It’s Thursday, December 3, 2009 and you know what that means.

This is no time to be timid. Oregon State is thine enemy and no mercy can be shown. Roses are on the line, winner take all and while flowers might seem like a silly thing to play for, to a collegiate man, there’s nothing more valuable.

But don’t mistake the Rose Bowl as the only thing on the line tonight. It’s not all these guys are playing for. Mike Bellotti would tell you it’s for the right to live in the state (well, if you actually live there). Co-workers, family and friends are just a tad more bearable when you have the W on your side.

I come into this game more nervous than a year ago. Perhaps it’s because Oregon’s stakes are higher, but I think it has more to do with knowing the Ducks aren’t dropping 65 on the Beavers two years in a row. By default, this game has to be more competitive.

FOTB Pick

But also, the Beavers have their full arsenal on offense with Jacquizz Rodgers healthy this year. Say what you will about the debate between him and LaMichael James running the football, but Rodgers is also the Pac-10’s second leading receiver. He’s dynamic and it’s something OSU didn’t have a year ago.

Still, Autzen Stadium is the security blanket. The defense is far better in front of the home fans and the offense’s worst output in Pac-10 play was 42 points against Cal. The Ducks have been more dominant at home this season than any in recent memory.

At some point, with the raucous energy of the crowd behind them, Oregon is going to have that opportunity to deliver a couple of haymakers. Chip Kelly will put the pedal to the metal and the Beavers won’t know what hit them. I can see this game turning over a 5-10 minute span of defensive and offensive playmaking that demoralizes the orange and black.

But enough already. It’s all words and there’s really nothing left to discuss. It’s been two weeks of rehashed stereotypes and storylines.

The only thing left unsaid is 60 minutes of football. We’re just hours away. Your travel agent is standing by.

The Civil War count stands at 112. It’s about to move to 113. Through all those games, there have been just a handful that have truly mattered at a national level. In recent memory, a Pac-10 title has been at stake four times (that’s since football began in 1994). Before that, I’d guess the total was probably about four all time.

But really, the argument for “Biggest Civil War Ever” really comes down to one of two years: 2000 or 2009?

You can make an argument for either year. I had been thinking 2009 without question. Now that I look back at it, it’s a lot closer than I thought but two things ultimately make this the bigger game: (1) The winner goes to the Rose Bowl and (2) Media attention is infinitely more intense now.

In arguing for the the 2000 game, you could say both teams were more nationally prominent. The records were much better and Oregon was aiming at becoming one of a select few teams to ever go undefeated in Pac-10 play.

Either way, you can’t go wrong.

	Tale of The Civil War Tape
Category	2000		2009
UO/OSU Ranking *	5 & 8		8 & 16
Winner Eligible For Rose Bowl ¥	Both		Both
Combined Record Prior to Game	18-2		17-5
Combined Win Percentage	90%		77.2%
Worst Case Scenario for Losing Team	Holiday Bowl		Las Vegas Bowl
TV Broadcast	ABC Regional ??		ESPN HD National
Venue	Original Reser		Remodeled Autzen
Coaches ±	Erickson/Bellotti		Riley/Kelly
Star Players †	Chad Johnson/Joey Harrington		Jacquizz Rodgers/Jeremiah Masoli
Roses Being Waved From Our Car in Corvallis En Route To Game	A Bushel		None
Soul Crushing Defeats	1		No Freaking Way

* Using AP Rankings.
¥ Oregon State would have gone to the Rose Bowl had Washington lost later that day so technically, the Beavers had a shot going into the game.
± None of the four coaches had/has the cache that Dennis Erickson carried with him off of his Miami Hurricane fame and NFL experience.
† I think the 2009 game has more star power, if only because the media is more intense now. Chad Johnson wasn’t even close to a household name yet and Joey Harrington was a year away from a Times Square billboard.

