If The Quack is Back, They'll Show It Today

Today is the day we find out if the 2010 Oregon Ducks are a great team or merely a good one.

Stanford comes to town bent on asserting themselves, and proving the Cardinal brand of football is superior to the sexy, up tempo attack of Oregon. They'll try to play smashmouth football, run it down the throats of the home team, demoralize them with hitting and crushing blocks, wear them down with a relentless power offense and a stinging defense.

Someone forgot to tell the nation that the Oregon Ducks play that way too. They just do it faster.

If Oregon plays the way they are capable of playing, if they maintain the right levels of calm and focus and all-out aggression, if they let their talent express itself, this game will not be close.

Stanford is a plodding football team with one true star. Take away his weapons and advantages, and the Ducks can pick him apart. It won't be easy. It will be a three-quarter battle culminating in a fourth-quarter last-ditched effort, but Oregon has more than enough talent to win the day today.

If they have the will.

Kenny Rowe will get to the quarterback. He's too agile and determined and relentless not to. Cliff Harris and John Boyett will lock eyes with Luck and cut off his passing lanes for a pick apiece. Casey Matthews will continue his brilliant and opportunistic play in the middle, and create one turnover. Zach Clark and Brandon Bair will disrupt and penetrate and defeat the power game at the point of attack. Not every play, but often enough to slow down the running game Stanford depends on to impose their will on inferior opponents.

The Oregon Ducks are not an inferior opponent. They may be the best team in the country, if they want to be.

Offensively, Oregon has to turn this game into a track meet. The offensive line has to create holes for LaMichael James and give Darron Thomas time to find the open receiver. Kenjon Barner is back at full health, and Josh Huff has emerged as an extra weapon. The Ducks have to use the full playbook and exploit all their weapons. They have more playmakers. Jeff Maehl, Lavasier Tuinei, Drew Davis, David Paulson, Brandon Williams all need a chance to run with the ball in the open field.

There's no reason for the Ducks to be intimidated. There's every reason for them to expose the very idea that they could be.

Autzen will roar and soar with life and energy and fierce resolve. The Ducks will answer it with their own. An inspired, fired-up crowd will disrupt the Stanford offense and inspire Tenacious D to their best effort of the season. The Quack is back. It's time to win the day.