The Oregon Track and Field program has a long history of attracting top tier talent. It has been that way for a while, from the days of Bill Bowman and Steve Prefontaine. There was definitely a noticeable presence of current and former Ducks at the 2016 Rio Olympics. After a disappointing end to the Men’s Cross Country season at the NCAA Cross Country Nationals, the team will …
I am done defending Oregon Head Football Coach Mark Helfrich. Sure … it really does not matter now as he twists in the wind during his final days at Oregon, but it is also because he no longer deserves my support with the travesty on defense that we saw in the 120th Civil War. He allowed what I have chronicled throughout …
Seven days ago, I, like many of the Oregon faithful, was excited at the prospect of a team on the rise after an emotionally taxing 2016 season. On the road against Utah, the 12th-ranked team in the country, Oregon played like a team with pride and something to lose. The defense played hard and actually made more plays than they …
2016 is in the books. Should the rebuild begin under Mark Helfrich or somebody new? I would like nothing more than to wake up today and get a blaring headline that Rob Mullens has pulled the trigger and followed the University of Texas to become one of two formerly elite programs ready to rebuild. In theory, Oregon had the purse power to …
The Oregon basketball season opened with palpable excitement. Less than a week later, fans saw their Ducks get dominated by an unranked team (Baylor) and their top-five national ranking disappear. The ship appeared to be righted after a win over Valparaiso, a high level mid-major program. The Ducks took the momentum from that win and flew to Maui for the Maui Jim …
Oregon football is having a down year, one the likes of Duck fans have not seen since 2004. College football is cyclical, competitive and a zero-sum game. So ‘down’ years, although tough to go through in present time, are going to happen. It is what a program learns and adapts to that make those downturns minimal. One program that has been …
Oregon Ducks now have 15 committed players for the 2017 class. They are ranked back in the top 25 and starting to feel normal again. Most of the commitments are outspoken regarding how much they really want to be a part of the Oregon program. This is great news; unfortunately this year has a looming “what if?” that can change …
A week ago it was reported that former Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny offered his support for Mark Helfrich and yet added that the fans will have their vote, their say in the future of Oregon football coaching. It got me to thinking about all the articles written on this site, the comments and all the negatives and positives I have read …
This fall, we have often used examples of the poor technique by the Oregon defense to help learn more football. However, the Utah game showed us glimpses of how Jimmie Swain is emerging as a solid player for the future of the Duck defense. He’s becoming a legit Pac-12 starting linebacker (good enough to be a defensive strength, instead of …
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article advocating for the hiring of Osia Lewis as the next Oregon defensive coordinator. Last night, I was dreaming – while awake – and had a “What if … ?” moment. Even in the reality of the next day, I have a better candidate and plan. Are you willing to come along on my …
There’s no questioning that Chip Kelly revolutionized not just the Oregon offense, but college football itself. While Mark Helfrich largely sustained that offensive success with quarterback Marcus Mariota, since he left for the NFL we have seen gradual changes to the Oregon offense. The question today, as Oregon struggles on all fronts, is, are we witnessing the demise of the …
When Dana Altman told reporters that, “Trouble is eight days from today. We have to go down to Baylor and play a game.” After a 35-point victory in the team’s final exhibition, it was as if he could see into the future. Sure enough, when his 4th-ranked Ducks traveled to Texas to take on an unranked and unheralded Baylor squad, the …