mine tells him I’m an aspiring journalist (though that ship had sailed) that needs an internship. Wahl laughs it off and that’s that.

Fast forward to an early timeout and I stand behind the three point line with a basketball, ready to shoot. I float a nervous airball (maybe two) but hit the required 5 threes – on just 7 shots! – well before the timer runs out. I turn and “sshh” the UCLA bench (as if they care). At least once in these four short years, the crowds cheers are intended solely for me.

At halftime, Wahl comes back and says SI could use some three-point shooters and hands me his contact info. My friend, roommate and Pit Crew prez extraordinaire, Nate Jolly, wins the halftime bingo contest.

Mac Court is powerful in ways you don’t even know.

It’s late 2001 and the Pit Crew doesn’t have t-shirts for the 01-02 season

Yikes, I'd like a redo, but it's an original.

Nike isn’t going to help out with our Pit Crew shirts this year and we’re running out of time. Nate and I, armed only with a computer lab running Adobe Illustrator, slave away to create something out of thin air. Graphic design artists, we are not, but the Pit Crew logo for at least the next four years is born.

Present-day me cringes at the sight of it now, but everyone starts somewhere.

Our logo is now on hundreds of shirts worn to every game. We’ve given something back to the building that feels like home.

It’s Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002 and a senior is having his moment

It’s the last game and Oregon is on the verge of an undefeated record within the cozy confines of McArthur Court. Freddie Jones, who I was lucky enough to watch and root for in high school as well, is possessed by some sort of Mac Court demon and unleashes hell on the Huskies. If I didn’t have stats to prove otherwise, I’d swear he had 53 points in the first 10 minutes of the game.

He’s draining threes and throwing down posterizing dunks while showing more emotion than ever before in his career. Clearly, on this, his last game ever at Mac Court, he knows it’s a special moment and understands what it means to play in this building for this crowd with this uniform.

It’s Saturday, March 1, 2003 and we bid thee farewell, Coach Lavin

We’ve organized a party thrown by the Pit Crew for Steve Lavin. We’re calling it the “Farewell Lavin Tour” as everyone knows he’s as good as fired at season’s end. Lavin loves it, waves to the crowd and gives us a wink. Even a dead man walking for the opposition knows how special Mac Court is.

It’s the same day and Lavin isn’t the only one saying goodbye

Before Mac Court really stirs to life, the Pit Crew is in place

Following Oregon’s 31 point victory, I look up in the rafters where I watched my first game and know this is it. No more of my usual front row seat. No more early entry into the building and getting to watch Mac Court transform from gentle to enraged. No more banging on the doors insisting we be let in, no more interacting with Fox Sports announcers and having the ear of opposing players.

There will be no more pounding on the walls leading to the Ducks dressing room as they ready themselves to take the court, nor will there be another day of jumping up and down screaming at the top of our lungs.

My time with Mac Court is over. It’s someone else’s turn…that is, until it’s gone forever.

It’s Saturday, March 6, 2010 and someone has to turn the lights off

Mac, it’s been fun. Change is inevitable and it’s for the good, but you’ve been a special building. My memories are but a four year blip on a long, illustrious history that has spanned the Tall Firs, Webfoots, Kamikaze Kids and numerous other forgotten eras. Thanks for the good times you’ve given to Duck fans of all ages. You will be missed.

Bowl PreNicktions went on a one-year hiatus in 2008, but they’re back and I think I’m in line for my first ever 34 for 34 performance.

PreNicktion: Best guess at who will win.
Wisdometer:* A scale of 1 to 10 indicating how much I know about the game.
Record Guesser: My best guess at the actual record of a team (first record is the guess, second record is the actual). For those of you scoring at home, I guessed correctly on 45 of 68 teams, a 66.2% success rate.

*The Wisdometer continues to have no affiliation with the Whizzenator which at this point is just an outdated pop-culture reference.

New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 19, 1:30 pm, Albuquerque, ESPN

Fresno State vs. Wyoming.
And we’re off. Um, but it’s okay if I don’t watch right? Just because it’s the first bowl game doesn’t mean I’m obligated to sit down and spend three hours on it.

