Oregon's Biggest Advantage in the Sprint to the Finish

Jason Vondersmith of the Portland Tribune has today's money quote. In today's print edition and the online version of the Trib he previews Oregon's remaining opponents, including the three most likely to face them in the BCS final, and has this juicy, candid observation from Ivan Maisel of ESPN:

“I think Chip is one of the smartest guys I’ve met in coaching,” Maisel says. “What I respect is his ability to focus and keep the the team focused on the task at hand. He has a great ability to cut through the peripheral issues and get the team to focus on what it needs to do, and he and his staff focus on what they need to do to win the game. That’s a tool that I think anybody in any walk of life could use.”

The beauty of it is, the Ducks don't have to change anything for a game in Glendale. They don't have to adjust to the hype or pressure. They don't have to ramp up their preparation. They have been practicing for The Most Important Game Of The Season for 12 weeks now. It's the same. Boise State, TCU, or Auburn is just another faceless opponent, no more urgent and no less urgent than New Mexico, Stanford or USC. They prepare with intensity and urgency every day. There is no need to start manufacturing some in week 12,13 or 14.

If the Ducks look up on December 5th and find themselves number one in the country, there's no danger of either panic or puffed-up complacency. They expected to succeed. They practice fast, ignore outside influences, and play to win. They'll respect each of their remaining opponents and take each one with equal seriousness.

They've played 10 national championship games. Glendale, should they earn their way there, will simply be the first time the rest of the country takes the game as seriously as the Ducks have every week.