PASADENA, Calif. – Just a week ago, Oregon's visit to the Rose Bowl loomed as a defining game in the races for the Pac-12 title and the national championship. The Bruins had a chance to knock off the reigning Ducks, who could cement their supremacy against an up-and-coming power.
When the No. 18 Bruins and the 12th-ranked Ducks both lost last week and plummeted 10 spots in the AP Top 25, Brett Hundley's showdown with Marcus Mariota at the Rose Bowl assumed new meaning.
The winner will still be in the hunt for the postseason playoff. The loser just might be out of the national title race in early October.
Oregon (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) had more than a week to recover from its stunning home loss to Arizona, but the Ducks realize their tumble from No. 2 will get serious without a strong rebound Saturday.
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