Admittedly, I am no maestro of the X’s and O’s. I have a good general knowledge of plays and formations but I will not be breaking down any offensive schemes here on FishDuck.com anytime soon. So, I go with my gut, and it just felt like the Ducks were being a little too “cute” on offense at Texas Tech. Far too many plays going horizontally with pitches to the outside and screen passes.
So, I funnel my inner Al Davis by saying that the Ducks need to stretch the field. The Ducks are loaded at receiver, have one of the best deep threats in the country in Troy Franklin, and a quarterback who can throw the long bomb. The run game was not up to snuff against Tech, so it is time to stretch the field to open things up in the run game and underneath routes. Enough of the dink and dunk “getting guys into space” stuff.
Go deep.
Too Early for Two
Down 15-13 in the second quarter after scoring a touchdown, Texas Tech decided to go for two, and failed. Ultimately, the failed two-point attempt did not come into play late in the game, but it sure could have.
Up 31-30 late in the game, I bet many Oregon fans were like me, thinking, “Boy, were the Red Raiders dumb for going for two early in the game.”
The problem is that many of these same Oregon fans would probably want the Ducks to go for two in a similar situation. I get it, the testosterone gets pumping and you are eager for a tie over being down: “Let’s tie this thing up! Go for it! No good being down by one!”
Brandon Dorlus makes some noise at Autzen. (Photo by Video)
But, there is a good part about being down by one early in the game, as you might be tied late in the game and not down by one. You see, you just never know how things will play out, so take the easy point. You might really, really need it later.
The Portland State Game Told Us Nothing
If anything, it was completely misleading. As John Canzano put it, the Portland State matchup is simply a “business transaction.” The Ducks got an easy win and a home game, while Portland State got a much-needed payday. Hopefully, as college football “evolves,” these types of matchups will be eliminated.
Texas Tech was Oregon’s first game.
The Pac-12 Has Eight Ranked Teams
Knock on wood. The conference is loaded, and Alabama is down — so what a great start to the season. The Pac-12 also has multiple top Heisman Trophy candidates. The dream scenario is two playoff teams and a second straight Heisman winner to send the Pac-12 out in style.
But, let us be real. That would be the most un-Pac-12 thing ever. The odds are much more likely that the conference will cannibalize itself, choke in the bowl season, and that some dude like Quinn Ewers wins the Heisman.
The glorified scrimmage against Portland State provided zero information on the status of the Ducks. (Photo by Video)
That, my friends, would make the Pac-12 go out in the most Pac-12 way possible. But, then again, maybe I’m wrong. One could argue that kicking ass with one foot in the grave would be very Pac-12-ish by achieving greatness with no future to build towards.
Stay tuned.
The Mel Tucker “Incident”
Not to pile on the guy, but as I read up on the case, my mind could not help but add up how much money Tucker might lose if fired for cause. But, first of all, I just want to say that even if everything he has said is true (which is highly questionable), as a public figure, he needed to be way, way more intelligent about things.
The remaining amount on his contract is, give or take, $70 million. He has said that his marriage was already on extremely shaky ground, so the public humiliation could propel his wife to file for divorce, which would cost him half of what he already has. Who knows what his current net worth really is, but Google tells me $50 million. And, of course, he will be a pariah on the coaching market so his future earnings will take a huge nosedive. Also, endorsements, speaking fees, public appearances, etc…
It looks like this could cost him well over $100 million. That is a lot of money to lose over a little, shall we say, “self-gratification.” Talk about blowing it.
Time for Oregon to gratify its fans this Saturday with improvement and solid play.
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: Video
Andrew Mueller, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in higher education in Chicago, Illinois.
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Darren Perkins is a sales professional and 1997 Oregon graduate. After finishing school, he escaped the rain and moved to sunny Southern California where he studied screenwriting for two years at UCLA. Darren grew up in Eugene and in 1980, at the tender age of five, he attended his first Oregon football game. His lasting memory from that experience was an enthusiastic Don Essig announcing to the crowd: “Reggie Ogburn, completes a pass to… Reggie Ogburn.” Captivated by such a thrilling play, Darren’s been hooked on Oregon football ever since. Currently living in Spokane, Darren enjoys flaunting his yellow and green superiority complex over friends and family in Cougar country.