At the beginning of spring ball in Tucson many people thought this would be a year of growing pains for the program because there was uncertainty at many positions. Nobody saw this coming and if they tell you that they did they are completely full of lies. The thing I am talking about is the University of Arizona Wildcats and their chance at achieving a goal that seemed unattainable just a few months ago. The Cats have a good shot at the Pac-12 Championship when they take on the Oregon Ducks at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara on Friday night.
Head Coach Rich Rodriguez didn't even know that his Wildcats had won the Pac-12 South title on Friday until his wife or son came up to him on the field after their hard fought victory over rival Arizona State and told him. He did not want the players or other coaches to know what the score of the UCLA game was. I am positively sure that the players and coaches may have been wondering during the game, but Rich Rod wanted his coaches and players focused on the task at hand last Friday. When it all came to fruition for the Wildcats, nobody seemed happier than the Cats Head Coach. He said it put more of a bounce in his step walking off the field. I wonder if Stanford will get a Christmas card from the Wildcat football team? Probably not, but the thought was nice wasn't it?
What the Wildcats have in front of them is the monumental task of defeating the same team twice in a year. That is a very difficult thing to do because THAT team is number two ranked team in the nation, the Oregon Ducks. One of the positives that the Cats can rely on is that they have already beat Oregon this year.
The Wildcats went up to Autzen Stadium in October and played very physical with the Ducks. Autzen Stadium can be and arguably is the toughest stadium to play in. Fans are right on top of you, it is loud, and the Ducks play very fast and well on that field. They have the film on that game that shows what they did well and helps them game plan in a more precise manner. The most difficult thing to do is to beat the same team twice in a year. Especially, when that team is the number two ranked team in the country.
Secondly, the Wildcats have grown up quicker than expected and are gaining confidence with every snap of the ball, first down, and win that they get this season. When you have a team that is learning like this, you have a team that doesn't know any better. All they know is that this is the way it is supposed to be for their team, and that can be a very dangerous thing for any opposing team taking on the Arizona Wildcats.
Dreams. The Wildcats are being allowed to think the unthinkable, to dream the impossible. The opportunity in front of them is astounding and so unexpected that most fans do not want to dwell on winning because they probably think that it will jinx the teams chances in some way. As I was leaving Arizona Stadium in Tucson last Friday afternoon, the fans were chanting a phrase I have heard a lot of the course of my lifetime. "Beat the Ducks, beat the Ducks, beat the Ducks" was reverberating through out the stadium and in the streets around campus. It was something to behold and to be in the middle of.
Friday night in Santa Clara will be test of wills and fortitude between these two teams. Arizona is coming into the game with a boat load of confidence and the Ducks will have the same amount of confidence and maybe a bit of revenge on their minds. All I know at this point is that the Wildcats are not scared of Oregon, and they shouldn't be. They deserve the respect that they have earned. Lets ponder one more thing....
What if the Wildcats win? Do they deserve to be in the playoff? The chaos that would follow would be epic... here's to hoping.
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