Oregon Ducks Football: Eight Games Down, Four to Go in Ducks' Quest for a Title

Oregon coach Chip Kelly may focus on “Winning the Day” and taking one game—or one day, for that matter—at a time, but for the fans and the media, looking ahead towards the possibility of playing for a national championship is inevitable.

Oregon (8-0, 5-0 Pac-10) has just four games standing between it and a berth in the BCS title game.

The Ducks must face Cal and Oregon State on the road while playing host to Washington and 15th-ranked Arizona.

While Kelly’s team is certain to be favored in every game, none of the final four games will come without a challenge for the top-ranked Ducks.

A week after debuting as the top-ranked team in the BCS for the first time in school history, the Ducks will host the Washington Huskies.

Without Jake Locker, Washington will be the easiest game remaining on Oregon’s schedule. The Huskies rank 114th in run defense and 100th in total defense, while the Ducks rank first in scoring offense and third in rushing offense. While anything is possible in rivalry games, the Ducks should have a fairly easy time with the Huskies.

The Ducks’ trip to Berkeley has the potential to be a trap game because Oregon should be coming off a win over rival Washington and will have a game against a ranked Arizona team looming.

However, Oregon has a bye after Cal, so some of the effects of a trap game should be minimized. Cal will be without starting quarterback Kevin Riley, but junior Brock Mansion will have had a few games to adjust to being the starter.

Cal will also be playing at home, which makes them even more dangerous. The Bears are undefeated at home this season, and the Ducks have not won in Berkeley since 2001.

The last two games of the season will be the toughest on the Ducks.

In the final home game of the season, Oregon will host Arizona. Last year the Ducks defeated UA 44-41 in a double overtime thriller. Quarterback Nick Foles is back from injury and will be looking to lead his Wildcats to an upset and possibly the first Rose Bowl in school history. However, this game is at Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks play very well and should be able to come out with a win.

As always, the season will end with the Civil War. Rivalry games are always tricky, but a game on the road against a team seeking revenge makes this year’s Civil War all the more intriguing.

The Ducks have kept the Beavers out of the Rose Bowl each of the past two seasons, and there would be no sweeter revenge than to keep the hated Ducks out of the national championship.

Although these final four games will present challenges, Kelly has done a tremendous job keeping his team focused.

Oregon has fallen behind in four of its eight games this season, and Kelly has been able to maintain his composure and keep his team calm. This is a quality that will be crucial for the stretch run.

As long as the Ducks continue to “Win the Day,” Oregon fans can start looking at airfare and hotel prices for the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Arizona.