PreNicktion: Fresno State
Wisdometer: 1.5
Record Guesser: Fresno State (7-5, 6-6), Wyoming (7-5, 8-4)

St. Petersburg Bowl, Dec. 19, 5:00 pm, St. Petersburg, ESPN

Central Florida vs. Rutgers
I promise. We just have to get through the first, oh, 30 games or so and this will get more entertaining. It’s not my fault these bowl games exist, but dammit, I’m going to preNickt them anyway.

PreNicktion: Rutgers (It’s an old PreNicktion rule, 3.6.7 I believe, that you always pick against the directional school)
Wisdometer: 0.00 (Seriously, no idea)
Record guesser: Central Florida (7-5, 8-4), Rutgers (7-5, 8-4).

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 20, 5:30 pm, New Orleans, ESPN

Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee
I hate it when two directional schools play each other. But still, the PreNicktion handbook will tell you that middle is less of a direction than Southern, so you always go with middle.

PreNicktion: Middle Tennessee
Wisdometer: 0.0 (yikes, two in a row. I’m clueless)
Record Guesser: Southern Miss (6-6, 7-5), Middle Tennessee (7-5, 9-3)

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 22, 5:00 pm, Las Vegas, ESPN

Oregon State vs. BYU
I used to have a theory that you always bet on a team full of Mormons in a game played in Las Vegas because they can’t get into any trouble before the game. But they’re only 2-2 in four straight Las Vegas Bowl appearances, so that doesn’t really apply.

PreNicktion: Oregon State
Wisdometer: 8.6
Record Guesser: Oregon State (8-4, 8-4), BYU (10-2, 10-2)

San Diego County CU Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 23, 5 pm, San Diego, ESPN

Utah vs. California
I just opened an account at a San Diego credit union. It was not this one. While that’s not relevant, at least I put off talking about the fact that Bears are the new Cougars. You know, usually when a team blows a game, you say, “boy, they sure Coug’d it!” The Cal Bears, though, are making a push to own the phrase. As in, “Hey, Cal was a top ten team, but they Bear’d it!” Eh, doesn’t have the same ring does it?

PreNicktion: California (all that and you pick Cal? Remember, I’m a Pac-10 homer)
Wisdometer: 9.0
Record Guesser: Utah (9-3, 9-3), California (8-4, 8-4)

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24, 5 pm, Honolulu, ESPN

Nevada vs. SMU
Easiest pick ever. Would you pick the one and only team that lost to Washington State to win a bowl game? I didn’t think so.

PreNicktion: Nevada
Wisdometer: 3.2
Record Guesser: Nevada (8-4, 8-4), SMU (7-5, 7-5)

Little Caesars Bowl, Dec. 26, 10:00 am, Detroit, ESPN

Marshall vs. Ohio
We Are Mar…. uh, irrelevant?

PreNicktion: Ohio, I guess
Wisdometer: .1
Record Guesser: Marshall (6-6, 6-6), Ohio (7-5, 9-4)

Meineke Car Care Bowl, Dec. 26, 1:30 pm, Charlotte, ESPN

Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina
I recently started a therapy group called “We were thiiiiiiiiis close to playing in the BCS.” So far, only Pittsburgh and Oregon State have joined, but we’re making real progress.

PreNicktion: North Carolina
Wisdometer: 7.5
Record Guesser: Pittsburgh (9-3, 9-3), North Carolina (8-4, 8-4)

Emerald Bowl, Dec. 26, 5 pm, San Francisco, ESPN

Boston College vs. USC
Hahahaha. Oh, God, it’s funny. I mean, USC is playing a bowl game on December 26 in a baseball stadium. Aaah. It’s funny, right?

PreNicktion: USC (Yeah, it’s funny, but come on, they’re still going to win)
Wisdometer: 7.9
Record Guesser: Boston College (8-4, 8-4), USC (8-4, 8-4)

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, Dec. 27, 5:30 pm, Nashville, ESPN

Kentucky vs. Clemson
Let’s see, I was 25 when I first started doing this Bowl PreNicktion and I didn’t have the maturity to not laugh at the name of this bowl. Fast forward three years and, nope, still not there. It’s still funny.

