Saturday night, it rained in Autzen Stadium.

For the second November in a row the Ducks' hope of a second appearance in the national championship game ended with missed field goals, missed blocks and loose footballs that bounced the other way.

Stanford's defensive front didn't need a replay review to defeat Oregon at the line of scrimmage. The Ducks, now 51-7 in the Chip Kelly era, lost in a way that followed the pattern of previous losses. A quick, physical front seven frustrated the Oregon running game and destroyed their offensive tempo.

Their vaunted spread offense never got untracked, held to just 14 points as tailback Kenjon Barner met a wall of Stanford defenders on carry after carry, held to just 66 yards on 21 tries. For the first time this season Marcus Mariota looked like a redshirt freshman, rushed and harrassed as passes sailed high, long throws didn't come close to connecting, and he passed up chances to run for positive yards while being chased to the sideline and running out of room.

Images from the game will haunt Duck fans like a mixed drink hangover well into Tuesday. De'Anthony Thomas runs alongside Mariota on a 79-yard sprint that seemed destined for the end zone, if only DAT gets in the way of the last Stanford defender. Alejandro Maldonado's third quarter field goal donks off the left upright. Two critical replay reviews played out like revenge of the 2006 Oklahoma Schooners, a ball squirting off The Cardinal punt returner's rib cage as his knee goes down, and superb Cardinal tight end Zach Erst pinballing the football on his chest as his shoulder grazes the end line. Michael Clay, who has played like a warrior for four seasons and made an inspired 20 tackles Saturday night, had an overtime fumble bounce out of his grasp.

The Ducks aren't used to playing in close games, and it showed. Their timing and rhythm got a little glitchy. Stanford made fewer errors and kept their poise, playing determined, smashmouth football and dictating the style of the game.

On Oregon's last offensive play in overtime, Josh Huff broke inside while Mariota threw to the corner. Then Maldonado missed a second 40-plus field goal, wide right by about a yard.

Perfect seasons are lost in just that way.

The Ducks still have a possibility for hosting the PAC-12 Championship game and competing for their fourth straight conference title, but they'll need to rally for a win over the Beavers in Corvallis while hoping Stanford loses against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

In a few weeks, Chip Kelly may bolt for the NFL and the NCAA could announce a decision in the Will Lyles investigation. Just this Tuesday an SEC-sized offensive lineman, 6-4, 290-lb. Alex Redmond from Los Alamitos, California, decommited from the Ducks to consider other opportunities. The Ducks reign of success, their open window to the biggest prize, might be endangered by a cold drizzle of unfavorable outcomes, replay reviews of fate.

The Webfoots still have a verbal commitment from Max Wogan, a kicker from Porterville, North Carolina rated #2 in the country. He blasted a 56-yarder through the uprights in a high school game this October, and 46 of 49 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks.

The Ducks only two conference losses in the last two seasons came down to missed kicks. Wogan will be a welcome sight in an Oregon uniform, provided they can make adjustments and improvements elsewhere.

With the lack of a natural recruiting base, the reality of a dreary climate in a small college town, and a donor pool heavily dependent on the largess of Nike and Phil Knight, the proverbial window can't remain open forever. Eventually the Ducks are likely to return to 5-7/6-6/7-5 and the hope of an occasional special season, a fall that will delight envious fans of the other schools here in the Northwest. Hiring the right coach to replace the inevitably departing Kelly will be a crucial step. Unpiling the wreckage wrought by a Lyles decision will be another.

Ask the USC Trojan fans how feels to return to mediocrity, and cope with the collapse of outsized expectations. College football is a wonderful game painted rich with passion, tradition and color, and sometimes it's a life lesson on fallen empires and deflated schemes.

It's interesting that the Ducks two stars, Kenjon Barner and Marcus Mariota, both defy nicknaming.