Washington vs. Oregon enters into a new era this year with two new head coaches. Mike Bellotti won’t be coaching in the game for the first time since 1988. It’s the first time since 2003 that Washington has had a pulse. It seems to me that we need a rivalry refresher. As such, I sat the new guys down for a little Q&A session.

OTP: Coaches, thanks for being here. Fire away.

Steve Sarkisian: Thanks, Nick. First thing I have to say  is, from looking at results recently, you guys have owned us.
OTP: Is that a question?
Sarkisian: Not really. I mean, it’s pretty much a fact and I just thought I’d mention it.
OTP: Well, yes it is and thanks for the note, but I’m here to help you understand this rivalry, not repeat the fact that Oregon has owned Washington with five straight wins and an average margin of victory of just under 23 points, ok?

Sarkisian: Got it. Here’s a question, then. Who is this Rick Neuheisel I keep hearing about? Only thing I know about him is he told us at USC that our dynasty was over. Seemed absurd.
OTP: Now you’re talking. Nueheisel was essentially Washington’s answer to Oregon’s mid-90s dominance when they took 3 of 4 from the Huskies. Scared as hell that lowly Oregon was surpassing their program, they found a coach that could actually beat the Ducks. See, Neuheisel had defeated Oregon twice in bowl games while at Colorado. This included the 1996 Cotton Bowl where he pissed off Oregon with a fake punt in a game the Ducks were getting blown out. He was a natural fit for Washington.

Sarkisian: So how’d it go?
OTP: Haha, famously. Well, until it became a disaster. He went 2-1 against the Ducks and was pretty much hated south of the border. In other words, just what Washington wanted. There was no love between him and Mike Bellotti. He has a shady recruiter that was really good at bending the rules without actually breaking them. But then he did break them. And got fired. It was messy, but along the way he got Washington back to the Rose Bowl and to this date, is still the last Husky coach with a winning season.

Chip Kelly: Didn’t Oregon do something with Rick and a video board?
OTP: Someone’s been studying. In 2001, at the Civil War with Washington recruits in attendance, Oregon repeatedly played a clip of a woman vomiting juxtaposed against an image of Neuheisel. Frankly, I thought it was in good taste, but Oregon later apologized.

Sarkisian: That seems mean. Was it nasty when Neuheisel was around?
OTP: You could say that. There were absurd accusations that Bellotti was using the Huskies list to recruit players. Oregon safety Keith Lewis sparked some spirited trash talk in the media for a couple years. Washington even concluded a dominant win in Autzen Stadium by dancing at midfield on Oregon’s logo in 2002. By the time Neuheisel was fired in the offseason before the 2003 campaign, the rivalry may have been at its peak.

Kelly: I keep watching this highlight video before home games and they always end with the same play. They’re wearing this uniform I’ve never seen with a Duck that looks like Donald. What the heck happened?
OTP: Well, Chip, I’m glad you brought that up. In 1994…
Kelly: 1994! That’s when football started right?
OTP: Yes Chip. Now don’t interrupt me again. In 1994, Oregon came into the game against Washington with only three wins in the series dating back to 1974. The Huskies had gone to six Rose Bowls in that span and Oregon had only recently competed in a bowl game five years earlier for the first time since 1963. In other words, Oregon had been really bad, Washington really good. The Huskies came into Autzen Stadium highly ranked and again gunning for a Rose Bowl appearance. Late in the game, a guy named Damon Huard drove the Huskies on a late drive that was aiming to break the hearts of all Duck fans. Then, this happened.
Sarkisian: What’s “this?”
OTP: You just need to click the link when I post this, ok, Steve? To answer your question, Chip, that “replay” you see every Saturday is your program’s defining moment. It touched off a Rose Bowl run for the first time since 1957 and more importantly, it changed the course of Oregon football. For 15 years since, the Ducks have been a different program. They’ve won 10 of 14 in the series. It was, as you stated a moment ago, the birth of modern Oregon football.

