Agony & Ecstasy in Cornhusker Land Full disclosure: I moved to Nebraska in 2016 to marry my wife Debra. My mom was born and raised in Nebraska and was a Big Red fan; but I never lived here and had only an occasional interest in the Huskers. The “Agony“? The Mike Riley Years, Of Course. By the end of the …
It’s no secret that the Oregon Ducks have one of the most talented rosters in the PAC-12. However, the one position group that has given prognosticators pause is the wide receiving core. The passing game had its share of hiccups in 2017, and with a future NFL draft pick at quarterback, many blame the Ducks’ receivers for the offense’s inconsistency …
Being that I live in Oregon (though not a Duck fan myself), I’ve had a sort of voyeur interest in watching both the collapse and rise of Oregon’s defense in recent years. For a decade and a half, the Ducks defense was guided by the adaptive hand of Nick Aliotti. Following his departure, Oregon enjoyed one more good year on …
An axiom we savvy Oregon fans and readers of this site know, part of College Football 101, is that when it comes to talent … “Great coaching can help players outperform their recruiting ranking, but to win championships — you must have a roster full of superior talent.” We are all keeping up with the recruiting battles occurring and, while we are …
Justin Herbert is the heartbeat of Oregon Football. When he is in the lineup, the Ducks’ offense is one of the most intimidating forces in all of college football. The fresh-faced gunslinger from Sheldon can do it all. He can drop a 40-yard bomb at the flick of a wrist, thread a dart between multiple defenders or use his legs …
Anyone who’s ever had to compete single-handedly against a relay can tell you that it’s not a level playing field. Could this concept be formulated into a strategy that Coach Mario Cristobal utilizes to win and, ultimately, dominate the Pac-12? Let’s look at some unknown aspects of the offensive line and see if we can determine the unique new tactic …
As soon as last April’s NFL draft ended, the draft prognosticators began whipping up their mock drafts for 2019, with Oregon’s own Justin Herbert being projected by many experts as a sure-fire first round pick, and even going as high as the number two pick overall. Hmmm … an Oregon quarterback getting drafted number two overall. Sounds familiar. In fact, it’s the same spot …
With Coach Marcus Arroyo taking on duties as full-time offensive coordinator for the Oregon Ducks, I thought it would be worth continuing to look at a few plays he picked up with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. A play that I would love to see implement into the Oregon offense is a variation of the Split Zone that the Cowboys like …
Admit it — after the bowl game, weren’t you were worried about the future of the Oregon offense? I was and I wrote about it, as did retired college coach and former Oregon player, Ken Woody. It was an ugly showing that got us all wondering, but as you know about me — I truly spend a disproportionate amount of time …
It wasn’t too long ago — the Mark Helfrich era — that when Oregon lost a couple of highly coveted 3-star recruits, a symbolic ”Fall of Rome” would occur in Eugene. In the words of the great Bob Dylan: “the times, they are a changin’.” That’s right folks, have no fear over the recent decommitments of 3-star recruits Marques Caldwell and Cameron Williams. Not only that, celebrate these decommits as a monumental …
The Oregon Ducks have lost their edge. Fans know it. Opponents know it. And, most importantly, the rest of the country knows it. At the start of the decade, the Ducks were undeniably the coolest team in the land. They captured the hearts of fans from all over the country, creating a culture based on trailblazing innovation and effortless style. …
Photo above of Elkanah “Kano” Dillon by Dennis Akers of SoFloBulls.com I know you are rolling your eyes at that title, and newer readers to the site would probably accuse me of “clickbait,” and while there is some merit to that — the rest of you know my shtick. I write something semi-outrageous and then go about backing up the …