Why I like Oregon Tonight

Oregon will, expectedly, walk on to the smurf turf in Boise, Idaho tonight as an underdog.

For one thing, Boise State has won 50 regular season games in a row, including a 37-32 shootout win against the Ducks in Eugene last year. More impressively, Boise is 54-2 at home since 1999.

As you look at those stats, it seems almost a given that Boise has this game in hand. Why, then, do I love the Ducks in the game? It is a very simple answer.

Oregon should have won last year and have a better team than they did last season. I do not think Boise, after losing Ian Johnson, can make that claim.

As you look at last season's contest, you cannot forget that Oregon was up by six before starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was knocked of the game.

It is not surprising that, after Masoli was injured, Boise went on a 37-7 scoring run.

We have to think that, if Masoli stays in the game, Oregon would have been able to weather the Kellen Moore storm and come out of that game last season with a win.

Another reason I love Oregon is because they come into this year's clash against Boise with a lot of confidence after finishing the season in a very strong way with impressive wins over Oregon State and Oklahoma State, a team many people see as a dark horse in the National Championship race this season.

The thing I always want to see from a young team is improvement, and they certainly did that last season. Another off season should make this explosive team even better.

With Masoli healthy and Blount back for his senior season, I expect this to be the game that Oregon asserts their claim as a national power, and I expect they will do it in an impressive fashion.

I would take Oregon +135 and would certainly take them +3.