![Oregon celebrated against USC on Saturday night. (Photo: Naji Saker)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_728,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f1f4613-b7d3-4d32-8501-4cd901ed07b4_4809x3206.jpeg)
One thing became clear on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium. It didn’t happen in a flash or a bang. Nowhere near that sudden. The reveal was more like the unveiling of one of those statues where someone says a few words, nods toward the artist, raises a glass, and then drags a giant drape off the thing.
There it was, right out in the open.
Oregon is damned good when it gets out of its own way.
The Ducks beat USC 36-27 on Saturday. Oregon is 9-1 and apparently remains pissed off about how things unfolded at Husky Stadium in Week 7. I always say that there are only two possible outcomes after a team faces a painful and regrettable defeat — the roster either pulls itself together or splinters.
A question: Does anyone really want to play Oregon right now?
Not Oregon of October. November Oregon. Because for the first time since Marcus Mariota suited up I watched the Ducks play and believed they were good enough to win a national title.