What the Ducks Win Over USC Means

It means they are 8-0, and still playing for the PAC-10 title and the national championship.

It means they are the dominant team in the conference, and USC's dominance is officially broken. USC is 2-3 so far this year in the PAC-10, after going 5-4 last year. In spite of what assistant coach John Baxter said, they are no longer SC, not in the sense they once were. And these Ducks are no longer the Ducks the Trojans once dominated and intimidated. Oregon took their best shot on Saturday, and stuffed them, ran them ragged and overran them. It was shock and awe football. The Trojans now believe what they openly doubted before the game. They are forced to admit it. Oregon is that good.

It means there are no more doubts and questions about Oregon's ability to score or defend or overcome a particular situation. Oh, they'll be tested by Washington, Cal, Arizona, and Oregon State, but the critics can no longer say they haven't faced a talented team or a fast team or a physical team or a capable opponent on the road. They've trailed in games and played in close games and come from behind in the second half. All those questions have been emphatically answered. They'll be favored in their final four games.

It means they have to keep working to get better and finish the job. They still could have a stumble. Washington has talent, and they'll save their best effort for the Ducks. They beat USC on the road. Cal is tough at home. Arizona has a crashing defense and weapons on offense. Oregon State is a rivalry game, where anything has happened, and this year it's in Corvallis. Their bowl opponent will have four weeks to prepare, possibly five.

Yet the players and coaches would tell us that it doesn't mean anything. 8-0 just guarantees 8-4 and a trip to the Sun Bowl. And that would be a hideous disappointment. On Monday they'll begin preparing the way they always do, as if they were 0-0 or in the Super Bowl all at once.

These players understand and believe in what they are doing. They don't need validation from outside influences and aren't bothered by criticism. They aren't distracted by partial success and increasing attention. It leaves them free to focus all their energy on preparing in exactly the right way. In that sense, this is the best-coached team in the country, and the most mature. Even if the cheese on the nachos occasionally drips over the plate.