What a difference a day makes

Remember all of that excitement yesterday about the Oregon Ducks opening the college football season on national TV?

It seems like a long time ago, after last night's game.

The Ducks had the entire country watching them as they kicked off the college football season, and the game went in the worst possible way. I'm not just talking about a pathetic, uninspired loss to Boise State - although that was sufficiently embarrassing to Duck-faithful - because a simple loss would've only meant that fans across the country would ignore the Ducks. "Oh, they're not very good. Let's just forget about them." Just losing to Boise State would only lead to apathy and obscurity.

But Murphy's law decided to kick in. Whatever could've gone wrong, did.

Zero points and zero first downs in the first half. It was so pathetic, even Lou Holtz and was slurring jokes about the Ducks at halftime on ESPN. But as if the poor performance on the field wasn't enough, the post game was even worse.

Ducks' running back LeGarrette Blount, who had promised an "ass-whooping" before the game, suckerpunched a Bronco player in the face as the teams left the field. Yes, the Boise State player was taunting Blount and even smacked his shoulder pads, but Blount went too far and reacted like a pissed off little kid. He punched the player in the face when he wasn't looking, and then had to be restrained from going after fans as he was pulled kicking and screaming off the field by teammates and coaches.

What should have been apathy and obscurity after the game turned into a feeling of disgust. Now, instead of being ignored by fans and the media, Oregon is still in the spotlight, only this time it is for Blount's punch and poor sportsmanship. The punch is being replayed non-stop on TV, sports columnists are calling for Blount to be kicked off the team, and Oregon is being used as an example of the poor sportsmanship in college football.

The eyes are still on Oregon, but in a worse way than anyone had anticipated.

For an entire state of fans that had put their hearts into that opening game, this is the most embarrassing situation they could've endured. The Ducks disrespected the entire state of Oregon in front of a national TV audience with their performance and their actions. And it's not going to be easily forgotten.

Blount needs to be dealt with, whether that's by suspending him or kicking him off the team. His actions embarrassed himself, his team, his university, and his state. I know he was emotional after the loss, and that the Bronco player was taunting him. But you can't punch him in the face on national TV; no good could've come of that. You yell back, you shove him, you do anything except land a right jab on the guy's chin. And with multiple ESPN cameras on the incident, it meant that the replays on national television and the Internet won't end. Oregon has no choice but to discipline Blount severely, if only to save face nationally. They need to send a message that Blount's childish actions do not belong on that team and at that school.

But I fear that the damage has already been done. Every ounce of excitement that had surrounded the Ducks from fans and media has now been replaced by disgust and embarrassment. While yesterday fans couldn't wait until the Ducks opened the season, now those same fans are looking for a hole to crawl into and hide. In a span of less than 24 hours, all the feelings about the Ducks season have taken a complete 180. To lose like the Ducks did was bad enough. To have a player turn your team into a national punchline is even worse.

Yesterday, I said that deep down, we were all Ducks. Today, there's not a speck of green in sight.

Today, Oregon has its Ducks in a row

Apparently something big is happening today, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Let's head to Facebook and see what my friends are saying.

"For the first time in seven years I'm thinking of rooting for the Ducks."

"Big day today ... LET'S GO DUCKS!!!"

"Ducks by two scores at least."

"Ducks will run wild on the blue turf."

"I love the Ducks!"

"It's about time; I've been having withdrawls. Go Ducks!"

"DUCKS."

Oh.

Yes, The Oregon Ducks take the field today to open the college football season, when they take on Boise State on the Smurf Turf. And right now, as the hours tick away before the game, the hype is reaching a fever pitch.

Radio stations have been talking Ducks all week. The Oregonian put out a special College football preview section today that rivals the one they make for the Blazers. Fans across the state are pumped for the game, to see how well Oregon plays on the national stage, to see if the Ducks can get revenge on the Broncos after the loss at Autzen, and to finally see Oregon football take the field again.

The suspense is terrible ... I hope it'll last.

College football in the state of Oregon has always drawn fans to one side or the other. You're either with the Ducks or the Beavers (and no, Portland State, you aren't in the picture. But isn't it adorable that you have a football team just like a real school!). Because of this division, rooting for both teams is strictly not allowed, and no Duck or Beaver fan would be caught dead rooting for their in-state rival.

But today, with this Oregon matchup, you're starting to sense something different. Although no Oregon State fan will ever admit it, they're feeling a little excited inside for tonight's Ducks game, too.

It's because the excitement for this game tonight is sweeping across the entire state. A college football team from the state of Oregon is headlining the start of college football season by playing on national TV. People across the country, looking for their college football fix on opening night, will tune in and watch the Oregon Ducks play. This is big, and Beavers fans are getting wrapped up in it, too.

Sports teams in the state of Oregon have always suffered from Small-State Syndrome. It's not a big market, and therefore fans feel like their teams don't get the credit they deserve when things are going well. The USCs and Notre Dames of the college football world will always get the attention and publicity, while teams like the Ducks and Beavers, even if they are at the top of the PAC-10 and beating those big-time programs, don't get that same level of nationwide notoriety. Beavers and Ducks hate each other, but they both feel like they get the short end of the stick because of their location in "Orah-Gone."

So to see one of the state of Oregon's teams headline college football opening night is something that electrifies the entire state, from Portland to Eugene to Medford, and yes, even to Corvallis. A team from Oregon will have the eyes of viewers from across the country on them tonight, which means the entire state of Oregon is gaining attention as well. The state is excited to see one of its teams in prime position to flourish on the national stage.

Naturally, Beavers fans won't ever admit this, and I don't blame them. But inside, part of them understands that tonight isn't about school rivalry. There will be time for that tomorrow and in the coming months. Tonight, though, is about the state of Oregon being at the forefront of the college football world. The Ducks carry the support of the entire state with them into Boise tonight.

The rivalries will always remain, as they should, but when one team from Oregon gets the national spotlight, they find support from all over the state, even in the hearts of their rivals. The same thing happened last season when Oregon State defeated USC - even Duck fans couldn't help but smile that a power program was taken down by a team from Oregon.

A win is expected for the Ducks, and therefore won't give any more national cred to the U of O program, but a dominant showing in a win gets the name "Oregon" into the minds of college football fans across the country tomorrow. If that happens, you can't help but think of the other programs in the state, too.

There will be bigger matchups, and better games this season. Tonight, the excitement felt around the state isn't for the matchup against a team from the WAC, it's for the return of college football, with a team from Oregon leading the charge.

Tomorrow, Oregon and Oregon State can go back to hating each other. But tonight, as Oregon takes the field and rings in a new year of college football, deep down inside, we're all Ducks.