FishDuck Article Administrator No. 1 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Somebody had to lose. In a long history of gridiron battles, the first-ever top 10 matchup between longtime Pacific Northwest rivals the No. 8 Oregon Ducks and No. 7 Washington Huskies was a doozy — a titanic slugfest between two very polished teams. This time, the Dub ended up with the “W.” After the game, a close friend of mine ... Oregon Ducks Among Nation's Best Despite Washington Loss FISHDUCK.COM Somebody had to lose. In a long history of gridiron battles, the first-ever top 10 matchup between longtime Pacific Northwest rivals the... 1 1 3 3 Two Sites: FishDuck and the Our Beloved Ducks forum, The only "Forum with Decorum!" And All-Volunteer? What a wonderful community of Duck fans! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smith72 Moderator No. 2 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Thank you Jordan, I much appreciate your perspective! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 3 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Perfect article for this Monday morning. There is being exposed, and then there is losing a tough game you could have won. I'll take losing a tough one any day over being exposed by the domers. The season has begun in earnest, and it ain't over! I will say a Duck landing is a beautiful thing and I have a feeling they will land back on their feet. Now going forward this isn't the time of year to lay an egg. Lets hope they get things right, and get ready to fly south to Vegas in December! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic No. 4 Share Posted October 16, 2023 All the proof one needs as to how good Oregon still is and how much they are still regarded by CFB 'experts' outside the state is the fact that after this loss, they dropped exactly 1 slot in the national polls. This was a loss, on the road, to one of the best teams in the nation - by 3 points. Not only were the Ducks in this game, they were in position to win it and many thought they were going to. This is no time to pile the gear and set it on fire. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triphibius No. 5 Share Posted October 16, 2023 I appreciate the perspective. Oregon can still achieve its goals this year. However, to be not "among the best" but a champion, two things need to happen: 1. Oregon needs to win against contending teams on the road. 2. Oregon needs to make the right calls and the right plays at the right time in competitive games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Rosa Duck No. 6 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Thank you Jordan for a breath of fresh air. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic No. 7 Share Posted October 16, 2023 On 10/16/2023 at 7:55 AM, Triphibius said: However, to be not "among the best" but a champion, two things need to happen: 1. Oregon needs to win against contending teams on the road. 2. Oregon needs to make the right calls and the right plays at the right time in competitive games. Translation: Oregon's not quite there, yet. Almost. But not quite. I'm gaining confidence that O is getting closer by the game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonDucks No. 8 Share Posted October 16, 2023 On 10/16/2023 at 8:19 AM, Mic said: Translation: Oregon's not quite there, yet. Almost. But not quite. I'm gaining confidence that O is getting closer by the game. If Oregon converted one of the three fourth downs, Oregon likely would have won the game on Saturday. Heck, if our kicker made a straight ahead 42 yarder, it would have been anyone’s game in OT. That’s how close we were to winning in Seattle. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagefund No. 9 Share Posted October 16, 2023 I don't see anyone but Oregon and Washington in the PAC Championship game. I am hoping big time that the Utes can turn things around and get there but that's a tough ask. Although they sit at 5-1 not one of those wins has been a satisfying one. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioDuck No. 10 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Unfortunately I had a previous commitment and didn't see the game live. Hope to catch a replay on PAC Network soon. Looking at the box score, if I hadn't seen the actual score of the game I would have thought Oregon won by 10. Oregon won every stat except the score. Stats can fool you. Missed field goal really hurt. I, like many others expect this won't be the last time the two teams meet. Hope things are different in Vegas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solar No. 11 Share Posted October 16, 2023 A 1 loss PAC12 champion will make the playoffs over any other 1 loss team in the country. I don't see 4 teams going undefeated. Oregon still controls it's own destiny. Any talk to the contrary is just reactive. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 12 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Thanks, Jordan. I sure wish Somebody and not Oregon lost this terrific football game. And lost in the loss was Troy Franklin outplaying the UW receivers and a goal-line stand that could have been one for the ages. