Canzano: College football thriving -- and dying -- at the same time

Pac-12 title game stage set.

LAS VEGAS — Dan Lanning has a dark side. If you doubt me, just ask the University of Oregon football coach to give you a list of his favorite movies.

He’ll reel off films such as the “The Departed” and “Seven” and “Mystic River” and the “Road to Perdition.” But it’s a quote from one of his other favorite movies — “The Godfather Part II” — that I’m thinking about this week.

More on that in a bit.

Oregon will play Washington on Friday at Allegiant Stadium in the Pac-12 Conference title game. The prevailing thought is that the Pac-12 champion will shower in confetti, then catapult into the four-team College Football Playoff. And maybe it will, but if the Ducks are that winner, they need to leave no doubt.

This playoff stuff can be unforgiving.

If Washington wins the Pac-12 championship game, the Huskies are in — no question. The selection committee won’t leave a 13-0 conference champion out. But what happens if Oregon squeaks past Washington in conjunction with Michigan beating Iowa in the Big Ten title game, Florida State over Louisville in the ACC title game, and an Alabama upset of Georgia in the SEC championship?

What then?