How good is this current Duck basketball team? Here is one fan’s assessment of the Oregon’s 2017-18 team roster through the non-conference games. Full disclosure: I have no basketball coaching background, nor did I have much of a competitive playing career. However, I have been an avid fan long enough to have attended NBA doubleheaders and to have observed Dick …
The Problem Last month, I speculated that Oregon’s future schedules may not be sufficiently strong to qualify for the College Football Playoff. In the event of a one-loss Pac-12 record, a weak nonconference schedule could have the Ducks on the outside looking in come a future January. This is precisely the situation facing Wisconsin. Were the Badgers to lose one of their …
Three years of college football playoffs have clarified the team selection criteria. The most heavily weighted variable, aside from won-loss record, seems to be strength of schedule. The 2017 College Football Playoff committee looks favorably on those who challenge themselves out-of-conference even more than it values a conference championship. Recognizing that schools have no discretion in their league schedules, the only …
Duck fans interested in time-traveling to Eugene may want to skip Sept. 20, 1975. That Saturday evening, Oregon and the San Jose Spartans played the most boring game in Autzen Stadium’s 50-year history. Yes, even worse than the infamous 0-0 “Toilet Bowl” versus OSU in 1983. The latter, amidst a November monsoon, was more an exercise in survival than an …
With 22 verbal commitments across ten states, it’s apparent that the new Oregon football coaching staff could sell Hummers during a gas shortage. Four months remain before the early signing period, yet there are only about a half-dozen slots to fill. And make no mistake, those who have committed are players with very impressive credentials. This is early quantity of high …