The Oregon women’s golf team finds themselves tied with the host team after one round at the Stanford Invitational, and they’re within striking distance of USC’s lead.

The Trojans finished with a score of 8-under 276 on Friday, finishing six strokes ahead of the second-place Washington Huskies at Stanford University Golf Course. Oregon and Stanford each shot 1-under 283, one stroke behind Washington. Those four were the only teams in the 16-team tournament to finish under par in the first round.

The Ducks got stellar performances from freshman Cathleen Santoso and junior Cali Hipp. Both players shot 2-under 69s, tying them for fourth among the field of 90 golfers. The pair were also the only Oregon golfers to finish under par.

One less stroke from Cassy Isagawa and that last sentence would have been different. The junior shot an even-par 71 to finish tied for 16th in the tournament. Isagawa and Caroline Inglis lead the Ducks this season with a 73.5 average score per round.

The sophomore Inglis shot just below her season average, finishing the first round with a 3-over 74. Her score was the worst among the four Oregon golfers who had scores that counted towards the team’s total. Inglis is tied for 45th.

Marcella Pranovia didn’t come close to her average per-round score of 75 on Friday. The freshman shot an 11-over 82 to tie her for 86th overall.

The format of the Stanford Invitational differs from all of the tournaments the Ducks have competed in this fall. In their first three tournaments, Oregon played the first two rounds in one day and played their third and final round on the second day. This weekend in Stanford, Calif., the Ducks play one round each day from Friday-Sunday.

The Ducks will attempt to cut into USC’s lead when they tee off Saturday morning. If they can complete the comeback on Sunday, Oregon will earn its first tournament win of the season.

Every week during football season, our sports staff will discuss different topics surrounding an upcoming game. Today, digital sports editor Victor Flores and sports reporters Christopher Keizur and Justin Wise discuss Saturday’s matchup between Oregon and UCLA.

1) Has Oregon faced a tougher opponent than UCLA this season?

Victor Flores — Washington was a tougher game simply because it was on the road, but UCLA is a slightly better team. Oregon’s offense will be shocked by how good the Bruins are on defense, not just because UCLA is solid on that side of the ball, but because the Ducks have mostly faced teams that have had trouble stopping any team, much less the Ducks. Oregon will surprisingly look normal on offense come Saturday, at least during the first half.

Christopher Keizur — This will be the toughest test of the year so far for Oregon. At the time, the win against Washington seemed impressive, but the Huskies’ slump has dimmed the shine of that victory. A case could also be made for Tennessee as the Volunteers have been playing tough in the SEC. However, UCLA should prove to put up a better fight as they have been strong on both sides of the ball.

Justin Wise — Up to this point, UCLA will be the toughest opponent Oregon has faced. However, UCLA comes into this game with their leading rusher Jordon James still questionable to play, which means they most likely will be playing a Bruins team not at full strength. Regardless, Brett Hundley is one of the best pure passers in the country and the Bruins defense is capable of stuffing the Ducks’ rushing attack. Linebacker Anthony Barr even noted in his Pac-12 teleconference earlier this week that the UCLA defense matches up better with Oregon’s offense than they did with Stanford’s offense. UCLA is more capable of stopping the run than any team Oregon has faced thus far, which means it will be the toughest challenge this high-scoring offense has faced.

2) Who should the Ducks fear more: quarterback Brett Hundley or linebacker Anthony Barr?

Victor Flores — Hundley, for a couple of reasons. 1) He’s a quarterback, which is the most valuable position on the field. 2) Even though Oregon is mostly balanced, their No. 1 strength is their offense, so they won’t have to worry about UCLA’s defense as much as their offense. The Ducks will struggle offensively a little bit on Saturday, but they’ll still be able to move the ball due to their lethal weapons, creative plays and up-tempo pace. UCLA has a good defense and Barr is easily their best defender, but Barr alone can’t do nearly as much damage as UCLA’s dual-threat quarterback.

