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Oregon Ducks vs Stanford Cardinal Preview

On the first Saturday of November, the Oregon Ducks will step into an entirely new world. America--and especially the member schools in the Pac-10 Conference--will be watching.

It's the dawn of a new day for coach Chip Kelly's club, which will travel to Palo Alto, Calif., as the high-flying heavyweight of the West Coast. Fresh off their 47-20 annihilation of once-mighty USC, the Ducks bring their transformed identity and improved reputation to the Farm, hoping to cement their Pac-10 lead and come one step closer to the Rose Bowl. The nation's eyes were opened with respect to Oregon; now that the Quack Attack has shown just how potent its performances can be, nobody will fail to notice this team's every move over the remainder of the season.

The only relevant question surrounding this showdown with Stanford is as important as it is obvious: Now that Oregon's the new enforcer in the Pac-10, will the Ducks be able to flex their muscles against an opponent that's been waiting for them?

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Stanford, you see, has been sitting around for two weeks. Coach Jim Harbaugh had a bye week on Oct. 31, while UO thumped Southern California in the Willamette Valley. The Cardinal are therefore rested, prepped and jumping out of their shoes as they try to bring the Ducks crashing back to earth after their extraordinary moment of magnificence on Halloween. This game is an ultimate test of Oregon's focus, resolve, and consistency. Now that the landscape has changed in the world of West Coast football, and now that USC won't win the Pac-10 (it's still possible, but it would take an act of God for that to happen at this point), will Oregon pick up where it left off in Autzen Stadium, throwing down 392 rushing yards against a Pete Carroll defense? Will the Ducks continue to furiously throw themselves into the fray, overwhelming an inferior opponent with their speed and proficiency? Or, will the weight of the occasion, and the new kind of pressure that comes with being a first-place team in November, get to Kelly's crew? Will Jeremiah Masoli flinch as he runs the spread option in Stanford Stadium? Will Nick Aliotti's defense get rocked on its heels by Stanford's run-pass tandem of Toby Gerhart and Andrew Luck?

A win, and Oregon takes yet another giant step toward Pasadena.

A loss, and the Ducks would suddenly need to re-evaluate themselves.

What kind of team is Oregon? The answer should be, "a great one." The Ducks simply need to prove as much on the field when they set their eyes on Stanford.

The whole country will be watching.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer