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Holiday Bowl still wants Ducks despite narrow loss CORVALLIS -- Emotionally drained after Saturday night's heart-stopping 44-41 double-overtime loss to their intrastate rival, the Oregon Ducks reacted like they were the ones whose season was over. There was weeping in the lockerroom. "It helped a lot knowing that we have another game to play," said receiver Damon Griffin. Oregon (8-3, 5-3 Pac-10) slipped from No. 15 to 22nd in The Associated Press Top 25. But the Ducks' flashy, high-scoring offense, led by quarterback Akili Smith, make them a desirable commodity for bowl committees. In fact, the likeliest destination remains the Holiday Bowl, the game Oregon was coveting before the Civil War game. The Dec. 30 game has a large payout, $1.8 million, and will be played in San Diego, Smith's hometown. The Holiday Bowl has a contract with the Pac-10 to invite the No. 2 team from the conference, unless the champion plays in the national championship game, which this year is the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 4 in Tempe, Ariz. UCLA (10-0, 8-0) is No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings and should stay there if the Bruins beat Miami Dec. 5 in a makeup of the game that was postponed by Hurricane Georges Sept. 26. If UCLA plays for the national title, the Rose Bowl bid could be extended to seventh-ranked Arizona (10-1, 6-1). The Rose Bowl still could choose at-large team, such as Notre Dame, to face the Big Ten champion. But there is considerable pressure to invite a Pac-10 team. The last time a current member wasn't in the game was 1919, when Great Lakes Navy beat Mare Island Marine 17-0. Also, Arizona is the only Pac-10 team to never play in the Rose Bowl. If UCLA beats Miami and the Rose Bowl takes Arizona, Oregon would be a natural choice for the Holiday Bowl, with Nebraska or even Texas A&M as the likely opponents. "Oregon's got all the qualities we want: Exciting football, a local young man at quarterback, and they travel well," said Clark Siebrand, chairman of the Holiday Bowl selection committee. "You put all those together, and they become very attractive." Technically, Oregon is tied for third in the Pac-10 with Southern California (7-4, 5-3), but the Ducks beat the Trojans and have a better overall record. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,