Christopher Keizur — While Hundley has been good this year and is a player the Ducks should be focused on limiting Saturday, Anthony Barr is someone all sane humans should fear. The 6-foot-4 senior linebacker has made a name for himself by terrorizing opposing quarterbacks, using his length and athleticism to break through the other team’s offensive line. Hundley could be a nuisance, but Barr will be a nightmare.

Justin Wise — Brett Hundley, simply because he is going to have the ball in his hands on every offensive play for the Bruins. Hundley’s ability to extend plays will create a challenge for both the front seven of Oregon’s defense and its secondary. If Oregon can frustrate Hundley like Stanford did last week, the game will be essentially won. Barr, on the other hand, is someone that the Ducks’ can avoid at times and will not be a factor on every single play. Oregon’s offensive line is one that us spectators should not worry too much about. Barr will most likely make an impact, but the key for the line is to keep it at a minimum.

3) Who will have more total yards: Brett Hundley or Marcus Mariota?

Victor Flores — Marcus Mariota has averaged about 40 more total yards per game than Hundley, while playing in fewer fourth quarters than UCLA’s quarterback. So Mariota will out-gain Hundley on Saturday. In fact, I don’t think they’ll be all that close, even though I expect both QB’s to have a good game.

Christopher Keizur — I will give the edge to Mariota simply because its smart to stick to the age-old saying: never bet against the Heisman front-runner. Mariota has put up amazing numbers this year, throwing for 2,051 yards while adding 493 yards on the ground. I think with UCLA’s stout front seven the Ducks will rely more on throwing the ball, allowing Mariota to get the ball to his receivers. I also think this will be a close game, meaning Mariota will be making more than a cameo appearance in the second half. Look for him to take advantage of the additional minutes.

Justin Wise — Unless Mariota is sidelined for all of the fourth quarter while the Ducks’ scout defense plays against UCLA’s first unit, Mariota will total more yards than Hundley. Mariota is on a torrid pace and has been consistent both as a runner and a passer. Hundley needs to have a stellar performance for the upset bid to even be a possibility but he is currently not a threat to post big numbers in both the rushing and passing statistical categories.

4) Will Oregon-UCLA be the Pac-12 Championship matchup?

Victor Flores — It will be the matchup, mainly because UCLA plays at home against Arizona State. The Sun Devils are currently leading the Pac-12 South and likely will maintain the lead after this weekend, but I think they’ll get tripped up when they travel to play the Bruins on Nov. 23. With the head-to-head win over ASU, UCLA will narrowly take the South, while Oregon will top Stanford in the Pac-12 standings and represent the North.

Christopher Keizur — No, I don’t think there will be a rematch between these two teams in the Pac-12 Championship game. I believe Oregon, who will be the representative from the North, will take on Arizona State. The Sun Devils are already a half game ahead of UCLA in the standings and they have a rather easy schedule to finish out the year. The big test to see who gets to represent the South will come on Nov. 23 when UCLA and Arizona State play each other. The winner of this game will advance to play the Ducks.

Justin Wise — Yes. UCLA’s next toughest test will come against Arizona State who is currently tied with them, but I see too much talent on this Bruins team to not win the Pac-12 South. This will be especially likely if James comes back healthy because he is a major part of UCLA’s game and creates more balance. USC is a team to not forget about as they look at least a little resurgent under interim head coach Ed Orgeron. Above all else though, this UCLA team is talented and I believe they will find themselves in a rematch against the winner of the Stanford-Oregon game.

5) Who wins Saturday’s game and what will be the final score?

Victor Flores — Not many teams could go on the road to Stanford then travel to roaring Autzen Stadium the next week and beat this Oregon team. In fact, maybe no team in the country could complete that task. UCLA will keep it somewhat interesting in the first half, but the Ducks will roll. Oregon 52, UCLA 27.

Christopher Keizur — Though I like this UCLA team, Oregon just has too much talent across the board to lose this game. It won’t be a blow-out as the Bruins will remain competitive throughout, but the Ducks should come away with the victory. Final score: Oregon 48, UCLA 35.

