Mic

Of all the games Oregon could "afford" to lose and still remain in the hunt for the Conference Championship AND the CFB Playoffs, that was the one. So you're right. It's win or die as far as either of the two are concerned, certainly the last one. Yeah, the ledge is pretty skinny. Nice metaphor.

I'll have to wait til the season's over as well. It would have been different if it wasn't a game Oregon should have won, kinda like last year's loss in Eugene. Egad, I just realized, it's UW that has the streak going now. This is wrong!

I'm not sure what you mean by nicoise but potato salad is a tailgate staple. Over the year, tho, I've become more fond of a good macaroni salad and my wife makes a great one. Her potato salad has yet to equal what I remember my mom could make.

Tailgating at Autzen with friends can be amazing as some people go absolutely all-out with nearly everything imaginable that can be cooked or served to hungry enthusiastic fans. If you had to name just one food that you absolutely must-have, what would it be? Please share. If at home watching the game with family or friends for me it's pizza. At Autzen it would be pulled pork sliders, But it was really hard to pick just one.

Another one of these great explanatory articles from FishDuck that keep bringing me back to this site. Thanks Charles

I agree with Oregon Ducks, I would have preferred to see them for possibly the last (?) Civil War game; maybe the last for awhile anyway. I guess we can assume we are likely never to see the same uniform twice in a row again, which if you think about it, is kinda crazy. How does Oregon afford all these different uniforms?

Still no 5 stars? Not even one? Oh well, seventeen 4 star and six 3 star is still pretty darn good. We've all seen 5 stars that didn't pan out the way a lot of people and scouts thought might, anyway. GO MIGHTY OREGON!

I'm not so sure these so-called rankings shouldn't just be completely done away with until the end of the regular season. Then, given the various won-loss records, the SOS's of each team, the quality wins versus quality losses and the low- quality wins versus low quality losses can all be factored in to try and assemble some sort of meaningful ranking. Any rankings done preseason, early season and mid season are (in my opinion) done strictly for media's benefit to generate viewer interest in certain games. And, of course, to give College Gameday an idea of where next to set up the Home Depot booth.

4 teams. 12 teams. There is always going to be disagreement over which 4 or which 12. Perhaps creating these so-called super conferences (ugh!) will help clear that up as conference winners and runners-up get invites but I still think there will be controversy. Unless something similar to the NFL's playoff selection (facilitated by inter-conference and inter-divisional play) comes into the equation. And how could that possibly happen with 133 FBS Div. I teams?

I think you may be right on this, with the possible exception of the Beavers in Eugene. This is a scarier game (to me) then the 'scary' one in Utah, imo. Oregon could win out. I'm not comfortable with saying they will. (I think their chances are very good). And should they get a second chance at UW I fee pretty confident they would win that and will get an invite to the Playoffs. Or at least they should get the invite if what Bartoo writes is correct.

Wouldn't we all! I do think WSU will put up a good fight. I still think O is too much for them, esp after what happed last weekend to each team. Nothing comes easy in this conference and I am happy the game is in Eugene. I wish next week's game was too. Heck, I wish every game was!!

OK, I see your point, now. But the 2-pt conversion is still a high risk as compared to the nearly automatic 1-pt kick. I didn't mind seeing O go for the 2-pts early, but as the game goes on and the number of possessions left goes down it gets even riskier. I guess there's 2 schools of thought on this and not everyone will ever agree on it. In my mind of thinking, the 2-pt. conversion is usually (not always) better left for when needed to catch back up and bring a team to within one score or within a FG of winning or tying the game. Obviously, Lanning thinks differently - at least part of the time. I'm OK with that.

Just my opinions: 1) as regards your 1st question, I doubt it. Wins, losses, national hype and buzz are probably the first things HS'ers look at. 2) I seriously doubt the 2-point conversion will ever become the default for any team. It's too high-risk to be used every time 3) I would think the "extra benefit of live ball reps on 4th and short" would not justify the risk of turning the ball over to the opponent if unsuccessful. A failure to convert a 4th down is very much like a turnover.

