Bellotti's Bitter Boys Begin in Boise

My Thursday night and Saturday afternoons are officially booked from tonight until January. The college football season begins this evening with some interesting match-ups. The most intriguing game takes place at 10:15 EST when the consummate BCS-busters of Boise State battle Pac-10 contender, Oregon. The attractive match-up is a rematch of last year’s remarkable and memorable clash in Eugene. The Ducks were ranked 14th in the preseason polls but may suffer a drop off as Chip Kelly makes the demanding transition from coordinator to head coach. Former coach, Mike Bellotti, took the athletic director position after last season’s 10-3 regular season finish. Oregon’s offensive is a potent one, finishing seventh in the nation in scoring a year ago. Junior Jeremiah Masoli will have to grow up quickly as the team’s starting quarterback. Boise State is no cupcake on the Duck’s non-conference schedule. Masoli is looking to avenge Oregon’s 2008 loss against the Broncos. Last September, Masoli completed 3 of 4 passes against Boise State before leaving the game with a 6 point lead and a concussion. The Ducks went on to lose the game 37-32 in a shocker with redshirt freshman, Kellen Moore, guiding the Broncos to victory. Moore passed for over 3,000 yards and threw 25 touchdown passes for the 12-0, undefeated Boise State team. The Broncos were arguably one of the best teams in the nation last year, and some believed they should have been in the national championship game. Masoli endured a spectacular season for Oregon, ending in a Poinsettia Bowl victory. He is a keen and quick ball distributer and will be expected to dispense efficiently against one of the nation’s stingiest defenses. The secondary is probably the Duck’s weakest area this year, but Oregon has a strong linebacker core. Casey Matthews, Spencer Paysinger and Eddie Pleasant are the trio of versatile linebackers for Kelly. Their coverage will be key to the Ducks’ success on defense because the linebackers can take the pressure off the secondary in upsetting opposing offenses.
The Broncos have a 49 game regular season winning streak at home but the Ducks are predicting they will be the team to snap it. This is the biggest home game in Boise State history. Ticketless fans are encouraged to gather at the University’s basketball arena to share in the hype. The confident Oregon squad anticipates they will become the first to knock of Boise State at Bronco Stadium. If they succeed, the Ducks will be the road winners since December 28, 2005. It’s never an easy task facing Chris Peterson’s well-coached football team. The Broncos return 12 starters and are the heavy favorites to win their seventh WAC title in eight years. The schedule sets up nicely for a flawless season if the Broncos can first finish off Oregon. The game has serious implications in paving the path for a BCS bowl later on. Even if they lose tonight, the well-timed loss may not be a factor to the voters later in the season. The boys on the blue turf have a solid line and running game around their thriving quarterback. Moore is a year older and has natural athletic ability. Moore can scramble for yardage but his terrific pocket protection makes him a steady passer. He shouldn’t have a problem with the Ducks defense. Oregon is breaking in six new starters on defense but the Ducks tend to shine in the spotlight, and this is a nationally-televised game. The quarterbacks will be the focus of tonight’s game, especially since last season’s collision spawned comments from the Duck sideline. The pesky smaller school from Idaho will encapsulate what this year’s version of the Ducks will be like. Boise State is the first challenge for the high-profile Pac-10 Ducks, but they teams are about equal in talent. The Broncos have the lower ranking at 16 and are technically the underdogs. But is anyone BUT Boise State really an underdog on Bronco Stadium’s blue turf?

Parting points: What’s this about Jim Tressel coming to the defense of Rich Rodriguez??