bbmichaels

Keep breaking the tape, JPJ.

LOL - good stuff This obviously depends on if you're a "season ticket person" or not. Personally, I enjoy getting to no more than 1-2 games a season (usually just 1), as I generally prefer watching at home, and don't like to commit the majority of my Saturday to the cause. But, obviously, many fans want to be there for every game. I have had great experiences at away games (Ann Arbor was probably my favorite thus far). It's fun to experience the atmosphere elsewhere, and it's just that - an experience, much like a great vacation. Whereas Autzen is always going to be there for you in the falls to come. So, I'd probably be in the Fiesta Bowl camp on this, even with the somewhat disappointing opponent. One last chance to see Bo play college ball...

So many great plays... A couple of my favorites were: -Franklin turning the USC safety around and then sprinting past him while his head was turned the wrong way. -Bryant Jr's amazing run-after-catch against ASU, with the spin move around the line of scrimmage and multiple broken tackles.

A 6'4" corner... There aren't too many of those around. I hope he works out.

Thanks David. Fandom is an odd thing, isn't it? Why do we become so emotionally invested in something we're not directly involved with, at least not with the outcomes? I was born and raised in Eugene, and am a UO alum. I have been watching the Ducks for basically my entire life, and I can remember a time when I felt much like you describe. But over the years, and now having kids myself, my perspective has changed. I find myself more in line with what Annie and jrw describe above. And while I enjoy watching them succeed, and am disappointed when they don't, I've gradually come to terms with the reality that I have no control over the outcome. Nor do I even know the coaches/players. And their successes and failures aren't truly my successes and failures. Not to go all anti-fandom, but the Ducks winning really shouldn't give me any bragging rights, and the Ducks losing shouldn't give the fan of some other team the ability to make me feel bad. Why would they? Long story short, my sense of self-worth isn't tied to how the Ducks play - it instead hangs on my own successes and failures, and the happiness and well-being of my kids. I'll always keep up with the Ducks, and enjoy when they're good, and be disappointed when they're not, but their outcomes in no way define me. (Written more rationally than I sometimes feel - so maybe you should consider me a "recovering superfan.")

I know stats aren't everything, but isn't it just a little odd that Franklin is as good or better than Harrison in every WR statistical category, and Franklin wasn't even named a Biletnikoff finalist, and here we have Harrison as a Heisman finalist... ...apparently one of the four best players in college football, yet wouldn't even have been a top two WR in the Pac12. But, what do I know...?

I hear you and respect your take. NFL bound players skipping bowl games is mostly a recent phenomenon. Back in the day it was much less common, and kids would get grief for doing it. Now it's become common place and accepted. Bo mentioned post game that he was looking forward to the flight home from Vegas, just to have one more with this team. Dude loves college football and his team, and knows that there is no going back once it's over. He's living his way. At least once in the cinematic recaps he can be heard telling teammates to take in the sights and sounds and cherish the experience. He seemed to really enjoy and appreciate the ride, and now he wants to experience one last collegiate game. I respect that. But, I wouldn't fault him for skipping either. I'm sure he'll have some good insurance in place...

This is exactly why I got back on here today. I went to bed last night thinking I'd be on a break from all things OBD for a while, but today I found myself wanting to connect a bit with like-minded Duck fans. And to touch on the other part of the original post, had this been an open forum littered with UW trolls and super grumpy Duck fans venting, I wouldn't have been back on here. It's the dirty work Charles does "keeping the pond clean" that allows us to have these sorts of exchanges without having to sift through a bunch of....stuff....that would only further our own disappointment. Thanks Charles. That IPA is well deserved.