I believe O's offensive line is all that these plaudits from their peers say they are. Which makes it even more puzzling to me why they were unable to convert on even one single, critical, 4th down attempt. Play calling? Execution? Both possible answers have been explored here on the forum and I can't offer an answer - unless it's to say UW was just better on those 3 plays. Perhaps Kalen DeBoer and staff just had better solutions for those moments than our coaches? IDK What I do know (I think) is that should Oregon get a second chance to play UW in Las Vegas (by no means a certainty) O will do better and UW will find it even harder than it was Saturday to beat the Ducks again.

Here I was speaking exclusively about the in-game decisions in critical situations. Basically, Oregon did out-play UW for the most part. But then they may have given the game away when it could have been won by questionable decision making. This is what I feel both Lanning and Stein (and others on the staff) will learn from and improve on going forward. Youth has its advantages - and its very real disadvantages.

I certainly can't argue with that. This is the kind of 'experience' we're expecting Stein & Lanning will gain - and should - going forward. One also hopes Oregon can see some continuity in coaching staff going forward. No 1 and done, or 2 and gone season stays by our O.C's and D.C.'s. If you add to that the number of transfers coming in and out the team seems always in flux.

I keep reminding myself Will Stein, for all his reputed brilliance, is still very young (coaching-wise) and relatively in-experienced (coaching-wise). He'll definitely get wiser and better at his job. So, there's that -

Probably not, but some of the glitz & glamour may be wearing thin especially if they end up around .500 at season's end. HS kids have a very short historical perspective. And watching the really good teams play in the championships and playoffs has an enormous impact on these young men. Coach Sanders will always have his 'star power' but I think it takes more than that in the long run. At least, i hope so.

Oregon desperately needs this 'medicine': a big win against a formerly ranked team. Not just a 10-point win. And as Charles reminded us, WSU is still capable of beating any Pac-12 team, including Oregon. The Ducks need to put the pedal down hard on WSU and keep it there. This win is needed not just for the ramifications for the rest of this season but for the recruiting and the program going forward next season. As much as we want to see Oregon stay in the Pac-12 Championship hunt (and after) it goes well beyond that; something I believe Lanning and Co. understand much better than we do. Expect a shootout Saturday with Oregon showing no mercy on a team limping into Autzen battered and short-handed. It's gotta be done. It's business. Go Oregon.

With a few more losses I wonder how well Coach Sanders will be able to recruit next year as compared to what he was able to attract this year.

From David's article above: "Instead we saw Nix roll out of the pocket and make a throw to receivers who simply weren’t open. That is a low-percentage play at a critical time. The Ducks don’t need to be that desperate; get the big bodies out and lets see them give Oregon’s runners a chance to pick up the needed yards." That's exactly what I think about these critical situations (not wanting to 2nd guess the coaches). Go with the high percentage play when converting or not means winning or losing the game. It's fine to go for some of these riskier plays when trying to extend a lead or build one, not when trying to come from behind or seal a win, esp. late. Just my agreeing with David on this. Go Ducks.

One thing we haven't seen from the Ducks since Lanning took over: an un-prepared or non-motivated team coming out of the locker room.

I guess a small consolation is Klatt's labeling the UW game "the game of the year" in the CFB so far. At least Oregon was one of the two teams in it. Is this a setup for Las Vegas or what? Of course, Utah and OSU might have something to say about all that. WSU for that matter, too.

Looks like I'll be driving into town to see the Utah game, Sling Orange doesn't carry Fox. However, a 12:30 start is ideal for me. Late starts su_k cause I end up driving home in the dark. Even a 3:30 start is too late for a town game for me. I'm happy. Go Ducks!

As a point of observation GoDuck, there's the Odds Shark line on this game: UW -3, with an o/u of 66. 33-30 = 63 points with a 3 point win for their projected winner. It's another reason why I never gamble real $. The gaming houses are right more often than wrong. In this case, they were very right.