QB Justin Roper, Oregon Look to Beat Washington in Week One

College football is finally ready to kick off, and for the Ducks it starts with a bang.  The 101st Columbia River Clash (it’s not an official nickname yet) between the Oregon Ducks, a team trying to get back to the top, and the Washington Huskies, a program that has spent far too long in the cellar, on Saturday.

The demons surrounding the Ducks' quarterback corps have yet to be exorcised.  Nate Costa was the heir apparent to Dennis Dixon, but he missed his chance to play last season, having torn his knee ligaments before Dixon’s injury.

Despite Justin Roper’s impressive performance in leading Oregon to a blowout of the favored South Florida Bulls in last year’s Sun Bowl, Costa was named the starter after spring practice.  But last week Costa tweaked his knee again, and he will miss at least eight weeks recovering from surgery.

Until further notice, this is again Roper’s team.

Many fear that Roper’s lack of mobility will severely hamper Oregon’s spread option offense.  However, he is not a lead foot in the backfield, having showed enough legs to move effectively in the pocket.

What he can’t do is scramble up the gut after faking the handoff for the zone read for seven to 10 yards a pop like Dixon was able to do, or even for a solid four or five like Costa was assumed capable of.  Roper has shown effectiveness as a passer, but don’t be surprised to see a lot of Chris Harper or Darron Thomas in a Tim Tebow/Ryan Perrilloux direct carry role to keep Washington off balance.

Most believe Oregon will win this game with some cushion, given the Autzen edge and last year’s three-touchdown differential in Seattle.  What most seem to conveniently forget is that game was tied going into the fourth quarter despite the Ducks running up and down the field seemingly at will.

Washington was able to break big plays on Oregon’s defense, both in the air and on the ground.  The Ducks' D improved as 2007 progressed and returns a number of key starters, especially in the secondary.

But the loss of Kevin Garret to disciplinary issues and a continuing lack of playmakers at defensive tackle mean that there are still questions to be answered.

Assuming the Ducks don’t give the game away with turnovers or special teams blunders, a few key factors will guarantee a victory over the hated Huskies.

LeGarrette Blount should pound between the tackles and allow Jeremiah Johnson to line up all over the field and use his speed and cutting ability to gash opposing defenses.

After being the victims of 465 yards on the ground last year, though, it is a sure bet that Washington will be playing plenty of defenders in the box.  Roper and his young, inconsistent receivers must take some pressure off the running game (here’s hoping that newfangled eye treatment at Nike can cure Jaison Williams' drops) to keep drives moving.

With the offense unlikely to drop another 50 points on the Huskies' D, Oregon’s veteran defense needs to limit Washington’s big plays and not give up more than 30 points.

On the flip side, Washington is fielding a young defense that is not highly regarded.  There is much potential on offense, but it is young and unproven, and Autzen Stadium is not a great place to wet ones feet.

The Huskies must find a way to feed off the hatred and win the turnover battle to have a chance at an upset.  Until further notice, this team sinks or swims with Jake Locker.  If he can use his talents to create mismatches against Oregon’s defenders and open up big plays, this game will be a lot closer than most people think.

MY VERDICT: Oregon 38, Washington 30

Conference Calls

Oregon State gets going early with another Pac-10 matchup against Stanford.  The Beavers have a lot to replace, but getting Sammie Stroughter back is a massive boost.  The Cardinal should be more competitive than they were most of last year, but unless the “Fly Sweep” suddenly stops working, I give the edge to the fighting Buck Tooths.

The folks at Qwest Field will be treated to an offensive spectacle with the Oklahoma State Cowboys coming to town to play Brandon Gibson and the Cougars.  With a new quarterback, new coach, and offseason troubles burdening them, I can’t see the Cougs keeping up with the Man Who Is 40’s offense.

USC is probably the most talented team in the nation, but for a national title run they will need to see more consistency from their stars.  Even with a hobbled Mark Sanchez, the Trojans will be more than a match for Virginia, but will they find enough mojo to carry over into next week’s tilt with you know who?

If anyone can explain Cal to me, please do.  No matter how hard I think about it, I cannot tell if these Bears will resemble the team who started 5-0 and out-executed the Dixon-led Ducks in Eugene, or the team that looked totally lost following one major blunder against the Beavers last year.  As a shot in the dark, I’ll pick Michigan State to prolong the troubles in the Bay Area.

Arizona and Arizona State open with warm-up opponents in Idaho and Northern Arizona, and barring an upset of Appalachian proportions, they should get off to a positive start.

As successful as Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow have been, they have their work cut out for them with a UCLA squad running on its third quarterback and a patchwork offensive line.  If the Bruins defense can make up for the loss of pass rush machine Bruce Davis, they might have a decent season, but Tennessee is too good for them to handle right now.