Grandpa Duck

Here we are with the NC game less than two hours away. How unusual with no teams from the southern part of the US competing. Seems as though that's a first in the last 10 years, maybe longer. But if its not, someone can correct me. Chuck Culpepper, today, writing in The Sports Moment for the Washington Post succinctly stated the difference between the two teams playing for the NC this evening: “In a real sense, these two teams exhibit the 20th and 21st centuries in college football. Michigan plays a style reminiscent of the 20th century, with a punishing running attack and a hard defense ranked No. 1 nationally. “ * * * * * * “Washington plays the style seen across the young 21st, rich in passing and artistic beauty and football geometry.” Well said, Mr. Culpepper. The poet in me wants to create a visual of Washington skipping through the tree tops while Michigan is determinedly crawling through the humas left from falling leaves and needles. Too bad TV does not have the capacity to shift from vivid color when the Mutts have the ball to black and white when the wolverines are on offense. After this game there will be only one undefeated Division I college football team. Reigning FCS champion, South Dakota State, is yet to lose, and probably will not for at least the rest of 2024. But as the new season comes on, neither Washington nor Michigan will be undefeated at the end of next year's regular season schedule because they play each other, at Washington. Next year the B1G will go through the agony of extremely difficult schedules where the best teams beat up on one another to the point that we will probably see two southern teams in the 2024 NC championship game. So, enjoy this match-up tonight. It's not likely that we will see anything close to two so different syles facing off for all the marbles again.

Thanks, Jon, for an interesting analysis of next year’s B1G schedule and your prognosis; It’s going to be fun seeing OBD compete with the top teams in the country.

It seems to me that a new NFL draftee will be in a much better position with a substantial bank account from NIL than he would be without any financial resources.

As others have indicated above, it's difficult to compare the "best" because there are too many variables. Even Bo Nix was better with Tez Johnson receiving passes in 2023 that Nix was without him in 2022. Football takes 11 players to contribute to the performance of each of them at any one moment, and for those on the offense another 11 on defense to get the ball back for them. In my observation, give me Justin Herbert with today's coaching staff and Nix' receivers, RB's and O-line. Herbert is a better runner when the protection collapses. He has a far better deep pass and delivery under pressure. Herbert can get the ball away with opponents hanging onto him like no other Duck QB. He is simply the phically strongest Duck QB ever. Unfortunately, thanks to Mario, we only had glimpses of his capability before he went to the NFL. Was Bo Nix one of the greatest contributors to Duck success? No doubt. But he had a better coaching, better playing environment and better team mates than any previous Duck QB.

It certainly was a very good day. Spent every minute, minus a few commercial breaks, watching college football. So much more fun than the NFL. Hope it stays that way.

Wrong. Application of the protocol by CFP committee puts Ducks in at 3 or 4 with PAC 12 championship.

Dawgs have won nine in a row by 10 points or less. Ahead by six points, with Five seconds left and they get a sack. Officials put a second back on the clock. Texas receiver makes a great catch, but comes down out of bounds. Destiny?

So hard to root for the Dawgs. A win for them makes the Ducks look better. And a Michigan v Washington final is a good omen for the B1G.

Nice catch, Charles. Bodes well for next year to have Poncho at the critical Center of the O-line.

Much more better!

I was right about the CFP committee choosing Alabama over FSU because their written protocol required that they make that choice. But I was wrong about Santa, Chuck. See “Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Clause” by E. B. White. Please forgive me for that “big” kid mistake some 72 or so years ago when you were the “little” kid. it was a pleasant surprise for Jan and me to find that your parents were our next door neighbors when we moved here in Eugene 23 years ago. That neighborhood where we both grew up in Coos Bay was a great place for kids to have fun. Seems to me that you were a Pirate before your folks moved and you became a Bulldog.

The one player necessity that cannot be coached is speed. Ducks have no speed because, apparently, that’s ignored in the recruiting process. Only in golf can a slow player excell.

