In defense of Pac-12 Commisioner Larry Scott, he did start his tenure with guns blazing. He successfully re-branded the conference, inked a big, fat television deal, and made a bold attempt at stealing away the top Big 12 schools. He corrected several things that were long overdue for a conference that was falling behind the times under former commissioner Tom …
It might seem silly to talk about dynasty the Monday after a disastrous victory against California. Just as the Ducks started to look competent on both sides of the ball, Justin Herbert, Royce Freeman, and Dillon Mitchell suffered injuries. All of this coming at a time when the Ducks are already thin at quarterback (Herbert’s backup wasn’t practicing at quarterback …
What the hell is wrong with college football? How is it possible that we have college football playoffs. So. Completely. Wrong? Let me first preempt the inevitable retort from Ohio State Fans: I like Urban Meyer. I like how his Bucks play. This is not an anti-OSU piece. If we are going to debate who the best college football coaches …
Mark Helfrich and Oregon football 2016: So much written, so much argued, so much uncertainty. Amidst the turmoil, one thing is clear: The program now stands at a critical crossroads and turns taken here … or not taken … will shape Ducks athletics for many years to come. In short, the Roman Empire is falling and we must decide: Have …
Twenty-one Power Five coaches won nine regular season games in 2015. Nineteen of those coaches are back with the same school this season. Of the two coaches not returning, one is Art Briles, formerly of Baylor, who was fired not for how his team’s on-field performance, but rather his team’s horrifying behavior off of it. The other nine-win coach who …
May rabies ravage the Dawgs and anthrax annihilate the Aggies! It’s not as if Oregon‘s Athletic Directors haven’t made a valiant effort. The Ducks once had home engagements scheduled with the Georgia Bull Dogs and the Texas A&M Aggies, only to be left at the altar by that castrated, chicken whip, canine University of Georgia, as well as being dumped …
How a season is viewed is all a matter of perspective. Regardless of achievement or outcome, if expectations are not met, it is viewed as a disappointment. Conversely, if the result exceeds expectations, it is viewed as a success. More importantly, when those successes and failures happen is just as relevant to their perception as whether or not they happen …
Predicting a game is hard … ask any athletic director in college football, who are often required to anticipate the quality of their opponents as far as a decade ahead. Contrast that challenge with the fact that TV networks rarely make scheduling decisions sooner than 12 days before broadcast. The variables are myriad. From weather to attendance, to finance … …
I am an old man. As an old man, I have the right, nay the responsibility, to take losses hard. After all, there are fewer victories in my future than in the future of, for example, my editor. This discussion of my age explains, in part, my reaction to our loss against Ohio State the other night. I can only …
Sometimes life can be pretty good. The unfortunate thing about real life: we don’t always get a storybook ending. Life goes on. For Oregon, that’s a good thing, because the best days of this football program are still ahead. I know Monday night was painful, Oregon fans. But I’m here to reassure you of one thing: the Ducks aren’t going anywhere. …
FishDuck.com editor Natalie Liebhaber reports from the National Championship game in Arlington, TX. Urban Meyer beamed with pride as he took his seat at the post-game press conference after his Ohio State Buckeyes left the field at AT&T Stadium as the inaugural College Football Playoff National Champions. Meyer expressed his respect for his opponent, our Oregon Ducks, over and over throughout …
The Spread-Option offense is a mix-up of a hundred years of football knowledge and tactics, a combination of the antiquated Triple-Option employed by Navy and Notre Dame, the run-heavy offenses of Vince Lombardi and Woody Hayes (Ohio State), and the Run and Shoot variations of Harvey N. “Rusty” Russell, Glenn “Tiger” Ellison, and Darrell “Mouse” Davis (Portland State). Since then, these offensive schemes have been expanded, mutated, …
