The Ducks Remain National Championship Contenders

Nik Brownlee FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It’s about time that Oregon wins a national championship. That’s a bold statement, I know, but I assure you there are reasons for such a claim. The Ducks — specifically, Marcus Mariota –  finally got a Heisman Trophy last year, but winning the final game still eludes the green and yellow. That is going to change soon. Here is some …

Athlon Ranks Helfrich in Bottom Half of Pac-12 Coaches

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out In a move certain to offend all college football fans who haven’t been advised to sell when their IQs reach 50, Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan labeled ASU’s Todd Graham (77-41) the best head football coach in the Pac-12. If that wasn’t gray matter-challenged enough, he relegated Oregon’s Mark Helfrich to the bottom half. It’s time for Lassan …

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and the Conundrum for Student-Athletes

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Remarkable, isn’t it? One ACL tear and a dislocated knee later, and arguably the top cornerback in all of college football barely squeaks by in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. It’s sad, but it’s a reality. One play can ruin everything. For Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, all it took was one unlucky play while practicing for the 2015 Rose Bowl. …

DeForest Buckner Expected to Be a Hot Commodity

Omar Garibay FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The 2015 NFL Draft, which took place in Chicago, Illinois, last week, was a memorable experience for the 256 players that were selected. In total, the ACC had 20 players chosen in the draft, while the SEC had 22 and the Pac-12 had 25. There’s no doubt that the SEC is known as a college football powerhouse, but it’s become …

Three Reasons Mariota Will Save the Tennessee Titans

Jordan Ingram FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

There’s a new sheriff or two in Nashville. Along with Tennessee Titans’ second-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt, former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota has joined a freshly assembled Titans’ posse, and is already regarded as THE guy in Tennessee. The NFL franchise that once boasted the careers of Earl Campbell, Warren Moon and Steve McNair, capitalized big time by swooping up the Heisman Trophy-winner at No. 2 in the first …

Going for Two Is a Numbers Game

Ashley Young FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Circle below the best-fit answer: What are the chances the Oregon Ducks go for two following their first touchdown? Very Unlikely     Unlikely     Beats Me     Likely     Very Likely The statistics are overwhelming. How many times did the scoreboard read 8-? in favor of the Ducks? According to goducks.com, the Ducks were 95% in points-after-touchdown …

Historically Incomparable Mariota Will Set New Standard for NFL Quarterbacks

Joey Holland History

Every spring when the NFL Draft rolls around, scouts and analysts look to compare the best collegiate players to established professional stars. This makes sense to a certain extent, as it provides a level of comfort and perspective for teams deciding between different prospects. The problem is that this process assumes every player entering the draft is comparable to someone …

Why Charles Nelson Should Play Defense Full Time

Nik Brownlee FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

There is just something about Autzen Stadium. The friendly energy of thousands of fans in green and yellow is enough to make any Duck fan feel at home. Sure the spring game is technically the 15th and final “practice” of spring camp, but it sure felt like football season to me. Just like in any game, there was some good …

How the Ducks Attract Recruits Nationwide

Steven Jackson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The University of Oregon is, for the most part, tucked away in the northwest corner of the country and has historically had some trouble luring top recruits from across the nation to come and play for the Ducks. But, thanks to the efforts of former coaches Mike Belotti and Chip Kelly, the Ducks now have a tradition of winning and …

Three Coaches — Three Cultures

Mike Merrell History

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out My first direct contact with a big-time football coach came in fall of 1966 when John Robinson — then an assistant at Oregon — blessed us incoming freshmen swimmers with a pep talk. It was all about what a great athletic family the Ducks were. With a fist waving in the air, Robinson declared that when you …

Can Jeff Lockie Fill the Void?

Jason Selby FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

When Marcus Mariota was leading the Ducks, everything seemed fine and dandy. Last season rolled along, with much success coming for our men in green and yellow, and black and pink, and white and gray, etc. Towards the end of the season, rumors of Braxton Miller transferring to the other dominant ‘O’ were swirled around, but nothing came of it. In the weeks recovering …

Spring Game Shows Flashes of Both Good and Bad

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Football is back, baby. Sure it was just the Spring Game but, hey, we’ll take it! In the annual classic, Team Oregon (White) faced off against Team Pathway (Green). A full list of the rosters can be found here. While it was certainly no regular season game, players came out hard and fast. It was the team’s first game without many …