I'll never forget the Cal game last year. Barner breaks off a 68-yard touchdown run and Rece Davis, doing the call on ESPN, exclaimed, "He doesn't need a nickname, he's just GONE. Gone, Kenjon Barner."

For Mariota, "The Flyin' Hawaiian" seems stagey and faintly racist, like it was cooked up by a Hollywood press agent or a wrestling promoter. "Super Mario" doesn't fit either--you can't picture the smooth, composed Mariota in a bushy mustache and blue overalls with an 8 on the front, although it would make a good Heisman promotion poster.  "8MM" seems too violent, more like the handle of a gansta rapper rather than a polite, mature kid from a good family who also happens to be a superb athlete.

Down in Texas they have Johnny Football, Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M. Duck fans may remember that Manziel was originally an Oregon verbal commit, one who backed out when the Ducks landed Mariota. The Aggie superstar has captured the imagination of fans and pundits with his swashbuckling style, running around with the football at his side like a gunslinger or the good Brett Farve (before all his ridiculous James Brown comebacks and weird cell phone pictures), improvising, scrambling and confounding SEC defenses. He vaulted into the Heisman Trophy conversation with an upset win over Alabama.

Although Manziel makes the highlight reel every weekend with his spectacular ad libs, Marcus Mariota is a better quarterback.

Even with 85 more throws, Manziel trails in TD passes by 10. His TD-to-interception ratio is 3-to-1 while Mariota's is over 5-to-1. Mariota averages over 8.6 yards per attempt and Manziel is below 6.

Super Mario is more efficient and gets sacked less often than the 6-1, 200-pound Manziel, who has been tossed down 21 times during A&M's 8-2 season. The Aggies have two conference losses, and in those two games, Johnny Football threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. Mariota struck for four tds on the road against USC two weeks ago, and followed that up with six td strikes against the Cal Bears last week. Without an interception. In fact, in Mariota's last four games he has 13 tds and no picks, with three quarterback game ratings of over 200.

Through 10 games Mariota is on pace for the most impressive statistical season by a freshman quarterback ever. He processes information quickly, has tremendous composure, and learns from his mistakes.

His numbers as a first year starter demolish those of any previous Duck great, and some of the legendary names in football. Regardless of styles, schemes and rule changes, it's mind blowing to consider where Mariota's start rates in the annals of college football. Here are a few examples:

Johnny Unitas (6-1, 194) University of Louisville, 1951: 46 of 99 passes for 602 yards and nine touchdowns. Unitas threw 27 tds in his entire college career. He weighed 145 lbs. as a freshman.

Dennis Dixon, junior season, 2006:

Dixon was spectacular in his final season as a Duck, but his freshman season he threw just 15 passes, and as a sophomore he threw for 777 yards when thrust into the starter's role when Kellen Clemons suffered a broken ankle. Mariota's learning curve is dramatically accelerated when measured against DD's.

Darron Thomas completed 61.5% of his passes as a first-year starter, 30 tds and 9 interceptions. Mariota runs better, throws better and is far more consistent.

Jeremiah Masoli's career quarterback rating at Oregon was 130. As a redshirt freshman Mariota has had just one GAME with a rating lower than that, and he's at an outstanding 177 for the season.

It's not even close. Barring injury, he'll be the most productive quarterback in Oregon history. As a first-year starter, it's off the charts spectacular, historically amazing. Certainly credit has to be shared with a marvelous offense, a terrific supporting cast and great coaching, but Mariota's uncommon composure and even temperment makes him a wonder among redshirt freshman.

He may even put together three more superb games and steal the Heisman Trophy.

Here in Oregon we have a coach with big balls, rather than a equipment manager with deflated ones.

Saturday the Ducks face another lackluster match up that will do nothing for their strength of schedule when they travel to Bezerkley to face a beat up 3-7 Cal squad. The objectives for this one are simple: 1) take care of business and maintain the execution that's made Oregon one of the most formidable teams in the country and 2) stem the alarming flow of injuries, which is starting to become a real concern.