Justin Wise  — For UCLA to have any chance of competing with the Ducks all four quarters in Autzen Stadium they must stop the run in the beginning of the game. Washington hung around throughout because they were able to slow the game down in the first half and if UCLA’s front seven can do what they did against Stanford, a close game should ensue. And I think they will do that to a degree, but Oregon’s big play potential will cause havoc for that defense. By the second half I see the Ducks running away with the game and giving a hapless Bruins team their second consecutive loss. Oregon 48, UCLA 24.

Kirk Herbstreit is one of the analysts for ESPN’s College Gameday and a color commentator for some of the biggest college football games throughout the season. GameDay is in Eugene this weekend, as is Herbstreit, who’s been preparing to cover Saturday’s matchup between the third-ranked Oregon Ducks and the 12th-ranked UCLA Bruins.

On Friday morning, Herbstreit took some time to talk with the media about the game, GameDay and where the Ducks rank among the best teams in the country.

Q — How tough is traveling for GameDay throughout the year?

Kirk Herbstreit — To me, it’s not too bad. I get to a point in August where I just get into auto-pilot and I just go. I’ve left here before and flown to Boston. One time, I called a Florida State-Boston College game after I had to leave Eugene. Just recently, I think I was in Seattle for the Oregon game and I flew somewhere in the SEC (Southeastern Conference). It was like a four hour flight. Oh, it was at Ole Miss. You just set your mind and, I mean, I’m talking about college football for a living, so I’m not going to complain. Is there a lot of wear and tear? Absolutely. But am I blessed and fortunate to be able to do something that I actually look forward to doing every day? Yeah. So, you’re not going to hear me complain a whole lot.

Q — What are you expecting from the game on Saturday?

KH — I can’t remember the last time we came here when a team was favored by this much. My thought is, UCLA’s offensive line, they’ve got a bunch of freshman starting. With this crowd and with this team they’re facing, I just wonder how they’re going to handle that environment. If they can handle that, their quarterback’s outstanding, and they have a chance to score. To me, that’s the whole story of the game. It’s how UCLA’s offensive line handles the crowd and a very athletic Oregon defense.

Q — What makes Marcus Mariota such a special quarterback?

KH — Marcus has the physical dimensions to be outstanding at 6’4″. He’s athletic, he can run, which fit’s perfectly into this offense. And the thing that probably separates him from some of the previous Ducks quarterbacks is his ability to throw the football at a very high level. So if you load up to stop him and the running game, you’re going to pay for it because of the way he throws the ball and the great wide receivers Oregon has. He’s just multi-faceted.

Q — Is Mariota the front-runner for the Heisman trophy?

KH — To me, he is. I’ve said all year I think he’s the best player in college football. I think Johnny Manziel has a very unique skillset. I think Johnny’s having a better year this year than he had last year. And I think Jameis Winston’s become a big story after what he did last week at Clemson. He’s got an aura about him, as well. So, those three are the top three guys, but this is where you really win the Heisman. You get into late October, these last four-five weeks are when you’re going to have an opportunity to show what you can do. To me, for Marcus, part of it is just being seen. A lot of times, people that live east of the Rockies are asleep or they don’t see Oregon beating someone by 50 on Fox Sports 1. They don’t see it, they see highlights of it. So this is a great opportunity for him and Oregon on a big stage to show America how good they really are.

Q — What’s it like when everyone at GameDay is standing around you going crazy?

KH — Awesome. There’s really an appreciation for us as a show. We come all the way out here. Before we came out here, people were wondering on our show, could people follow college football as passionately as they do in the SEC, the Big 10 and the Big 12? And then we started to come out here. We would come on and it would be dark and as far as you could see were Ducks fans. Just that neon, and even though it was dark out, you could see that. Sometimes, there’s a fog here early in the morning and you can’t really see the people, you can just hear them. The first couple of times I saw that I just was blown away. Everywhere I would go, and I would be asked about this by people from Florida State, Georgia, Alabama, “Where’s your favorite place to go?” I would always say, “Eugene, Oregon.” People would be like, “Eugene, Oregon? What are you talking about?” Now, people are starting to catch on. This is a very passionate place about college football, and I’m looking forward to seeing a great turnout this weekend, hopefully people screaming and showing America that this is one of the best fan bases in the country.

