Gambling is speculative at best, but if someone wanted to get rich quick last weekend, the opportunity was there. After Oregon and Alabama – the two winningest college football programs of the decade — both dropped their conference openers, they found themselves on an unfamiliar side of public opinion, or more specifically, of the Vegas odds-makers’ opinion. Oregon was a mere six-and-a-half point favorite over …
There are some things that everybody who has anything to do with athletics should learn, and this holds true for athletes, coaches, friends, family and fans. Two of these things are winning with grace and losing with grace. The Ducks won this weekend, taking down Colorado, 41-24. The win was a relief after the previous week’s drubbing from Utah, but …
Confusion. Okay, now that I’ve answered the entire question of the article I guess I’ll just go home … … Kidding. But seriously, confusion is the only appropriate answer for how the Ducks game unfolded. Over the course of this article, I will do my best to shine a light on some controversial moments, but trust me, I am not …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out The Oregon Ducks certainly came out the “little brother” against the Utah Utes Saturday night. Being branded a little brother smarts. And no matter what happens, you will be reminded from time to time that you are the little brother. That creates a bit of an attitude that you will live by — like it or not. …
Others Receiving Votes: Toledo (68), Oregon (64) It was following a game against Utah in 2009 that the Ducks last found themselves voted off the AP Top 25 island, so it is only fitting that a game against Utah, mark their first return outside of it in six years. The 98 weeks in-between provided a glorious run of historical proportions …
“Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” Last week I wrote a satirical article in an attempt to point out the unrealistic expectations of many Oregon fans. It was heavy on irony, saying exactly the opposite of what I meant in most instances. And now, just one week later, reality and expectations came crashing down upon …
Predicting a game is hard … ask any athletic director in college football, who are often required to anticipate the quality of their opponents as far as a decade ahead. Contrast that challenge with the fact that TV networks rarely make scheduling decisions sooner than 12 days before broadcast. The variables are myriad. From weather to attendance, to finance … …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out It’s incredible and yet it’s still surprising. Beating Georgia State, 61-28, using a generous helping of second, third and fourth stringers just wasn’t enough blood for too many fans. What seems to be forgotten is that September 19 is still fairly early in the season. We’re still only half way to the selection committee’s first way-too-early declaration …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out Adversity develops and reveals character much more than pleasant trips to the beach. That’s just one of the inconveniences of living on Planet Earth. So when your team loses on the road by a field goal to a top five team, what do you do to show the world who you are? For too many Oregon fans, …
Over the past three years, Marcus Mariota made it easy to forget that Oregon football’s modern identity heavily revolves around a dominant running game. The Ducks have provided college football fans with some of the most explosive ground attacks in recent memory, featuring a long line of star backs. Although you could argue that there are two or three future …
As a student at the University of Oregon, and an avid football fan in general, I’ve been exposed to a lot of hearsay. So whether or not you agree with the claims made below, keep in mind that this is a list put together by what has come out of others’ mouths. With eight days to go until the Ducks kick …
Okay, so here’s the deal. Charles Nelson is just ridiculously freaking good. If you read my article on Sunday you can see what the Oregon coaches are saying about him, but here’s a quick recap if you didn’t: John Neal (the defensive backs coach) merely gawks at his uncanny ability to transition from offense to defense. Mark Helfrich (hopefully you …