Sarkisian: Did you guys really throw feces and urine at us?
OTP: Ah, Steve refers to the legend that Oregon fans hurled dog feces and urine at Washington players. I’ll tell you what. I’m just going to say it’s true, because I want you to feel frightened next year when you visit Autzen. But if you really believe that, don’t blame me for calling you dumb.

Sarkisian: Ok, I guess it didn’t happen. But I was wondering if you ever heard of this half national title Washington won in the 1991 season?
OTP: Whoever heard of half a title? What does that mean? Does it really even count? I mean, Washington cheated so much back then, it made Tonya Harding blush. Actually, that brings up another point. Washington’s dominant run was killed when it was discovered the Huskies had been rampantly cheating. They were put on probation and the program has never since sustained success like it did for those 20 or so years. This is something Oregon fans revel in.

Kelly: Cheaters, huh?
OTP: Yep, cheaters.

Kelly: Is this really a rivalry anymore? I’ve been here two years and it seems pretty boring.
OTP: Funny you should say that. Used to be, Husky fans wouldn’t acknowledge the rivalry. But for the recent lull, blame Tyrone Willingham. He was big on running a classy operation, but didn’t seem to care much about winning.

Sarkisian: I think I got a solution for that. Have you seen Nick Holt?
OTP: Very promising, coach. I like what you did, there. Frankly, and no offense to you, I thought the Huskies hired the wrong USC offensive coordinator. Lane Kiffin would have been way more fun. But you seem to possess a quality I could get annoyed with and Holt certainly will be easy to hate. Let’s just say I’m intrigued and hopeful.

Kelly: Hey, did you see what I did in the spring? I’m trying to kickstart this thing into gear.
OTP: Yeah, good work, Chip. We need more. Digs at Washington when there’s really no reason for it is completely acceptable in my book and, frankly, I want more if it.

Kelly: I’ll do my best. I’ll start it off with a win this weekend, ok?
Sarkisian: Hey, look out, we’re back!
OTP: No you’re not. Not yet, anyway.

I can’t help it. I’ve been trying to keep it to myself, but I know others are thinking it, too. Well, I think they are.

Hell, I just have to say it. Chip Kelly is going to be an Oregon legend.

The 2000s have essentially been Oregon’s teenage years.  Amazing highs, head-slapping lows and enough realization of potential to make you excited to see what they do with adulthood. There have been years where you thought it would never happen and others where you were sure it already had.

Chip Kelly’s reign as coach isn’t so much the beginning of a new era but the natural growth of what has been building for two decades. It started with Rich Brooks before Mike Bellotti raised the profile of the program to where it is today (really, enough can’t be said of what Bellotti did over his 13 seasons, but this is a Chip Kelly puff piece of admiration, dammit!).

Kelly is the right guy at the right time for a program ready to move into another dimension. He’s the leader Oregon needs for its ascension into the upper-echelon of college football. He has the youthful energy that Pete Carroll has proven is such a magnet for greatness at USC. He possesses strong leadership skills (the guy has his whole year planned out!). He demands excellence and nothing short of it (there is no “Hall of Average”). He’s an obsessive innovator responsible for the two best statistical offenses in Oregon history. And the confidence…let’s just say any first year college coach willing to offer Jon Gruden his offensive coordinator position has plenty of it.

Yeah, the facts are slapping me in the face as I right this. He’s had two years as an offensive coordinator at the FBS level. His all-time record is 0-0. Never had to run his own program. Spare me. Sometimes, the facts are yet to be written.

Oregon State fans (and probably everyone else, too) probably have a little throw-up in their mouth right now. That’s probably the right reaction and I’m sure they’ll be happy to follow up with me at the first sign of weakness this season. That’s ok. I can take it because even if I have to wait, I’m sure the time will come where I can say, “Told ya’ so.”

I was just reading Ken Goe’s Pac-10 football links at OregonLive.com and he mentions that the Ducks have been a little free with their words during camp while Boise has kept a lid on it.

