3 New Offensive Sets You Could See This Fall

Adam Kruse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The last 20 years, the Oregon Ducks have created a tradition built on non-tradition. Instead of competing with traditional powerhouse programs such as Michigan, USC and Notre Dame, Oregon created a new category to market and grow the program — a category built on innovation, creativity, speed and constant evolution. For years, Oregon had a large banner hung inside of the practice …

Why Your Bracket Went So Terribly Wrong

Kim Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

One round in, and your NCAA tourney bracket is shattered beyond belief. Why? Where did you go wrong? You calculated the assist/turnover ratio in neutral-site games played in December, but before Christmas. You searched the power rankings put out by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and The Food Network. This was supposed to be your year. Alas, you made just a few …

The Post-Heisman Slump

Steven Jackson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The dust has all but settled from the Ducks’ historic 2014-15 season featuring a trip to the inaugural College Football Playoff, a Rose Bowl victory, and the first Heisman trophy winner in school history. It is time to look ahead to the 2015-16 season and retool for another National Championship run. The biggest concern facing this squad as they take …

Duck Softball Treks To Texas

Michael Bigham FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Great teams like great people are tempered in the crucible of fire and the Oregon softball team is stepping into this proverbial crucible: Nine games far from home in six days, eight of those games compacted into four double-headers, four against ranked opponents. Last week the Ducks started the season strong, winning six straight in Arizona at the Kajikawa Classic. …

Next Year’s Playoff: Ducks, Bucks, And The SEC

Noah Smith FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Let me give you a fair warning here, I am from New Orleans, Louisiana; I live outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Outside of Oregon, the LSU Tigers are my favorite college team. I give you that qualifying statement so you’ll understand when I say that I believe the SEC is the strongest conference, top down, in college football. Part of …

How The Mighty Have Fallen: SEC, Pac-12 and Ranked Bowl Games Review

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Oh how the mighty have fallen. West Coast football fans have been saying it for years, but finally the SEC took an undeniable turn and it wasn’t in an upward direction. The storied “powerhouse” conference saw it’s least successful bowl season in years among ranked teams, of which it led the nation with seven. When the final bowl game with a …

National Scene: Ohio State is in, Baylor and TCU Are Out

Tyler Robinson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

“Who’s In?” You’ve seen the commercials for ESPN’s College Football Playoff selection show. And you know what? That’s a great question. This conference Championship Week was supposed to help clear some of that up, but that simply wasn’t the case. If anything, picking the top four teams was harder on the selection committee than it has at any other point …

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Rivalry Week

Tyler Robinson FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It’s the one time a year when you’ll tailgate and share beers with the opposing fan base. Why? Because these people have been your friends for ten years and you genuinely enjoy their company. But let’s be honest, these people that you call “friends,” you want to crush them. Their potential anguish directly coincides with your happiness. This is Rivalry …

The Top Three Teams That Threaten the Ducks’ Championship Chances

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Let it be said that a team is not going to beat the Ducks by being defensively-oriented. Stanford, the second best defense in the country at the time, lost to Oregon by 29. The Ducks beat the best and the second-best pass rushing teams by a combined 49 points. An opponent simply can’t just have a good defense and expect to beat the Ducks, it’s not …

An Irreverent Guide to the College Football Playoffs

Michael Bigham FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Here’s what you need to know about the top eight contenders for the four spots in the College Football Playoff: Mississippi State University Mascot: Now called the Bulldogs. MSU players were formerly known as the Maroons. Fun Fact: MSU denies that the famous Bugs Bunny phrase, “What a Maroon,” referred to Coach Jackie Sherrill who had his team witness the …

Please God, No More Injuries for my College Fantasy Football Team

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Dear Deshaun Watson (and fans of Clemson Football), I’d like to apologize. You were looking so good, and Clemson was on such a roll, and then I took you for my College Fantasy team. I’ve given in to my curse. Two straight weeks, two straight Heisman hopefuls injured. Taysom Hill, I apologize to you as well. After your injury I figured that was …