Nick Saban looks on with his arms crossed.

Saban says, OFFENSE WINS; is Mario Cristobal Listening?

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

We all grew up hearing “Defense wins Championships,” and the early Nick Saban National Championship teams at Alabama epitomized this mantra. Yet college football has begun to change: Alabama scored 45 points against Auburn in 2019 and lost, and it took over 50 points to win the SEC Championship in 2020 over No. 7 Florida (52-46). Everyone watched the carnage …

Yogi Roth: “What ELSE do you WANT, Oregon Fans?”

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

The above quote might seem jarring to us today, but on the night of the Pac-12 Football Championship in December the words of Yogi Roth rang quite true.  I recorded the segment “Pac-12 After Dark” and kept it for precisely for what we are doing now; to see if what he declared that evening still has relevance two months later. …

Early Lines Set: Which Team is YOUR Preference in the BIG GAME?

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

The long wait is over. We are now barely a week away from Super Bowl 55, and we finally know who will be playing for the Lombardi Trophy. The Conference Championships have concluded, and the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the last teams standing in their respective conferences. After the Super Bowl contending teams have been …

Fiesta Bowl GameDay: Winning Hinges on Unusual Questions

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

Say it, and say it loud: 2020 Pac-12 Champions! With as bad a year as this could be in so many ways, Our Beloved Ducks still pulled off a conference championship among so many unforeseen  challenges? Yes, Washington fans assert that Oregon backed into the Championship game, but only because they backed out of a rivalry game with Oregon due to …

The BRAND is Changing: For Oregon Football and FishDuck!

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Announcements

The Oregon Brand has changed with the massive improvements in recruiting, which the fans love, but that change has also marked the demise of the high scoring offense that made Oregon known nationally, which a great many of us have lamented. But let’s face it folks: the recent extension of Coach Mario Cristobal‘s contract has cemented Oregon’s new “tough” label.  …

Oregon Ducks Football - FishDuck.com in Eugene, OR

Ducks Stun USC and Oregon Fans with Los Angeles Surprises

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

I wished for another “Utah Miracle” yesterday before the Pac-12 Championship Game and received one in Los Angeles! The surprises began from the very start of the game, as the Ducks put together their best defensive showing (considering the competition) of the year and truly pulled together an amazing team performance. Nearly everyone I spoke to before the game was …

Pac-12 Championship GameDay: Can Oregon Pull-Off Another UTAH MIRACLE?

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

Good gosh, I’m a mess! So many mixed emotions as an Oregon fan. On one hand there’s the embarrassment over the conference’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, the anger of losing to two teams a great team should never lose to, the disappointment of a defensive regression far worse than anticipated prior to the season, and the frustration of getting …

Were they Watershed Losses for the Team, the Fans or CRISTOBAL?

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

Everyone is still reeling from unexpected losses to opponents that most would place in the bottom half of the conference. I actually wonder if the team truly understands the spot they are in, because for many of us Greybeard-age fans, this is a watershed moment. It is now that thousands of fans are “checking out until next fall” and losing …

Shocked and Awed! How Surprised are YOU with the Womens Basketball Team?

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

Aren’t we all a little humbled from time-to-time with outcomes we thought we knew in advance turning out to be completely wrong? Oregon’s football losses to bottom-half teams is one of those head-scratching disappointments, and who saw Colorado being undefeated? Humble pie served to the prognosticators at both ends of the table! This year’s Women’s Basketball team is another of those …