Q — What have been your favorite signs or just overall moments from past GameDays?

KH — Favorite moments are every Saturday sitting next to [fellow GameDay analyst] Lee [Corso] just because you don’t ever know what he’s going to do. With the signs, every week there’s something different. We just recently did a feature on our show about the signs and it seems like it’s kind of raised the ante a little bit on what people are trying to do and wanting to do. Miley Cyrus seems to be a big theme right now that people are having fun with. I guess she was holding a chain on a ball and people were having some fun with that. So they’ve been doing that a lot. But I just get so locked in on the show. All I know is I feel the energy from the crowd.

Q — Where is Oregon in your BCS rankings?

KH — I think they’re top two right now. It just remains to be seen. They’ve got some great games against UCLA, Stanford, Oregon State, I think a trip to Arizona could be tough, the Pac-12 Championship. There are plenty of opportunities to show how good they are. Hopefully, they take care of business and matchup in the national title.

Colt Lyerla might get his charges for cocaine possession and interfering with a police officer dismissed. That all depends on if the former Oregon tight end can complete a treatment program in the Lane County Drug Court.

Lyelra went through his arraignment on Thursday following his Wednesday arrest , for which he was caught using cocaine and tried to run from police officers. In the Lane County courtroom on Thursday, Lyerla agreed to appear in the drug court treatment program held on Oct. 28. This was the alternative to entering a plea for his criminal charges.

“Had he rejected (drug court), then everything was off the table and we would have taken the case to grand jury,” Patty Perlow, Lane County’s chief district attorney, said after the arraignment.

Attorney John Tyner III said afterward that Lyerla feels remorseful. While Tyner is not Lyerla’s formal representative, he will be guiding the former Duck through drug court.

“He’s got to get treatment to have credibility in his future career,” Tyner told reporters.

Tyner added that Lyerla can complete the treatment program in another state if the drug court becomes convinced that Lyerla is not a drug addict. Lyerla was reportedly planning on leaving Eugene for Orlando, Fla., soon to train for the NFL combine, which will be held in Indianapolis this coming February. An NFL talent evaluator told the Oregonian that Lyerla still has a chance to get selected by an NFL team.

Lyerla was put in the Lane County Jail following his arrest but was released Thursday night.

Wednesday’s arrest was another chapter in a turbulent month for Lyerla. On Oct. 5, the former tight end was suspended for Oregon’s game against Colorado for violating team rules. The next day, Lyerla withdrew from the UO.

It’s not easy for Gary Campbell to recall his favorite moments at UCLA, his alma mater. But the 62-year-old running backs coach said he’ll always be a Bruin, even though he’s coached at Oregon for 30 years.

“I love UCLA,” Campbell said. “I’m cheering for them every game they play, except when they play us, of course.”

Although the time is hazy in his mind, Campbell does recall arriving in Los Angeles in 1969. He remembers feeling overwhelmed by the culture change since he was going from the small town of Ennis, Texas, to a huge university in one of the biggest cities in the country.

“I think at that time the enrollment was at 22,000,” Campbell said. “My hometown was about 10,000.”

Campbell eventually got the hang of Los Angeles life, both on and off the football field. On it, he had a productive career, netting nearly 1,000 total yards. Ducks running back Kenny Bassett doesn’t have much film at his disposal to judge Campbell’s performance, but he envisions his coach being a tough player to tackle.

“I just imagine him back there being a bruiser,” Bassett said, “just running through everybody, throwing people.”

Like many things from that time, though, Campbell barely remembers his on-field action. What Campbell looks back upon most fondly are the relationships he built with his teammates, mainly because he’s still friends with several of them.

