Getting some things off my chest, clearing some memory from my computer, and attempting to justify my lofty sports editor's salary ...

•Â Don't see why it took the Oregon Ducks until the fourth game of his second season to use tight end Colt Lyerla in the backfield.

Always seemed like a no-brainer to me — Lyerla is a more-potent Owen Marecic, the former Stanford star fullback-linebacker from Jesuit High now with the Cleveland Browns.

But of course there was no need to unveil the Lylera look this year against Arkansas State, Fresno State or Tennessee Tech, teams the Ducks could handle easily.

I actually thought Oregon coach Chip Kelly might wait till this year's USC game to show off Lyerla as a running back. It had to happen sooner or later, though. And that it happened Saturday I take as a sign that the Ducks felt they needed a wrinkle in their Pac-12 opener against a then-undefeated Arizona team.

Making use of Lyerla as a back might have helped Oregon against USC last year, though. He had only one touch in that game, a loss that kept the Ducks out of national championship talk.

Before this season ends, I think we'll see some other new things from the Oregon offense, some new looks at the line of scrimmage and further creative use of Bryan Bennett in different spots on the field, with Marcus Mariota and maybe with receiver/emergency QB Daryle Hawkins, too. Three quarterbacks on the field at once.

Mike Bellotti, where are you with the trick plays?

•Â Amazing that Oregon was able to move up in the national rankings after an Arizona game that easily could have been a four-quarter fight.

If the Ducks had been playing against a seasoned, better quarterback, and if Arizona hadn't self-destructed, Oregon wouldn't have led from start to finish, and it would have been a close game in the fourth quarter.

I think the Ducks would have pulled out the win, because they were going to wear down the Wildcats with their tempo and conditioning.

But the Duck offense made a lot of mistakes Saturday night, and the offensive line still hasn't performed at the level needed to beat a strong national title contender.

•Â Funny how Portland State keeps finding ways to lose close football games and give up big numbers defensively, pretty much the way the Vikings did under Jerry Glanville, even though the talent level is much higher now.

Maybe Northern Arizona, coming off a huge win at Montana, will be overlooking the Viks when they visit Flagstaff on Saturday.

•Â Oregon State is for real — if the Beavers can run the ball.

The Beavers did just enough on the ground Saturday to get a big win at UCLA, but the ability to run the ball going to be the key area for them, week in and week out.

Another pivotal question this week: Can the Beavers beat an unranked team?

I'm serious.

So they're 2-0 against ranked teams. That's outstanding, no question. But can they maintain the determination they showed as underdogs against Wisconsin and UCLA against an Arizona team that will be smarting from its humbling, bumbling, stumbling performance at Autzen Stadium?

Tucson in September is not an easy place to play, either.

•Â On to the NFL ...

• I don't mind having replacement referees work NFL games. Of course, I don't have a rooting interest in any team, and I don't bet on games.

Yes, I saw the Seattle Seahawks-Green Bay Packers game.

And, frankly, I enjoy watching the world's best players for once have to deal with some of the less-than-perfect officiating that lower levels of football — notably high school teams — experience most every week.

I am not kidding.

Besides, haven't we always heard it preached that one call or one play doesn't decide a game?

And that the calls even out over the course of a game or season?

So I'd actually like to see the NFL take this a step further. Have typical high school crews from various states work the pro games for a while. For example, Oregon's a neutral state — no NFL team — so have crews from here go work the Giants-Cowboys, Patriots-Jets, 49ers-Cardinals.

Think what a great opportunity this would be for NFL coaches and players to show what good sports they are and how much they support the young athletes and youth sports around the country.

Think of the great NFL public-service announcement commercials!

•Â I've never had a man-crush on Tim Tebow and don't think he's a good NFL quarterback. But the NFL — let alone Twitter — sure was more entertain when he was playing, just to see what would happen. Oh, well, if was fun while it lasted.

•Â Why is the position on offense that has been played by everyone from Jim Brown to Jacquizz Rodgers called running back?

Shouldn't it be running forward?

OK, running backs are in the backfield, I get that. Then just list their position as "backfield."

"Running backs" don't just run with the ball, anyway.

•Â While we're at it, when they have the coin flip, why do they call "heads or tails"?

Shouldn't it be "head" or "tail"?

There's only one coin, with only one head on it and only one tail side.