Every Husky loss, should result in pure joy. But I found myself oddly disappointed when Washington lost to Stanford on Friday. Barring something crazy (and with two of the top-3 teams losing this weekend, don’t count anything out), that game eliminated the Pac-12 from playoff contention. That’s a problem because the Pac-12 has the most parity of any conference and …
How a Bowl Game Could HURT RECRUITING at Oregon
As a devoted Oregon fan, I’ve been thrilled at the class Coach Willie Taggart and his staff have been putting together as a recruiting class for signing day in February 2018. However, there was one strategic timing decision he made that I had questions about. Recently, I was wondering out loud with a few Duck-Buddies of the potential impact from …
Ducks Don’t Play to Win and Get Romped
Good ole’ figures of speech such as “going down swinging,” “take a roll of the dice” and “gotta’ be in it to win it” didn’t apply to the Ducks on Saturday. The Ducks offense was the equivalent of a baseball team whose batters stood at the plate all game long with the bat firmly resting on their shoulders. They were …
Charles’s Washington FishWrap: “Questions to Ponder”
Isn’t this lovely? Writing and reviewing a game such as that one is truly like consuming the “Hair of the Dog” to offset the effects of it upon you. It is hard to not reach some conclusions, yet I am wary of over-reacting in either direction as I have in the past. It is difficult to be measured and reasonable …
Why Husky Fans are the WORST EVER
I have been appalled by the behaviors of Husky fans over the many decades of my life, and in my personal experiences with them. Note that this article is not about the UW football team or the Washington coaching staff, but the Husky fans, which are simply the worst ever I have ever witnessed. Let’s look at why…. A fascinating …
Should Oregon Fans Panic? Not After Utah.
In the beginning, Oregon’s 2017 season did not feel like its disastrous 2016 season, which resulted in the firing of the entire coaching staff. A new coach had already won the recruiting season by convincing key veterans to return (Royce Freeman and Tyrell Crosby), bringing in a stellar 2017 class and building the foundation of an historic 2018 class. But …
Charles’s Utah FishWrap and MELTDOWN: Taggart pulls from the Kelly/Helfrich Playbook!
My friends, in the last week I had disconcerting conversations with two other FishDuck.com writers Dr. Mark Weinrott, and Dr. Steven Smith, (who both wrote articles in the last week) about the stagnant Oregon offense under Coach Willie Taggart. I sadly came to a conclusion that unless Coach Taggart changes and looks at opening his offense up some more–much of …
Are Oregon’s Future Schedules Playoff-Worthy?
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 …
FishDuck.com Current Article Schedule: “What to LOOK For!”
Can you believe what a cool picture (above) that is featuring Max Unger, Jonathan Stewart, and Dennis Dixon? Unger looks like he is taking aim on the linebacker he is going to cream and has proven with Hroniss Grasu, that agile, athletic offensive linemen can play in the NFL. Fun memories… My friends, you simply need to know to look …
You’re Making Me Dizzy: Duck Basketball at Rare Heights Indeed
Yes, hoops season is finally here. Every team is undefeated, and optimism runs high. In basketball, the Ducks are a bonafide contender again for the BIG Dance under the tutelage and direction of Dana Altman and staff. In his eighth season at Oregon, a tradition of winning and excellence has been established. It wasn’t always that way. Time travel back to his first …
Punchless Ducks Up Against the Ropes
It could have been worse. It could have been 2007, on the heels of Dennis Dixon’s knee injury against Arizona, when the Ducks stumbled into the Rose Bowl and couldn’t score a point, losing 16-0 to a hapless and free-falling UCLA. Though the Ducks had national championship aspirations that year, which had vanished in Tucson the week before, they still …
Charles’ UCLA FishWrap: “Nick Aliotti NAILS It!”
I am going to ponder with you one positive (among many) from this game. I am also pleased to announce what my Halloween costume will be this year, as I think at least it will be a winner. It is pretty simple. I take a long strip of white cloth and make a sling around my neck and wrap it …