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethehiker No. 13 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Thanks Jordan. Some real positives from this game: -Unlike the performances of USC and Washington State, this game did HUGE favors for the PAC-12 as a whole. The country got to see playoff level competition from NFL level talent. A perfect mix of offensive and defensive playmaking from grown men. -Most pundits gave the contest "Game of the Year" vibes. Voters and playoff committee will favor Oregon/Washington when they think about the kind of matchups they want to see in the future. -Oregon was better at possessing the football with a 32-24 edge in first downs and 34:21 to 25:39 edge in time of possession. -Only 5 penalties and 0 turnovers. Ducks played nearly mistake free football in a very hostile environment. One of those penalties was a phantom PI call on Bridges. -Outgaining Washington 541-415 in total yards. -All passes were contested. I haven't rewatched game film, but the point should be made that there were no blown assignments. Many of those passes required an NFL arm throwing to NFL hands. -Washington HAD to win this game. Every contender HAS to win their home games. With that said, Oregon won almost every key indicator except final score and OBD had the game in hand with 1st and 10 near midfield with 3:15 to go. Oregon is a great football team and we still own our destiny! 1 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethehiker No. 14 Share Posted October 16, 2023 (edited) Beating the dead horse here on 4th down decisions. I knew this was likely going to come up again this year and I don't envy anyone making these decisions with a 40 second play clock breathing down your neck. Much of these decision making approaches are established prior to the game. In a bit of defense of Dan Lanning in the context of the game right before the half. Washington had just scored touchdowns on three straight possessions before Oregon got a bit of luck on the interception when the Husky receiver slipped coming out of his break. There was no indication that Penix and Co. were slowing down anytime soon. Grabbing the lead may have felt necessary at the time to Lanning with the opportunity to create separation after halftime. Hindsight can't just add points to the scoreboard as if no other events would have changed. It was a phenomenal game and I just wish we came out on top. Edited October 16, 2023 by mikethehiker Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triphibius No. 15 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Monday Measure: Did Dan Lanning make the right decisions in Oregon's loss to Washington? SPORTS.YAHOO.COM Oregon's coach was aggressive the whole game. Was it always the smart play? Also in this edition: Deion Sanders and Colorado have taken their lumps after an embarrassing few weeks but far... Here is another discussion of the game decisions, if you all are not weary of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cacker Guy No. 16 Share Posted October 16, 2023 (edited) On 10/16/2023 at 10:08 AM, OhioDuck said: Oregon won every stat except the score. Stats can fool you Well, there was one stat we didn't win: fourth down conversions. UO 0-3 UW 2-3 But I agree, the stats look good. The team played very well on offense and defense. Edited October 16, 2023 by Cacker Guy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 17 Share Posted October 16, 2023 The interesting thing about the title of the thread, "Oregon Ducks Among Nation’s Best Despite Washington Loss" is only two programs didn't realize this after the game. The Duck fans thought it was the end of the world and our program would never go anywhere. Many thought our coach completely blew it and would never reach the lofty heights seen before the game. The dawg program thought they had finally reached their birthright, better than any program on the face of the earth. Beating Oregon means everything to the dawgs. At least temporarily they were ready to hang their hat up and say the season was already as successful as possible. Come Monday and the emotional reactions have calmed and both programs will get back to work. The fans will also get back to looking ahead instead of at this big amazing game where either team could have won, but this time the entitled canines from up north lucked out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanLduck No. 18 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Thanks Jordan, I agree completely with your perspective. This game is a classic to watch again and appreciate how good our defense was in that 2nd half. They gave the offense enough opportunities to win...and we came this close! It hurts to lose. It hurts worse when it's Udub. So now we get to see the emotional strength of our boys. The real character of this team will shine through. How we respond to adversity, this loss, will mean everything. I almost feel sorry for WSU...well, not really. Everyone going to the game this week, save your voice, get plenty of rest, drink extra fluids (preferably water ) and give it your all on Sat. Goooooo Ducks!!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
