Oregon’s High-Speed Offense Shows No Sign of Slowing Down

Rob Liggins FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Oregon Ducks’ dynamic high-speed and high-tempo offense has been truly amazing to watch during the last several years. With a brilliant mix of veteran talent and developing young stars looking to make names for themselves in the 2014 season, the Ducks show no sign of slowing down. Fortunately, the 2014 version of the Oregon offense will include several crucial veteran returnees from …

An ACC-urate Takedown of Atlantic Coast Schools

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

What if we ignored geography and tradition today and aligned the conferences solely based on football? That was a question posed by two sports researchers at Ohio State University, whose explanation was the subject of a Wall Street Journal article last week. The public response was typical: this could never happen, it ignores all rivalries, it’s unfair by loading all the …

While Duck Fans Cheer, Haters Pray for Oregon’s (Imminent) Collapse

Don Gilman FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

No Mark Twain quotes here. No rehashing of the great author’s famous statement about his death being overstated. Yet, as Duck fans, many of us can relate to that phrase. Every year Oregon’s detractors predict that the end is nigh, that surely this year the Ducks will face some sort of collapse and fall flat on their feathered faces. This year, the …

As Inaugural College Football Playoff Season Commences, Ducks Timing Is Perfect

Will Denner FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

When the four-team College Football Playoff was formally approved by the NCAA in June 2012, teams, analysts and fans alike rejoiced in the reformation of the BCS — a system which had been previously criticized for not being fair to all teams. The Playoff, which runs through the 2025 season, reduces the likelihood of a deserving team getting left out of …

It’s Only Been a Year, But Tyner Is on Pace for Something Special

Joey Holland FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Oregon football program has an extremely impressive resume when it comes to running backs, especially over the past 10 or 15 years. Among the greats that have come out of the Duck backfield are Maurice Morris, Jonathan Stewart, LeGarrette Blount, LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner. However, there is a new Duck in town who has the potential to be the …

The Conference That Almost Was, and the Conference That Almost Wasn’t

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

All of the attention this fall is going to be on the outcome of the four teams “The Committee” picks to play in the first-ever college football playoff. Even if those four spots are distributed evenly across the power conferences, there will still be at least one conference that will miss out on the inaugural playoff. This, of course, did …

Friday Night Lights to College Gameday

Ashley Young FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Imagine walking into Autzen Stadium for the first time on a Saturday afternoon. What do you experience? Are you overwhelmed by the sixty thousand fans screaming “O?” Do you feel lost in a sea of green and yellow jerseys? Or are you intimidated by the opposing team? These consuming feelings are pressed upon young freshmen each new season. Going from a top …

Ted Miller, Einstein, Receivers and Relativity

Mike Merrell FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

In a June 27 analysis, ESPN’s Ted Miller rated Oregon’s receivers as “We’ll see.” Ted awarded “Great shape” to receivers for Stanford, Arizona, WSU, USC, ASU and the Berkeley Bears. UCLA, Utah, Washington, OSU and even Colorado got “Good shape.” That left only Oregon to receive the dreaded “We’ll see.” Einstein and I disagree. Just as the theory of special …

Robinson Ready to Romp

Lawrence Hastings FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Oregon football team lost three great defenders for the upcoming season in Avery Patterson, Brian Jackson and Terrance Mitchell — but the good news is in the fresher faces. Redshirt freshman Tyree Robinson worked his tail off last year, and he told Yahoo Sports that “it’s time to step up.” With a hole to fill at the safety position, Robinson …

Delany’s Shadow: Picking a Big Ten School

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

2013 was the first season in the recent wave of conference realignments that the five power conferences didn’t see any member change conferences. Tomorrow that hiatus ends as realignment returns with Louisville, Rutgers and Maryland all finding new homes amongst the five power conferences, the latter two joining the Big Ten. It only makes sense that the biggest increase in …

If You Build It, They Will Come … Right?

Dean Davis FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Oregon Ducks’ success in recent years came at such a fast pace, that it hit Duck fans maybe too rapidly and just as hard. Their program went from zero to hero as fast as you can say, “We should have been in every National Championship since 2010 but let it slip in the most painful way to watch.” It …