This year was marked by an underachieving defense from the outset. However, it is worth reiterating that a great deal of the defense’s underachievement came as the result of Jevon Holland, Brady Breeze and Thomas Graham opting out. At the end of the season, though, we can say that this is the start of a new era for Oregon’s defense. Mario …
The Fiesta Bowl Is a Must-Win for Oregon and the Pac-12
In my very first article for FishDuck, I wrote about why Oregon would be the team to save the Pac-12 Conference. I wrote that this would require Oregon getting to the playoff and making it to the National Championship Game. But this year, with all of the unexpected setbacks from COVID-19, we have to settle for a non-playoff New Years …
The 2020 Pac-12 Championship is a Sham
2020 has not been a good year for Pac-12 football, and has become a major disappointment for Oregon fans. COVID-19 has taken its toll on all of NCAA Football, but the Pac-12’s decision to start late has left the conference truly undecided heading into championship week. To complicate matters, only one team has actually played all its scheduled games this …
Oregon’s Offense Must Stop Shooting Itself in the Foot
Oregon has yet to put a solid four quarters of play together this season. Against Cal, it was Oregon’s offense that lost the game, where in the previous week against Oregon State it was Oregon’s defense. The defense this past weekend, despite a terrible first half, put together its best performance of the season. The defense obviously needs to continue …
Oregon’s Defense Is a Cascading Failure
After four ugly games, it’s safe to say Oregon’s defense has failed on every level. Oregon has the most talented roster in the Pac-12 on paper, and when you assess each player individually, this is true. However, football is a team sport, and instead of putting a cohesive defense on the field, Oregon has eleven players just running around. A …
Winning Ugly: When Culture Wins Out
Good teams win games and lose games, but truly great teams always find a way to win. This does not mean Oregon is a great team, but they are on their way to greatness. Oregon is currently 3-0, and as fans, we haven’t felt good about any of those three wins. Against Stanford, Oregon turned the ball over twice and …
The Green Wall: Oregon’s New Offensive Line
This is not the year we envisioned for Oregon’s offensive line. We all expected to have Penei Sewell anchor the left side this fall. However, the pandemic robbed us of the opportunity to watch Sewell dominate the line of scrimmage for one final season as a Duck, as he instead prepares for the 2021 NFL Draft. Sewell’s opt-out dramatically changed …
Is Marcus Mariota Destined for Coaching?
Marcus Mariota is the greatest Oregon football player of all time. He won Oregon its first Heisman Trophy and still holds most of the quarterback records for Oregon. Tragically, though, Mariota suffered the all-too-frequent fate of many great college players; he was drafted early by a team that had no idea what to do with him. At Tennessee, he played in …
Oregon’s Path to the Playoff Is Riddled with Potholes
Oregon can make the College Football Playoff in 2020 despite a a shortened season. Their path, however, is narrow, and the Ducks will require help. What Oregon has control over is two things: win and win big. Oregon cannot afford to win games by only one score this year. If Mario Cristobal and company are serious about making the playoff, …
Does College Football Need Its Cupcakes?
In any normal year, College Football is filled with early games against FCS schools that typically culminate with blowout victories. These “cupcake” matchups tend to be tolerated by a hungry fan base that is looking to watch their team play a real game for the first time in nine months. But once the initial excitement fades, these games are at …
Can Oregon Break Up the Playoff Status Quo?
College football is getting less competitive. The playoff’s goal was to expand the number of teams that could compete for the national championship every year by widening the field from two to four. Not much of a playoff, and it seems even less so with a cast of four usual suspects: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. These four teams …
The Tragic Tales of Chip Kelly and Julius Caesar
If Chip Kelly were the Julius Caesar of football, or more importantly of Oregon football, then that would make Mario Cristobal Caesar Augustus. If you are not already aware of the magnificent FishDuck Repository, you should take a look at it. It has some great articles concerning the Men of Oregon, and today we are going to look at one …