You wanna’ know something? I’m a fan and if I don’t want to be logical, then dammit, I don’t have to be. So sets the stage for the rest of this post.

I could have done it. I could have said Cal over Oregon and nobody would blame me. Cal has its top running back, they don’t turn the ball over, they’re efficient. Basically, they’re everything Oregon is not. Of course picking Cal makes sense.

But I don’t want to.

It’s in Autzen Stadium and before some miracle of fumbles two years ago, Cal hadn’t won there since Oregon wore, well, what they’re going to wear on Saturday I guess. This isn’t their stadium. It’s not their fans. They’re not superior in talent. Who’s to say the Ducks can’t win this game?

Sure, it’s going to take a performance from Jeremiah Masoli that none of us have seen since I was dancing in the aisles of Qualcomm Stadium under the influence of an elixir called, damn, what the hell was I drinking that day? That was fun.

And yes, it’s going to take an even better performance from the defense than we saw against Utah. Can’t turn the ball over either. And better not have drive-killing penalties. Whew, this is starting to add up. Maybe I should rethink this pick.

“Snap out of it Nick!”

Huh, oh yeah.

I’m picking Oregon. That’s right, the Ducks!

And if they don’t win, well, does Chip do refunds on gambled wages?

I wonder what I’ll do when I grow up and have real things to do on fall Saturdays.

1. I think the days of walking over the Huskies are over. We knew it was coming. I embrace it because I love the rivalry and, believe it or not, I’ve missed them. We’ll see over time just how dumb that sentiment is. Still, it doesn’t mean UW is a loss waiting to happen this season. I get the feeling they are going to flirt with about a 6-6 season when it’s all said and done which would be a remarkable turn-around.

2. Cincinnati looked good. The Big East is usually an easy target, but I think the Bearcats are legit. Quarterback Tony Pike seems to be a master of the offense and they don’t hold the playbook back. I know being the front runner of the Big East is like being the best electrician in Amish country, but I think they can compete at a top 10 level. It’s a tough loss for Beaver fans, but not one that defines their season by any means.

3. Kirk Herbstreit, improbably, is getting even orangier (it’s kind of a word). He might be a pumpkin by Halloween. Granted, a pumpkin with bright blue eyes and gorgeous frosted hair, but a pumpkin nonetheless (I only wish I had a picture of his close-up in the booth of the Texas-Texas Tech game to illustrate this).

4. I can’t resist one Oregon reference. I liked the uniform combo. Apparently, no one else did and that’s fine. Is it the best of the hundreds of combos? No, but I liked it better than the “all greens” a week ago. Jeremiah Masoli needs help though. These unis make him look like he’s wearing mom jeans (these are the things you notice when watching games with an FOTB. Actually, I noticed that on my home, but don’t tell anyone).

5. Purdue’s loss to Northern Illinois surprised me. I thought they played really well at Autzen and was expecting them to be a competitive team this year. Of course, one loss doesn’t mean they’re done, but it stains my impression of them.

6. Give it up for Washington State after getting a win in overtime over SMU. If only they could call it a season. 1-2 sounds so much better than 1-11.

While I’m still not sure if I’m looking at wings or feathers, with the release of Sports Illustrated’s four regional college football preview covers today, the new Oregon uniforms look sharp. There’s something about gracing the cover of the preeminent national magazine that gives any look an extra boost.

For the record, I’m already a big fan of these uniforms and thought they looked good last year when they got taken for a test drive against Arizona.

This marks the 5th time Oregon has had the cover for Sports Illustrated. Oregon had gone 27 years between covers until 2001. The 2000s have been a bonanza of promotion from SI, this being the third cover of the decade. A history of covers for the school can be found at Duck Sports News

You can check out some photo shoot pictures at the official Duck blog.