The Grateful Duck

"It seemed like he went to MSU because he had to. Not because he wanted to." Coach Smith unequivocally left Corvallis because he wanted to. There's no question about this. Ask any woodrat, including some of my own family, he left them in the middle of the night, leaving some of his Beaver gear at a local thrift shop as well (the story goes).

Ooops. I prematurely articulated here. My bad!

A country mile, to be exact.

Generally, whoever wins the QB competition will have the skill set to maintain the present trajectory for this team. And that the 2 older players have the upper hand, imo. Whether the loser of that competition leaves the program sooner/later or not at all is a part of the coaching staff's assessment of the present QB room. Remember, they aren't just stacking talent for now but also for future contingency. Not all the room is going to leave when a starter is named, right?

I agree with this statement. The coaches obviously feel confident that they have the QB they need/want in house. And I trust this coaching staff, re: assessment and willingness to provide competition as necessary for every group on the team.

From a somewhat non-biased viewer, it was a good game to watch because how close/tight it was until the 4th. Personally, I think the Buckeyes played pretty sloppy and Ewers played better than I expected until he returned to form in the 4th. If the Buckeyes had played a less-penalized game, the result would've become clear in the 1st half instead of the 4th. And Howard did not have his best game. Yet, the Buckeyes still won. Sometimes grinding it out is the best a team can do. Hopefully, the A game returns for the Irish...we can hope!

No matter the reason(s), that sucked. I'm still marginally butthurt. And to make matters personal, a nephew who happens to be a Beaver believer made some nasty comments about the outcome and the Ducks after the game. Let's say I went "nuclear" in response. I really wasn't too upset about the game, since it was clear the Ducks were outmatched at the Rose bowl, but I have no patience for bad "winners" in any context. I let him have it in no uncertain terms, even after he said he was joking. Joking? Really, dude? You're not gonna man up? Haters are gonna hate and that was low, imo. Don't have the patience for such b.s. And, tbh, I don't think I'm gonna find the "christian" in me to forgive. Maybe sometime? 🤔

As a Commanders fan, Mariota saved our day, though in retrospect, the day didn't need saving after the Bears put a dagger into the Packers at Lambeau. In any case, Mariota showed he still has value as a serviceable NFL qb. I doubt he'll be in D.C. next year, unfortunately. Veteran qb's rarely stay put unless the situation, for playing time or financial, is conducive to their short-term plans. As Duck fans can attest, Jayden Daniels is a gamer....

The fans ask, they will receive! Here we come, Bucknuts! Game on!

Oregon is not Tennessee. The Ducks offense is better. The Ducks defense is better. The Ducks are deeper, tougher, more talented. And I think the Ducks coaching staff is significantly better. Round 2 is gonna be great!

I enjoyed every game today. I'll never complain about more CFB games. Also, there are blowouts during the regular season, too. Sometimes unexpectedly. Some days it's just not your day.... I wasn't disappointed at all and for the most part, the results were not that surprising given the quality of the teams playing.

(Not so) Bold prediction: Trojan wire will write a mid-season (complaint) article about Bear turning his narrative around after looking like an all conference d-lineman and possible early round NFL pick next year. The talent is there, but defensive coaching (and holding players responsible for performance) at SC is minimal at best. If Bear wants to f*** around, he'll do it on the bench if not from his living room couch.

A relaxing Saturday of CFB and some great posts. Thanks Mr. FD.

TheOSU 27 theOtherUT 17 Chip learns: to call some pass plays; that not all runs need to go into the teeth of the defense; & to let his elite players beat their elite players. Plus it's cold...SEC teams can't play in the cold, even if it's not actually cold (one of the 10 commandments of CFB). Finally, Ryan Day's sphincter muscles get relaxed and he oddly calls out Lou Holtz in another ecstatic rip-rap after-game comment.

The Horns...I don't like Clemson, at all. Debo rubs me the wrong way. I won't get into that. Let's just say: sanctimonious much. Also, Sark still has those Pac vibes/ties though the SEC homers might not acknowledge that.