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As much as coach Chip Kelly downplayed the significance of Oregon's victory over Stanford, it sure vaulted the Ducks into the national championship conversation.
The Ducks recovered from a slow start Saturday night to defeat the Cardinal 52-31.
As a result, Oregon (5-0, 2-0 Pac-10) jumped over Boise State to No. 3 in the rankings on Sunday, touching off a heated debate between fans of the Ducks and the Broncos.
Boise State (4-0, 1-0 WAC) defeated winless rival New Mexico State 59-0 on Saturday, extending its winning streak to 18 straight games. But the Broncos are up against the perception that they have an easier schedule than the other teams bidding for the national title.
There was even fleeting talk that Oregon's 52 points on Stanford - ranked No. 9 before the loss - should have put the Ducks ahead of No. 2 Ohio State, which struggled to beat Illinois.
Kelly was having none of it Saturday night.
''We are nothing more than 5-0,'' he said, turning the conversation to next week's opponent, Washington State.
The comment was typical of Kelly, who kept the Ducks grounded last season in the march to the Pac-10 championship and Rose Bowl berth. But he admitted that the national attention does come with some pressure.
''We are challenged a lot of different ways and it's a test for us,'' he said. ''So far we have not let outside sources influence us.''
Oregon fell behind 21-3 to Stanford and trailed 31-24 at halftime, but in the end that meant nothing as the Ducks methodically racked up yards and points. The Ducks also fell behind early at Tennessee and Arizona State, but similarly surged in the second half of both games.
Quarterback Darron Thomas completed 20 of 29 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday night, making it hard to believe he competed for the starting job in fall camp with fifth-year senior Nate Costa, who was considered the front runner.
Thomas also rushed for a career-high 117 yards and another score.
''This is a big win for us, but we haven't done nothing yet,'' Thomas said, echoing the sentiment of his coach.
LaMichael James rushed for a career-high 257 yards on 30 carries. He's had 200 or more yards twice in his four games this season.
A fan at Autzen held a sign reading ''LaHeisman.''
''I don't worry a lot about the yards, I worry about the wins,'' James said. ''My focus isn't on being the best running back in the nation, it's on being the best team in the country. I don't care about winning a Heisman, I care about helping us stay undefeated.''
It's clear that Oregon's players are buying into Kelly's rallying call since last season: ''Win The Day.'' The players touch the slogan as they come through the tunnel leading into Autzen Stadium, and WTD emblazons the four-corners of the field.
''As a team, we stress to finish strong. That is what we focus on every day,'' James said. ''We can't walk onto the field and expect to be great, we have to work day-in and day-out at it.''
In all, Oregon had 626 yards in total offense. The Ducks lead the nation in scoring (56 points per game) and total offense (569 yards per game).
Oregon's last 5-0 start came in 2002. The Ducks have not been ranked No. 3 since 2007, when the Ducks were as high as No. 2 before their national title hopes were dashed when quarterback Dennis Dixon injured his knee.
Oregon has won 10 straight Pac-10 games.
All of this does not bode well for Washington State, which lost 42-28 at UCLA on Saturday. The Cougars have lost 13 straight games against FBS opponents.
''It is a long, long season. I don't think this team will get sidetracked,'' Kelly said. ''We've got to finish football games and we've got to finish the season.''
