Oregon football had a phenomenal season in 2019. The Ducks won a conference championship and Rose Bowl for the first time since the 2014-2015 season, they beat all of their rivals and even managed to get the Washington State monkey of their back. Despite their 12 wins and one of the greatest defenses in school history, many fans felt they …
Once I had a conference, I made it run, Made it run just fine. Once I had a conference and Keith Jackson called it a King. Brother, can you spare a dime? (To the tune of “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?”) In 1970, a USC team led by coach John McKay (an Oregon graduate) went into Tuscaloosa and played like …
In the last few days it feels like life is slowly but surely going back to normal. Restaurants and bars are modified but open, social gatherings in Oregon are now up to 25 people and yes, sports writers are back to making their “crazy-bold hot takes.” In particular, over the weekend CBS Sports senior writer Ben Kercheval made a list …
A curious trend has emerged in college football — one that’s as senseless as it is perplexing. Fans and analysts alike have become fixated on conference strength. It used to be blasphemous, but nowadays, many Oregon fans find themselves cheering on their fieriest rivals in out-of-conference or bowl games, hoping that they represent the Pac-12 well and improve its perception. …
Despite Oregon’s recent domination over our “rival” from the Jet City (14 wins in the last 16 meetings), the fact remains that the Huskies still lead the all-time series 60-47 (5 ties). Yes, I just barfed out my morning coffee as I typed that. The Ducks are down 13 games to the Huskies. Which may have some of you thinking, …
At least one of the luminaries in the college football brain trust opines that Oregon has the best incoming secondary for next season. This May 1st article by Anthony Treash of PFF contends that Oregon’s secondary is not only the best, but it’s not even close. His argument rests primarily upon a metric that compares how well an individual returning …
Could the Hatfield-Dowlin facility in Eugene make room for another prized trophy? Since its inception back in 1935, the Heisman Trophy has been won predominantly by running backs and quarterbacks and back in the early years, half-backs especially dominated the award. Could Oregon beat the odds with Penei Sewell? The ’70s and ’80s were in love with the ball carriers, and …
In retrospect, the final result of the last season was the best that I could reasonably see the 2019 edition of Oregon football achieving. I was more pessimistic at prediction time last August due to my concerns about the offense, but in the end it was the mental component of the competition, not the Xs-and-Os or a particular strategy from …
If you’re like me, your brain is chewing on just one thing amidst the coronavirus pandemic: Oregon Ducks football. So many questions. Will there be a season? Other than sports documentaries, will we ever watch live sports again? The only thing I know for sure is there is a lot of speculation and uncertainty, which is making sports fans antsy …
Mario Cristobal is a program builder. He took over as head coach at FIU under serious penalties from the NCAA and had few, if any, good facilities for his players. The Panthers had never blown the world away in the win column prior to his arrival, and he had no head coaching experience at the time. With the cards stacked …
“So be true to your school now, Just like you would to your girl or guy.” This off-season, there have been a lot of Duck fans taking the Beach Boys’ advice and being “true to their school,” many predicting a Natty in 2021 or the near future. Not so fast, my feathered friends. Can the Ducks Beat the Best? I …
In today’s era of high-scoring, fast-paced offensive football, the last thing fans want to see is an offense that turns back the clock with slow, unexciting power football. When Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal announced that the Ducks’ offense would be centered around a physical, downhill rushing offense, the Oregon faithful went into a frenzy. Fans feared the worst, expecting …