Jeremiah Masoli has said he was “embarrassed” by the loss to Boise a year ago and Ed Dickson was quoted stating the Broncos rub him the wrong way. (EDIT: Can’t believe I originally forgot to add LeGarrette Blount’s overlooked take in Sports Illustrated when he said of Boise, “We owe that team an ass-whuppin’.” Nothing subtle about that.).

Now you have a few Ducks mentioning they’re not too pleased about the handshake idea (which is contrived absurdity by the way). It all adds up to a bunch of feathered football players that seem eager for this game. None of the words have been inflammatory, but I think the underlying meaning has been much deeper. It’s almost like they know they shouldn’t incite the Broncos but they just can’t stop an occasional sentence from slipping past the filter. You can almost see them pushing the words through clamped teeth as they try holding back.

Last year clearly didn’t sit well. It’s not just the loss, it’s the late hits, most notably the one that knocked QB Jeremiah Masoli out of the game. It’s been funny watching Boise and Oregon fans go back and forth on this for a year. You expect that from fans, but I get the feeling if the Duck players weren’t toeing the line and maintaining some pregame tact, they might jump right into the back-and-forth vitriol between the two fanbases.

It’s a different side of Oregon not usually seen in the Mike Bellotti years. The cool veneer may be getting replaced with a more aggressive temperament.

The pure of heart, overachieving, hard working and simply unbeatable Oregon State Beavers are less than 24 hours away from destiny. Pasadena isn’t just a possibility, it’s predetermined. Corvallis florists are reporting a complete sellout of their entire rose inventory (of interesting note, Corvallis ticket agents are still trying to get a handle on this word ’sellout’ and what it means). All that’s left for the Beavers is the party otherwise known as the Civil War.

One problem…it ain’t gonna happen. Just because we’ve spent an entire season getting told that Oregon State is a vastly superior program, team and set of human beings doesn’t make it so. I present to you the following: Oregon State is 8-3, Oregon is 8-3. The Beavers are not better. And they’re not worse, either, but they are completely beatable.

I get that the Beavers are a lunchpail crew of winners on a road called destiny. I get that Mike Riley with his pinnacle of achievement being a Sun Bowl victory is vastly superior to Mike Bellotti. I even understand that because Oregon aggressively markets itself, it only cares about image, never about winning. But even so, Saturday is going to be a day of victory for the University of Oregon. It’s a wild thought, I know. After all, this is an Oregon State program clearly on another level from the University of Oregon. Just look at their overall records since Mike Riley II began his tenure. Why, they’re completely even!

You’ll just have to forgive me for thinking Oregon will win. Roses can wait another 44 years.

PreNicktion: Oregon 38, Oregon State 28

With all the talk centered around Oregon State and their magical, dreamy, precious run for the roses, it can make even your die-hard Duck fan feel a little helpless. Everybody says, “Oregon State to the Rose Bowl,” and “Rodgers brothers for tandem-Heisman,” and “Mike Riley, coach, man and human of the century!” Well, I say no. Here’s why:

• The Bellotti bye. Coach Mike is a solid 14-2 in games with an extra week to prepare. But that’s boring. I have better reasons…
• Dad’s Decision. I haven’t missed a Civil War in Corvallis since 2000. In 1998, I watched the game in the same house as ma and pa. This year, the folks’ two extra tickets sure to be mine were given to more like-minded orange-clad citizens. I’ll be attending the game from my couch in San Diego. Your fate is sealed Beaver Nation. The curse of Reser has already been broken.
• Righteous Revenge. Last year was just unfair. Something is seriously wrong with the world for allowing that to go on. 157% of the team succumbing to injury, yet battling in the Civil War for a game-winning kick only to seriously mismanage the final 20 seconds and lose in OT? No, I refuse to believe the cosmos don’t want to atone for that.
• Counter-shaving. The Beavers have No-Shave November. I say shave every free moment you have. The mojo of the scruff can be counter-acted. I only shave once a week (nothing wrong with a little scruff…usually), but I’m diligently ditching whiskers. I’m shaving right now while I type. Norelco, Gillette, whatever, I’m using them all. I’ve got my game face off.
• It’s an all-Oregon kind of week. The Oregon basketball puppies run Alabama out of the gym in Hawaii, cross country wins another national title, while the women take 2nd and I’m sure a win over #1 North Carolina is upcoming tonight. Right? Well, I can dream.
• Because an Oregon win is what I want dammit! And shouldn’t I get what I want?

