College Football Playoff Offers Travel Assistance

Adam Kruse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Sorry Duck fans, its not what you think. Today the College Football Playoff announced they will offer travel assistance to the families of players for both Oregon and Ohio State in the College Football Playoff Championship Game. Duck fans, you’re still on your own to get to Dallas. For families of players, up to two parents or legal guardians can …

Oregon Peaking At The Right Time

Noah Smith FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Ask any football analyst and they will tell you the difference between a good team and a championship team is timing. A great team that peaks too early can wind up crumbling while a mediocre team that peaks at the right time can win a championship. Oregon however is something very rare, a great team that is peaking at the …

Ducks Don’t Expect to Catch Buckeyes Off Guard

David Koh FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Though he doesn’t plan to slow down for anyone, Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost isn’t counting on the quack attack’s trademark tempo taking Ohio State by surprise. The Oregon offense is used to sending defenses reeling with its patented barrage of quick and deadly play calls, a strategy which can rapidly put a poorly conditioned defense back on its heels with hands on hips …

Is Ohio State an Oregon Wannabe?

Randy Morse FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

“The mind,” Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer once famously quipped, “is a fragile thing.” I was thinking of that Meyer quote the other day as I watched the post-Sugar Bowl press conference. Specifically when the Buckeyes coach reacted to the news the Oregon Ducks had thoroughly cleaned Florida State’s clock earlier that same day in the Rose Bowl. A …

Recruiting Update: Oregon Gives Southern Castoff Wings

Mark Flores FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Football Recruiting News On the heels of what was Oregon’s second biggest win in school history (next Monday…), the Ducks received a verbal commitment from standout junior college jack-of-all-trades Paris Bostick (NR/Tampa, FL). The former Georgia Bulldog opted to transfer after his recruited position, rover, was no longer a sole option after a coaching change. “It was a football decision,” said Bostick. …

The Evan Baylis Factor?

Nik Brownlee FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

If you didn’t know his name before, chances are you probably do now. Evan Baylis, a redshirt sophomore tight end, was virtually unknown as this season began, but his Rose Bowl performance caught the attention of Duck fans. And as Oregon heads to the national title game against Ohio State, the previously unknown No. 81 might be more important than …

The National Championship Will Be Won in the Trenches

Jason Selby FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Yes, it sounds incredibly cliche’ to say that a football game will be won in the trenches. Coming into this season, the biggest question mark surrounding the Ducks was whether or not they could be physical enough to compete with teams like Stanford or Michigan State. I was at both of those games, and I can confidently say the Ducks won the battle in …

Three Reasons Not to Underestimate Ohio State

Caleb Couturie FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Duck fans, I’m certain you were all as excited as I was when OSU took down Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. I mean, just the prospect of playing a third-string QB in a National Championship game is enough for some to already start ordering Ducks Championship T-shirts. But for now, we need to pump the brakes. Although yes, the Ducks …

Our Uncle Phil

What Do You Think About These Natty Uniforms?

Jason Selby FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

So, it was announced a few weeks ago that Oregon chose to go with the all green uniforms for the Rose Bowl, since the three other teams in the College Football Playoff all shared red as a common color. Most people expected Oregon to go with some mix of green and yellow for its uniforms in the National Championship against Ohio State next …

Helfrich: The Human One

Noah Smith FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Many people liked to talk about Chip Kelly by describing him as very cold and dry. Many would compare him to Bill Belichick, with his often short, to-the-point answers and dry wit. On top of this Kelly is known for being very businesslike in his management of his football program, maybe even somewhat aloof at times. And even though they were winning, it seems there …

13 Thoughts on the Rose Bowl

Nathan Roholt FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Under the old system, this game doesn’t even happen. The BCS would have assembled a final of Alabama and Florida State, the current participants in a hypothetical bronze medal game (Wait, why isn’t there a third-place game?) instead of the finalists of Oregon and Ohio State. The Buckeyes don’t get in either under the old system, and the 2010 Rose …