It does not seem we have seen this rendition of Oregon football play its best ball.
Which begs the question: Will they?
Here are some ramblings as I stew over Oregon’s upcoming Orange Bowl appearance against Texas Tech…
The Second Half Letdown Against JMU
I am not going to overreact to what happened to the Ducks in the second half of the James Madison game, a half in which Oregon was outscored 28-17. The game was a total blowout, and the defense seemed to become disinterested as the Dukes pulled out every stop in the book. It is good that the Ducks got any shortcomings (in this case, a psychological letdown) out of the way before playing a real game in the quarterfinals.
Do not get me wrong; what happened in the second half was not a good thing. But, best to get it out of the way now, as it gives Dan Lanning something to bark at his team about for the next week in preparation for Texas Tech. Any sort of similar letdown against the Red Raiders will end the Ducks’ season.
Can the Oregon brain trust get them to peak, like, right now? (Photo by Gary Breedlove)
Who Are These Ducks?
We still do not really know. We thought we did after the Penn State game, but then that got turned on its head. On that day, I do believe Penn State was a Top-5 team and played like one against the Ducks before melting down in the following weeks. So, that Oregon team can make a serious run.
But that was long ago. Does that Oregon team still exist?
We are about to find out.
Can the Ducks Peak?
The Ducks have elite talent on both sides of the ball, a high-powered offense, and a potential No. 1 overall pick at quarterback. But, in spite of their impressive 12-1 record, it seems we have not seen them play their best ball. Victories have been ho-hum and shoulder-shrugging. Some are less inspiring than others.
As Oregon faithful, we are left wondering if they are ever going to play up to their full potential.
We love to talk about “peaking at the right time.” Well, if there was ever a time to do that, this would be it. Oregon peaked in midseason last year, and it cost them in the postseason. Lanning’s strategy this season, with giving the two-deep more reps during the season, was meant to have the team fresh and running on all cylinders come playoff time.
It is time to put the pedal to the metal. Are the Ducks going to go from zero to 60 at a Formula 1 pace? Or, are they going to merely sputter, backfire, and stall?
Time for the Ducks to inject lead into that right foot and burn some serious rubber.
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: Max Unkrich
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in financial technology in SLC, Utah.
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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.