Also, the coaching team members exchange thoughts and build off one another. Obviously with connections to more people on staff the player will be more comfortable when he arrives in a strange place. This team method must require a great deal more time away from home for staff.

The early September game was rebroadcast on ESPNU this morning. Herbstreit said that Sabin and the Alabama AD deserved to be complimented for scheduling a team like Texas in a non-conference game and jeopardizing their season. As it turns out, losing did not keep Alabama out of the playoff, and winning got Texas into the playoff. Watching the game I felt that Texas was better than their 10 point winning margin. I will not be surprised if they both win tomorrow. Then I would pick Sabin over Sark to be the NC.

Ducks 45-24 3 turnovers 2 sacks 342 passing yards

Shelstad is one of those rare players who plays taller than he measures. Great hops and timing. Very difficult to block his shot because his release is quick and high.

Charles getting his wish for a Georgia blow-out. FSU missing several starters on defense. 35-3 with three minutes left in the half.

Wonderful work, Charles! Appreciate the time you spent putting this together.

When we evaluate our AD and his staff we need to realize that they do a lot more than football. Personally I will never believe Mullins makes a scheduling decision without the approval of the head coach.

I try to keep positive. There are too many entities involved. But the catalyst of paying players may lead to a solution.

Jon, You might want to consider how this human choice system, imperfect because it is human, came about. It was a negotiated settlement. Negotiated after decades of disagreement. Academic institutions, you know, our alma mater, did not want to impede the progress of the student athletes with too many post season games. Bowl committees with long-term contracts signed by those same academic institutions’ conferences, insisted that their annual influx of dollars into their motels, restaurants and tourist attractions during the holidays not be jeopardized. Conference commissioners, not only the now “Power-4” that was six, but also all of the little schools’ conferences insisted they not be left out. Hence Liberty with a spot in the New Years Day bowl, this year the Fiesta Bowl, that was guaranteed before they would vote “yes” to any form of playoff. Those little schools had the majority of votes! And the commissioners of every conference were making sure that their big dollar jobs remained secure. in “choosing” a National Champion we have come from one man backcasting into 1868, two centuries ago at a time before he was born, to various polling entities picking as many as four “disputed” champions, to the BCS selection by computer of teams in an actual game. Nobody was happy with that system, except the winner. The CFP four-team playoff is a compromise. It was never intended to be perfect. I happen to believe it is less controversial than the 12-team fiasco we probably will experience next year. But it was a necessary stepping stone to get to what I believe will follow in a few years. I will have an article about that early next year.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year. May your days be full of good cheer!

I agree that giving teams 1-4 a first round bye will create controversy. And, teams 13 and 14 will feel as cheated as FSU feels this year. Any method of choosing playoff teams where humans do the selection will anger those left out. There is a solution that NCAA president Charlie Baker has written about that takes away selection by a committee and uses only wins on the field. I’m writing about that for Charles to consider for publication in January. But, even if that solution finds its way to adoption, fans of a losing team will cry that the officials were on the take.

I lived in the community where Mark grew up and played QB for Marshfield, Coos Bay. My wife was a teacher at that school and often says Mark was one of the two smartest students she had in a long career. We banked with Mark’s Dad, Mike, a wonderful man. Mark lives in a beautiful home outside of Eugene, has a nice family and a good gig on weekend TV in the fall doing football “color” and showing the play by play guy how much there is to football. It’s an education to listen to him. My uninformed guess is that Mark will reap his just reward in heaven with some of the money paid to him by Oregon still in the bank. I also believe he never regrets that he has avoided the stressful job of a major college football coach.

I tend to think Michigan will not beat Alabama. One of the TV pundits, I think it was Petersen, said about the Michigan vs. Penn State game that it was like watching 1950's football in black and white. Alabama has more speed and it has team momentum. With four weeks to prepare, Sabin will coach circles around Harbaugh. And, my opionin is every bit as good as the next guy's opinion.