Albro, there's a lot of football left to play and obviously the team that was wearing black uniforms with pink numbers and letters isn't the same team that looked sharp beating MSU in W2. Just the same, I wasn't expecting them to digress. I expected just the opposite. Now there's no more elbow room left to fart around with. At least the team that beat them wasn't practically an unkknown this time around. Zona with that ace QB of theirs is an undefeated 5-0 team (hail Mary and all.)
All in all, Oregon's prognosis just took a major hit because nothing short of going undefeated the rest of the way will result in a shot at a final 4 playoff berth. As a matter of fact, I would give them 2nd best shot at making the playoffs next to Stanford in spite of Stanford's loss to USC. USC's loss to BC was too gross to live with despite beating the Cardinal in Palo Alto recently. But an undefeated USC the rest of the way adds to Stanford's chances more than their own. It all boils down to the best team with the toughest SOS and also the best team with respect to who lost to who. As far as Zona goes, their SOS and regular conference record will help Oregon if the Devils manage to keep it together. Of course everything has to do with Stanford winning the Pac-12 title game instead of Oregon.
I think Oregon will lose at least one more game and very possibly two so this conversation will probably amount to little or nothing pretty soon. However if some way, some how Oregon manages to get their OL healthy again and goes on to play undefeated the rest of the way, including beating USC or Zona and UCLA (twice) including the Pac-12 CCG, there is hope, but it's not likely to see that happen.
With the Duck fortunes, so goes Mariota and his Heisman chances. When Mariota's game is on, the Ducks don't lose. They need to get over the loss right now and get healed up well enough to beat the big guys. UCLA and Stanford remain as they always were Oregon's two major obstacles if they are going to make a case for themselves. UW I don't think will be a problem like Stanford or UCLA, but they need to sweep all 3 to have any shot at making the final 4.
Mariota's Heisman chances are tied into these 3 games as well because as I said, as Mariota goes, so do the Ducks. Fumbling the ball away with 2 minutes left in the game to end any chance of Oregon winning the game (even with a hail Mary) Thursday probably did more harm than him having pedestrian numbers in the game. It would take Mariota playing lights out football between now and the last day of the season with Oregon going undefeated is likely the only possible way he could still win the Heisman.