“Football was fun,” Campbell said, “but the thing you remember most about your playing days are the guys you played with and the friendships you made.”

Campbell said he talked with former teammates Kermit Johnson and James McAlister last week. On Sunday, he talked with his college roommate and UCLA teammate Marv Kendricks.

“We’re all close friends,” Campbell said.

All of those memories have faded over time for the Oregon coach, though. He might still hold onto relationships and moments from his college years, but those times make up a small fraction of his life.

“I’m a Bruin,” he said. “But I’m a Duck, also. This is my home. This is where I make my living. This is where I raise my family. I’ve been here half my life.”

Oregon is where he has mentored multiple generations-worth of running backs, as well. It’s where he’s earned their respect, their appreciation.

“If you ask any player here,” Bassett said, “they’ll probably say that Coach Campbell is their favorite coach.”

Both Campbell and his players said he doesn’t give special focus to games against UCLA.

“Maybe in the back of his head, he thinks, ‘It’s cool I’m playing my alma mater,’” running back Byron Marshall said. “But as far as his actions go, he doesn’t really demonstrate it. It’s another game, another team.”

UCLA isn’t just another school to Campbell. As he said, he’ll always be a Bruin at heart. One just has to look at his continuous donations to the university.

But he seems to be emotionally removed from those days. Given that it’s been 40 years since his final football game as a Bruin, the passage of time might be the main (and only) reason he feels this way.

“I don’t miss anything,” he said. “It’s been too long since I’ve played to miss it anymore.”

Eric Dungy’s former teammate Colt Lyerla was arrested Wednesday night. Dungy, a junior wide receiver for the Ducks, talked about his reaction to the news and Lyerla’s future after Thursday’s practice. Dungy also shared his thoughts on Oregon’s upcoming game against UCLA, ESPN College GameDay and ice baths.

Reaction when he saw the news about Lyerla:

“It was very sad, disappointing,” Dungy said. “Not even from a football level, you would just hate to see that happen to any one of your friends getting into that serious of a situation. So, obviously difficult and unfortunate. I just pray that things work out for him. Maybe this will be some sort of wake-up call for him or something like that where he can see what’s happening.”

First thought that popped into his head when he saw the Lyerla news:

“I was just like, ‘Damn, that’s not good,’” Dungy said. “I was with some friends and one of my friends pulled up Twitter on her phone. I didn’t really get a whole lot of time to think about it. She just showed me real quick, but I was like, ‘Damn, that’s not a good look. That’s tough.’”

Concerns about Lyerla’s future:

“I’m pretty concerned,” Dungy said. “That sounds like a pretty serious situation. That’s not just a little minor thing. Like I said, hopefully that can become a wake-up call. Sometimes you’ve got to hit the bottom before you can make your way going back up to the top.”

If UCLA is Oregon’s toughest matchup so far:

“I’m not sure about all that,” Dungy said, “but it’s just the next game, so that’s what we’re looking forward to. They’re obviously a very good team and it will be a fun game with GameDay and I think it will be nationally televised. So, it will be pretty fun. Autzen should be pretty loud with the students and the fans, so it should be a good atmosphere.”

Thoughts on College GameDay:

“I usually don’t even wake up in time to watch it,” Dungy said. “If I do, I might just get to see him (Lee Corso) put on the mascot head at the very end. That’s the funnest part. Other than that, I don’t really watch it too much. I know all the fans and the students wake up at like five in the morning or whatever it is and get out there, so it’s fun for them.”

On the ice baths the Ducks take after practice

“It’s tough,” Dungy said. “You’ve kind of got to take a few minutes to get mentally ready. Bralon (Addison), who was walking with me, he just got out. He probably had to take 10 minutes just to get his mind right for the ice. You have to just embrace it. You have to lie to yourself and tell yourself it feels good, but it’s tough. Some people just dive all the way in, headfirst. Personally, I don’t do that.”

Former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla was arrested on Wednesday night for cocaine possession and interfering with a police officer, according to a press release from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office.

