Losing raises a lot of uncomfortable questions. First of all, let’s tip our collective hats to the No. 23 Utah Utes, which was clearly the better team and prevailed in literally every facet of the game in its 38-7 victory over the (formerly) No. 3 Oregon Ducks on Saturday night at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Let’s not kid …
The Ducks of Destiny
Oregon fans let out a sigh of relief Saturday night as Anthony Brown crossed the goal line early in the fourth quarter. The score made it 31-14 and virtually put the game away for the Ducks. Finally, a game that was not going to come down to the final possession in the final minutes or even seconds — a game …
Oregon Football: Ducks Survive Dawgs, Monsoon of Early Miscues
There’s nothing worse than wrestling a wet dawg. But it’s worth it for the No. 4 Oregon Ducks (8-1, 5-1), who overcame a brutal first-half monsoon of baffling miscues on offense to defeat regional rival Washington Huskies 26-16 on Saturday night in Seattle. And for those watching at home, we all endured Robert Griffin III’s play-by-play, which was wobbly at best and sprinkled with …
Did the CFP Committee Actually Get It RIGHT?
The College Football Playoff Committee loves stirring the pot, don’t they? Tuesday’s initial rankings once again raised more than a few eyebrows across the country. Some of the biggest surprises included Alabama debuting at No. 2, Oregon landing in the top four, and undefeated Cincinnati ranking at No. 6. The Committee made plenty of good calls this time around, but …
Oregon’s Route to the College Football Playoff’s No.4 Seed
Despite losing to Stanford this past week, Oregon still has a legitimate shot to make the College Football Playoff this year. I know many of you may assume it’s time to pump the breaks on this notion, and as we have talked about at FishDuck for a fair bit now, the Oregon community buzz is falling away from the program …
CFB Drama: Is a 12 Team Playoff Coming Soon?
By the looks of it, a 12 Team Playoff is the preferred format for expanding the College Football Playoff. Currently it appears that the top twelve teams ranked by the playoff committee would make it into the playoff. This sounds good in theory but also raises further questions. What if the Champion of a Power-Five Conference isn’t ranked in the …
How Does Oregon’s 2021 Defense Stack Up Against 2014’s?
Oregon’s 2021 football team has the hype and personnel to make a run at the College Football Playoff and maybe even a National Championship. Last week, I looked at how this year’s offense stacked up against the 2014 team, and today we turn to the defense to compare 2021’s team to the last Oregon team to reach the Playoff and …
How Does Oregon’s Offense in 2021 Stack Up Against 2014?
2014 was the first year of the College Football Playoff, and Oregon was the first team to win a CFP semifinal game. The 2014 season was an incredible year for Oregon fans, as Marcus Mariota was the first Oregon player to win the Heisman, which he did while setting QB records — not only for Oregon but for the entire …
Duck DISRESPECT? CFP Committee Dismisses Oregon
This year’s initial College Football Playoff rankings were bound to be the strangest, for obvious reasons. In a year marred by uncertainty, it was anyone’s guess as to how the committee would weigh factors such as the number of games a team has played, strength of schedule and even games lost due to unavailable players. Although the Ducks were considered …
Can Oregon Realistically Make the Playoff?
Every year there are media darlings in college football. In 2010 it was Cam Newton, willing the Auburn Tigers to victory week in and week out. 2019 had Joe Burrow and his historically great passing season, and of course the media loves teams like Notre Dame and Texas every season, no matter how good they are. 2020 has a couple of candidates …
Oregon’s Path to the Playoff Is Riddled with Potholes
Oregon can make the College Football Playoff in 2020 despite a a shortened season. Their path, however, is narrow, and the Ducks will require help. What Oregon has control over is two things: win and win big. Oregon cannot afford to win games by only one score this year. If Mario Cristobal and company are serious about making the playoff, …
Can Oregon Break Up the Playoff Status Quo?
College football is getting less competitive. The playoff’s goal was to expand the number of teams that could compete for the national championship every year by widening the field from two to four. Not much of a playoff, and it seems even less so with a cast of four usual suspects: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. These four teams …