Beavers & Ducks Move Up

Even without playing, the Civil War for the Ages and the Roses got more attractive, as the protagonists both moved up in the polls this week. Oregon moved up to #7 in the AP poll, and #8 in the Coaches' Poll, after being tenth last week. The Ducks are also #7 in the BCS, the highest of teams that are not unbeaten.

Oregon St. climbed to #13 in the AP Poll, and #16 in the Coaches' poll, up from 16th. and 18th. respectively. The Beavers are also#16 in the BCS.

As a result, the 113th. Civil War will have the highest combined rankings except for the 2000 edition, when both teams were in the top eight, in the Civil War for the BCS. Fifth ranked Oregon would have gone to the Rose Bowl instead of Washington with a win, but wound up having to settle for winning the Holiday Bowl after eighth ranked Oregon St.'s 23-13 win sent the Beavers to the Fiesta Bowl to beat down Notre Dame. The Beavers could only have reached the Rose Bowl had Washington St. upset Washington in the Apple Cup, but the game was none the less a game for a BCS berth, as this year's game is.

The difference, of course, is that the prize for both teams this time is the coveted Rose Bowl.

Cincinnati remained #5 in both polls, and Boise St. stayed at #6 after defeating Nevada, but saw their prospects for being a second BCS team from a non-BCS conference after Oklahoma St. was upset, literally and figuratively, by Oklahoma.

Visit www.warfortheroses.com for more on a poster dedicated to the historic event likely to draw the largest crowd ever assembled in the state's history. The record is 59,050 two years ago, with four years ago, and six years ago, all in Autzen, the larger stadium, in second and third place. Fourth largest crowd ever was last year in Reser. Can we cram 60,000 in Thursday night?