Feel free to disagree with my reasoning, but you’d be wrong.

"Yes, it's true, both Oregon and Washington State called. I told them, sorry, I'm like 106 years old and ran out of eligibility in 1923."

Saturday’s matchup between Oregon and Washington State doesn’t exactly register as must-see TV. The Cougars are likely the worst BCS team in the nation and Oregon lost a lot of momentum in the national consciousness with their loss to Boise State. Regionally, at least it’s a vital NW Championship matchup, but nationally, well, I think bowling would get bigger ratings.

Making matters worse, both teams are sorting through their roster of quarterbacks to find someone healthy enough to stand behind their respective centers and take live snaps. If this were the NFL, there would be a bonafide bidding war for Vinny Testaverde right now. The loser would probably have to settle for Jeff George.

If Darrron Thomas were to start for Oregon on Saturday, he would be the sixth Duck to do so in the last 7 games (I think. I lost interest at Brady Leaf). How many teams do you think have had 6 quarterbacks start this entire decade? At USC, I can only think of four players – Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, John David Booty and Mark Sanchez.

If early indications are correct, and with Mike Bellotti, you never really know, Jeremiah Masoli will get the call for the second week in a row. For the Cougars, the ball goes to third stinger Marshall Lobbestael, a redshirt freshman. Wait, what? A redshirt freshman? Not again. Please tell me we’re not about to sit through another near-400 yard outburst. I mean, I get it. It’s totally unreasonable to expect the Oregon defense to handle a young, inexperienced quarter…oh, wait. It’s ok. This one is on the road, so Oregon should be fine. They only play dead for newbie QBs at home (yeah defense, that’s right, I’m talking to you. After the games Saturday, I want to hear a player say, “I was reading the interweb and saw someone say we play dead for QBs and we just wanted to prove that jackass wrong. That’s why we got 17 sacks, 11 interceptions and three touchdowns today.”)

Assuming Oregon is willing to work in a more reasonable, say, 80/20 run to pass ratio, I’m pretty sure the Ducks win this game going away. If they don’t, I’m going to start thinking maybe they just aren’t that good. When you get embarrassed in your own stadium, ya’ damn well better come out with a fire the next week and get the job done. Of course, it probably doesn’t matter. Washington State is terrible, but just for us fans, please don’t mess around.

PreNicktion: Oregon 45, Washington State 21 (yeah, not a lot of respect for either defense here)

Normally, I don’t tell someone how to do their job when I don’t know enough about it to make a qualified judgement. Today, it’s clear to me that Darron Thomas is Oregon’s starting quarterback and Mike Bellotti had better know it. No other quarterback has looked as good as Thomas in a single quarter of play this year. Nate Costa is not an option. Chris Harper simply isn’t ready. Either let him learn for the year or make a position switch, but it’s not time for him yet. I can’t say Jeremiah Masoli isn’t an option, but he’s been too eratic when he’s had the reins. As for Justin Roper, he’s got the most to give, but he’s been injured twice already and he just doesn’t feel like the long-term fit that is needed at the position.

On Saturday, Thomas went 13-25, netting 210 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. All in one quarter. He’s young. He doesn’t know the offense that well. He likely has a long way to go in understanding the zone read-option. He’ll even make mistakes. Dumb ones. And we’ll live with it, because he’s young, filled with potential and gives Oregon the best chance to win both now and tomorrow.

