There is a reason that the Pac-12 is known as the “conference of quarterbacks,” and the talent present in the conference this year are a testament to that title. The conference lost only two starting quarterbacks in Keith Price and B.J Denker to the NFL and most teams return their starters. This will only add to the intense competition expected in …
Injuries happen every year, to every team. In a game as violent as football, players are injured in every scrimmage and every game. Most of the time these injuries are bumps, bruises, stingers and sprains. But the teams that contend for National Championships are either able to weather those injuries or manage to escape major injuries to key players. Oregon …
When the Ducks travelled south to play Pac-12 rival Stanford, there were predictions of a Duck victory. De’Anthony Thomas predicted the Oregon offense would put up forty points, and many others had Oregon at least securing the W. Vegas even had the Ducks as a 10+ point favorite. The Duck faithful had high hopes, and with good reason. Leading up …
Disingenuous, adjective: “Not truly honest or sincere: giving the false appearance of being honest and sincere.” (From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.) They should call it the Bret Bielema rule. Or perhaps the Bielema-Saban rule, since it is, in part, due to these two coaches’ influence that this rule is now being considered. For those who are unfamiliar with this proposal, …
Oregon will never win any recruiting championships. While teams such as Alabama, USC and LSU tend to dominate in the rankings, the Ducks rarely crack the top-15. Year after year they bring in solid, but unspectacular recruiting classes, yet year after year, Oregon takes those same recruits and turns them into champions. Why is that? What is the key that allows teams without …
When the clock hits zero at the Super Bowl, it also serves as the conclusion to the football season each year. Seemingly long after all of the bowl games have been played at the college level, the NFL has a way of temporarily filling the void before dropping fans into the abyss of the long off season. Events like National …
DeAnthony Thomas’ time at Oregon was like one of his scorching touchdown plays: it went by in a flash. From his first game against LSU to his final appearance (if it can be called that) against Texas, DAT was the equivalent of a human meteor. He blazed a bright trail across Oregon football that will not be forgotten soon. He …
With the 2013 football season behind us, the hype for the 2014 Heisman has begun, with Marcus Mariota at or near the top of the list. My reaction is simple: Just say NO! It’s not that Mariota doesn’t deserve consideration for the Heisman. Quite the contrary, it’s the Heisman that doesn’t deserve consideration from Mariota, or any of the other …
The off season always brings about a deluge of coaching changes around the college football world. Some coaches get fired during the season, such as Lane Kiffin at USC, but aren’t replaced until the dust has settled on the final games of the year, while others, like our very own Nick Allioti, retire gracefully after long, successful careers. No matter the situation, …
Kevin Cline It would appear that after four straight years of BCS appearances, the University of Oregon football team will be left on the outside looking in. Most likely the team will be headed to the Alamo Bowl, something that most pundits and fans would not have predicted before the season began. Yet here they are. There is nothing wrong …
Attitude is everything. And, while it was only two Ducks who expressed disappointment not being able to play in the National Championship, one has to wonder if that attitude has affected the rest of the team. To many fans it was disheartening to hear Josh Huff and DeAnthony Thomas expressing their lackluster enthusiasm about a return to a Rose Bowl. …
Kevin Cline This week, there is plenty to get excited about. With a win last Saturday, this Oregon football team heads to Tucson with a 9-1 record for the season, and has a chance to become just the 9th team in school history to win 10 games. Thanks to Stanford’s loss last weekend to USC, the Ducks have also reasserted control of its respective …