The Ducks are currently down four on the defensive line. Starters Ike Remington, Rickie Heimuli and Dion Jordan are nursing serious injuries, all doubtful for the Cal game, and reserve Jared Ebert, a mobile tackle, was lost early with a knee injury. It's gotten so bad that the Ducks may take the mythical redshirt off true freshman defensive tackle Alex Balducci this weekend. Balducci is a big body at 6-4, 290, a former U.S. Army All-American, but he doesn't have the physical maturity of Remington and Heimuli.

It's a particular concern because smash mouth Stanford is next on the schedule, with bruising tailback Stepfan Taylor and their strong, big, deep offensive line, dotted with 4 and 5-star talent. Football is a game of matchups. Oregon has a lot of advantages over The Cardinal and all three of their remaining opponents, but the ability to stop the run becomes a serious question when the defensive front is so depleted. They need Remington, Heimuli and Jordan for the stretch drive. With Stanford, Oregon State, a possible PAC-12 title game and a shot at the national championship at stake, look for Balducci, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner to be tested in the coming weeks, and the veterans to make a concerted effort to get healthy or play through.

On to some questions and topics hot among Duck fans:

Is this the best Duck team ever?

Only if they finish the job.  Certainly this team has tremendous balance with a prolific offense and a ballhawking defense. They're stronger than many recent teams also in that Marcus Mariota is such a complete package running and throwing. His cool and composure has exceeded the expectations of everyone except Chip Kelly.

To surpass the 2011 Rose Bowl team, the 2010 National Championship Game team, the 2001 Fiesta Bowl team, or the Cotton Bowl squad of 1948, these Ducks have to finish perfect in the PAC-12, win the conference title game (probably a rematch with the Trojans) and take Alabama to the fourth quarter.

It will take a great effort and a couple of breaks to beat the Crimson Tide. That defense is ferocious. But this Oregon team matches up much better than the Ducks that lost to Auburn and LSU, averaging less than three yards a carry on the ground. This squad has a big, athletic upgrade on the offensive line in 6-6, 294-lb. Jake Fisher and 6-7, 311 Kyle Long at the guards. Fisher was athletic enough to play tight end in high school, and Long earned a professional baseball contract by heaving 96 mph fastballs. Both are quick and tough, physical enough to manhandle USC for 730 yards of offense and 426 yards on the ground. The gap with the SEC has been closed. Oregon can play with anyone in the country, and this team, provided they continue to practice and prepare in the same way, could just win it all.

What's the biggest challenge Chip Kelly would face in the NFL?

Former Minnesota Vikings star Chris Carter, now an NFL analyst for ESPN, was on the radio the other morning on the "Mike and Mike Show." "In the NFL," he said, "There are a lot of players who care about two things: Me, and my money."

Everybody talks about the NFL as the pinnacle of coaching but it really isn't. It's a graveyard for coaches. Nowhere else in sports can a coach have an impact on a team and a program that a great college coach does. He has complete control of everything, the budget, the staff, the nonconference schedule, the style, system and identity of his team. That's why great college coaches become legends and have streets named after them.

At the college level, a coach like Kelly, Urban Meyer or Pete Carroll gets a tremendous amount of buy-in from his players. They embrace his philosophy and his leadership, and adopt his world view. They allow themselves to be shaped and molded by his vision. Oregon players sound like Kelly in interviews, and they play and face hostile environments the way he has taught them to do so.

It isn't that way in the NFL. A vast majority of players are playing for their next contract. Their primary motivation is to stay in the league and preserve their lifestyle, and too many pay far more attention to their agent or their mistresses than they do to a head coach. Many of them will be skeptical and uncooperative. Kelly would spend the first season or two identifying and finding his guys, and the window in the NFL is tremendously short.

