The first Big Ten game in Oregon football history is in a few days and it doesn't exactly feel like the Ducks will be in a new conference with the Week 5 matchup.
Oregon, which is now 3-0, will be headed to Los Angeles to take on UCLA in an 11 p.m. ET showdown at the Rose Bowl. Basically, this is a Pac-12 After Dark special between two Big Ten teams. This is probably the most fitting way for the Ducks to open Big Ten play. The only thing more fitting would be a matchup with top rival Washington to kick off Big Ten play.
The Ducks are national title contenders for a third straight season under Dan Lanning and UCLA is under the direction of a new head coach after Chip Kelly left for Ohio State's offensive coordinator job.
While the storyline would have been even better if Chip Kelly were still at UCLA and the game was played in Eugene to kick off the Big Ten era for the Ducks, this is still cool, too.
Big Ten fans aren't quite as familiar with "Pac-12 After Dark" as they should be, and this will be a heck of an introduction. The Ducks will be on the road in one of the best venues in sports, playing an upset-hungry UCLA team that probably shouldn't have a shot to win this game but could play things closely because of the home-field advantage and the craziness that always seems to happen in this 11 p.m. ET starts between (former) Pac-12 teams.
There couldn't be a more fitting way for Oregon to kick off Big Ten play.