Where they’ll go,
nobody knows
■ Oregon’s postseason bowl
picture will remain out of
focus until after Saturday’s
Civil War
By Scott Pesznecker
Oregon Daily Emerald
Despite being undefeated in the
Pacific-10 Conference, despite los
ing just once to then-No. 5 Wiscon
sin on the road, despite earning a
best-ever No. 5 ranking and de
spite being the front-runner in the
race for the Rose Bowl all season
long, Oregon could find itself in
Hawaii on Christmas.
Say what?
Really, it could happen.
If the situation arose in which
Wisconsin was invited to the Sun
Bowl, chances are that the bowl
commissioners wouldn’t want an
other Badgers vs. Ducks matchup.
Their reasoning would be that be
sides Oregon and Wisconsin al
ready playing each other once this
year, the two teams will meet in
Eugene next season.
So, it would be down the ladder
to one of the Hawaii bowls.
“I don’t even know how you can
even talk about all the madness
that flows with these ballgames,”
receiver Marshaun Tucker said.
“One thing we know is we’re try
ing to go to the Rose Bowl, so
we’re trying to go this weekend
and win it. And not just for that,
but it’s for bragging rights.”
And nothing but Oregon State
stands between Oregon and
Pasadena. The Ducks are the only
Pac-10 football team that can go to
the Rose Bowl without needing
help from another team.
Which is why it seems so pecu
liar that the Ducks could slide as
far as Honolulu.
“If you pay attention to that,
where’s it going to get you?” Tuck
er said. “We have to really stay fo
cused and know that we have a job
to do this weekend.”
“I did just find out that some
one’s picking us to go the Sun
Bowl this game,” tight end Justin
Peelle said. “It doesn’t really mat
ter - we’re shooting for the Rose
Bowl.
“Christmas in Hawaii wouldn’t
be that bad, anyway.”
Oregon’s postseason destination,
if it loses to Oregon State, is fuzzy
at best. If almost every team in the
top-six of the Bowl Champi
onships Series rankings loses this
weekend, the Ducks could go to
the Orange Bowl, although the
r
odds of that happening now are
about a million-to-one.
The Holiday Bowl isn't com
pletely out of the picture, but pret
ty darn close. If Washington went
to the Rose Bowl and Oregon State
received a BCS bid to the Fiesta
Bowl, then the Ducks would plav
in San Diego. However, the
Beavers, even if more deserving,
would probably be overlooked for
Virginia Tech.
Then there’s the Sun Bowl situ
ation, which could lead to the
Hawaii scenario. So, where the
Ducks will go, nobody knows —
unless they beat the Beavers, and
then it’s straight to the Rose Bowl.
“All the things that are riding on
this game makes it that much more
exciting,” linebacker Michael Cal
lier said. “Some people talk about
the pressure and all that, but I
think it’s all positive pressure. It’s
a big game for the state of Oregon.
I don’t think this game has ever
been so important.”
But according to Las Vegas gam
blers, beating Oregon State will be
easier said than done. The Ducks
are the contest’s four-point under
dogs on the betting lines.
“We are underdogs,” Callier said.
“Before we started winning, we
were always underdogs. I don’t
mind that at all. Business as usual.”
Another fun tid-bit to top a week
of craziness: Washington, which
Oregon beat Sept. 30, could go to
the Orange Bowl if Oregon beats
Oregon State and if Oklahoma los
es to Kansas State in the Big 12 title
game. And, of course, the Huskies
must beat the Cougars.
Considering the Cougars’ Pac-10
reputation and the way that Kansas
State beat Nebraska last Saturday,
perhaps Washington really could
go to the national championship.
Which would be even more com
ical, because just a couple weeks
ago, Oregon seemed to be in the
Pac-lO’s drivers’ seat in that race,
too.
So much hype and so many pre
dictions, but the Ducks seem
poised under the national spotlight,
just as they have all season long.
“We’re handling it pretty well,”
Peelle said. “We’re having fun with
it a little bit, but we know we’ve got
a job to do. We’ve got things we
want to accomplish and we can’t
let this affect us at all. It’s fun for the
state, and it’s fun for both programs,
all this media attention, but that
stuff doesn’t matter. What matters
is what happens on Saturday.”
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WEINV ISd “CIVIL” CIVIL WAR!
, 18th football contest between the
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Oregon State and University
that will go down in bistory • tW ;n oerson at Reser Stadium in
We hope you will join us, whethe P d be a fantastic contest
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