I know how dangerous it is to look at one quarter of play and extraploate an entire future from it, but what is the better option right now? The redshirt is off. There’s no getting it back this year. Ride the guy as far as he’ll take you and don’t look back, coach. Don’t second guess the decision, don’t play around and mix your options, simply make him the starter.

In today’s Register-Guard, coach, this is what you said. “We should have made the call sooner,” and “We just didn’t get him in soon enough.” You’re also quoted as saying those dreaded words, “open competition.” Coach, you waited too long on Saturday and you admitted as much. Don’t do it again. Thomas is your guy. Right now.

Because pre-season awards are every bit as important as pre-season rankings, it’s time to unveil my 1st Annual Pre-Season Coaches Awards, each named in honor of a Pac-10 coach.

The Dennis Erickson Award for “It’s Been Fun, But it’s Time to Move On”
…And the Winner Is: Taylor Mays, USC Safety. An overwhelming consensus first-round pick by every useless mock draft the internet has to offer, the junior is a season away from becoming an early entrant to the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Mike Bellotti Award for “If the Game Was Only 61 Minutes Long, I Would Have Won”
…And the winner is: Kevin Riley, Cal Quarterback. Some advice for you this year, Kevin: spike the ball, call a timeout, or run out of bounds.

The Pete Carroll Award for “I Don’t Care If You’re Good, I Just Don’t Like You”
…And the winner is: Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State Quarterback. I don’t feel like I should have to explain this. Actually, I’m not even sure if I can. I just don’t like him.

The Tyrone Willingham Award for “I Looked A Lot Better When I First Got Onto Campus”
…And the winner is: Ben Olson, UCLA Quarterback. He’s injured. Again. As a former “5-Star Recruit,” big things were expected and yet, it never happened.

The Paul Wulff Award for “Player You’ve Never Heard of and Probably Never Will”
…And the Winner Is: Jeff Bowen, Washington State Offensive Lineman. The criteria here was to find a guy on the consensus 10th place team that is a senior and listed 4th on the depth chart at his position. Hopefully, Jeff Bowen Googles his name someday and finds out about this prestigious award. Also, given that he is 100 lbs heavier than me at the same height, I would appreciate it if he has a sense of humor.

The Mike Stoops Award for “Biggest Douchebag”
…And the Winner Is: Mike Stoops, Arizona Head Coach. Congratulations, you just won your own award. I’d say the voting is rigged, but I think we can all agree, you earned it coach.

The Rick Neuheisel Award for “Player Most Likely to Get Penalized”
…And the Winner Is: Jeremy Perry, Oregon State Guard. He wins for two reasons: (1) He’s an offensive lineman and those guys hold on every play and (2) He’s quoted on ESPN.com saying, “I’m nasty, even if the whistle blows, I guarantee I’ll get the last shove.”

The Mike Riley Award for “The First Month Doesn’t Really Matter Anyway”
…And the Winner Is: Tie between Jake Locker (UW Quarterback) and Mark Sanchez (USC Quarterback). Both players have suffered injuries that could cause early season issues for their respective teams if they don’t come back healthy.

The Jeff Tedford Award for “Yeah, He Was Great When I Coached Him, But What About Now?”
…And the Winner Is: No, not Joey Harrington, Trent Dilfer, Kyle Boller, Akili Smith, AJ Feeley or Aaron Rodgers. The winner is Mitch Mustain, USC Quarterback. The hype is there for the heralded transfer from Arkansas. Will he deliver, especially if Mark Sanchez can’t go?

The Jim Harbaugh Award for “I Probably Shouldn’t Have Said That, But I’ll Go Ahead and Back It Up Anyway”
…And the Winner Is: Carson Palmer, former USC and current Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback. All’s quiet among current players so far in 2008 so we turn to Palmer’s ill-advised diatribe against Ohio State. Sure, he’s right and his alma mater will back him up, but that doesn’t endear you to your current Ohio fan base.