After losing a chance at a flawless season, the No. 5 Oregon Ducks (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12) can't afford to wallow in its past for very long.  The Ducks still have a chance of making it into the BCS title game, which will still be quite a feat to accomplish.

With its offense averaging 54. 8 points per game, Oregon was considered the very best team in the nation for six days before faltering to Stanford in a 17-14-overtime upset.  The defeat at the hands of the Cardinal snapped a 13-game winning streak for the Ducks, which had been the nation's longest.  To top it off, the loss also brought the team's NCAA-record mark of 23 matchups with at least 30 points to a screeching halt.

In order to make it into their second national championship game in three years, Oregon needs a few things to fall into its favor.  For starters, a USC victory over No. 1 Notre Dame would play in their favor, as would losses by Georgia, Florida and Alabama this weekend.

Also, the Ducks are hoping that Stanford comes up short as well.  Although UCLA has already locked down the Pac-12 South, Oregon can still represent the North with a victory over Oregon State combined with a Bruins win over the Cardinal on Saturday.

Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota spoke to ESPN about the challenges that lie ahead for the program.

"It's not going to be easy, but we understand that we have a couple of more games and whatever plays out.  We just have to control what we can control."

CLICK HERE to watch the Oregon Ducks take on Oregon State via free live stream.  Coverage of the NCAA football matchup is set to begin at 12 PM PST on Saturday, Nov. 24.

Tags: NCAA Football