This article is for the fans of every other Pac-12 team. These are the fans that hate the Oregon Ducks, even though the reason is different for each and every one. The dislike could be caused by Oregon’s sparkling facilities and uniforms, winning streaks or notable victories (at the cost of an embarrassing defeat for another team). Here at FishDuck.com, …
Given that the landscape of the Pac-12 has changed so dramatically it’s worthwhile to dive into the schedule and attempt to project the teams that will present the stiffest tests for Oregon. We lost to Washington State at home last year but so far this year they look like a train wreck. The teams at the bottom of the Pac-12 (Colorado, …
For the second consecutive season the Ducks are being led not by someone recruited to Oregon, but by a transfer. Not by someone who came in as a 17 or 18-year-old who learned the system from the ground up. Not by someone who’s knowledge of the Oregon offense was built systematically, step-by-step, day-by-day, little-by-little, until it became second nature. No, …
A vast colosseum lies brooding on the banks of a wide lazy trout-filled river. Surrounded by nothing but forest and thick grass, both barely waving in a gentle breeze under azure cloud-dappled skies. Such is the vision of Autzen Stadium from the top of Skinner’s Butte on game day in the fall. A stadium, a field, soldiers marching to battle …
Hope and expectations are close companions in the hearts of Duck fans. For the past eight years our collective hope has been greatness, and our expectation has been a national championship. Twice the Ducks have reached football’s apogee and twice they have slowly fallen back to earth, saddened but not distraught, discouraged but not despairing. Each season our hope has …
I’ll be honest. I didn’t know what to write about this week. I considered several times writing to Charles Fischer and the editors and letting them know I was out of ideas, out of articles, I could write no more, I needed a break. All told, I’ve put down five articles of more than 1,500 words each since early September and had …
Dominance is defined as “the condition of being dominant,” and to be dominant is to “occupy or be in a commanding or elevated position.” For a team to be dominant in college football is now somewhat rare, and apparently becoming more so. Regardless of how you define dominance – including which era (No. 1 ranking in a poll or polls, BCS champion, …
Put down your pitchfork. I’m not your enemy. I’m a Duck fan just like you. I was born in Roseburg, raised in Eugene, and have always been a Duck fan. I understand that the term “Husky alumni” is anathema to you, that you may not even like Huskies as a breed of dog, that the color combination of purple and …
Every win is a good win, but there a few in recent memory that stand head and shoulders above the rest. Some particular characteristic that made the victory extra special, extra satisfying. A few games that bring a smile to your face whenever you remember them. Many others have made such lists about the Ducks, but this article will look …
Everyone knows that Oregon goes fast. Duck football is synonymous with speed and tempo and heaps and heaps of points. This article, however, will delve into the mental aspect of the uptempo pace the Ducks have favored is seasons past, as experienced by the Ducks’ opponents. I want to know if there is a hangover effect from playing the Ducks. Before we go …
When did it happen? When was it that we stopped hoping to win and started expecting to win? Was it the pick in ’94? Nah, too early. Was it our #2 ranking after 2001? Nope, but we’re getting closer. Expecting wins is a more recent trend, but it’s not unreasonable. Unless you’ve been living in a hole for the past …