Coach Kelly is a keen football mind with tremendous drive. He'll probably succeed in the Not For Long league. But he won't enjoy it as much and won't find it as rewarding. He'll go, though, because as a competitor he can't resist the challenge. It's a shame, both for Oregon fans and for him.

Should Duck fans be worried about the defense after SC's 51-point performance?

Yes. They'll have to play better and make some adjustments to beat Stanford, OSU and the Trojans a second time. They need to tackle better (after missing about two dozen in the Coliseum) and learn to handle a fast receiver without picking up costly pass interference penalties. The Beavers have two of them, and they're dangerous.

Matt Barkley is a very different quarterback under pressure. Any time the Ducks got to him or hurried him last Saturday, he threw a pick or threw poorly. Trouble is, it's very difficult to get pressure through the big offensive line of the Trojans, and several times Oregon players weren't under control when they got through the pocket. The normally slow-footed Barkley was able to buy time with his feet, and that's inconceivable.

Even considering the talent on the SC sideline, there were too many explosion plays last weekend. Oregon can't have breakdowns like that in the weeks ahead. Because now, the standard and the stakes are much higher. If they avoid a stumble and commit themselves to keep getting better, they could be national champions.

It was supposed to be The Game of the Century, but now it isn't even the game of the week.

Preaseason, the SC Trojans were coronated resurgent, certain to be 8-0 and ranked one or two in the country for their epic confrontation with the upstart Oregon Ducks. The Men of Troy were destined to slash and pillage their way through the PAC-12, decimating opponents 70-14 and 49-0 as Matt Barkley returned for a triumphant, Heisman Trophy senior season, completing his unfinished business.

Photo left: Last season versus the Ducks, wiith Dion Jordan and Dwight Stuckey on the sidelines with injuries, Matt "Poppin' Fresh" Barkley stayed toasty and comfortable in the pocket, feasting on a freshman secondary for four touchdowns and 323 yards. He did manage to poke himself in the stomach with a fourth quarter interception and a fumble as the Trojans oozed out a jammy 38-35 victory.

Except that the team from the Land of Make Believe didn't follow the script. Kiffin's collection of 5-star wunderkinds slipped against Stanford and Arizona, stumbling into the Coliseum 6-2. No ESPN Game Day. No Stiff Arm Trophy. Just a lot of finger pointing by the supposedly matured Kiffin and wasted heroics by Marquis Lee. That screeching sound you hear is the Lanester rapidly tossing coaches and players under the bus in the shadow of Heritage Hall as the losses and problems mounted for the under-achieving Trojans.

What kind of effort will the deposed kings of college football bring to the home turf on Saturday? When Tommy Trojan plants the sword, will they ride in on a wave of outrage and emotion, or mail it in between calls to NFL agents?  The Ducks have brought a steady and intense focus to 8 games. Even though USC is wounded and no longer nationally relevant, they are still an extremely talented and therefore dangerous team.

But a game in Southern California against a longtime nemesis has Oregon's full attention. They'll deliver a message to USC, and the BCS computers.

1. For all its flaws and detractors, the BCS has succeeded marvelously in one respect: it's created the most debated, closely-watched and compelling regular season in sports. Fans start scoreboard watching in September. Panels and analysts engage in spit-flying, finger-pointing shouting matches over the contenders from the time they are 3-0.

Most years, the BCS gets lucky and the thing shakes itself out on the field, but there are some notable exceptions, like Oregon in 2001, or an undefeated TCU team in 2010. It could happen again, easily, and painfully, the Ducks could again be the victim:

The SEC Champion, likely to be an undefeated Alabama team with a fearsome defense, is a lock for the title game. The SEC runnerup can't be ruled out either.

Notre Dame, if they survive Oklahoma and USC, is a glamour candidate with money, tradition and a huge national following. A 12-0 Irish squad won't be kept out of the national title game.

Kansas State widens their lead on the Ducks if Oklahoma beats the Irish, as their marquee win is an upset over the Sooners in Norman.

