Triphibius

No question, depth is good to have regardless what the format is. However, some players are special talents whose skills cannot be replicated, even by highly capable substitutes (for example, Tez Johnson). Football is a rough game, and risk is part of the equation, but the longer the playoff continues, the greater the odds that injuries will determine the outcome. I have probably said enough. Thanks for engaging on my point.

My fear is that in a sixteen team playoff, the winner will not be the best team, but the luckiest (in avoiding injury). A March Madness approach does not work, in my view, with a sport as tough on the human body as football.

Good observation, Solar. Let me add three things. 1. PSU's going faster than their normal pace may have caught OBD unprepared a few times, according the Autzen audibles. 2. The defense struggled to set the edge against Wisky. The problem here was that PSU ran between the tackles very successfully, which no one else had been able to do, other than perhaps BSU. 3. Burch had a quiet game. I can't say whether this was scheme, personnel, or his physical state. Boettcher still had an impact, as it was he who made the tackle on Warren on the two point conversion. Boettcher is a favorite of mine. Two observations about his play; 1. His run blitzes usually failed, possibly because PSU was ready for them. He never seemed to find lanes into the backfield. 2. On one play, a guard came right at him, untouched by the defensive line. LBs cannot make tackles if the defensive linemen do not occupy the blockers. I am no coach, I not cannot say why this happened, but I was shocked at how ineffective Harmon and Caldwell were against PSU. No doubt PSU deserves much credit. No doubt others will see more or say more.

The Cooper Cupp could be mistaken for the Rams' star receiver, or the indispensable component of the players' equipment. Also, no alliteration ought to be permitted.

I have the suspicion that Oregon is easier to defend without Tez Johnson in the slot. Losing Lowe did not help, either. Wisconsin looks to this non-coach to be playing well. Our tackles are being pressed hard in pass protection. We need to find a second receiver to target. Holden? Ferguson? Sadiq? I will be curious to see what Stein can devise. On defense, Wisconsin had better success by running the ball toward the outside. There needs to be an adjustment to curb that, putting them back in second and third and long.

Beware the Tarmac, Mr. Riley. As far as I am concerned, it could not happen to nicer people. I hope they experience several more seasons of this. To be clear my animus is not against Riley (although he may be a jerk for all I know), nor against USC's fans (to whom the same applies), but to their President and Athletic Department, who betrayed their long-time PAC-12 partners. Be careful what you wish for, Trojans. Beware of Midwesterners bearing gifts!

If the B1G is not to their liking, there may be room for the Men of Troy in the burgeoning Pac-2 Conference. Just a thought.

The Six Pac plus (we hope) two. For Sinatra fans, the Rat Pac.

According to the author, USC left the PAC-12 to escape the bad officiating (and not to escape competition from the U of O, or simply greed). Please......

At least Oram correctly blamed the collapse of the PAC-12 on USC and UCLA. I find this all sad, not amusing. Perhaps I ought to add that I live outside the NW and do not have to listen to caterwauling Beavers on a regular basis.

I believe I heard that Boettcher led the team in tackles. I thought he played well. He was consistently around the football, and tackled well. Then again, I am not a coach and am biased in favor of a fellow SEHS Axeman.

Am I hallucinating, or have they made a substitution on the line at center and right guard?

I disliked the fly sweep, also. We have one of the best receiving tight ends in college football. However, they seem to be forcing the ball to Sadiq, who has only a holding penalty to his name tonight.

An exciting race, and a great victory for Cole Hocker. Congratulations to him and his proud parents. Two of the last three gold medals in the 1500 won by U of O runners.

I notice two things: 1) the disparity in results between teams with similar talent, (e.g. Michigan vs. Penn St. and Oregon vs. USC) 2. the Buckeyes are loaded. I suspect two things: 1) Wisconsin at Camp Randal Stadium in November will not be easy 2) Jonathan Smith will find a way of being a nuisance regardless what he has

It has been said that he runs like a Dierre.

I, for one, will miss Yogi Roth and of course Nick Allioti.

Although Dana Altman lent some credibility to the thesis of Zach Neil's article, I respectfully disagree. Tracey and Rigsby made significant contributions with their defense, and occasional offensive plays. Shelstad did not have his shooting touch, but he handled the ball well, and played hard and fairly successfully on defense. It would have been nice if Evans or Shelstad had provided more scoring, but the former played like a nervous freshman and the latter's inconsistency is nothing new. Oregon could have and probably would have won despite the dependence on Dante and Cousinard had it not been for Shelstad's injury. His presence on the floor in the last two minute and overtime would have made a big difference. Shelstad's absence meant: 1) Cousinard had to be the primary ball handler, which contributed to his exhaustion and no doubt affected the play selection; 2) Evans lost the best target for the crucial inbound pass; 3) Creighton's point guard scored ten points in the overtimes when he was no longer being guarded by Shelstad. If I remember the video replay correctly, Shelstad was off balance and vulnerable to the being injured because the opposing guard pushed him. No foul was called. My thanks and compliments to the players and coaches for all they have overcome and achieved this season, despite the many obstacles and setbacks. .

I am happy for the players and coaches. Considering the injury situation, this was a considerable achievement. I share Coach Altman's regret and nostalgia about the end of the league. However, winning the last Pac-12 tournament was satisfying. What a wonderful ending! Regarding Oregon's prospects in the NCAA tournament, a few random thoughts. 1. Few teams will be able to match up with Dante, especially in the early rounds. 2. However, I wonder what will happen if opponents simply collapse around Dante, perhaps in a zone, challenging Oregon to beat them from the outside. At present, Oregon has no consistent shooter from 3-point range. Shelstad comes close, he has had off nights. 3. As Coach Altman and Tommy Lloyd both noted, Oregon's defense was much improved. They got their hands on many passes in both games, leading to TOs, which were the difference, especially against the Buffs. . 4. Guard play matters, especially in the NCAA. Cousinard did not shoot it well last night, but he was superb in setting up Dante.

. Miami - Will it translate to the field of play? In Harford, Hereford and Hampshire, Hurricanes hardly ever happen. -- Henry Higgins

I remain a Pac-12 supporter. Hence: Great Success: OSU, WSU, Cal, Stanford, Utah, Arizona Qualified Success (less than UO): UW, UCLA Indifference: ASU Embarassment: The Loud One Disaster on the Scale of the Hindenburg: USC

News Item: Oregon's men's basketball team won a closely contested game against the University of Washington last night in Prichardsville, formerly known as Seattle.

Interesting observation, Critical. I thought the early struggles had more to do with play calls that seemed predictable and inappropriate given the defensive alignment. (Specifically, running into a crowded box, a la Cristobal.) I have assumed that he was not allowed to alter the (bad) play that was called. Of course, I could be wrong on one count or the other. I don't see how the UO could block seven men with six unless the QB is a threat to run. Bo played very well later in the game. The TD pass to Ferguson was "Heisman quality," IMHO. That does not mean you are wrong about the first quarter. I have not seen the game on replay, that was only my recollection.

Interesting report on the UO's emotional state in Las Vegas. The number of seniors participating suggests that they may be ready for this one. As I live in Georgia, I had the opportunity to observe Paul Johnson's tenure at Georgia Tech. His triple option offense gave teams a lot of trouble during the regular season, but Tech had less success in bowl games when their opponents had more time to prepare for it. If DL and his staff are as good as we like to think, perhaps that will be the case here.