In my very first article for FishDuck, I wrote about why Oregon would be the team to save the Pac-12 Conference. I wrote that this would require Oregon getting to the playoff and making it to the National Championship Game. But this year, with all of the unexpected setbacks from COVID-19, we have to settle for a non-playoff New Years …
The 2020 Pac-12 Championship is a Sham
2020 has not been a good year for Pac-12 football, and has become a major disappointment for Oregon fans. COVID-19 has taken its toll on all of NCAA Football, but the Pac-12’s decision to start late has left the conference truly undecided heading into championship week. To complicate matters, only one team has actually played all its scheduled games this …
Oregon Football: It’s Gut-Check Time, Folks
Honestly Ducks fans, I was planning on writing a much different article today. Don’t worry, there will always be time for spitballing nicknames for Oregon’s offensive line (Mario’s Manhandlers?) Right now, it’s gut-check time. Following the Ducks’ (3-1) heartbreaking 41-38 loss to the Oregon State Beavers (2-2) on Friday night at Reser Stadium, I came to a realization: The Beavers …
The Green Wall: Oregon’s New Offensive Line
This is not the year we envisioned for Oregon’s offensive line. We all expected to have Penei Sewell anchor the left side this fall. However, the pandemic robbed us of the opportunity to watch Sewell dominate the line of scrimmage for one final season as a Duck, as he instead prepares for the 2021 NFL Draft. Sewell’s opt-out dramatically changed …
Oregon Football: Ducks the Best YOUNGEST Team in America?
After the No. 9 Oregon Ducks (1-0) defeated the Stanford Cardinal 35-14 this past weekend in their season opener at Autzen Stadium, I kept thinking one thing: The Ducks’ future is so bright, I gotta wear shades. One of my biggest takeaways from Oregon’s much-anticipated debut was the youth of this team. According to the University of Oregon, the Ducks’ …
Transfer Madness: Will the NCAA DESTROY or SAVE College Football?
I never thought I would do this, but, I’m going to apply Bob Dylan to sports. (Stick with me, folks!) As Dylan once sang, “Oh the times, they are a-changin’.“ As talk of an amendment to the NCAA’s transfer rules heats up, Dylan’s words may prove more true than ever. In a move that could rock college sports to the …
It’s Party Time for the Ducks
This Halloween weekend took me down memory lane over 20 years ago to my final year of college in Eugene. There was a big Halloween Party that all my friends were going to, but I had to work until 10 pm that night at my part-time restaurant job. When ten o’clock hit I flew out the door, sped home, threw …
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 …
A Failed Fan Experience: Pac-12 Expansion Diminishes Rivalries
Take a moment and think of this year’s conference schedule and pick out the top three games you want to see. As Oregon fans, Washington is going to be at the top of that list and Oregon State will always make the cut as these are both core rivalries. This year, that third spot is going to be held by …
No California or Arizona? Oregon Pivots to COVID Conference Schedule
Oregon fans, don’t despair. Yes, the monster games against North Dakota State and Ohio State at Autzen Stadium as part of the Ducks’ pre-conference schedule are no longer on the table due to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases across the country. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott made the official announcement restricting the Pac-12 football season to conference-only games on July 10, …
Why Oregon will Rise Up and Save the Pac-12
The Pac-12 is in rough shape and there is no denying that. Yes, commissioner Larry Scott is a major problem for the Pac-12 but, in all honesty, the conference is probably stuck with Scott for at least a few more years. Hoping for a fix from the top of the conference is ultimately wasted energy. Instead, it is left up …
Golden Bears Predicted to Win the North? Not So Fast, Nostradamus
After just going through the motions these past few weeks, overwhelmed by the steady stream of coronavirus updates, I came across an article that violently jolted me back to life. CBS Sports writer David Cobb has predicted the California Golden Bears will finish 11-1 to win the Pac-12 North title next season. Cobb goes on to predict the Oregon Ducks …