A rematch with the Broncos has certain satisfactions, but it's less than desirable for two reasons. One, the storylines and pregame hype will be predictable and tiresome. We'll see the punch 500 more times. Byron Hout, who is out for the year with an injury, will get more face time than Kelly Ripa, far more than a mouthy second-rate linebacker with a glass jaw should ever get. And two, ESPN's shock talk ex-jocks will be all over themselves spouting on and on about the formula for stopping Oregon and how these same teams met last year and Boise engineered a 19-8 victory.
Arrrrrrrgggh! It was the worst game Oregon has played in three years, and this year's Duck squad is vastly better than the group that lost by 11 on the blue turf. Thomas is much better in the passing game than Masoli, who was brutally bad that night. LaMichael James had two carries in that game, for 22 yards, and he's a better back for this matchup than LeGarrette Blount, an upright runner who was slower to the hole. Oregon's defense is deeper and more solidified than the group that took the field in game one of 2009.
The other part is, a game with the Broncos is partly a no-win situation. Beat them, and part of the country (read: SEC, Big Ten, Big Twelve) will say Oregon backed in to a national title against less than top-flight competition. Lose, and everyone is crowing about BSU's dominance over the Ducks and UO's inability to bring it in big games.
I keep hoping LSU will slip past the non-AQs, but whoever the Ducks play, they'll show up. Of course the first step is trouncing Arizona and securing the Rose Bowl.
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