UCLA needs win against No. 12 Oregon to reach championship

This was supposed to be the marquee matchup of the week.

It was supposed to feature two top-10 teams vying for Pac-12 and national supremacy. It was supposed to feature two Heisman-candidate quarterbacks playing at their peak form. Rumors of ESPN bringing College GameDay to Westwood were swirling.

But of course, nothing went according to plan.

First, then-No. 2 Oregon was knocked off by Arizona last Thursday. Next, then-No. 8 UCLA was outplayed by a then-unranked Utah team.

Now, the No. 12 Ducks will meet the No. 18 Bruins in the Rose Bowl Saturday with a good deal less hoopla. Although the numbers in front of the team names aren’t as low, the stakes for both teams may have gotten even higher.

With one loss apiece, Saturday’s matchup becomes even more of a must-win game. A one-loss team very likely will be included among the four to make the College Football Playoff, but two losses is sure to be a playoff death sentence.

Furthermore, given the level of competition in both the North and South divisions of the Pac-12, neither team can afford to add a second Pac-12 loss to its record if it wants to remain a top competitor for the Pac-12 Championship game.

“I’m so excited I can’t sleep at night. I’m ready for this game,” said offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. “Or maybe I can’t sleep at night because of the 10 sacks (against Utah). I can’t remember which one it was.”

Mazzone may be amped up for the matchup, but his players continue to play it cool. Even with all the pressure of needing a win while facing the toughest opponent of the year, the Bruins are trying to approach this week the same as they would any other.

“We’re just trying to go 1-0,” said sophomore nose tackle Kenny Clark.

Yet, even when blocking out all thoughts of the season-long ramifications this game will surely have, it’s difficult not to be overwhelmed by Oregon itself. Over the past six and half years, the Ducks have lost just eight conference games. They’ve finished in the top four nationally for three of the past four seasons. They have arguably the most explosive offense in the nation, led by arguably the most explosive quarterback in the nation, redshirt junior Marcus Mariota.

Even after their loss last week, the Ducks still look dangerous.

UCLA, meanwhile, is at its most exposed.

The Bruins struggled to defend the run against Utah, didn’t move the ball effectively on offense until the end of the game and allowed redshirt junior quarterback Brett Hundley to be sacked 10 times.

“It’s redemption time,” said redshirt senior left tackle Malcolm Bunche. “As an offense we gave up, what, 10 sacks? It’s time to redeem ourselves and we know it.”

But for UCLA to bounce back, it’ll need to improve its pass coverage against an Oregon offense that ranks No. 16 in passing yards. It’ll need to keep the nation’s No. 9 offense, which averages 43.6 points a game, out of the end zone. And UCLA will have to do it with its postseason aspirations on the line.

“It’s a perfect game for where we’re at right now because obviously we’re very disappointed with losing and what occurred in the (Utah) game,” said defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. “We want a worthy opponent and that’s definitely who they are.”