PreNicktion: Clemson, but they have a tendency to lose anything that matters. They’re like the ACC’s Cal.
Wisdometer: 6.6
Record Guesser: Kentucky (7-5, 7-5), Clemson (8-4, 8-5)

Advocare V100 Independence Bowl, Dec. 28, 2:00 pm, Shreveport, ESPN2

Texas A&M vs. Georgia
Any Oregon fan should have a special place in their football memory for the Independence Bowl so no bashing here. In fact, it looks like a pretty good game just on name brand recognition.

PreNicktion: Georgia
Wisdometer: 6.9
Record Guesser: Texas A&M (7-5, 6-6), Georgia (8-4, 7-5)

EagleBank Bowl, Dec. 29, 1:30 pm, Washington D.C., ESPN

UCLA vs. Temple
No offense to Rick Neuheisel, but if you’re spending a Saturday watching Army-Navy with a vested interest in who wins, your program is about as irrelevant as it gets. Somebody wake me when UCLA ends USC’s dynasty.

PreNicktion: UCLA (one for the trophy mantle in Westwood)
Wisdometer: 4.8
Record Guesser: UCLA (6-6, 6-6), Temple (9-3, 9-3)

Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 29, 5:00 pm, Orlando, ESPN

Miami vs. Wisconsin
Just watched the 30 for 30 presentation of The U on ESPN. That was perhaps the best two hours of sports filmmaking ever. I won’t even describe it. Just make sure you watch it.

PreNicktion: Miami (let’s see that swagger again)
Wisdometer: 6.0
Record Guesser: Miami (9-3, 9-3), Wisconsin (10-3, 9-3)

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl, Dec. 30, 1:30 pm, Boise, ESPN

Bowling Green vs. Idaho
Can we all agree that blue turf is the dumbest thing going in college football? It’s dumber than the BCS. For that reason alone, Boise State deserves to get shunned. The only thing that could make this game worse is the fact they are playing it on blue turf.

PreNicktion: Idaho
Wisdometer: 2.2
Record Guesser: Bowling Green (7-5, 7-5), Idaho (7-5, 7-5)

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Dec. 30 5:00 pm, San Diego, ESPN

Arizona vs. Nebraska
This just in. Nebraska and Arizona have joined my “We were thiiiiiiiiis close to playing in the BCS” therapy group. It’s not going well. Nebraska keeps trying to make Colt McCoy’s pass last one more second, Pittsburgh and Arizona keep arguing about extra point holds and Oregon State is already trying to figure out what bowl they go to instead of the Rose in 2010 when they lose the Civil War.

PreNicktion: Arizona
Wisdometer: 8.4
Record Guesser: Arizona (8-4, 8-4), Nebraska (9-4, 9-4)

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 31, 9:00 am, Fort Worth, ESPN

Houston vs. Air Force
Has Houston’s quarterback had his arm fall off yet? Can you gamble on the over/under of number of passes he throws? I would not take anything under 75.

PreNicktion: Houston
Wisdometer: 3.0
Record Guesser: Houston (9-3, 10-3), Air Force (7-5, 7-5)

Brut Sun Bowl, Dec. 31, 11:00 am, El Paso, CBS

Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Let’s go back to September 5, 2009. Oklahoma lost to BYU and admit it, you felt a slight twinge of happiness because after all, misery loves company. Fast forward to the present and Oregon ultimately remedied itself, but just remember that the Sooners were there for you in a time of need.

PreNicktion: Oklahoma (as much as I’ve loved Stanford this year, I don’t trust them, especially without Andrew Luck)
Record Guesser: Oklahoma (7-5, 7-5), Stanford (8-4, 8-4)

Texas Bowl, Dec. 31, 12:30 pm, Houston, ESPN

Navy vs. Missouri
It still bothers me, the arrogance of Texas to have a bowl game without a sponsor. We get it, you’re Texas, you’re awesome, you could be your own country, but for the love of God, someone call Flomax and get this game a sponsor.

PreNicktion: Navy
Wisdometer: 5.6
Record Guesser: Navy (8-4, 9-4), Missouri (7-5, 8-4)

NFL Network Insight Bowl, Dec. 31, 3:00 pm, Tempe, NFL Network

Minnesota vs. Iowa State
I thought Minnesota lost every game this year. Literally, I thought they went 0-12. And Iowa State? They’re bowl eligible?

