Ducks Head to Stanford Looking for Revenge . . . and Perhaps Venture Capital

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

This is the game that everyone has had circled on their calendars for almost a year.  Oregon at Stanford for championship of the North, bragging rights on the coast, and a chance to play the biggest of the big games in January.  Serious analysis of this game has begun, and will continue up to kickoff Thursday night.  On a less …

The Opponents Locker Room: Cougars Have Nothing but Respect for Oregon

Don Gilman FishWrap

Craig Strobeck Despite the shellacking on the scoreboard, the players from Washington State walked into the press conference with pride intact and heads held high. “We just got to do anything we can to win,” left tackle Gunnar Eklund said, “It’s tough, but in the end you got to get the job done.” “In the years past, around this program, …

The Enemy of My Enemy Still Needs a Good Thrashing

Kim Hastings Best of FishDuck.com Humor

koze950.com If there is one thing that I have in common with Washington State football fans it is my understanding of what makes them mad.  Nothing sets off a Cougar fan like The Color Purple. So let me tell you something indeed. It’s hard to write snarky things about a team that dislikes purple as much as I dislike purple. …

It’s Washington Week! Did You Know . . .

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

college-football.findthedata.org Before the 1916 Game, Yale coach T.A.D. Jones inspired his players to victory when he unequivocally asserted, “Gentlemen, you are now going to play football against Harvard.  Never again in your whole life will you do anything so important.”  To many Duck fans this statement makes very real sense if you just exchange “Washington” for “Harvard.”  Long before the end …

From the Cal Locker Room: Bears Soaked!

Don Gilman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Craig Strobeck The reactions from Cal Quarterbacks Zack Kline, Jared Goff and Head Coach Sonny Dykes were similar.  Each man held himself accountable, and each man saw that  there was hope for the team. “I thought I played well.  I could have played better,” Kline said. “We have a lot to work on for sure.  Definitely as a team we were …

Pregame Analysis — Can the Ducks Stop the “Bear Raid?”

Bob Laws FishWrap

from Video The California Bears come to Autzen this weekend with their vaunted ”Bear Raid” offense and test perhaps the best defensive secondary in the entire country, in the Ducks.  Between the two high-powered offenses, it’s possible we could have combined yardage in the 1,400 to 1,600 range.  This is a Pac-12 game and has meaning to both teams – Oregon on its …

How the Pac-12 Wins Seven Straight Titles

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Amazing Moments Last Monday, I addressed the cracks that were beginning to form in the SEC’s mantle atop college football.  Saturday’s games helped to widen those cracks, as the conference saw member schools challenged by programs such as North Texas and lose a game to Rutgers.  The conference that had enjoyed a long-standing reputation as college football’s best now has …

Hidden Key to the Pac-12 Championship and Possible Nat’l Championship: Stanford’s O-Line

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Kevin Cline  As Duck fans, we have to face the facts.  Stanford beat us last year.  That night they were the better team.  Don’t anybody accuse me of “woulda, coulda, shoulda,” because I don’t have any. It’s the responsibility of the superior team to put enough distance between itself and the competition such that it doesn’t come down to a …

Tide Rolls — sort of — ‘Dogs Take a Hit — BCS Redux, Week 1

Bryan Holt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Kevin Cline The first week of college football has concluded, and I think it’s safe to say, we were well reminded of why fall is the best of the four seasons.  Though it is tough to measure the ability of many teams this early in the season, people around the nation experienced a full dose of excitement in this season’s …

How Far Can Oregon Go?

Don Gilman FishWrap

Kevin Cline Since it is the cusp of a new season and bloggers, pundits and fans are indulging in rampant, ecstatic speculation about their favorite college teams, it seemed appropriate that this column indulge in a little speculation, as well. Suppose Oregon, in this 2013 campaign, ends up with a dream season, running undefeated through the gauntlet of patsies (talking …

Who is Crashing the Party in Pasadena?

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It used to be the Top Ten. A team had to start the season ranked tenth or higher if they wanted to win the national championship, as every team since 1990 had done.  Then along came Auburn in 2010 who cheated lowered the bar, (as they did in so many other areas[1]) of what a team’s preseason ranking needed to …

Pac-12 Rougher, But Ducks Look Tougher

Alex Hausman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Gary Breedlove Amid all the off-season changes and rumors swirling around the mighty Ducks of Oregon, there is still a strong belief around the nation that these Chip Kelly-less Ducks can contend for a national title, and that the Ducks are favorites to win the Pac-12 crown.  If you look across all major sporting websites, specifically at their college football previews, almost every expert has …