UCLA vs. Oregon: Latest Spread Info, BCS Impact and Predictions

For the most part, conference championship games are usually highly anticipated matchups that could go either way. That isn't likely to be the case when it comes to the Pac-12 Championship Game, though, as the No. 9 Oregon Ducks will host the UCLA Bruins.

Oregon finished the regular season 10-2 and won the Pac-12 North by virtue of a tiebreaker over Stanford. A loss to USC killed Oregon's chances of going back to the National Championship Game, but the season would certainly be salvaged by a berth to the Rose Bowl.

The Bruins didn't have an especially impressive season at 6-6, but they beat the teams they were supposed to beat, and it resulted in a 5-4 Pac-12 record. Had USC not been banned from the postseason, the Trojans would be playing in the game, but UCLA is the beneficiary instead.

Oregon smashed UCLA 60-13 last season, and while the score may not get that out of hand, it isn't out of the realm of possibility. The Bruins are playing under a lame-duck head coach in Rick Neuheisel as well, so a win would be one of the biggest upsets in recent memory.

Where: Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

When: Friday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. EDT

Watch: FOX

Spread: Oregon (-32)

While 32 points is quite a large spread, it seems fitting for this particular game. The Ducks generally steamroll inferior opponents with their explosive spread option, and the Bruins are just that.

UCLA is in the middle of the pack on both sides of the ball, so I can't see it competing with Oregon.

Even if the Ducks take their foot off the gas, their defense should be able to lock down the Bruins sufficiently enough to cover. The Ducks have scored more than 40 points in a game nine times this season, and I don't think the Bruins will put up much resistance.

Over/Under: 66

No over/under is safe with Oregon in the equation, but due to UCLA's ineptitude, I don't think that these two teams will reach 66 points combined. Oregon will have to do most of the heavy lifting to begin with, but I don't think the Ducks will pour it on enough to get the total that high.

While Oregon's defense has been hit-or-miss this year, the Bruins don't have any offensive weapons to make the Ducks pay. Seeing as I don't expect UCLA to contribute any more than two scores tops, I would feel comfortable about taking the under in this one.

UCLA Key Injuries

Doubtful

QB Richard Brehaut (leg), DB Tony Dye (leg), DB Dietrich Riley (neck), DB Alex Mascarenas (concussion)

Questionable

LB Sean Westgate (concussion), K Kip Smith (hip)

Oregon Key Injuries

Doubtful

WR Justin Hoffman (head), WR Keanon Lowe (foot), DB Cliff Harris (suspension)

Questionable

WR Ben Butterfield (undisclosed), TE Curtis White (leg), LB Rodney Hardrick (undisclosed), DB Anthony Gildon (undisclosed)

Probable

RB LaMichael James (elbow)

BCS/Top 25 Implications

Since this is a conference championship game, the BCS implications can't get much greater. The winner of this game will be playing in the Rose Bowl against the winner of Michigan State vs. Wisconsin, while the loser could very well be playing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

The point is, there's a huge drop-off in prestige for the team that loses.

In all likelihood, Oregon will come out on top, but UCLA could really crash the BCS party with a shocking upset. Either way, this one is for all the marbles.

While missing out on the National Championship Game is disappointing for Oregon, a season that ends in a Rose Bowl berth and win can still be considered a success.

Keys to UCLA Win

I would normally suggest that UCLA take a look at the game tape from Oregon's two losses in order to emulate what those teams did.

The fact of the matter is, however, that UCLA doesn't have an elite defense like LSU or an explosive passing offense like USC, so the Bruins will have to find some unconventional way to get the job done.

Running the ball continuously with Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman in order to chew up the clock is certainly one way to go. Anything UCLA can do to keep Oregon's offense off the field for an extended period of time is a plus.

Another less-ethical suggestion is to feign injuries like the California Golden Bears did against Oregon last season. The Bears lost 15-13, but the strategy certainly slowed the Ducks down.

Keys to Oregon Win

Provided the Ducks are able to execute their normal offense as usual, this game should be a walk in the park, especially at home.

UCLA has proven to be extremely vulnerable defensively, particularly in a 50-0 loss to USC last week. Oregon simply has too many weapons to stop, including quarterback Darron Thomas and running backs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner.

While the Ducks will certainly mix the pass in, I feel like they could run the ball on every single play and still win easily.

Defensively, putting a little bit of pressure on quarterback Kevin Prince can go a long way. He has proven to be prone to turnovers with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of just 8:7, so if he is rushed at all, the Ducks defense should have a field day.

Prediction

Oregon 45, UCLA 10