Meanwhile, the Ducks have to get past USC in Los Angeles, Stanford, and Oregon State in Corvallis. If they survive, unlike KSU or ND, they have the extra hurdle of a conference championship game, probably against the Trojans again.

2. Is this Chip Kelly's last year as Oregon coach?

The Kelly buzz is growing among the columnists and list makers, and NFL sources are quoted widely naming Oregon's 41-6 head man as a hot commodity for open NFL jobs with the Cowboys, Browns and elsewhere. He'd be a great fit in Philadelphia with his no-nonsense style with the media. Eagle fans would love him.

Whether or not he runs a version of his up-tempo spread offense, Kelly is a certain success in the NFL, because he's driven, innovative and smart. He's a brilliant communicator and delegates extremely well to his staff. He has the gift of focusing on what's important and blocking out everything else. He'd win in the no-fun league, and make a pile of money, but the prospect brings to mind a classic quote from a now-old football movie:

"Every time I call it a business you call it a game, and every time I call it a game you call it a business."

Here's hoping Kelly has an epiphany, maybe in a raucous locker room after a great, satisfying win over USC or Alabama. He looks around the room at a group of young men who love and trust him, that have accomplished so much together and sacrificed so greatly. He'll realize how much fun it is to share in their joy and shape their lives.

And he'll realize that nothing he could accomplish in the NFL would mean as much, last so long, or touch so many lives so deeply. Kelly could stay at Oregon and retire as one of the legendary figures in college coaching, working in a great community where he's respected and revered.

Or, he'll be so driven by the money and the competitive challenge he'll move on to a league where he's just another coach sleeping in his office.

3.What's the next great challenge in the development of Marcus Mariota?

Mariota passed every test so far and performed wonderfully as a first-year starter, showing flashes of play-making brilliance that make him a future Heisman hopeful. But there are two things he may have to do in the coming weeks that he hasn't had to do yet this season, challenges Oregon quarterbacks haven't faced often in the last four years:

A. Win a game with a critical drive in the fourth quarter

B. Win a game against a team with equal or better talent and athletic ability, a stout defense capable of disrupting and shutting down Oregon's running game, forcing him to beat them with the pass. 

4. Can Kenjon Barner win the Heisman?

Probably not. Only three running backs have won in the last 15 years: Ron Dayne, Ricky Williams and Mark Ingram.      Barner would need 150 to 200-yard games against USC, Stanford and Oregon State to steal the trophy from Collin Klein, A.J. McCarron or Matt Barkley. The Ducks defense can eliminate one candidate by sacking and intercepting Barkley three times each in another three-touchdown Trojan loss, but Barner would need three big days and at least three highlight-film runs to overcome the built-in advantage that quarterbacks have:

They touch the ball on every play.

But Barner has an excellent opportunity to earn an invite to New York as a finalist, and the Duck's charismatic and telegenic tailback would be another great spokesman for the Oregon story in the Big Apple. His presence there would also make a nice impression on some of the great running back prospects that Oregon is recruiting this season, including verbal commits Thomas Tyner and Dontre Wilson, and highly sought after Derrick Green of Richmond, Virginia.

Unproven and untested, the pundits and the critics say. They haven't played anybody yet. They're a soft team from a soft conference, with a marshmallow soft out of conference schedule.

The negativistas keep moving the bar back. When the Ducks beat 3-0 Arizona 49-0 the conclusion was the Wildcats weren't ready for the big time.  Then they clubbed 3-1, #23-ranked Washington, fresh off an upset win over Stanford, and the conclusion was, "Apparently the Huskies aren't that good." They won their first road game 51-26 over 2-2 Washington State, but it was a neutral site, and the Cougars are clearly headed for a miserable season.

The week of the Arizona State game the talk was all about danger. Watch out for Taylor Kelly, the number one rated passer in the PAC-12. ASU was 5-1, with 26 sacks. Thursday night games are perilous and tricky, a football Mardi Gras where favorites fall under a voodoo curse.

