When Mario Cristobal took over as head coach two years ago, fans were excited about his insistence on getting bigger and tougher on the offensive line. Oregon was going to play a more physical, SEC brand of football. Many had visions of a high-flying Chip Kelly-type offense, complemented with pounding it in the trenches and controlling the clock. Maybe it …
That’s right, it doesn’t. Mario Cristobal could hire a young reincarnation of Sean Payton, Lincoln Riley or Bill Walsh. Ya know, hire the next offensive “genius.” But, if that chosen one is only allowed to coach with one hand tied behind his back, then, it doesn’t matter. Oregon will not become elite. Oregon will not win a National Championship. It’s time …
LSU, Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama are currently the four best programs in college football. They are the elite, and the Ducks would love nothing more than to crash that party. A solid victory over No. 8 Wisconsin could serve as a solid “best of the rest” steppingstone in Oregon’s quest to join them. Five Thoughts on the Eve of the …
This Wednesday, December 18, is the day the recruits can begin to officially sign with teams for the 2020 recruiting cycle. Per 247sports.com, the Oregon Ducks’ 22-man recruiting class currently ranks No. 16 nationally — good for second in the Pac-12 only behind Washington at No. 14. Of course, at this point, all the commitments are merely verbal, so recruits …
It’s amazing how a coach who puts such an emphasis on being “tough” can trot out an offense that’s so weak. We get it, Coach Mario Cristobal. You want to control the ball, control the clock, dominate the line of scrimmage, and run vertically between the tackles. This is great when it works, but when it doesn’t, you simply look …
No doubt about it, the Oregon Ducks are putting together a very special season. After the tumultuous events that played out after the fall of the program under former coach Mark Helfrich in 2016, Oregon fans must be elated about how things have turned around with current head coach Mario Cristobal. Having said that, while the Ducks are a solid …
It’s Saturday morning, and with Charles Fischer being a late scratch from his usual Saturday slot, it falls upon me to get everyone pumped up for some Oregon football! There’s just one problem …. The Ducks have the day off. Thanks, Charles. So, I thought I’d get an early start on previewing the Arizona game by taking a quick look …
In explosive fashion, the Ducks destroyed USC on Saturday night. But as we all know, USC isn’t really USC right now, and hasn’t been for a decade. They’ve painfully spent the past 10 years learning what their blue-blood counterparts learned long ago; that in the modern era of college football you can’t rely on reputation alone. But, make no mistake …
The only thing worse than having a monkey on your back is having a Cougar on your back. Because if there’s a Cougar on your back, it probably has its jaws locked around your neck as you lay there in the dirt, bug-eyed, getting the life sucked out of you. As you “enjoy” your last few moments of life, there’s …
The gloom and doom of the dark clouds and rain hung over Husky Stadium on a late Saturday in October like the ominous slasher in a cheesy teenage Halloween horror movie. And when the blood finally dried, it was the Huskies who were one of the teenagers who got slashed, while the Ducks were the lucky one who barely escaped …
… of the sand. What’d y’all think I was gonna’ say? After the Ducks came out throwing to start Friday night’s game against Colorado, ESPN color commentator (and former UW QB) Brock Huard repeatedly kept making the point of how the Ducks needed to establish the run. He emphasized that running is this team’s identity, as they have been formed …
“Tough … Physical … Impose our will … Dominate the line of scrimmage … Win the trenches,” etc., etc … All are terms that Mario Cristobal loves to throw out when describing his new identity for the Oregon football team. But there’s a term I’d like to hear more of around the Oregon offense. Smart. Before I dig into my …