I've been on the side of the PAC-10 once this bowl season and although it was a win I was very fortunate as UCLA got the pick six to seal the deal. I refuse to back them again even if it's Oregon who had a challenging non-conference schedule with Utah and Boise State on the schedule.
Bottom line this is the best defense Oregon will face all year long and I don't see them as more than a FG favorite. The last time a PAC10 team other than Washington or USC has wont he Rose Bowl was 1987. I just think Ohio State is too disciplined on defense to allow Massoli and LaMichael James to just handle them. Ohio State has faced some pretty darn solid running teams ranked #25, #18, #4, and #15 in those games they gave up a total of 50 points that's an average of 12.5 ppg. Some of these teams have better defenses than Oregon including possibly Wisconsin who they beat 31-13.
I just don't think Oregon has enough in the passing game to make Ohio State think about it. That's where they are vulnerable if at all. It's how Purdue beat them although Ohio State gave the ball away 5 times and was the reason they lost that game. Oregon has played two solid defenses that can even be discussed with Ohio State and that's Boise State who held Oregon to 9 points and Utah held them to 31 points. Ohio State is 6-1-1 in their last 8 vs. the PAC-10 with that loss coming against USC this year. They are 4-1 in their last 5 bowl games as an underdog and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 overall bowl games. Terrelle Pryor may just surprise some people here despite the bumb knee and I think Massoli will be average at best.
