The Oregon Edge: Duck Defense v. TCU Defense

Evan Markel Analysis, Fish Reports

Last week I investigated the Oregon defense by comparing key metrics over the past 10 years. In doing so, I was able to discover how the Ducks have evolved on the defensive side of the ball. By establishing a baseline comparison to past performance I can now confidently compare the 2015 defense to other Oregon teams. Because team offense has an …

Next Year’s Playoff: Ducks, Bucks, And The SEC

Noah Smith FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Let me give you a fair warning here, I am from New Orleans, Louisiana; I live outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Outside of Oregon, the LSU Tigers are my favorite college team. I give you that qualifying statement so you’ll understand when I say that I believe the SEC is the strongest conference, top down, in college football. Part of …

How The Mighty Have Fallen: SEC, Pac-12 and Ranked Bowl Games Review

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Oh how the mighty have fallen. West Coast football fans have been saying it for years, but finally the SEC took an undeniable turn and it wasn’t in an upward direction. The storied “powerhouse” conference saw it’s least successful bowl season in years among ranked teams, of which it led the nation with seven. When the final bowl game with a …

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 …

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Rivalry Week

Tyler Robinson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It’s the one time a year when you’ll tailgate and share beers with the opposing fan base. Why? Because these people have been your friends for ten years and you genuinely enjoy their company. But let’s be honest, these people that you call “friends,” you want to crush them. Their potential anguish directly coincides with your happiness. This is Rivalry …

The Top Three Teams That Threaten the Ducks’ Championship Chances

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Let it be said that a team is not going to beat the Ducks by being defensively-oriented. Stanford, the second best defense in the country at the time, lost to Oregon by 29. The Ducks beat the best and the second-best pass rushing teams by a combined 49 points. An opponent simply can’t just have a good defense and expect to beat the Ducks, it’s not …

College Playoff Update: Wait and See

Steven Holstad FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

There was no movement at the top of the polls, but that doesn’t mean there was a shortage of drama. The playoff picture underwent some serious changes as teams saw their playoff dreams dashed while others now find themselves in control of their own destinies. Mississippi State Bulldogs The top ranked team in the nation didn’t have too much of …

An Irreverent Guide to the College Football Playoffs

Michael Bigham FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Here’s what you need to know about the top eight contenders for the four spots in the College Football Playoff: Mississippi State University Mascot: Now called the Bulldogs. MSU players were formerly known as the Maroons. Fun Fact: MSU denies that the famous Bugs Bunny phrase, “What a Maroon,” referred to Coach Jackie Sherrill who had his team witness the …

Please God, No More Injuries for my College Fantasy Football Team

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Dear Deshaun Watson (and fans of Clemson Football), I’d like to apologize. You were looking so good, and Clemson was on such a roll, and then I took you for my College Fantasy team. I’ve given in to my curse. Two straight weeks, two straight Heisman hopefuls injured. Taysom Hill, I apologize to you as well. After your injury I figured that was …

Notes From Around the College Football Nation: Ole Miss on a Roll and a Recruiting Recap

Jeff Hostetler FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Signing day has come and gone.  If you’re an Ole Miss fan, you likely think you just won a national championship, while other schools felt like they lost the big game.  Now it’s time to start speculating who will be the #1 team going into the preseason. 1. Ole Miss pulled off the recruiting heist of the century, landing the …