Friday night, as the Ducks waited for the final seconds to expire on a dominating 72-54 victory over the fifth-seeded Badgers, one thing became exceedingly clear. This team is dangerous — very dangerous. It’s time to put the “underdog,” “feel-good,” “ragtag” narrative to rest. The Ducks are a talented, hungry and skilled group of players, with a coach who is …
The start of spring football marks a critical point on the recruiting calendar. It’s one of the busiest times of the year, as prospects use this time to travel across the country and see what each program has to offer. The Ducks have already kicked things into gear, with over a dozen prospects expected to make the trip to Eugene …
While fans waited in anticipation as the Ducks finished off their 2019 recruiting class, the coaches on staff were busy laying the groundwork for the 2020 class behind the scenes. Their diligence paid off, as the Ducks already have a couple of commitments for the 2020 cycle. The headliner is Deeland, Fla. athlete Avantae Williams: a 5’11, 170-lb. missile who …
By now, Duck fans are well aware that Mario Cristobal is an ace recruiter. At Alabama, Cristobal was named the 2015 “Recruiter of the Year” by both Rivals.com and 247Sports. Four years later, he’s still going strong, securing the Ducks’ best-ever recruiting class this offseason. But he won’t spend the next six months resting on his laurels. Recruiting is a year-round …
One of the most complicated coach/coordinator pairings in the country has lasted for only a season. The news that 247 Sports reported on Wednesday was confirmed in a press release from Oregon on Thursday: defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt and the Ducks have “mutually reached an agreement to part ways.” The timing may have been unexpected, but few thought that Leavitt would stay …
People say that pressure makes diamonds. Fans of Oregon football hope that’s the case in 2019. After a couple of years flying under the radar, the Ducks are firmly back in the national picture. They stunned the country with their blistering recruiting performance, locking in a top-10 class for the first time in program history. And they were the talk …
Super Bowl weekend is one of the most bittersweet times of the year. As viewers across the country tune in to watch the two best teams at the highest level of the sport suit up, reality soon sets in that the roughest stretch of the calendar year is upon them. There is merely one game separating fans from a seven-month …
On Championship Saturday, after all the games had concluded and the festivities died down, uneasy fans of Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio State waited in angst. Three playoff spots had already been locked up, and all that was left was a single slot for three worthy contenders. How could Georgia — a team that gave the overwhelming favorite Crimson Tide everything …
Oregon’s offense underachieved in 2018. The offensive unit had a variety of issues throughout the season, and those issues were alarmingly prevalent in the Redbox Bowl against a feisty Michigan State defense. Although the Ducks earned a hard-fought victory, it wasn’t because of their offense, which struggled to establish any sort of rhythm throughout the game. Oregon finished with a …
It was billed as the biggest National Championship Game since the legendary meeting between USC and Texas in 2006. The unheard of fourth straight postseason matchup between Alabama and Clemson had all the makings of an instant classic. The field was littered with future NFL draft picks. The opposing quarterbacks were among the best in the sport. And head coaches …
If one thing is true in college football, it’s that programs aren’t created equally. A handful of teams rule the landscape, and, as evidenced by the fourth straight year of Alabama versus Clemson in the college football playoff, championships are generally won by the same exclusive group of perennial, blue-blood programs. To this point in their history, the Oregon Ducks …
College football is changing. Back in the day, the playing field was reserved for upperclassmen; freshman contributors were basically nonexistent. Today, with more players getting advanced training from a young age, freshmen are now integral parts of nearly every roster. Look at last year’s national championship game, in which the best teams in the country played for a title with …