The Beavers might have gotten blown out by Our Beloved Ducks on Saturday, but they did gain a conference over the weekend, as it is all but assured that the Pac-12 will live on. The conference poached Colorado State, Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State from the Mountain West Conference. Mr. FishDuck took a minute from his fun at PA Online Casino No Deposit Bonus site, (this article explains what they are) to share his distaste for the current changes to our original conference.
UNLV and the Las Vegas market is a no-brainer, but the Nevada system of state schools comes with complications. Think Cal and UCLA. UNLV is similarly tethered to the University of Nevada, so that needs to be worked out as the University of Nevada is not an appealing choice. So, can the Pac-12 wrestle away UNLV without Nevada? Or, will they give in and take Nevada as well?
The Pac-12 is also looking to be aggressive in quashing the competition. The best non-Power 4 conference is the AAC, and the Pac-12 has eyes on the likes of Memphis and Tulane, which is highly intelligent. If you are not a Power-4 conference, then it is best to be the next best thing. This would put the Pac-12 in a prime position as the new 12-team College Football Playoff will automatically include the top five conference champions.
It also makes one wonder when some of the old Pac-12 teams may come crawling back with their tails between their legs. The quick and dramatic shift in college football has caused some universities (Cal and Stanford) to make knee-jerk decisions regarding realignment. Will the Bay Area schools come to their senses and realize that all the East Coast travel is not worth the non-football sports and get back to putting academics first? Will UCLA throw in the towel due to not being able to compete in football, and after the hefty “Calimony” fee, realize it is just not worth it financially?
Only time will tell.
But, as it stands, in my opinion, the top targets right now should be UNLV, Memphis, UTSA (gotta be in Texas) and Tulane, with South Florida also up for consideration.
Ducks run away from the Beavers. (Photo credit: Eric Becker)
Apple Cup
The Ducks beat the Beavers on Saturday, and it was great to see the Ducks break out of their shell and play the way we all know they are capable of playing.
It was satisfying to see.
But, as a Spokanite here in Eastern Washington I cannot help but feel that the most satisfying part of last Saturday was seeing the Huskies lose to the Cougars.
Sure, the Huskies lost many players along with their head coach from last season’s national runner-up. But, in the wake of moving to a superior conference and leaving their “little brother” behind, the Huskies could not step up to win their rivalry game against an inferior program. The Huskies had to know how awful it would look to lose to the Cougars in the first meeting after leaving the Pac-12.
And. They. Humiliated. Themselves.
It just goes to show that the success the Huskies had over the past two seasons was a flash in the pan not built to last, and it left Seattle when Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama. Jedd Fisch is a good coach who will be successful with the Huskies, but another trip to the championship game is not on the horizon.
Moving Forward
Thank goodness that the Ducks showed and played up to their preseason hype. If not, with a bye week this week, Oregon fans would be stressing out for two whole weeks before they face UCLA and then really start B1G play when Michigan State comes to town on October 4th.
Ducks get defensive in the Civil War. (Photo credit: Eric Becker)
While the Ducks did look sharp, let us not forget that the Ducks are a much more talented team than the Beavers. The Ducks are deep, fast, and full of playmakers, and the Beavers are not. Moving forward into B1G ten play, it will not be this easy.
Ironic that the first “real” (UCLA doesn’t count) B1G game will be against former Beaver coach, Jonathan Smith. The Spartans were predicted to finish in the lower half of the B1G, but they did win at Maryland, a fellow lower-half team, in their only significant contest to date.
At home, this should be a very winnable game for the Ducks as long they show up as they did in Corvallis.
Bye Week
With the Ducks off this week, here are some interesting matchups for Oregon fans to check out:
USC-Michigan: Battle of blue-bloods in the Big House.
Utah-Oklahoma State: A big Big 12 battle.
Tennessee-Oklahoma: Big names and both in the Top 15.
UCLA-LSU: LSU playing both LA schools this year. When was the last time the Ducks did that? And, UCLA stinks with their massively underwhelming hire of Deshaun Foster as the head coach. This could get ugly.
Northwestern-Washington: Here is to hoping the Huskies lose their first B1G game.
The Ducks may not be playing, but the Huskies always give us something to cheer for. As in a great big “L.”
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: Eric Becker
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in technology in SLC, Utah
Share your thoughts about this team in the only free, “polite and respectful” Oregon Sports message board, the Our Beloved Ducks forum!
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.