PreNicktion: Iowa State, because by the NCAA rule, someone has to win
Wisdometer: 6.9
Record Guesser: Minnesota (6-6, 6-6), Iowa State (6-6, 6-6)

Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31, 4:30 pm, Atlanta, ESPN

Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
Whoops, couldn’t even get a sentence out and Lane Kiffin just committed another NCAA violation. Nothing a few hostesses can’t clean up.

PreNicktion: Tennessee
Wisdometer: 4.3
Record Guesser: Virginia Tech (8-4, 9-3), Tennessee (7-5, 7-5)

Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, 8:00 am, Tampa, ESPN

Northwestern vs. Auburn
Ridiculous. Northwestern is this year’s “team playing on January 1st that makes you cringe at the Pac-10’s bowl agreements.” And, actually, Auburn fits that bill as well. Mediocrity, thy name is the Outback Bowl.

PreNicktion: Auburn, because the PreNicktion handbook always bets against the Big Ten in a pinch
Wisdometer: 3.9
Record Guesser: Northwestern (8-4, 8-4), Auburn (7-5, 7-5)

Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1, 10:00 am, Orlando, ABC

Penn State vs. LSU
They just renamed this the, “We Can’t Beat Anybody Ranked So We’ll Just Play Each Other” Bowl. Both Penn State and LSU each played two teams ranked in the final BCS top 25. They both went 0-2. Ah, to schedule the cupcakes.

PreNicktion: LSU with PreNicktion handbook in full effect
Wisdometer: 8.2
Record Guesser: Penn State (10-2, 10-2), LSU (9-3, 9-3)

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, Jan. 1, 10:00 am, Jacksonville, CBS

West Virginia vs. Florida State
There are some upset teams right now that the Seminoles got this bowl game after going 6-6. But who cares. Bobby Bowden deserves a proper send-off and I’ve always liked his team.

PreNicktion: Florida State (I’m a sucker for Bobby Bowden)
Wisdometer: 7.3
Record Guesser: West Virginia (9-3, 9-3), Florida State (6-6, 6-6)

Rose Bowl Game Presented By Citi, Jan. 1, 1:30 pm, Pasadena, ABC

Ohio State vs. Oregon
I like everything about this part of the bowl PreNicktions. I like reading the words Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Ohio State vs. Oregon, Jan. 1 and most importantly, the PreNicktion…

PreNicktion: Oregon
Wisdometer: 9.7
Record Guesser: Ohio State (10-2, 10-2), Oregon (10-2, 10-2)

AllState Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, 5:30 pm, New Orleans, Fox

Florida vs. Cincinnati
Let us pray. Dear Tim Tebow, thank you for blessing us all with four years of you. ESPN will never be the same. We are all better people for having spent just 5 minutes near you. In your name, amen. Oh, P.S. Tebow, be sure to thank Dennis Dixon’s ACL when you get to the league. After all, that’s the only reason you have a Heisman Trophy.

PreNicktion: Florida
Wisdometer: 9.5
Record Guesser: Florida (12-1, 12-1), Cincinnati (12-0, 12-0)

International Bowl, Jan. 2, 9am, Toronto, ESPN2

South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
Ugh, it’s not even worth griping about. ESPN makes money, so these bowls exist. You don’t have to watch it. I can promise you, I’ll be enjoying celebratory sleep at game time.

PreNicktion: South Florida
Wisdometer: 0.5
Record Guesser: South Florida (8-4, 7-5), Northern Illinois (7-5, 7-5)

Papajohns.com Bowl, Jan. 2, 11:00 am, Birmingham, ESPN

South Carolina vs. UConn
If you don’t root for UConn, then you are a soulless creature. That team has been through a lot this year.

PreNicktion: UConn
Wisdometer: 3.8
Record Guesser: South Carolina (7-5, 7-5), UConn (7-5, 7-5)

AT&T Cotton Bowl, Jan. 2, 11:00 am, Arlington, Fox

Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi
They should really let me rename these bowls. The AT&T Underachieving Bowl would make so much more sense.

PreNicktion: Oklahoma State
Wisdometer: 6.7
Record Guesser: Oklahoma State (9-3, 9-3), Mississippi (9-3, 8-4)

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Jan. 2, 2:30 pm, Memphis, ESPN

Arkansas vs. East Carolina
Ooh, my theory on directional schools is being put to the test. The Pirates are a good choice here. Nah, you don’t go against the handbook.

