Oregon

For years, Oregon has been diligent about reducing the state's dependence on fossil fuels, but its environmental consciousness has come at a stunning price -- gas tax revenue is down $4.8 million a year compared with 2006. That drop, caused by lower fuel consumption and a slowing economy, has prompted Oregon to consider a new way to pay for road repairs: Democratic Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski's upcoming budget calls for a highway tax based on mileage, not gasoline purchases.

An oxygen-depleted "dead zone" the size of New Jersey is starving sea life off the coast of Oregon and Washington and likely will appear there each summer as a result of climate change, an Oregon State University researcher said Thursday. The huge area is one of 400 dead zones around the world, most of them caused by fertilizer and sewage dumped into the oceans in river runoff. But the dead zone off the Northwest is one of the few in the world -- and possibly the only one in North America -- that could be impossible to reverse.

UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel stood before the fans, apparent gluttons for punishment, who had decided to remain at the Rose Bowl for the final minutes of a 24-10 loss to Oregon. "Please come back next week, I promise you'll see a better game," Neuheisel said. In the locker room afterward, quarterback Kevin Prince dissected a bad day at the office, summing up his performance by saying, "I apologize to the fans." Across the room, linebacker Reggie Carter was still perplexed by the two touchdowns the Ducks scored in the first 26 seconds of the second half that erased a 3-0 UCLA lead.

Rankman cleaned house with the extra time he had this week not having to move USC below Oregon in his rankings order. Anyone else already have Oregon ahead? Nothing personal, Trojans, but we had seen both defenses play. We originally ruled on the field that Iowa's knee was down at No. 12, but the Big Ten replay crew overturned it and placed the team inside the 10. And, remember kids, have an ophthalmologist picked out in advance before jumping into a pile with Florida's Brandon Spikes.

UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel was asked to itemize the Bruins' must-do list coming off a 24-10 loss to Oregon. "It would be a long list," he said. But what rolled off his tongue immediately was, "We need to get consistent play from our quarterback. Obviously, with Kevin now being back in and having some more game experience underneath his belt, we'll get more from Kevin Prince ." Quarterback play will probably be the topic of the week leading up to Saturday's game against California at the Rose Bowl.

It might seem like a new day in Pacific 10 Conference football but we're still a long way from judgment day. Oregon (7-2, 5-0) and Arizona (5-2, 3-1) are the only schools that control their Rose Bowl fates while USC stares up with two league losses and can't seem to stop anyone on defense. The conference race is not over, however, and the Rose Bowl bid is not secure. "We've got nine conference games," Arizona Coach Mike Stoops said on Tuesday's weekly Pac-10 coaches' conference call.

Oregon 24, UCLA an ugly and largely incompetent 10. Unlike last week at Stanford, when the Bruins were knocked on their keisters but at least made a fight of it, no silver lining can be found in this. It would be best for the Bruins, staring now at the possibility of another dismal season, to simply move on. Act as if this never happened. Pretend Saturday afternoon in Pasadena was little more than a bad and very inconvenient dream. This was a game where, aside from maybe a dozen plays, UCLA could not pass, could not run, could not catch.

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince is pretty certain. "Oregon is the plan," Prince said through clinched jaw, wired shut the last week. "I can do everything but eat." Prince, who suffered a fractured jaw against Tennessee, will sit out the Stanford game Oct. 3 but said that doctors are sure he will be ready to practice before the Oct. 10 game against Oregon. "If he's cleared, he has obviously got to play," offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "He's been throwing the ball.

With Rey Maualuga and three other linebackers having moved on to the NFL, Chris Galippo said before the season that he was eager to once again have the responsibility, "of either making plays or possibly losing a game," on his shoulders. Galippo, of course, was not solely responsible for the Trojans' defensive collapse against Oregon. But USC's defensive signal-caller and the rest of the linebacker corps struggled mightily during a 47-20 defeat in which the Trojans' defense gave up 613 yards.

No. 5 Boise St. (8-0) at Louisiana Tech (3-5) Friday, 5 p.m., ESPN2 If Boise State doesn't make a Bowl Championship Series game this year, it won't be for lack of exposure. Four of the Broncos' last five games are on ESPN networks -- three on Friday nights. Boise State did not impress many judges in its most recent ESPN effort, a 28-21 win over Tulsa on Oct. 14. The pick: Boise State. No. 9 Louisiana St. (7-1) at No. 3 Alabama (8-0) Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Channel 2 If you like field goals and defense, this is your game.