Drake

Conference Championship games become like the last game of the season in the NFL. Teams that clinched a spot in the playoffs may rest players, while others may still need the win. I agree a conference championship game is devalued in the BIG, or SEC. In most years, a third seeded Big, or SEC team, will be better than the ACC, or BIG 12 champion. Tough to create a perfect playoff system.

What helped make this an epic ending was the importance of the game. The Rose Bowl was on the line for both teams. We had to beat Arizona….just to get a chance to crush the hopes of the Rodents bid to go to the Rose Bowl. Which led to another epic ending…..the War for the Roses.

I like the analysis. Solid OL play takes numerous reps together and game action to really gel. Defense will always shine early against a newer OL. However, having the DL guys that require double teams, and that requires the a QB to check out of plays makes our defense formidable. Our defensive front should be high level, and with solid DB play they will be very tough against most teams.

Maybe a tornado warning could be added. Not exactly fan friendly weather for baseball.

The long-term outlook looks bleak for D1 non-revenue sports. AD’s are forced to compete in the free-for-all for talent in football and basketball to generate fan interest. The ‘arms race” for talent, along with the higher costs of the maintenance on athletic facilities for the revenue sports, takes money that once could be used for the non-revenue sports. Without fundamental changes from lawmakers, how many college sports programs will survive?

All it took for Oregon to bring back baseball was for the Beavers to win back to back championships in 06 and 07. Oregon fielded a team in 2009 after dismantling the program in the early 80’s. If Oregon, UCLA, or usc were to win a championship in baseball, I would expect other schools (alumni) in the conference would get their AD’s on the phone and start asking questions about how to improve their teams. Baseball in the BIG relies on other revenue sports to pay the bills. Alumni support dictates whether programs receive enough money to improve.

The best analogy I can think of is golf. Pitching, or playing golf at a high level requires precise mechanics, and mental toughness. If your timing is slightly off things go south quickly, and a mental lapse can be costly. Throw in the weather factor, add some bad luck, and you have can easily have a bad round, or bad inning. A swing/pitching coach will help players achieve higher levels, but can also help players with their mental approach when they are in a slump. College players in both sports are one step from being professional players. So we are watching the top non-professional players. It can be a very fine line between those who go on to have a professional career, and those who don’t.

I think it is difficult to judge QBs when personnel are divided between two different offenses. It takes time for a starting QB to get in sync with the starters, much less players that will probably be on the sidelines most games. To me, It looks like our defense will be formidable, and the offense will need game time to gel. As far as slipping on the turf, I think some players are amped up and trying to defy physics. These guys are strong and fast, and want to show they belong. With more playing time those slips will diminish.

Since you have some Grease tracks…here is a heavy metal spin on Grease. I saw these guys in Portland about 20+ years ago at an album release party.

It will never be on my playlist, but arguably more people have danced to this tune at sporting events, conventions, and almost any other place music has been played…lol

I live in the Portland Metro area, and while a sport is easier for me to attend, I don’t think any of the teams should be obligated to play, or practice in Portland. There are times when the university needs to gain alumni support, and I fully support the idea of events being staged from time to time. However, I am not going to attend a practice, and most facilities in the Portland area don’t allow significant attendance, other than basketball, or perhaps soccer.

Retiring numbers seems appropriate in professional sports where players may play for the same team for 10 to 20 years. Not enough numbers to retire after 3 to 4 years in college.

Kiara Romero won the 2023 US Junior Girls championship. She enrolled at Oregon in 2023 , and as a freshman set the single season scoring record for Oregon at 70.84 in 31 rounds. She just turned 19 years old. She may very well be someone we see do very well at the next level.

Not too sure what donors want to fork over big money for someone who quits on a team. At some point the kid needs to earn his money, and make the decision that he wants to be a leader. Right now he is simply a quitter. Read an article that stated that an in conference transfer during the spring requires he sit out a season. So, high probability he ends up in the BIG, or ACC.

I don’t understand why the now fractured Mountain West, and PAC can’t come to terms with reality, and unite together for survival. Geographically, and economically it makes too much sense. There are obviously attorneys involved, and they thrive on creating conflict. Conflict simply means more billable hours they can charge to their respective “clients”. In the end, who are the real winners? It has the appearance that the winners will be the law firm that racks up the most billing hours.

Obstinate leadership is the only term that comes to mind. Stealing money that they didn’t earn apparently was legal, but really just allows them to keep the lights on for awhile. They need to have a long term plan that increases sports revenue, or decrease expenses. The solution may mean cutting the number of sports programs they offer. Joining the BIG 12 makes more sense than the slow demise they are currently facing. Their players certainly are not loving what they are hearing from their coaches and administrators.

We all know that our current staff has recruited talent at an unprecedented level. In the short time they have been in Eugene they already have players that are on NFL rosters that they recruited via the transfer portal. The young guns they recruited in the first year are just now eligible for the NFL draft. If you take into account redshirt players, some of the first year high school talent recruited by DL’s staff, still have a couple year’s of eligibility. I would expect NFL teams to acquire quite a few players on the current roster, or committed for 2026.

Rodent fans can believe whatever they want. An avalanche hit the conference, and rather than rebuild in the avalanche zone, we moved. Btw rodent believers, we won a conference championship in a conference with 18 teams. You came in 2nd in a two man race… congratulations.

I did not enter the military, but my brother went Navy, and was on the Enterprise, CVN 65. She was older than the Nimitz, and not as large. He helped maintain the nuclear power plant. He spent 6 years in the Navy, but was not on the carrier the entire time. He definitely saw a lot of the globes oceans, and various ports of call in the 70’s. The Carrier is a small town population wise, and he said it is pretty cramped quarters when sailing.

Contrast the campus in 2021. Such a beautiful place. Springtime in Eugene is upon us, and I can still remember those warm spring days trying to determine if you could skip class and enjoy the “college scenery”.

For those who attended U of O, the documentary shows the iconic buildings that are on campus, and the cost to build. Inflation is real. Since this is classified as a Recruitment film, thank goodness marketing has improved over the years. However, the fly over footage of the campus was probably cutting edge back then.

It would be interesting to know the percentage of calls that get overturned by a review. That percentage would tell the story of what changes, if any, should be made. Allowing a form of coaches challenges to questionable calls could be a viable alternative.

Since you asked for a topic…this one is sports related. These guys run time trials on these types of runs. As someone who casually rode bikes, and motorcycles, I am amazed at the athletes in these sports. You lose focus for one moment and life flight will be your next ride.