Football Mysteries: Player Names, Home Team Losses and Inter-conference Play

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out More so than most years, this college football season has produced much which, on the surface, just doesn’t make a lot of sense: home teams frequently losing, hardly anybody staying undefeated, a log jam of one-loss teams that threatens to be impossible to sort out, and yes, even players’ names. Making sense of players names, home team …

Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out: College Football Playoff

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It would be kind to say that a four-team playoff is an improvement over the BCS Championship that it replaced. But what we have isn’t quite the same as trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It’s more like trying to fit five square pegs plus a few splinters into four round holes. What could go wrong? …

Mike Leach Unplugged — on FishDuck.com

Jason Fowler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The narrow loss to No. 2 Oregon wasn’t considered a statement game, according to Cougar head coach, Mike Leach, but “a step in the right direction today.” He went on to say, “I think we just need to focus on practicing and improving, but I thought we played extremely hard the entire game.” WSU dropped this well-fought battle by a score of …

Mike Merrell’s Three-And-Out: Nick Aliotti Was Right

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

I know. He was fined. It was not politically correct. It was even against the rules. But it was honest, and it was the truth. Just as Nick Aliotti intimated (well, spouted off, actually), during garbage time of last year’s Oregon/Washington State game Wazoo coach Mike Leach should have been working on his running game instead of scoring two passing …

2014 Predictions — Part Three

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Good morning, Ducks! Last Saturday I brought you Part One of my Super Accurate 2014 predictions for the upcoming football season. Part Two was available to subscribers only. If you want to subscribe, my PayPal information is available. Subscribers get inside information on my predictions as well as fun, behind the scenes looks at my life. A look inside the …

The Decline and Fall of the Trojan Empire

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It seems like such a short time ago. The very name “USC” brought about a sense of awe. Many of us liked to say the whole thing without shortening it – ”The University of Southern California.” They were who we wanted to be – a perennial power. The top of the college football world. They played in “The Coliseum.” No need for …

Division Powers: Pac-12 North

Pat Pannu FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Pac-12 is one of the best conferences in the country. The conference has changed vastly since its conception, but one thing has always stayed the same: winning. With the addition of Utah and Colorado three years ago (how time flies), the Pac-12 was split into two divisions: North and South. Though the North …

Pac-12 Power Positions: Cornerback

Pat Pannu FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Exactly two months from today, Abiliene Christian plays Georgia State in the first game of the 2014 football season. As we march closer and closer to the glorious time of the year that we know as football season, we still must feed the monkey that is our football addiction. One way we can do that is by looking at some of …

A Developing Rivalry: Stanford University Cardinal

Pat Pannu FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Oregon-Stanford football rivalry might not be the oldest or most polarizing, but for the last few years it has been the one with the most on the line for both teams.  The rivalry is not new, only recently becoming intense enough to warrant the level of dislike and hatred between the teams and fan bases for it to be called a …

College Football Nation: SEC dominates the Draft … Again and Kentucky Goes All In — For Football

Jeff Hostetler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

With spring ball over, football fans have now turned their attention to the NFL Draft.  This is a special time where schools and conferences can brag about who’s going to the NFL, while still on the recruiting trail.  We then have Kentucky going all out for football … which is a first, since it is known more for its basketball.  Finally there …

SEC ‘Gauntlet’ Missing Lower Teeth

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Those from the lower right corner of the country would have us believe that the fabled SEC gauntlet provides no rest for the weary warriors, as they battle their way through one formidable SEC foe after another.  Top to bottom, the SEC is just the toughest thing going in college sports, or so the story goes. The SEC’s recent decision …

Oregon Receivers Are the Key to Ducks’ Explosive Run Game

Levi Steier Analysis

When analyzing Oregon’s offense, it quickly becomes clear they have an uncommon number of explosive plays.  According to ESPN’s PAC-12 Blog, an explosive play is defined as any play that gains 20 or more yards.  In 2013 the Ducks were able to gain 20+ yards on a single play 106 times. 42 of these were rushing plays; 14 of which …