PreNicktion: Arkansas
Wisdometer: 5.0
Record Guesser: Arkansas (7-5, 7-4), East Carolina (8-4, 9-4)

Valero Alamo Bowl, Jan. 2, 6:00 pm, San Antonio, ESPN

Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
Hey, the Pac-10 gets this game next year. Why, that means they’ll have two games on January 1 or later. Aren’t we just getting all big time.

PreNicktion: Texas Tech
Wisdometer: 2.7
Record Guesser: Michigan State (8-4, 6-6), Texas Tech (8-4, 8-4)

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 4, 5:00 pm, Glendale, Fox

Boise State vs. TCU
BCS Bowl Rep: Okay, TCU and Boise, you’re in. You’ll play each other. It’ll be great. Welcome to the BCS!
Boise and TCU: You’re kidding, right? You’re just slapping lipstick on the Poinsettia Bowl.
BCS Bowl Rep, smiling and patting the two teams on the back: You’re welcome fellas. We’re all mighty happy to have ya’!
Boise, TCU and everyone else: F— you, BCS. F— you!

PreNicktion: TCU
Wisdometer: 8.9
Record Guesser: Boise State (12-0, 13-0), TCU (12-0, 12-0)

FedEx Orange Bowl, Jan. 5, 5:00 pm, Miami, Fox

Iowa vs. Georgia Tech
Oh, the Orange Bowl, that’s right! Almost forgot. Wait, why did I remember? Going to try and forget again.

PreNicktion: Georgia Tech (again, don’t pick the Big Televen)
Wisdometer: 7.8
Record Guesser: Iowa (10-2, 10-2), Georgia Tech (10-2, 11-2)

GMAC Bowl, Jan. 6, 4:00 pm, Mobile, ESPN

Central Michigan vs. Troy
If GMAC is too big to fail according to the government, then what about the bowl game? Too small to notice? If this game fails to meet ratings and attendance expectations, is there a bailout?

PreNicktion: Central Michigan
Wisdometer: 2.7
Record Guesser: Central Michigan (10-2, 11-2), Troy (9-3, 9-3)

Citi BCS National Championship Game, Jan. 7, 5:00 pm, Pasadena, ABC

Texas vs. Alabama
Texas, you’re a sham. You played a total of two ranked teams and only one of those was in the regular season. You will get beat, handily. Mack Brown, I find you to be obnoxious and arrogant and I really hope you get whacked. Mark Ingram, thanks for your humble and gracious Heisman acceptance speech. You still stole it from Toby Gerhart, but way to keep it classy.

PreNicktion: Alabama
Wisdometer: 9.6
Record Guesser: Texas (13-0, 13-0), Alabama (13-0, 13-0)

Through the first half of the season, there was much talk of Oregon’s improved defense. They literally dominated teams by forcing turnovers, stoutly defending their end zone from intrusion and even at times scoring points of its own.

And then the last four games happened.

Opponents scored 51, 21, 41 and 33 points against a unit that had previously not given up more than 24 points in any one game. And that 24 included a defensive touchdown and a 19 yard drive following a turnover.

Through its first eight games, the Ducks came up with 20 turnovers. In the last four, Oregon forced its opponents to give it back just four times.

Competition has something to do with that. Outside of Boise State who plays against terrible competition, three of Oregon’s final four opponents also happened to be the top three offenses it faced all year. These were elite offenses that all averaged at least 29.7 points and over 400 yards per game.

With the exception of Toby Gerhart, it wasn’t the run defense that let down. In fact, Oregon held opponent’s rushing attacks significantly below their season averages (again, Gerhart excepted). The pass defense, however, slipped against the likes of Nick Foles, Sean Canfield and Andrew Luck. Foles and Canfield led the Pac-10 in passing this season.

Why is this significant? Ohio State is a decidedly run-oriented offense and averages almost 40 yards more per game on the ground than through the air. Terrell Pryor has been handcuffed and is nowhere near the threat throwing the ball compared to guys like Canfield and Foles.

The chart above would seem to indicate Oregon struggled only against the conference’s top three offenses which happen to be well-balanced units. The end of season slide seems to be more about quality of opposition than anything else. Is it an elite defense? No. But the Ducks have a lot of team speed and aren’t going up against an offensive juggernaut. One could easily see them control the Buckeyes much the way they did most of the schedule.

