2014 Pac-12 Championship Preview

   First things first.  I would like to apologize for my absence.  I had school finals, as well as some kind of awful stomach flu. But I'm back, healthy,  and ready for some great football this weekend!


   Earlier this season the Ducks played Arizona in early October. The Wildcats beat Oregon soundly and seemed to once again spoil the Ducks hopes for a playoff.  But the Ducks slowly clawed their way back into the discussion, and are now ranked number two in the recent College Football Playoff Rankings.  Arizona (10-2,) ranked number seven in the recent polls, are back to see if they can ruin the Duck's shot at the playoffs for a second time this season.  However, the Ducks are a very different team than they were in early October.  Royce Freeman has grown as a player into a much stronger back, and the return of Jake Fisher helped the Ducks offensive line in more ways than one.  But, will that be enough for the Ducks to win the Pac-12 title and claim a spot in the first College Football Playoffs?


   Arizona, however, is also a very different team.  Freshman quarterback Anu Soloman is looking like a younger version of Marcus Mariota, and Scooby Wright III is possibly the best lineman in the nation. The Ducks will need to find some way to stop Wright from making the big plays that he has done all this season. It will be a very difficult test for the Ducks, but if they are able to defeat the Wildcats they will be in the CFB Playoffs. Kickoff will be in Santa Clara, California, which if you remember, was where the Ducks beat Cal earlier this season.  It will be on Friday at 6 PM PT on FOX.


   This game will decide if the Ducks will play on January 1st in the Playoffs.  The final rankings will be released on Sunday at 12:45 PM PT and that will decide who will be in the playoffs. The Ducks are 13 1/2 point favorites.  I think it will be a tough game, but I do think Oregon will win this time.

Prediction:
Oregon 34 - Arizona 23


- Go Ducks!