Are the Playoffs and Realignment HURTING College Football?

Jon Joseph Editorials

Calling the current college football landscape “unfair” would be the understatement of the year. Things weren’t always this way, as conferences used to be aligned according to the regions of the country, with sensible, and most importantly, balanced schedules. Conference champions weren’t determined in revenue-driven championship games. They were simply awarded to the team that had the best record at …

THE”IRRESISTIBLY DELICIOUS” National Championship FINALS and BOWL GAMES

Walter Gray Editorials

The National Championship Finals Two Teams, Four Teams, Six Teams or Eight Teams??? Who Should Play in the Bowl Games? How many teams should be in the National Championship Finals after the five-game National Playoff? We could experiment with several options: (Note: When I refer to “undefeated” or “one-loss”, etc. teams, I’m referring only to their records in the National …

The Pac-14. Now.

Matt Bryant Editorials

The Pac-12’s best this year was no match for the Alabama. The Huskies boasted an impressive defense – it held Alabama about 150 yards shy of its average per game production – but the Tide controlled the game after Washington’s second series. While the Pac-12 has made two of the three semi-finals under the current regime, there was barely restrained …

Bones of Cupcakes Litter Road to Final Four

Mike Merrell Editorials

Mike Merrrell’s Three-and-Out The path to the national championship is teeming with eastern teams leaving bones of cupcakes in their wake. The conference with the toughest, deepest competition is relegated to being the only of the Five Power Conferences with no more than a single “New Year’s Six” bowl. And the Heisman Trophy will undoubtedly go to the best player …

Why Oregon, Underdogs, and the Pac12 Need a Four-Round National Playoff

Matt Bryant Editorials

Vernon Adams is a ringer. NFL scouts are stalking DeForest Buckner. His defense is creating turn-overs now and gets the ball back to Adams. Does anyone really think that the 2015 Ducks aren’t a top 5 team if Adams had stayed healthy? A five-fingered Adams completes the 4th-quarter pass to Byron Marshall against Michigan State. That’s a rematch Adams deserves. But …

“Won Not Done.”

McKalie Bellew FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Do you smell that? It smells like roses to me. As I fly back  to the wonderful City of Eugene, I am so proud to call myself a Duck fan. I am decked out in Oregon gear (again) and ready to see what the players and coaches have to say at press conferences this week about last night’s game and …

‘Bama and Buckeyes Beware: These Ducks Are Headed South

Randy Morse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

This one was over early. The sun hadn’t begun to set over the San Gabriel Mountains by the time the lights had gone out on Jimbo Fisher and Jameis Winston, whose Florida State team suffered a humiliating 59-20 thumping at the hands of Mark Helfrich’s fired-up Oregon Ducks squad. After losing world-class sprinter and outstanding wide receiver Devon Allen to a …

Canada Says Go Ducks!

Randy Morse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

As we approach the first-ever College Football Playoff, pitting the Oregon Ducks against the Florida State Seminoles, it’s becoming increasingly obvious most U.S. football fans across the country have embraced the boys from Eugene as “their” squad. Are the Ducks America’s Team? And what about the rest of the world? In this New Year’s Eve video shot in the alpine wilds of …

Thomas Tyner to the Rescue? A Ducks Fan Hopes So

Randy Morse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

OK Thomas: from one Oregonian to another, man, I need your help. Specifically, I need you to help Royce Freeman, Byron Marshall, Kenny Basset and Marcus Mariota run roughshod over the Florida State defense in the Rose Bowl this Thursday. It’s personal, Thomas. Do it — for me! Top photo by Kevin Cline

ESPNU’s Mike Bellotti on Oregon vs FSU: “Don’t Play Them In The 4th Quarter”

Paul Jones FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

ESPNU hosted four, thirty minute segments on Sunday, each focused on a playoff team and the road required to get each of them to a College Football Playoff victory on New Year’s Day.The show, “Road to the College Football Playoffs,” was co-hosted by former Oregon Football Coach and Athletic Director Mike Bellotti. While the Oregon segment focused on how the …

For Both FSU and Oregon, the Rose Bowl Brings Something New

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Excluding one minor slip up, the loss to Arizona at home, the Ducks have dominated their competition. Their average margin of victory this season, not including the loss, is just over 26 points per game. On the flip side, an undefeated FSU team struggled against many ACC foes on their way to an 11.7 average winning margin. More importantly, when FSU …

Fuzzy’s Guide to Surviving the Rose Bowl: Traffic and Weather

Michael Bigham FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Yahoo!!! Fuzzy can’t wait; it’s almost Rose Bowl time. If you’re going to the game, here’s the official FishDuck.com road and weather report. Weather: New Year’s Day: sunny with a high of 58 degrees. For you warm-blooded folks, shorts and sunscreen are in order, there’s no shade in the Rose Bowl. For those used to winter climates, you might take …