Why Bye is a Tough Opponent

During a game week, the objective is clear. You have to prepare well enough to beat the next opponent. You watch their film, you study their plays and formations, and you focus on neutralizing their best players and exploiting their weaknesses. There's a familiar rhythm and routine to practice, Tuesday and Wednesday for full pads, Thursday and Friday for mental preparation, Friday night in the hotel, for meetings and a team meal.

For bye week, there is no opponent to focus on, no reward at the end of the week. But the need to improve and push forward is just as great. UCLA, USC, Washington, Cal, Arizona and Oregon State are all practicing this week, and they're all working to get better. Several of these schools have problems of their own, but they also have some supremely talented athletes. Johnathan Franklin, Robert Woods, Chris Polk, Shane Vereen, Nick Foles and Ryan Katz are among the best in the country, each standing defiantly in the middle of the road that leads to Glendale or Pasadena. If the Ducks want to beat these players and their teams, they have to get better, even in a week they have no opponent to prepare for.

Bye can lull you to sleep. Bye can make you slack or inattentive. You can make the mistake of thinking this is a week off, a week to take it easy, a week to hit the snooze bar of life for a few days. It isn't. 6-0 is only half the job. There are no more New Mexicos or Portland States on the schedule, just six talented teams with a fervent desire to make a name for themselves knocking off number two in the country. Oregon has administered some beatdowns to Washington and Oregon State and the rest over the last few years, and wrecking a dream season would be sweet revenge.

The heart of character is what you do when no one is watching. The doors are closed this week, and the Ducks are insulated and isolated. They have a few secrets and setbacks they're not talking about. They're trying to overcome their errors and shore up a couple of weaknesses. They have to find another level of urgency and desire. Bye is a tough opponent, because no one is keeping score. This week, winning and losing is a matter of heart, unity, effort and purpose. These are things no one can measure, but they will be evident in the weeks to come.