The press release:

DATE/TIME OF RELEASE: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 9:20 p.m.

NATURE OF STORY: INET Arrest of Colt Lyerla

DETAILS:

On Wednesday, October 23, 2013, members of Lane County Interagency Narcotics Team (INET) arrested Colt Kelikoa Lyerla (a 20 year old male) for Unlawful Possession of Cocaine and Interfering with a Police Officer.

INET detectives were working an unrelated drug investigation in the 7th Avenue and Polk area in Eugene when they observed Lyerla in a parked vehicle snorting what appeared to be a white powdery substance. Lyerla was contacted by police and admitted to using and possessing cocaine. Detectives and Lyerla agreed to meet at Lyerla’s residence to continue the investigation. Once at the residence Lyerla ran from the vehicle into a nearby apartment. Lyerla was arrested when he emerged from the residence a short time later. He was transported and lodged in the Lane County Jail.

Colt Kelikoa Lyerla

The Lane County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET) is comprised of personnel from the Oregon State Police, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Lane County Parole and Probation, Eugene Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lane County District Attorney’s Office.

Prepared by: Sergeant Steve French, Lane County Sheriff’s Office

Lyerla withdrew from the University of Oregon on Oct. 6, a day after being suspended from playing against Colorado for violating team rules. The tight end had been a member of the Oregon football team since 2011.

Note: This post was updated after the news of Lyerla’s arrest initially broke. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller was the first to report on the arrest.

The World Series is just about to get underway with the Boston Red Sox taking on the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park on Wednesday. Today, digital sports editor Victor Flores and sports reporters Andrew Bantly, Madison Guernsey and Chris Mosch preview the Fall Classic and predict who will become world champs.

1) Where does Shane Victorino’s grand slam rank among the most exciting home runs in MLB playoffs history?

Victor Flores — It wasn’t nearly as big as Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run for Pittsburgh in the Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, or Joe Carter’s walk-off in 1993 to win it all for Toronto. But Victorino’s will certainly be remembered for a long time. Like Carter, Victorino hit his home run while his team was trailing in Game 6. Victorino’s wasn’t a walk-off and didn’t come in the World Series, but it was still huge. Plus, it was a freaking grand slam! Victorino’s blast might even rank higher than Kirk Gibson’s in the 1988 World Series. Maybe.

Andrew Bantly — Judging this home run against some of the great home runs in playoff history is a tough challenge. I do not believe this one will be remembered like Bobby Thomson’s “shot heard round the world” or Kirk Gibson’s first pump home run. This home run propelled a good team, against tough opposition, to the Fall Classic. And for that, it will be real close to Carlton Fisk’s home run where he waved the ball to the right to stay fair.

Madison Guernsey — Not that high. It may not have even been the biggest home run of this postseason. Juan Uribe hit a game winner in the deciding game of the divisional series. David Ortiz’s grand slam in Game 2 of the ALCS capped a comeback for the ages and set up a walk-off win. Mike Napoli’s solo shot in the seventh inning of Game 3 was the only run of the ballgame. Although Victorino’s slam vaulted the Red Sox to the World Series, Joe Carter, Kirk Gibson, Bill Mazeroski, Aaron Boone, David Freese and Ortiz stand in an elite class of playoff homers.

Chris Mosch — I’d argue that David Ortiz’s grand slam in Game 2 will go down as the more memorable moment from this series. Memorable home runs often come when a team’s back is against the wall and that was certainly the case with Big Papi’s blast. The Red Sox had a 92.5 percent chance of heading back to Detroit down 2-0 prior to Ortiz’s blast, but that home run single-handedly switched the series’ momentum in Boston’s favor. Plus, I doubt anyone will forget this image anytime soon.

2) Did either LCS series surprise you? Why or why not?

Victor Flores — The outcomes of the series weren’t too surprising, but there certainly were surprising moments. Seeing the Red Sox hit two grand slams that basically won them two games was shocking, almost unprecedented. In the other series, Los Angeles’ ace Clayton Kershaw lost both games, including a pounding in the series’ final game where he gave up seven runs. This brought back memories of the beating Justin Verlander suffered against the Giants in Game 1 of last year’s World Series.

