Notes from around the college football nation: MUST SEE TV and BCS bidding

Jeff Hostetler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

This weekend is the weekend of truth for most schools….if you are into March Madness and the seeing if the selection committee chooses your school to be in the big dance.  We should all pay attention and try to use their system for when it comes time for choosing teams for the final four of college football playoffs.  We need …

Ducks Pay Back Utah and Gain Another Chance to Claim a Pac-12 Title

Luke Roth FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Utah ended Oregon’s goal of winning the regular season conference championship a week ago in the final Pac-12 game in Salt Lake City with a stifling performance against a flat and uninspired Duck effort. Last night in semifinal action from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in No. 10-seed Utah’s third game in three nights, Oregon got …

Reed Gets Back On Track As Ducks Top Trojans In PAC-12 Opener

Josh Schlichter FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Jake Reed finally got some run support as the Ducks opened their Pac-12 baseball season with a resounding 5-2 victory over the Trojans of Southern Cal.  Oregon’s ace pitcher had been struggling to start the season, as the sophomore watched his ERA balloon to 4.57 through four starts, but it was time to turn the page with league play starting …

Marching to Insanity

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but the definition of insanity is NOT doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.  That’s the definition that your know-it-all brother-in-law will bring out if he disagrees with you about something.  The actual definition is:  adjective: suffering from severe mental illness (i.e., psychotic disorders like …

Loyd’s FT’s Force OT and Kazemi Wakes Up to Help Ducks Advance to Pac-12 Semifinals

Luke Roth FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – First, Johnny Loyd made two critical free throws to tie the score and send the game into overtime. Then, Arsalan Kazemi awakened from a two-and a-half-game funk in time to score 11 points and grab three rebounds in the extra period to lead the Ducks into the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament Wednesday night with a …

Stars — Injured Or Not — Shine On Oregon’s Pro Day

Joel Gunderson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The stars were out in full display on Thursday at the Mo Center for Oregon’s Pro Day, both on the field and off.  In the annual showcase for NFL scouts, Oregon seniors set out one last time in an attempt to woo them.  Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who owns the number one overall pick in April’s draft, …

Where Does Oregon’s Projected 2013 Draft Class Rank Compare To Those Of The Past?

Joey Holland FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

When the NFL draft was instituted in 1936, the process was so primitive that it would be completely unrecognizable today. There were no scouts, no Internet, and no combine.  Instead, executives simply selected players based on rumors, word of mouth, and newspapers clippings. In fact, the first draft in 1936 took place in a hotel room with the names of …

RUDY. RUUDY. RUUUDY! RUUUUDY!!: Overachieving Ducks of the Chip Kelly Era

Sean Goodbody FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

National Signing Day is, by now, a distant memory.  We silently fist-pumped (probably at work) as preps across the nation used something called a “facks machine” for the first (and probably last) time to send their NLIs to Eugene.  We looked over the tremendous haul of new Ducks recruits, nodded in approval, and said things like, “THAT KID IS A …

Recruiting Update: Helfrich to Paint Saban’s Backyard Green & Yellow!

Mark Flores FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Football Recruiting Offers/News New headman Mark Helfrich is starting his tenure with a bang.  Oregon’s normally reserved practice of extending offers late in the recruiting cycle appears to be all but gone.  The newly termed “The Magnificent Seven” are hot on the recruiting trail and offers are a-plenty for aspiring preps who fit the Oregon mold. Tight ends Zack Bornstein …

Oregon Tops Texas State 4-3

Josh Schlichter FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Midweek games continue to treat the Ducks well, and Oregon made the most of key at-bats to top the visiting Texas State Bobcats 4-3 on Tuesday night at PK Park.  After having their bats taken out of their hands by the dominant Vanderbilt pitching staff over the weekend, it was a pleasant sight to see a multitude of hard-hit balls …

Oregon Football Recruiting Manifesto: What Happened in 2012-2013?

Chris Charbonnier FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

This multi-week series will attempt to take a reasonable, logical and unbiased look at Oregon’s recent recruiting successes and failures while analyzing the program’s recruiting philosophy under Chip Kelly.  The series will then look at how that philosophy already has and may continue to evolve under Mark Helfrich before ending with a detailed breakdown of the author’s ideal recruiting blueprint. …