Pac-12 Championship Preview

Nate Costa even got into the action last year
(Johnathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

After thirteen weeks of intense competition, it all comes down to this. Oregon and UCLA will face each other in the Pac-12 Championship game with the Rose Bowl on the line. Oregon (10-2) clinched the North last week against in state rival Oregon State and will play host to the inaugural game. They play host to the South winner UCLA (6-6) who clinched when Utah fell to Colorado at home. These two teams come off very different paths getting to this game, illustrated by their last weeks of the regular season.

The Ducks jumped out to a 42-7 lead on Oregon State before the Beavers scored two late touchdowns to give the final tally of 49-21 as the Ducks cruised through most of the game. For UCLA, they come into the game in a less auspicious fashion. UCLA got ran off the field in a 50-0 shellacking which forced the UCLA athletic department's hand, stating that Friday's game will be coach Rick Neuheisel's last as head coach, regardless of outcome.

Last season, UCLA came into town against the top ranked Ducks and fell victim to one of the most complete games Oregon had played all year. Darron Thomas threw for 308 yards and the Ducks ran for five scores and the game wasn't in doubt from the first time the Ducks put the ball in the end zone. By half time the score was 32-3 in favor of Oregon and the Bruins didn't end up scoring a touch down until Richard Brehaut ran the ball in from 6 yards out to make the final 60-13 in favor of Oregon. Brehaut played in relief of starter Kevin Prince and performed admirably completing 16 of 23 for 159 yards. The Ducks also stifled the Bruins run game, limiting their trio of backs to 134 yards on the ground.

This season, the Bruins have the unenviable task of playing back to back seasons in Autzen Stadium. The Ducks offense has been rolling as of late and JR RB LaMichael James seems to be undeterred from his scary looking injury against Oregon State. UCLA is going to be tasked with stopping the country's #5 rushing offense and a team that hasn't run for less than 200 yards since the opener. That doesn't bode well for a team who is tenth in the Pac-12 against the run. UCLA is above Colorado and OSU, who have already faced the Ducks this year.

However, the Bruins are anchored by their line backing corps who have accounted for most of the tackles this season lead by Patrick Larimore and Freshman Eric Kendricks. The match up between the line backers and running backs will go a long way in deciding the outcome of this game. In regards to the passing game though, the Bruins have been much more stiff. They average an interception every game and could provide headaches for Darron Thomas if the Ducks start slow like they have been lately and need the passing game to get the offense moving.

QB Kevin Prince will be experiencing Autzen Stadium for the first time. Prince and Brehaut have split time as the starter this year but their rock has been Nelson Rosario. The senior receiver is experiencing a bit of a breakout season, going over the 1000 yard mark for the first time in his career. Rosario boasts a 6'5" frame which DB's have had trouble defending. The Ducks have a young secondary but they now have a full year of experience under their belts.

While Rosario has been great on the outside, UCLA makes their hay handing the ball off to a talented pair of running backs. Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman have combined for over 1500 yards on the ground this year as well as 16 rushing touchdowns. Coleman has 11 of those scores but hasn't seen the end zone since a 2 TD effort against Arizona State at the beginning of November. Still, he is a bulky back which could provide issues for the Oregon defense, namely the defensive line. Meanwhile, Franklin is less than 100 yards away from eclipsing the 1000 yard rushing mark and could do it against the Ducks. He has fewer touch downs but does hold the bulk of the yardage in the UCLA back field. Look for UCLA to try and control the line of scrimmage and the ball to keep the speed of the Oregon offense off of the field.

This game features talented quarter backs but the game will be decided by the two teams rushing attacks. Neuheisel has the opportunity to leave his alma mater on a winning note and lead his embattled, underdog squad to an improbable conference championship. It goes without saying, but the winner of this game will represent the Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl and will face either Michigan State or Wisconsin in Pasadena. The Bruins would love to make that a home game, the Ducks would love another chance to shine in the California sun.