Andrew Bantly — Not at all, really. My biggest surprise is how dominating the Cardinals were in Game 6 against Clayton Kershaw. With the mindset of getting to Game 7, the LA Dodgers put Kershaw on the hill in St. Louis but the Cardinals knocked him around scoring seven runs (all earned) on 10 hits in just four innings.

Madison Guernsey — I expected the NLCS to be more competitive. The Dodgers cruised through the Braves and threw Clayton Kershaw twice, but the offense was shut down by Michael Wacha and Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals proved themselves as the most complete team in baseball.

Chris Mosch — The NLCS was nearly impossible to predict, as the first three games were won by the team throwing the inferior starting pitcher. The Dodgers were unable to win Game 1 with Clayton Kershaw on the mound or Game 2 with Zack Greinke pitching, while the Cardinals dropped Game 3 with Adam Wainwright on the hill. The Cardinals had to steal at least one of the games that Kershaw started and they won both, which was one of the reasons they won the series so convincingly. The Dodgers not winning either of Kershaw’s starts was easily the most surprising part of either series.

3) Are you satisfied with a Red Sox-Cardinals World Series? Why or why not?

Victor Flores — Completely. This is the first World Series matchup since 1999 between two teams with the best records in their respective leagues. While seeing underdogs win in the playoffs can be exciting, they don’t always produce the best baseball. The Red Sox and Cardinals have been producing good baseball all season, including the playoffs, and they should continue to stay on that level in the World Series.

Andrew Bantly — Oh yeah. This series is so difficult to call. Both teams have great pitching and solid hitting. They both have dependable bullpens and good defenses. More than that, though, this is a matchup for the ages with two historic ball clubs. These two clubs have been to 31 combined Fall Classics’ with 18 total World Series titles between them.

Madison Guernsey — Absolutely. A Cinderella Series would have been exciting, but watching the best two teams in baseball pitted against one another with everything on the line is unbeatable. Both storied franchises have won two world championships in the last nine years and will settle the “team of the decade” debate once this series is over.

Chris Mosch — Definitely. These are easily the best two teams in baseball right now and the series features arguably the two greatest postseason performers of our era. Carlos Beltran is cementing a Hall of Fame-worthy career and Ortiz has been responsible for some of the most memorable postseason moments of the century. There will be plenty of drama to go around in this one.

4) Who will win the 2013 World Series?

Victor Flores — Red Sox in seven games. Both teams went 97-65 in the regular season. Both have elite lineups with solid-not-great pitching staffs. They’re incredibly similar teams that should be close every game of this World Series. Then again, we’re trying to predict playoff baseball, where a team can hit two miraculous grand slams and Clayton Kershaw can look mediocre. So nobody really knows, but I think the Sox will eek this one out.

Andrew Bantly — I might as well flip a coin. This series is going to be a battle each and every night. I wouldn’t be surprised if this series was decided in Game 7 in Boston. But I have to take the St. Louis Cardinals. I can’t say that the Cardinals have better pitching or have a better bullpen. But I am convinced that their young players, like Michael Wacha, will continue to shine in the bright lights of October and their leaders as well. Keep in mind that this team got to the World Series without Rafael Furcal, Chris Carpenter or Allen Craig.

Madison Guernsey — The Red Sox, but just barely. This matchup is incredibly even in every aspect and will boil down to home field advantage. The “Boston Strong” Red Sox will win in seven, leaving the Cardinals as the best team to lose a World Series since the 2004 Red Birds, who won 105 regular season games.

Chris Mosch — These two teams are so evenly matched and this series could easily go either way. I’ll go with the Red Sox in seven, as Boston has more team depth than the Cardinals. Boston has 12 hitters on their roster that were better than league average this season while St. Louis has the offensively incumbent Pete Kozma in their starting lineup and found themselves having Adron Chambers pinch-hitting in key situations in the NLCS. St. Louis probably boasts the two best starting pitchers on either team with Wainwright and Michael Wacha, but Boston arguably has the next best four with Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, John Lackey and Jake Peavy. This one could easily come down to Boston’s home field advantage.