Yes, the one upside of OBD losing and/or having the rare bad season is that it gives me back my Saturdays. I try to not let Duck games dictate my weekends by using DVR, but when they're in the thick of the CFP hunt I cave and start watching games live (or very nearly live). Had they won yesterday I would have killed today watching all the other games. Instead my kids get some more dad time. Priorities. 🙂

Dear Bo, I remember when it was announced that you were transferring to Oregon. I was in the camp that wasn't excited. I just watched UW beat Oregpn for the conference championship. It wasn't your best game. And, as I reflect on the past two years, all I can say is: Thank you Sincerely. You were nothing short of amazing this year, from your clutch throws to your leadership, from your lockerroom speeches to your ridiculous consistency. Please don't be defined by this one game. Go forth and continue to be you. It was a pleasure watching you develop and succeed as a Duck. And I look forward to watching you move forward to the next level, and wherever else life takes you. More great things will come. Thanks for the memories. Once a Duck, always a Duck.

I had this same thought. Maybe Brock Huard "broke" that story...

Agreed on all points. ...but TT still has to be really frustrated.

TT has to be so frustrated right now. Hopefully he doesn't bolt before the CFP, if the Ducks get there.

Thanks for sharing this. They're out there. They just get overlooked because the idiots are so much more vocal.

Yep. Even if Ty, or whoever comes via the portal, plays great, there is simply no way they can live up to what Bo has done this year. Bo has been flat out amazing. We need to really temper our expectations. Easier said than done.

I would say, as silly as it may sound, that the stakes in this game are higher in some ways than any past Duck game, simply because the combination of factors. Yes, it's not the national championship or even the CFP semis, but, it's the final Pac-12 game ever...to decide the final Pac-12 champ ever...with a CFP birth on the line...against UW of all teams. Adding that final bit in there is a game changer, at least for me. There is no "we'll get 'em next time." This is it.

I'll second this. But if you guys keep winning titles all those warm fuzzies might start to fade... 🙂

It was very weird but he seemed fine in the post game interviews. And I would think he would have been in the injury tent and/or being attended to if he had a physical injury. The walk off the field did show that coach/staffer holding on to his left arm, but not necessarily supporting it - maybe just his way of guiding him through the crowd. Regardless, he sure hasn't seemed 100% the last half of the season...

I had this same thought. Many defenses do this type of scheme but OR seems to always stick to field and boundary side corners. I don't know how much such a change might impact them. Obviously a question for people who know way more than we do.

Well...what happened was about the worst outcome for the Ducks. 6 point loss by the road team in a game that was in question basically to the final play. Much like ODB's loss to UW, this will be perceived as a pretty "good" loss by the powers that be. Hopefully it won't matter, but it certainly didn't help. As others have said, we really wanted a decisive win one way or the other to knock the loser down harder. Oh well.

I’m also sad about this. Football is more fun when the Beavs have a competitive team. If this ends up going where it seems to be going, the Beavs will soon be a true second-tier team, and even if the annual game continues it will become more and more lopsided, like Utah vs Utah State. I truly hope the Beavs can avoid that and continue to be relevant. I would love to see a west coast division of the B1G eventually develop as that conference expands, and someday include the original PAC-8. Probably just a pipe dream. But for now, I’ll have patience with the rantings of our orange and black wearing fellow fans of college football. All fan bases like to judge themselves by their best intentions and classy members but judge others by their most obnoxious trolls. We all know there are plenty of classless Duck fans out there, and I know many rational and classy Beaver fans. I hope they have better days ahead.

I don't think this narrative is right. We can hate the narrative all we want. But the OBD SOS goes down as a result of the games today, just based on the math.

I love this too. But....having UCLA and UA beat USC and UU takes a toll on OBD's SOS.

I cannot politely disagree with this opinion anymore than what is possible over a message board I absolutely have to go with Charles on this one. Gimmick has several definitions but I assume this to be negative. In that traditional sense I simply cannot agree, as Chip changed the game of football. The impact of that is still being felt. Was the hurry-up offense a gimmick? If the rest of the football world has to adapt to it, IMO it's not a gimmick.

I absolutely agree. And you could tell by his tone and facial expressions that he actually enjoyed delivering it. It didn't seem to be a point of stress for him. It was like he relished the opportunity to deliver that message. IMO he couldn't have handled that any better than he did. Good stuff.