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Josh Huff (1), here celebrating with Bralon Addison (11), says he hasn't given up hope of the Ducks playing for the national championship. "There's a lot of football left,'' Huff said.

(Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)

EUGENE -- Marcus Mariota was dining at Red Robin with his father on Saturday night when USC defeated Stanford and threw control of the Pac-12 North into the hands of the Oregon Ducks. He said the place became “excited.’’

The Oregon quarterback said he couldn’t help but share the excitement inside the restaurant, because like the Ducks fans, he could do the math: If the Ducks win their final two games -- Saturday at Arizona and Nov. 29 against Oregon State -- Oregon will host the Pac-12 Championship game on Dec. 7.

But there was no sense of excitement outside the Ducks practice on Monday, unless “one-game-at-a-time” cliches get your motor roaring.

“We can’t overlook things,’’ Mariota said. “We can’t slip up and look past Arizona. So our focus is here today in getting ready for Arizona.’’

Added safety Brian Jackson: “We have to get to it to play in it.’’

The first order of business is Arizona (6-4, 3-4 Pac-12), which boasts the nation’s second-leading rusher in junior Ka’Deem Carey and an experienced and physical defense.

Oregon coach Mark Helfrich has always preached the “one-game-at-a-time” approach, and he said this college football season should provide enough warning to his team that no victory is ever a given.

“Obviously our guys know what happened (in Los Angeles), and again, it’s further evidence to handle our business,’’ Helfrich said. “We have to win this week. We have to take care of today. If we don’t know that after the last couple of weeks, then we need a refresher course.’’

Receiver Josh Huff said he is still holding out hope that three teams ahead of Oregon in the BCS standings lose, opening the door for Oregon to play in the national championship. For Huff, a senior, a berth in the national championship game is the only destination that could make for a successful season, so he said he couldn’t bring himself to celebrate or feel good about Stanford’s demise.

If the Ducks win out, and three teams ahead of them don’t lose, Oregon will play in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 against the Big Ten champion, most likely Ohio State or Michigan State. The national title game will also be played in the Rose Bowl, on Jan. 6, which Huff said makes the Ducks’ potential destination even tougher to swallow.

“I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I’m a competitor, and I don’t want to be a prep game for the national championship,’’ Huff said. “There’s still a lot of football left. I don’t mind playing in the Rose Bowl, but I’m a competitor and I want to play for the national championship in the Rose Bowl.’’