Oregon wide receiver Josh Huff talked after practice on Wednesday about UCLA’s “physical” defense, the health of his right ankle and how he came up with the nickname “2 Live Krew” for the Ducks’ receivers.

Impressions of UCLA

“UCLA, on defense, they’re very physical,” Huff said. “They have a lot of talented players on defense. They can be explosive on that side of the ball and they can make plays just by rushing the quarterback, putting pressure on the quarterback. They have some weaknesses in their secondary that I look for every week. I found some (weaknesses) myself, and I’m pretty sure the other receivers found some.”

Keanon Lowe’s block against Washington State

“That’s what we expect,” Huff said, “but when you take out two people like that and you spring Thomas Tyner’s run, it’s something that sets a new standard for us receivers to always do that. Keanon, he’s the true ultimate team player that everyone would want on their team. I learned from him, he learned from me. That’s how it goes in the receivers room. We always look to see what we can do better and we learn from each other, from our mistakes and from our route-running and blocking.”

On the “2 Live Krew”, the self-proclaimed nickname of the Oregon receiving corps

“I thought about it right before fall camp,” Huff said. “I was watching ’30 for 30′ on Miami and 2 Live Crew came to their program and basically helped put them on the map. I also knew that 2 Live Crew took what they wanted, so I came up with the name ’2 Live Krew’ and decided that any time the ball’s in the air, we’re going to take what we want and take advantage of anybody or anything. So, that’s where the ’2 Live Krew’ came from.’”

On the health of his right ankle, which he injured against Washington

“It feels great,” Huff said. “Almost (fully healed).”

Oregon running backs coach Gary Campbell talked after practice on Tuesday about De’Anthony Thomas’ performance this week, the development of Thomas’ replacements and the UCLA defense, who Campbell said might be the best they’ve faced all season.

How De’Anthony has looked in practice this week

“He’s looked pretty good,” Campbell said. “He looks like De’Anthony. The old De’Anthony. I guess that’s what he wanted to be before he stepped on the field.”

The biggest key in the development of Byron Marshall

“I think the main thing is that he’s gotten more opportunities,” Campbell said. “I said it from the beginning of the season, I think Byron had come around and had become the player we want him to be. The more reps he’s gotten, the more confidence he’s gotten. With the reps comes that comfort, and with the comfort comes the ability to get the best out of yourself and do some things that are kind of out of the ordinary.”

On Thomas Tyner

“The thing about him is that he’s getting more reps,” Campbell said. “He was hurt at the beginning of the season and he’s catching up as far as knowing the offense. Again, it’s getting into that comfort zone, being able to use his talents because he feels at ease on the field. I think that’s been the biggest thing. He’s got the talent, he just has to be able to cut loose and get it going. I think he’s at the point now where he feels comfortable and has shown us what he’s got.

“He’s got to learn how to play with more intensity at this level,” Campbell said of Tyner. “I’ve spoken to him several times about the fact that when he came from JV (junior varsity) in high school he had to step his game up. Now he has to step his game up again. He’s got the physical tools and he’s got the speed. He’s still learning how to use those things at this level. I don’t think he’s really confident that he can really dominate players on the defense at this level yet. We’re just trying to convince him that he’s got it all and he can do it.”

On UCLA’s defense

“They’re a great-looking group,” Campbell said. “They’re the best team we’ve seen athletically. They’re deep and they’ve got really athletic linebackers that run around and make plays. They’ve got good DBs (defensive backs) and that defensive line is really talented.

“They’re very aggressive in the way they play,” Campbell continued. “They don’t do a lot of blitzing. They usually bring four (pass rushers), sometimes five. They don’t bring a lot of people, but the guys they bring are pretty darn good.”