cartm25

It's still sad to think about it today. Not a single team in the nation knew what to do with the Ducks that year . . . but fate had other, nefarious, plans for Dennis Dixon. Oh how my soul yearns to see what might have been if not for such a fickle thing as an ACL.

Great minds think alike! The 2002 Fiesta Bowl is a great call by you. In fact, that should have made my list. I didn't grow up with cable, so it wasn't until I was in college circa 2007 that I could follow the Ducks more closely, but the 2002 Fiesta Bowl was one of the most memorable games for me as well.

Ask, and you shall receive. Non-Conference data only:

Yep, Irving was better than the current rotation for sure.

If the OL issues are fixed and they can play to the level of their perceived talent . . . the upside to this offense is real. I echo thoughts expressed here that the only thing missing is a "can't catch him"-type running back. Pretty remarkable that we haven't seen an RB like that since the LaMichael James / DAT days.

Can't limit this to one, sorry. Here are the games I could watch highlights of on a loop, all day every day: 2007 - vs. Michigan - Two statue of liberty plays; one real, one fake . . . all in front of 100+k fans live, and viewed nationwide. 2009 - vs. USC - Halloween Night in college and I was screaming at my TV while all my roommates were out partying and I ignored trick-or-treaters. 2010 - vs. Tennessee - Scored in nearly every way possible: LMJ 70+ yard TD run, Punt Return, Kick Return, Pick-6 . . . Glorious day against the SEC!! 2010 - vs. Stanford - Got down big at half, looked daunting against recent nemesis, stormed back and sealed it with a HUGE LaMichael James TD run. 2011 - vs. Wisconsin - Rose Bowl win . . . and DAT was electric. 2014 - vs. FSU - So satisfying to humiliate Jameis Winston on such a big stage.

Yes! Definitely trending in the right direction.

We've finished the Non-Conference portion of the schedule, so time for an update. All stats except for passing statistics are down due to Oregon's troublesome first two games. Still scoring more points than Mari Cristbal, LOL

Cautiously optimistic! I cannot unsee the first two games, but I’m glad this game is starting to counter balance things.

Nice post. I was really close to showing that map too, but figured the B1G map looked enough like it, haha.

I say go for it. Why not? Setting aside the brand names and conference reputation, this map is the one that's laughable . . . geographically speaking:

I rewatched and was ok with it. He chewed him out and and didn't touch him. The headset, on the other hand, was physically abused beyond repair; didn't deserve that.

Yes! They could have fair caught the ball, and marched down the field to score a TD, taking lots of time off the clock. Thus, as you said, resulting in the game playing out in a "completely different way" than what occurred. It was actually Aaron Fentress (though the others nodded in agreement) from Talkin' Ducks that said "the Ducks lose the game without those special teams TDs." As if the combined 20 seconds of time is simply plucked from the game with no other opportunities or scenarios filling the space.

Unfortunately - or fortunately for the fun of discussion - this is all hypothetical and there's no way of knowing for certain. I would distinguish between your turnover example and the special teams TDs. The statistical relationship between winning and turnover margin is quite strong. With a turnover, a possession--and consequently a scoring opportunity--is taken from a team, and afforded to the other team. So I don't think we can ignore the impact of turnovers. However, in the case of a punt or kick-off, if it's not returned for a touchdown, what likely happened was the punt/kick returner caught the ball, ran 10-15 yards and got tackled. The receiving team didn't lose possession or a scoring opportunity. They could still score the same amount of points (or less, or none) as a punt/kick return for a TD. Another way to look at it: - Scenario #1: Post game report says, "Team A turned the ball over on every possession." It's 100% certain that Team A did not win the game. - Scenario #2: Post game report says, "Team A did not return a punt or kick-off for a TD." There's no way of knowing whether Team A won or lost that game.

Exactly!! They're looking at the score and saying, "Hmmm, if we subtract 14 points from the Ducks' 37 points, that's 23 points . . . and that's less than BSU's 34. Wow!! They wouldn't have won without those two special teams TDs." Completely ignoring the fact that the Ducks could still have scored in other ways.

A topic I want to address because I've seen it said in the media, both nationally and locally. I've heard Colin Cowherd, Joel Klatt, and even our very own folks on Talkin' Ducks, make similar declarations: "If not for the punt return TD and kick return TD, the Ducks lose that game." This is a fallacy (not sure which one to be honest). Here are some of the faulty (or at least VERY uncertain) assumptions needed: - That the Ducks don't score in other ways on those two possessions (e.g., a long TD drive, an explosive play TD, long drive and field goal, etc.). - That every aspect of the game (including timing and play-calling) would happen EXACTLY the same way, just without the punt/kick return TDs . . . this is literally impossible. - That two 7-10 second football occurrences would take the place of those two TDs, both that result in the Ducks not scoring and losing possession. Don't get me wrong, the Ducks could have lost that game without the special-teams scores in that exact fashion at those exact times. Sure! BUT, the fallacy is in the "certainty" that a loss would be the outcome. Setting aside my displeasure with the Ducks' performance so far, I'm here to say that even without the special teams scores, the Ducks could very well have won the game. I even surprised myself with this rather optimistic take.

