Bumped...Full disclosure, I asked Pete to write this up. Pete and I went through Grade school, Intermediate school and part of High School at PV High before I moved to Torrance. We lost touch after I moved and thanks to FaceBook we got back in touch and I found out he is a rabid college football fan. This is a great take and I appreciate his willingness to offer up his perspective. Thanks Pete!!!

Let me start off by saying that I’m a rabid Duck fan.   But don’t write off my post just yet!  I think you’ll find that I have a fairly unique perspective on Saturday’s game.

Although I live in Portland and graduated from the U of O, I grew up in Southern California and grew up rooting for USC.  In fact, I still root for USC – when they’re not playing the Ducks. My family had USC season tickets throughout the 70’s and early 80’s.  I was there in ’74 and ’75 when SC beat Ohio State at the Rose Bowl.  I was there in 2005 to cheer on the Trojans against Texas, and flew down to LA last year to watch SC beat Ohio State at the Coliseum.

Those were some great Trojan teams.  But I think we all have to admit that the jury is still out on this year’s team.  And I emphasize the word team with good reason.

Of course, SC’s talent level is incredible.  There’s no question in my mind that they have the best players in the country.  I think Matt Barkley may be the best QB prospect the Pac-10 has produced in years, and Taylor Mays is scary good on the other side of the ball.  But it doesn’t seem like the Trojans have come together yet as a cohesive unit.  There have been times when they really seemed focused – like the Cal game (I was there, too).  A “complete game”, though, seems to be rare for this year’s Trojan’s squad.

That said, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if SC put it all together against the Ducks.  Let’s face it, we’ve all seen this show before: disappointing first half of the season, followed by Pete Carroll stepping on the gas in November.

At the same time, though, I need to point out a few things about this year’s Duck team.  This is not the most talented team Oregon has produced – far from it.  Yet, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Duck team come together like this.  It’s as if the Boise State debacle somehow tempered the steel.  Perhaps the only comparison as far as teamwork is concerned is the ’94 team, and the Gang Green defense.  But these guys are playing with a level of cohesiveness that may surpass that team.

Granted, they haven’t played a team like USC yet.  And the season is not over - not even close.  USC has the ability to beat any team, any time.  Don’t be surprised, however, if the Ducks frustrate the Trojans this year.  We all know that Autzen is a tough place to play, but it promises to be off-the-charts loud on Halloween night.  I don’t care how good Barkley is – it will be tough for a true freshman in that environment.  This game could very well come down to Barkley’s ability to overcome the noise, and play mistake free football against Oregon’s banged-up secondary.

Bottom line : it promises to be an awesome matchup.

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A couple of other thoughts/notes:

-There’s a lot of talk here in Oregon about a “black out” for fans going to the game.  There is an unofficial effort to get all the fans to wear black attire in the stands.  There’s also a strong rumor that the Oregon players will wear all-black.  (I’m ready for the avalanche of responses regarding Oregon’s uniforms – have at it!)

-I’m curious to see how USC’s offensive live plays against Oregon’s defensive line.  I’m not sure the Ducks will be able to handle it.  We do have a much better linebacker corp this year.  It will be interesting to see if they can fill the gaps.

-Keep your eye on LaMichael James.  If USC is able to stuff him at the line, Oregon will have trouble.  On the flip side, he could provide a Jaquizz Rodgers type of  weapon for the Ducks against the bigger, stronger Trojans.

-Is anyone else completely frustrated by the 5pm start time?  Fans with kids are making some really tough choices this weekend.  I wouldn’t be surprised if a few marriages are threatened!

-Oregon may be making an announcement on Sunday regarding the future of LaGarette Blount.  I work in the media, and was on the field for the Boise State game.  In fact, I was the last person to talk to LaGarrette before he went back into the locker room.  I have to tell you – I didn’t see the “violent punk” image in his eyes that night.  He just seemed like a kid who let his emotions get the best of him, and made a terrible, terrible mistake.   He just didn’t seem like thug that he was made out to be.  Of course, this is just one guy's opinion - so please take it for what it is, I guess.