Throughout Nick Allioti’s history, his defenses have been especially good when they are able to focus on the run and force the opposition to pass. Can Ohio State win the game passing the ball? Probably not. Will they be able to move the ball through the air enough to keep Oregon on its heels? That carries a higher likelihood and could be a key to the game.

If Oregon can control what has become a formidable Ohio State rushing attack, and the Buckeyes can’t establish a passing game, Oregon’s “weaker” side of the ball may end up being the difference.

The Rose Bowl is being featured as “irresistible force meets immovable object.” It’s Oregon’s offensive juggernaut against Ohio State’s defensive stalwart.

There is no denying each team flashes greatness on those two sides of the ball. But what about the other story, the one you could supposedly call “completely resistible force meets entirely movable object?”

The Buckeyes offense doesn’t garner headlines nor does the Ducks defense. But does that really mean each unit is as flawed as perception allows?

Today, we’ll look at the Ohio State offense and see where the danger lurks. Tomorrow, we’ll probe the Oregon defense and find out what the opposition should fear.

Part I: Is it better than you think? The Ohio State Offense

The book on Ohio State’s offense says conservative, plodding and unimaginative. And if that’s not the book, it’s at least perception. Coach Jim Tressel was roundly criticized for shutting down his offense in the waning moments of regulation against Iowa when there was more than enough time to drive for a winning field goal. It would have made Chip Kelly gag.

But it proved to be a winning formula on that Saturday and guaranteed Ohio State’s Rose Bowl berth.

To gain some perspective on Ohio State’s offensive prowess, let’s look at the numbers in the chart displayed to the right.

The only thing that positively sticks out is Ohio State’s ability to run the football. This certainly fits the image of a conservative, plodding and unimaginative team, right?

The other thing that sticks out is decidedly negative. The passing offense is statistically bad. In fact, it’s among the worst in the nation. But then again, so is flashy, dynamic Oregon who ranks only slightly better in both yards per game and pass efficiency.

So flashy, dynamic Oregon is similar in style to plodding, conservative Ohio State? Well, not exactly. The Buckeyes score 8.4 fewer points per game and the curve of the season has shown Jeremiah Masoli’s numbers to dramatically improve while Terrelle Pryor has thrown fewer passes in the last three games than all but two others from the first nine contests.

But following that same curve, the Buckeyes have become far better at running the ball and, as such, have relied heavily on that part of the game. Since back-to-back midseason games in which it failed to reach 100 yards, Ohio State has rushed for at least 228 yards in the final five games.  They have dominated time of possession and were seriously threatened only once. The fewest rushing attempts in any of those games was 49.

And this five game stretch was not against the weaker part of the conference. The Buckeyes played both Penn State and Iowa during this run and finished against rival Michigan which regardless of current standings still means something.

Ohio State, over the last five weeks, has committed more to the run and less to the pass

It would be surprising to see Ohio State have much success through the air given Pryor’s lack of numbers on the season and the team’s overall lack of confidence in that part of the game. But one could easily imagine an undersized Oregon Duck defensive line getting pushed around allowing the Buckeyes to control the clock as they have done over their last five games.

UO’s defensive line features only two players on the two-deep heavier than 270 pounds. Every Buckeye starter on the offensive line is at least 296 pounds. Tressel is surely looking at those numbers and seeing a possible opportunity that he can exploit.

If he finds success and OSU is able to get to 50 carries, which has worked so well lately, the Ducks could find the Buckeye offense to be more formidable than previously thought.

The Oregonian’s John Hunt did some homework using fansnap.com to figure out how the Rose Bowl ranks in interest among the entire slate of postseason games. Okay, actually, he just read their blog (no link love for their blog, John? I had to work hard to find that).

The site lists the top 25 games by ticket price and the Rose Bowl is second only to the national title game played at the same stadium a week later. It’s clear that Pasadena (and L.A. in general) is about to get a lot of money dumped into the local economy.

And it sounds like Oregon is going to be doing more than it’s share of economy boosting. Residents of my former state are outsearching Ohioans…Ohioites…uh, Ohio residents by a 3 to 1 margin. Geographical advantages aside, it’s clear Duck fans have been waiting a long time for this game.

