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Last week before the season-opening game against LSU, Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas suggested a loss to the Tigers would spell the end of the Ducks' season.
Then Oregon lost.
So what is Thomas' take now? Is the season all but kaput?
Well, obviously no. So Thomas was left to look ahead to Oregon's home opener against Nevada on Saturday.
Oregon fell nine spots to No. 13 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday after the 40-27 loss to LSU at Cowboys Stadium. It was the lowest the Ducks have been ranked since 2009, when they were No. 14 in the 10th week of the season.
In many ways, the Ducks did not look at all like the team that led the nation in offense and played in the BCS title game last season.
Oregon, known for that speedy spread-option offense, ran for just 95 yards. LaMichael James, Oregon's Heisman finalist last season, ran for an uncharacteristic 54 yards on 18 carries. James also had a career-high six catches for 61 yards.
His backup, Kenjon Barner, ran for seven yards but was injured. Barner also fumbled on a punt return deep in his own territory, leading to an LSU touchdown.
Barner was seen wearing a boot on his right foot at practice on Tuesday.
Thomas, who proclaimed last week that a loss would equal a ''done season,'' completed 31 of 54 passes for 240 yards, but his longest pass was 18 yards. Overall, he looked tentative at times against LSU's defense, and there were plenty of questions about why he didn't run more. Thomas rushed for 12 yards on two carries.
''I can't really do more than I'm told to do,'' Thomas shrugged.
But even if he had, it might not have made much of a difference. The Ducks had 12 penalties and four turnovers. Their struggle against the Tigers was most evident in the third quarter, when they gained just 15 yards and had no first downs.
The Ducks watched the film and returned to practice on Monday. Coach Chip Kelly said practice opened well, and that preparations were no different than they would have been if his team had won.
''When we lose a football game everyone wants to know what's wrong with us. I give a lot of credit to what LSU did,'' Kelly said Tuesday.
But Kelly had clearly moved on. On the weekly Pac-12 coaches conference call, his answers to questions - including one about whether he was concerned about the Ducks' running game - were clipped.
''Our sole focus is on Nevada right now,'' he said.
Nevada, which was off this past week, went 13-1 last season, including that attention-getting victory over Boise State. But the Wolf Pack no longer has quarterback Colin Kaepernick or running back Vai Taua to pace the offense.
If LSU was a must-win for the Ducks, Nevada is even more so. While a return to the BCS title game is probably a longshot, Oregon still has a shot at its third conference title. In 2009, the Ducks lost their opener at Boise State but still finished 10-3 and went to the Rose Bowl.
''I don't think it's a done season,'' defensive end Terrell Turner said. ''We can always go undefeated from here but we're going to take it one week at a time.''