I know I'm not in the majority here, but I really wish the Ducks and Beavers were still in the same conference with rivalry games. The caustic comments about the Beavers here--and I'm sure similar comments about the Ducks are on a Beaver Forum--are exactly what makes college football the best. I did not go to college at either UO or OSU (grew up in Oregon), so I rooted for both until they played each other. And I recall being nervous every time because I wanted the Ducks to win so badly, but knew it would likely be a close game (excluding most of the Chip Kelly era). I attended college at BYU, and the game . . . THE GAME . . . we all cared about was BYU vs Utah. Not sure there's a more bitter rivalry due to the rivalry's religiosity, haha. I could not be happier that BYU and Utah are now back in the same conference. Sorry this is not a Duck highlight, but this is what college football is all about, IMO. I can remember where I was and who was in the apartment (which we probably destroyed with all our jumping up and down) when I watched the ending to this game:

Oh dear . . . I cannot participate in this discussion for long. I'm having PTSD from all the prior P12 media topics/debates on the OBD. If I have to see more statistics on TV Market sizes, I might just keel over. That said, I'll get in and out. 1) P2 should just join the Mountain West. 2) Since #1 doesn't appear to be happening, lean into the regionality and keep teams local. Build a league that can build a foundation of rivalries, passion, and tradition. 3) Bring Cal and Stanford back. OR Do what should have happened before USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington left . . . otherwise you'll slowly be picked apart by the Big Power 2 Conferences anyways. And that is: 4) Combine all the best non-SEC/B1G teams/conferences from coast to coast and form a massive league with divisions (Pacific, Central, and Atlantic) and a playoff to earn a spot or two in the CFP.

Some random (maybe incoherent) thoughts on this topic. In general, I believe in praising publicly, and correcting privately. BUT, I also believe there's a time and place (even if rarely) for correction to come in a public setting; in the middle of the game after a dumb personal foul penalty that negates a big play . . . I'm fine with that. Does anyone on OBD know, and can explain, the details of these NIL deals? Specifically, are portions of the deals guaranteed? I ask because one of the stated advantages of being a HC in college vs the NFL, is that the NFL HC can't be as "ra ra" or "in your face" (i.e., a "motivator") as much as a college HC can. Stated differently, the HC has more control over player development / direction / motivation because the players "used" to not have that much leverage. It was either listen to the coach(es) or hit the bench. Now players have leverage with the "I can leave anytime" transfer portal, and the "it doesn't matter how I play, I'm still getting paid" NIL deals. This has to impact the psychology of players and their motivations. How much? I have no idea.

Technically, I agree that a win is a win. However, not all wins convey the same message. The message I received from the Ducks 2-0 start is that they’re nowhere near being competitive with the best teams in the B1G/college football. I’m trying to be optimistic, but the Ducks’ performances have been so opposite of expectation that positivity is reading empty. Is it possible for the Ducks to turn things around? Yes! But I’m in “need to see it first” mode now.

I agree with most of what you said except for this piece. Feels more like desperation rather than confidence. “Have to figure it out or else we’re screwed” sort of feel. I didn’t get to see the game, but was there any combo of OLineman that made you say to yourself, “That’s it! That’s the combo that can push around Ohio State.” ?

Totally agree about the top-10 teams. I wouldn’t bet on Oregon to win any top-25 matchups either, at this point. Idaho beat Wyoming, 17-13. Wyoming must be really good, too? I refuse to believe that Idaho and Wyoming are juggernauts this year.

My expectations have been shattered. I will no longer take any joy in all the hype and marketing Oregon has put out. Show how good you are on the field, because I don’t care how good you look in a 4k cinematic masterpiece highlighting practice, team meetings, and Joel Klatt singing your praises before playing a snap of football. So far, Oregon has been about “clicks and not substance”. I won’t watch another “That Team Out West” video, and I’d suggest Lanning put a stop to those videos. Saban was right! All that puffery in the media and the cutesy hype videos are “RAT POISON”. This conference is now down to tOSU and USC. Yes, THAT USC; unbelievable. USC’s 180 improvement has been as remarkable as Oregon’s regression. USC is now scoring 40+ points and their defense is pitching shutouts. I now believe Oregon has at least 4 losses on their remaining schedule. Many of the teams left to play have scored 40+ points while holdIng opponents to low scores; something Oregon has yet to do. I have said previously that I’d be disappointed with anything less than an 11-1 record; I’m now prepared for disappointment. Adjusted record prediction: 8-4 or 7-5

My suggestion for next year’s non-conference schedule: - Harvard - Princeton - Yale

Perfect question! Inexplicable! This has to be coaching, right? What do practices look like?