Sometimes, a game is greater than the sum of two team’s parts. Such is the 2010 Rose Bowl. How else do you explain the fact that both participants will be fielding one measly first team all-conference performer as voted on by conference coaches?

For Oregon, it’s tight end Ed Dickson. The Buckeyes can boast only of safety Kurt Coleman. That’s it. Five Big 10 and five Pac-10 teams have more all-conference representatives than these two league champions.

Forget all-Americans, Doak Walkers, Bronco Nagurskis or any other individual honors. These guys are fighting just to get recognition within their own conference.

The Rose Bowl isn’t a game so often lacking in star power. We’re talking hallowed grounds where the legends have walked. Vince Young, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart are just the recent headliners.

Okay, sure, some of this is dramatic effect playing on (flawed?) conference voting that basically ignored the individual accomplishments of two champions. And I’m sure coaches Chip Kelly and Jim Tressel spent all of one minute caring about such perceived slights.

But it is odd, isn’t it?

Perhaps the matchup we were supposed to get was Oregon State vs. Iowa. After all, both conference runner-ups placed seven players on their respective first teams. That game would have featured 14 first team players. The one we are getting has two.

And with that said, would anyone choose that over Oregon and Ohio State? Okay, perhaps this audience is a highly biased sample, but I’m guessing there’s not a lot of clamoring for a Hawkeyes-Beavers matchup beyond these digital walls of Duck fandom.

Whatever slight fans, players and coaches may have at first felt can be safely buried beneath a rug of rose petals. These teams should carry the all-conference voting as a badge of honor where “team” matters and “individual” is a passing thought.

On January 1, it’ll be Ducks ‘n’ Bucks and that’s all you need to know. The pieces within those two team names are simply an afterthought.

Note: The Pac-10 includes three more special teams players on its all-conference teams. The Big Ten features both a media and coaches team. The Pac-10 uses only coaches’ selections. For a straight up comparison, the Big Ten’s media vote was not considered.

The blog is taking  a week to gather itself after a long and crazy season. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t time for contests. Prize-free contests mind you, but pride still counts for something, right?

Anyway, 34 bowl games await starting on December 19th with Fresno State and Wyoming in the prestigious and sponsor-free New Mexico Bowl. Can you pick the winner for that and the other 33? Take a shot by joining the “Off The Pond” group on ESPN.com.

It’s free to sign up and easy to do. Simply choose the winner for all 34 games and rank each by your level of confidence in the result you’ve picked. The one and only requirement is that you pick Oregon. Otherwise, you’re just shaming yourself.

http://games.espn.go.com/bowlmania/en/group?groupID=18897&entryID=285352

Good luck!

The SEC may have 10 bowl teams, but that doesn’t make them the premier conference in 2009 (what it actually means is they collectively play a lot of games against Florida International and friends).

Voters as well as computers seem to agree the Pac-10 had the strongest conference from top to bottom this year. The final BCS standings, which uses two human and six computer polls to arrive at a ranking, gives the Pac-10 more representation than any other conference. It’s especially impressive considering four conferences have more teams and every other league plays at least one fewer conference game (in other words, they all play one extra patsy).

Looking at individual programs, no team played and beat more BCS top 25 opponents than Oregon this season. The Ducks played six teams ranked in the BCS top 25 and beat four of them. Would Texas and Alabama be playing in a national title game if they had to face as many quality opponents? Hard to say, but it certainly is telling that of the unbeaten teams, none played more than three games against opponents ranked in the final BCS standings.

What’s really impressive is that all but one of the ranked Pac-10 teams also played a top 25 BCS team in non-conference play.

The Pac-10 bowl schedule has been finalized with one potential addition left that may send UCLA to to the Eagle Bank Bowl. Not sure if a game against Temple is what the Bruins had in mind when they declared USC’s dynasty to be officially over, but hey, it’s a start.

Pac-10 teams will be playing a pretty even slate of opponents for the most part. Oregon and Arizona both play teams ranked about the same. Oregon State and Cal will play up against higher ranked teams with better records. Stanford and USC have lower ranked opponents with similar records.

The matchups feature opponents from the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Mountain West. Despite the fact 10 SEC teams will play in a bowl game, none are against the Pac-10 because the conferences don’t have any contracted matchups. The Big East is also absent from the bowl schedule.

* Note: All times are pacific.