Here we are in late January, and the football withdrawals are hitting hard. What do I do with my Saturdays? I live up here in the cold of eastern Washington, so I cannot just go outside and find a project in the yard to work on. That is still a couple months away. Thankfully, I do have my Seahawks to keep me actively invested for the next 10 days.
Unfortunately, tuning into Oregon basketball is not a healthy alternative. So, we will stick with some football thoughts for today… (Even Mr. FishDuck winced at the mention of basketball in Eugene, and paused from his fun at Hacksaw Gaming slots to remind me of his second favorite sport as a Duck, Oregon Baseball.)
Sam Ngata
The Ducks land the 3-star linebacker, rated as the 48th linebacker prospect per 247Sports. And yes, he is the son of Ducks legend Haloti Ngata. Haloti was such a “get” for the Ducks 25 years ago, a time when defensive linemen built like him simply did not play at Oregon. Typical Oregon DLs back then came in the size of Sam (6-4, 215) and were required to major in Buffet Studies so they could pack on the necessary weight to play D by the time they were juniors.
Arch Manning
Early returns for 2026 are showing Manning as the early Heisman favorite. He did get much better in the second half of the season and rightfully deserves to be in the discussion. As if he does not get enough media coverage already, be prepared for Arch and his last name to set the record in 2026 for the most ad nauseam, sickening, overexposure in the history of the sport.
And, yes, I just upchucked a little in the wastebasket next to my desk as I typed that.
Dakorien Moore looks to become Oregon’s most heralded receiver ever. (Photo by FishDuck Football Pictures)
The S-E-See Ya Later
Three straight seasons without winning it all has to have the folks down south lighting up the mental health crisis lines (also known as the Paul Finebaum Show). But, nobody in the rest of the country is losing any sleep over your slipping, New York Yankee-esque, grip on the sport. In this NIL age of college sports, the SEC can no longer hoard all the best players.
But, do not hang your heads, southerners; you are all doing great. For, as we all learned as children, “sharing is caring!”
Moore and Moore
One of my goals for Oregon is to have Dakorien Moore transform into a sure-fire, first-round NFL draft pick stud. Like Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. The Ducks have never had a pass catcher of that magnitude on offense. The kind of guy who will make opposing fans say “oh crap” every time Dante Moore releases the ball next season, because they know something bad is about to happen to their team.
Well, into the offseason we proceed. The weather will improve. The mood will improve. The fun will kick into full swing. A few lawns will be mowed. We will watch some fireworks. The dog days of summer will hit. Then, finally, to top it all off: football will be back.
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: Evan Bernstein
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.