Why There Is No Need to Hate Florida State

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Last week, I listed Florida State as the biggest villain Oregon has faced in recent memory. When their pairing with the Ducks was announced for the playoff, Oregon fans rejoiced at the ultimate matchup of good versus evil.  As I sat down to write this week, I was fully prepared to crank up the hate machine and fire off a …

The Art and Science of the Blitz – Field Pressure from Florida State

Alex Kirby FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Florida State defensive coordinator Charles Kelly has quite a task in front of him in the upcoming playoff game. First off, he’s got to prepare for a somewhat unusual offense from Oregon; a high-speed, relentless attack that, oh by the way, happens to be led by Heisman Trophy winner, Marcus Mariota. It may be the offense that gets most of …

Will Oregon’s Defensive Secondary Seize the Moment?

Randy Morse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

With news of consensus All-American Ifo Ekpre-Olomu’s season-ending knee injury splashed all over college football pages and blogs from Tallahassee to Eugene, attention has been largely focused on the dire implications for a depleted Ducks’ secondary now forced to go up against last year’s Heisman winner, Jameis Winston, and a dynamic receiving corps led by Rashad Greene, a 6-foot senior …

Depth and Stars Matter at Florida State

Randy Morse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Florida State, Oregon’s opponent in the upcoming Rose Bowl on January 1st, knows how to win. An established football tradition and excellent coaching are complemented by top recruiting classes attracted to the school of 32,000 in Tallahassee, year after year. As the ‘Noles prepare for their showdown with the Ducks, they have not-so-quietly put together the nation’s second-ranked 2015 recruiting …

Troy Hill Talks About The Rose Bowl And How Oregon Got There

Tyler Robinson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

FishDuck.com reporter, Tyler Robinson, reporting from the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. Oregon will take on Florida State in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day and DB Troy Hill put into perspective what this means for the Oregon program. ”It’s a big accomplishment, and it’s really a blessing honestly.” Hill said. “It’s a stepping stone for one of our goals. It’s big. I …

After 120 Years, Maybe This Is the Season

Omar Garibay FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The year was 1894. What were people doing in 1894? They weren’t on the internet and it’s certain that Twitter didn’t exist back then — and what about touch screen phones and GPS systems — did they exist? Nope. Technology was pretty much unheard of during that time. Most people were probably reading newspapers and using this device called the typewriter. But in …

FishDuck.com Looks at the Four Schools in the College Football Playoffs

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Good morning, Ducks! My boss at FishDuck.com likes to say, “What a great time to be writing about our beloved Ducks.” We usually nod in agreement, because disagreeing with our boss doesn’t always end so well. But I’ll be darned if he isn’t right this time. Over the last few years the Ducks have enjoyed unparalleled success. We’re going to welcome the …

Nike Unveils Uniforms for College Football Playoff

Tyler Robinson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It’s generally a well kept secret as to what flashy uniforms the Ducks will wear on game day. But this time we will not have to wait, as Nike unveiled the uniforms for all four football teams in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks are bringing the “O” back. For the first time since the 2011 season, the “O” will …

CFP Committee Chair Jeff Long Explains Final Rankings

Jordan Ingram FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Ducks are going to the Rose Bowl! After lengthy deliberations, the Oregon Ducks were confirmed Sunday morning on ESPN as one of four teams in the first College Football Playoff. The New Year’s Day semifinal playoff games are No. 2 Oregon vs No. 3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl and No. 1 Alabama vs No. 4 Ohio State in …

National Scene: Ohio State is in, Baylor and TCU Are Out

Tyler Robinson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

“Who’s In?” You’ve seen the commercials for ESPN’s College Football Playoff selection show. And you know what? That’s a great question. This conference Championship Week was supposed to help clear some of that up, but that simply wasn’t the case. If anything, picking the top four teams was harder on the selection committee than it has at any other point …

Could Injuries Affect Oregon’s Hopes of Reaching the National Championship?

Austin Willhoft FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

During last Saturday’s game against Utah, the Ducks suffered some significant injuries to some key players. Cornerback Ifo-Ekpre Olomu left early in the game with a bad toe injury, while center Hroniss Grasu went down with a devastating knee injury late in the game. However, the most serious injury that occurred was that to tight end Pharaoh Brown, who was eventually …