Oregon vs. Kansas State | When: 5:30 p.m., Jan. 3 | Where: Glendale, Ariz.

How Oregon got here: Going into Week 12, Oregon was 10-0, No. 2 in the BCS and poised at the precipice of a national championship berth. Then Stanford visited Eugene and left with a shocking upset. The Ducks’ national championship hopes vanished as they watched Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson sneak a game-winning field goal through the uprights in overtime. Oregon finished 11-1. But one loss doesn’t quite cut it if you’re hoping to play for the crystal football.

How Kansas State got here: Coincidence or providence? The Wildcats lost their chance to play for the national championship on the same weekend that Oregon suffered its own glum fate. K-State was the BCS No. 1 when Baylor ruined the party by handing the Wildcats a 52-24 defeat. The Wildcats rallied to thump Texas in their regular-season finale and finish 11-1. Their reward? A BCS bowl game against the same team they would have met in the big game.

Introducing Oregon coach Chip Kelly: Kelly has turned Oregon into a national football powerhouse. In his four seasons as head coach, Kelly has amassed a 45-7 record and led the Ducks to four straight BCS bowl games, including a national championship berth in 2011. Kelly’s signature quick-tempo no-huddle spread offense has Oregon near the top in almost every offensive category nationally. But rumors are swirling that Kelly will leave for the NFL. Could this be his last game?

Introducing Kansas State coach Bill Snyder: Given the year Snyder has had, maybe other teams will consider coaxing former program icons out of retirement. The architect of the K-State program from 1989-2005, Snyder returned in 2008 to get the Wildcats back on track after a forgettable Ron Prince era. He may be conservative, meticulous and uber-traditional, but Snyder will go down in history as a college football legend. After all, few coaches get to coach in a stadium bearing their name.

Why Oregon will win: It’s a matchup of old-school conservatism versus new-school hurry-up spread offense. The Ducks are so fast offensively that few teams are able to keep up, much less beat them. Stanford succeeded due in large part to a dominant front seven on defense. K-State is good defensively, but not that good. Oregon is averaging 50.8 points per game. If the Wildcats can’t contain quarterback Marcus Mariota and stop running back Kenjon Barner from gaining chunk yardage, Oregon will win the day.

Why Kansas State will win: Remember how Stanford beat Oregon by stymieing the Ducks with an impenetrable front seven on defense? That’s exactly what K-State will try to do. The Wildcats have the 16th-ranked rush defense in the country and have held opponents to less than 120 rush yards per game. The Big 12 champs are playing with confidence behind one of the most efficient QBs nationally. If the defense can hold Oregon’s offense at bay, the Wildcats will triumph.

Three Oregon players to watch

1. QB Marcus Mariota: The freshman sensation has the sixth-best pass efficiency rating in the country. He’s also the Ducks’ second-leading rusher with 690 yards. Watch out, Wildcats.

2. RB Kenjon Barner: Barner is averaging 135.3 yards per game and has an eye-popping 21 touchdowns. He and Mariota form the perfect QB-RB tandem. Both are equally lethal.

3. DE Taylor Hart: A swift menace off the edge, Hart has 10 tackles for loss, including eight sacks. He’ll harass K-State QB Collin Klein nonstop if left unchecked.

Three Kansas State players to watch

1. QB Collin Klein: The Heisman finalist is the Wildcats’ offense. Deft and accurate, Klein leads K-State in rushing (1,141 yards, 27 TD) and passing (1,918 yards, 13 TD).

2. WR Chris Harper: Harper, an Oregon transfer, is K-State’s leading receiver (40 receptions, 547 yards, 5 TDs). He’ll be eager to make a good showing against his former team.

3. LB Arthur Brown: To stop Oregon’s offense, K-State will need a big game from Brown. The linebacker has 101 tackles in 2012, with 9.5 tackles for loss.