With USC up next, Oregon's offense rolling along

• While the game isn't as hyped now, in a weird way, the Trojans' collapse last week validates the Ducks' process
• Oregon's offense remains dizzying and dazzling, but it's the defense that has been the difference
• Ducks QB Marcus Mariota has completed 68.6% of his passes for 1,483 yards and 18 touchdowns

EUGENE, Ore. — To no one's surprise, Oregon trounced Colorado 70-14 at Autzen Stadium on Saturday.

Before kickoff, however, a couple of piles of Southern California media guides were stacked on a shelf in the press box. Had Chip Kelly been alerted to their presence, the Ducks coach might have gone ballistic.

The well-worn mantra within the program is "Win The Day," and it's ubiquitous here, plastered throughout the stadium and the football facilities and echoed by players and coaches alike.

Consequently, there was no reasonable explanation for why Oregon could have been looking past the woeful Buffaloes and onto the Trojans, who are this week's foe, a presumed Bowl Championship Series contender and the last team to defeat the Ducks — even if the rest of the world already was anticipating the clash of Pac-12 titans.

Asked in jest after the 56-point rout if he knew who was next on the schedule, Kelly responded in kind.

"I'm aware," he said. "We have an approach, but it's not like we live in a box."

Less than an hour later, USC lost to Arizona, shedding some of the sheen from the showdown. Still undefeated, Oregon has plenty left to play for, all of its preseason goals still intact, and is almost in control of its destiny (thank you, Bowl Championship Series).

Oregon (8-0) remained No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, although No. 3 Kansas State (8-0), off its win against Texas Tech, closed the gap from the previous week.

The Ducks stayed at No. 4 in the BCS standings, despite former No. 2 Florida's loss. Notre Dame jumped past Oregon and up to No. 3 after beating Oklahoma.

"All we're guaranteed is the Alamo Bowl or something like that," Oregon senior linebacker Michael Clay said. "We just want to get better so we can reach the Pac-12 championship."

In a weird way, the Trojans' collapse validates the Ducks' process.

Suddenly, USC, even with future NFL first-round talent at quarterback (Matt Barkley) and wide receiver (Marqise Lee and Robert Woods), is just the next opponent, no longer the standard or a barometer.

"It's just another week," Clay said. "This is what we came here to do — to play against the best teams with the best records. It's just more great competition for us."

Don't expect Oregon to change anything. There'd be no point, not when the Ducks have been so dominant. The offense remains dizzying and dazzling, but it's the defense that has been the difference — and when was the last time that was intended positively in reference to the Ducks?

"We can't be any better than we are right now," defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota admitted that part of the reason why he has seemed so comfortable so quickly is because he faces Aliotti's unit every day.

"It almost seems like practice was harder — no disrespect (to Colorado)," he said. "Our defense has been playing at such a high caliber all the way through the season."

So much so that, after eight games, the strong effort can't be considered a trend.

"After eight games, we're as fast and as good as we've ever played," Aliotti said. "We've played eight games where it's kind of been over at halftime. I've never been around that. We're fast starters — I'd be curious to know how many points we've given up in the first half."

He wondered because his starters were usually on the sideline by halftime. For the record, the Ducks have surrendered 56 points in the first half, which is seven points a game. That's ludicrous, especially compared with the 36.3 points that Mariota and the offense have run up in the same span.

Still, Oregon hasn't played anyone with USC's talent yet — even though the Ducks embarrassed Arizona 49-0 on Sept. 22 in Eugene. After USC, Oregon plays at struggling California but closes at home against Stanford and then at rival Oregon State.

"I haven't looked at USC's film yet, but they've got guys," Mariota said.

Added Aliotti: "We know that Matt is on that team — we all know that they have a good quarterback. We all know that they have good receivers — not like it's a secret. And we all know that they have a good team."

The sense in these parts, though, is that Oregon is a great team. It might be the best of the Kelly era — he's in his fourth year as the Ducks coach and has a 42-6 record — and most people familiar with the program point to the potential of Mariota as a reason.

Mariota has completed 68.6% of his passes for 1,483 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has thrown five interceptions in 194 attempts. On the ground, he has carried 57 times for 378yards (6.6 yards a carry) and three touchdowns. Heck, he's even caught a touchdown pass.

And his offensive coordinator, Mark Helfrich, doesn't think he's seen anything approaching his best.

"I think he has so many things he's done well to this point, but there are so many things he can fine-tune and polish," Helfrich said. "He's such an exciting guy to be around in that regard. He's done things in the passing game really well, and he's done some good things in the running game well. But he's a pup."

His poise is renowned, but Mariota is a competitor, too.

The native Hawaiian grew up wanting to play at Oregon — and against USC.

He recalls living through last season's 38-35 loss to the Trojans. Oregon trailed 38-14 in the third quarter before roaring back, but it wasn't enough.

"Watching what happened last year, to see those guys battle back in the second half, it was hard to swallow," Mariota said. "We had a great week of practice — I still remember — and to see it not pan out on the field was hard for myself and for those guys to swallow.

"But the older guys, including myself, we're going to take what happened last year and learn from it, understand that we have to play all four quarters. We can't lean on the second half and come back."

In 2012, that would be a first — needing all four quarters to put away an opponent.