The Sun Devils recovered a fumble on the game's second play, threw a touchdown on the third, jumping out to a 7-0 lead before a blacked-out, ramped-up home crowd. The voodoo trance of confusion suddenly looked very real.

The Ducks answered with six straight touchdowns and two near pick sixes, reducing the revved up, face-painted crowd to stunned silence.

It was shocking how easily the Ducks dominated this game before turning it over to the second and third team. Barner had a 71 yard td, Mariota a dash for 86, the longest td run for an Oregon quarterback, ever. In all they racked up 406 yards rushing, even with De'Anthony Thomas and Colt Lyerla, two of their principal weapons, each a complete nonfactor in the offense.

De'Anthony Thomas is officially in a slump, the most complete triumph of the Sports Illustrated cover jinx since Josh Hamilton came down with a stomach virus.

But the fact that the Ducks could dismantle Arizona, Washington, WSU and Arizona State without a significant contribution from "The Fastest Player in College Football" only points conclusively to one thing.

Maybe the Ducks are just that good.

Bye is a tough opponent, because it invites you to be complacent. At 6-0 the temptation is great to feel satisfied after a series of four-touchdown wins and 50-point games.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose: the more confident Marcus Mariota gets in using his quick feet to confound a defense, the more damage he'll be able to do with his accurate arm (zimbio.com photo).

But all 6-0 does is guarantee a trip to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, and set the stage for a marvelous opportunity. Handicapping the season, just about everyone expected the Ducks to reach this milepost. The real tests are ahead.

Sometimes, listening to Coach Kelly and the Oregon players answer interview questions is like a scene from "Bull Durham:"

One day a time, faceless opponent, win the day. Got it, coach. You can almost envision Kelly going over this in Crash Davis fashion on the ride home, except the Ducks don't ride decrepit buses the way they do down in the low minors.

But in the case of this week's rivalry showdown with the Washington Huskies, Chip is making a egregious mistake in downplaying the significance of the game and its history. Oh, you get what he's saying about preparing for every opponent in the same way, but this really is different, for a couple of reasons.

One, when you're in a streak, you have to respect the integrity of the streak. The Ducks have beaten the Huskies 8 straight times, after losing to them in the 70's and 80's 15 times out of 16.

Two, even if the rivalry doesn't matter to California-born players who have a better understanding of Sponge Bob Squarepants, it matters to the Huskies. You'd better believe they are burning, seething, to beat the Ducks. Oregon looked a little surprised at how intense and fired up Washington State was in the first half last week. The Ducks looked a little flat by comparison, and for much of the first half, they were beaten at the line of scrimmage. They didn't seem prepared for the emotion of the opponent. WSU's defensive line was getting more fired up with every disrupted play.

Like it or not, football IS an emotional game. Upsets happen when you underestimate an opponent's motivation, and their motivation is a hot enough fire to overcome a disparity in talent.

Washington shouldn't be able to hang with the Ducks, at least on paper. Their offensive line is patchwork unit with four new starters, allowing 3.2 sacks a game. Hard to think the Huskies will protect Keith Price well enough for him to establish enough rhythm. Outside of a 50-point shellacking of Portland State, the UW offense hasn't scored more than 21 against anybody. The big win over Stanford was a 17-13 final, with the Dawgs getting two big plays, a 39-yard catch and run by Kasen Williams and a 61-yard burst by tailback Bishop Sankey. Justin Wilcox's defense might slow Oregon down a little, but so far their offense hasn't looked Autzen-worthy.

Even so, by dismissing the rivalry Kelly sends the wrong message to his players. The rivalry matters because it matters to Washington. They'll be amped for Autzen and the Ducks, and by acting as if that doesn't enter into it, they run the risk of overlooking a jacked-up rival that feels disrespected.

After all, the Ducks don't want to look like lollygaggers.