Ridiculous. Fantastic. Nauseating. Joyous.

I may still be in ICU but they can’t stop me from blogging. Some Sunday thoughts…

1. Let’s just get this out of the way. Arizona played a hell of a game. Oregon put up 44 on them, but I felt that was the best defense Oregon has faced all season. The Wildcats were disciplined and accounted for every movement Jeremiah Masoli made. The game was a battle and it took a gritty, championship performance for Oregon to leave with a win.
2. Arizona’s fans, on the other hand, failed miserably. Who gets ready to rush the field as the other team positions itself to tie the game? That was a “haven’t been there, haven’t done that” moment for the Wildcat faithful.
   

   The blog's facial expression has been stuck in the above form since roughly 9:05 p.m. on Nov. 21.

3. Nate Costa proved that you don’t have to be a regular player to make a huge impact. I’m comfortable making the claim that his work on the extra point to tie the game with 6 seconds left was the greatest hold in the history of football. And kicker Morgan Flint did a fantastic job of being patient and putting it through as Costa got the ball down. Neither player panicked under stressful circumstances and the Ducks were able to force overtime.
4. Jeremiah Masoli is on the verge of an invite to New York for the Heisman ceremony. How could he not be? Six touchdowns, 345 total yards of offense, a 15 play, 80 yard game winning tying drive and a stellar overtime all with a Rose Bowl on the line is the work of one of college football’s best players. He should be rewarded for the way he has played. Of course, the Civil War will dictate just how worthy he is of such an honor.
5. LaMichael James isn’t just a good runner, he’s also clutch. James wasn’t getting the carries throughout the second half, but when he got the call late in the game and in overtime, his determined effort and innate vision saved Oregon. He’s also now a Pac-10 record holder with the most rushing yards for a freshman in conference history.
6. There’s no doubt Oregon got lucky. They recovered early fumbles and Morgan Flint got a fateful forward bounce off the crossbar to tie the game in the fourth quarter. But as he lined up for that kick, I couldn’t help but think of the pressure kick they had him do in practice earlier this week (he made it). I had a soccer coach that always said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” In this case, the Oregon coaches put Flint in a position to feel confident on that kick. Preparation has a lot to do with who gets lucky.
7. Comment of the day goes to FOTB’s visiting friend/acting sister as she lay on the couch while Masoli scored the winning touchdown. As FOTB and the blog jump around hysterically, she calmly  – and seriously – said: “So the Ducks won, right?” Oregon football: it’s not for everyone.
8. Take Chip’s advice and allow yourself a day of celebration. A Civil War for the ages looms, but we can worry about that on Monday. Today, the blog is going to revel in the moment.