News Not unlike the smoky horizon of the west coast, the ’15-’16 recruiting cycle has settled into a mid-summer haze, seeing several key story lines move into a holding pattern. While much has been made of Bryce Youngquist’s (4-Star/Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rivals250) recruitment rapport with Eugene, the vaunted linebacker has finally given himself a deadline to announce his commitment. This coming …
The NFL off-season was filled with talk about Chip Kelly and Marcus Mariota, the match made in heaven that was so good it couldn’t possibly happen — and it didn’t. Now they’ve moved on to talking about Kelly and Sam Bradford. Kelly’s the coach so desperate for a headline, he traded for a QB coming off of two ACL tears in the …
Oregon fans are strange, really strange. I’ve picked up some peculiar observations about them/us/me over the years and I still wrestle with some of the odd elements about them in my pondering. Let’s take a look at some of the puzzling aspects about us and concerning fan behavior over the web that can only be classified as Mysteries of the …
The quick passing game is a staple of the Oregon Duck offense, as its high percentage of success creates problems for opposing defenses. While the Ducks can attack a defense in many ways on any given down, they will often utilize the Stick concept in the short passing game for a much needed first down. This concept has been used by multiple college …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out It was just a year ago that many fans were crying “now or never” for Duck football. After all, it was going to be the last year for Marcus Mariota, Hroniss Grasu, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Arik Armstead, Erik Dargan, Tony Washington … and the list goes on. “Now” didn’t quite happen, but in the aftermath, it hardly seems …
Dynasties are defined by long-term success and longevity. Programs at Alabama and Ohio State have defined what it’s like to have success, displaying the ability to adapt to new challenges every year. Right now, whether fans realize it or not, the University of Oregon Ducks’ football team is on the cusp of greatness. Molded by seven 10-win seasons in a row, Pac-12 dominance, and big-game wins; …
What if the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil began a chain reaction that set off a tornado in Texas? This notion raised by MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz has implications for causation in physics, economics and yes, football. The rise of the spread offense in the 21st century generated a butterfly effect on defenses. Coaches in bastions of the …
Most legends we hear about have one thing in common — they revolve around heroes. These legends also follow the same pattern of having a hero’s story arc. The hero comes in as a savior with a bright and promising future and has a major fall — only to rise again stronger than ever. During his time in Eugene, Kiko Alonso …
Looking at Oregon’s 2015 schedule most fans tend to only talk about Michigan State, Stanford, and USC. Yes, those are all very big games that will decide the fate of the 2015 Oregon Ducks, as well as the landscape of College Football. But there are other games Oregon fans need to be aware of, games that are very close to …
There is a lot of “conventional wisdom” going around about the Philadelphia Eagles these days. For example: — Chip Kelly is an offensive wizard who doesn’t care about defense. — DeMarco Murray is worn out and headed for a crash, while LeSean McCoy will be huge for Buffalo. — All of the Eagles’ new players — Murray, Kiko Alonso, Ryan …
There’s a famous Johnny Cash song, way before my time but great nonetheless, that summarizes Chip Kelly‘s NFL off-season perfectly. Kelly is walking a fine line, and if he slips it could end catastrophically for the former Ducks coach. If he succeeds, he could revolutionize how GMs and coaches approach player management and personnel decisions entirely. Kelly’s off-season began with the higher-ups …
News Linebackers headman, Erik Chinander, is rapidly becoming one of the Pac-12’s more formidable recruiters. The second-year coach has found his niche among the nation’s elite defenders. Last week, outside backer Bryce Youngquist (4-Star/Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rivlas250) indicated his program decision may come sooner than expected as Oregon continues to fill its depth chart of the future. A longtime target, Youngquist has gone …