Will This Forever Haunt You as an Oregon Fan?

[Charles Fischer]

So close to a 'Natty, and it sure feels we were robbed....

 

This, below, is extremely well done.  (Maybe a misspelling or two!)

 

 

[DanLduck]

Ouch!!

Oh the memories that come flooding back...or vay!

[GeotechDuck]

The Cliff Harris pick was close too.  I was at the game and I think my biggest issue was with Chip forcing the run for so long before unleashing Thomas and allowing him to push the ball down the field.  

[David Marsh]

Haunt me? No. 

 

Will I feel better about it once we have a national championship trophy in our trophy case? Yes. 

 

It does feel like the refs put their thumbs on the scale a little bit or a lot with that game though. 

[1Ducker1]

The Dyer not down thing still erks me .HE WAS DOWN

[Jon Joseph]

On 5/12/2024 at 9:35 PM, David Marsh said:

Haunt me? No. 

 

Will I feel better about it once we have a national championship trophy in our trophy case? Yes. 

 

It does feel like the refs put their thumbs on the scale a little bit or a lot with that game though. 

Refs from, TA-DA, the Big Ten. I lose sleep when I think of Gene Chizak with a Natty. Although Geno did a heck of a job, winning the 'NIL battle' for the services of $cam.

 

And it was Chip and Oregon sanctioned for recruiting violations? Diogenes, where are you?

[Haywarduck]

Plenty of things in my life haven't been fair. I looked at those times as tests, and on quite a few of those I didn't do too well. I also think those challenges made success even sweeter.

 

I went on to win, and so will the Ducks!

[Washington Waddler]

     A definition of perspective: learning to shine the light on yourself as often as you do on the other guy. As much as I may still feel swindled and victimized by ref decisions in that game, it’s oddly calming to balance those thoughts by remembering how Oklahoma fans felt and still do after the game at Autzen.

[AnotherOD]

On 5/12/2024 at 6:18 PM, GeotechDuck said:

I think my biggest issue was with Chip forcing the run for so long before unleashing Thomas and allowing him to push the ball down the field.  

That is the one that stuck with me too rather than the refs. I mean, it was an SEC team, going in I think you expect to lose the battle of the calls (maybe not as bad in key spots but even then I never really expected a balanced game).

 

Just going off memory Auburn was something like 9th nationally against the run (and something like 5th or 6th amongst P5 teams) allowing about 109 ypg at 3.4 ypc. (I did look that up).

 

Against the pass they ranked 109th, allowing 259 ypg (something like 53rd out of about 60 P5 teams).

 

Oregon, not exactly known in 2010 as a pass heavy team, does complete 28 passes for 374 yards and 2 TDs against them.

 

At the time, the layoff between the teams ending the season and the Championship I believe was one, if not the longest in modern college football history. Loved just about everything coach Alliotti did game planning.

 

They trusted their back guys and got after Newton and I will suggest to a debatable degree just beat him up (22-19 being being their second lowest output among their 14 games).

 

On offense? It just appeared Kelly doubled down on running against a very good UA defense intent upon selling out taking away James and Barner. Much was left on DT's legs (which to that point in the year had primarily been a "if you don't respect it I will hurt you" versus "now it's in my lap and I need to ** suddenly ** have the wheels to make an elite run defense pay). I would suggest if asked the UA coaches say they watched tape for a month and were willing to take the gamble.

 

Looked this up too, prior to about 1:40 left in the first half, when Oregon opened up to pressing the UA passing defense, Oregon ran 30 offensive plays. Two picks and an incomplete, so basically 27 other plays. 16 rushes for 32 yards and 5 passes to RBs out of the backfield for about 45.  That is 21 out of 27 either rushes or drops to the RBs.

 

Only 6 passes to WR and TEs for about 128 yards. Now, a big chunk of that was a pass to Maehl for 81; but, isn't that why to take shots down field? You target 4-5 and get at least one big play out of 5-6? The offense had another successful target to Tuinei out of those 6 throws for 19 yards. Maybe not so bad.

 

What is possibly hard to put into the calculus is how much the early picks by DT effected play calling. Certainly after about 1:40 left in the first half Oregon went ahead and trusted DT to throw the ball.

 

And from an Auburn perspective why not?

 

They stuffed the run and played hit-or-miss all season with their secondary and were in the National Championship game with a lead.

 

Just perhaps seems like the strategy didn't trust a passing game that, if prepared earlier and a bigger part of the plan, might have changed the dynamic (here read, press them with the pass to then open the run).

 

When watching the second half of that game when it got close -- having a the lead in a game that ends up 22-19 looms perhaps larger than a game that turns into a shootout. Jump on them challenging their 109th rated pass defense against a game plan selling out to stop the run?

 

I don't know. When I think of the game my first recollections are Nick Farely beating us up and taking our lunch money (the UA front four all pretty much had a good season). Was the Ducks best option betting against them when their secondary showed through 13 games that regularly susceptible to giving up plays?

 

(And yes this is over a decade later after the fact backseat analysis so I accept that very valid criticism)

 

[Mike West]

On 5/12/2024 at 6:35 PM, David Marsh said:

Haunt me? No. 

 

Will I feel better about it once we have a national championship trophy in our trophy case? Yes. 

 

It does feel like the refs put their thumbs on the scale a little bit or a lot with that game though. 

Feels like?

 

They definitely tanked the game for the Tigers.  Every call went their way.  And they REALLY lucked out when the first quarter ended before we could run a play to score a TD.

 

OBD were the better team.  Our defense was more physical (as demonstrated by that sack/fimble/TD, and the constant pounding Newton absorbed all day).  Newton alligator armed and easy TD out of fear of getting hit again - resulting in a FG that drive.

 

And Cliff's INT?  Please.  That resulting TD pass was a consequence of that poor call.  That's three TDs I just mentioned (one theirs, two ours and you can add the Dye FG to boot- 24 points - more like a 36-12 game). It should have been a blowout.  Easily.  But we know SEspnC wasn't going to let the P12 earn another dynasty.  

 

I don't care what anybody says, Chip's first playoff caliber team was better than most SEC stalwarts, including Saban's first three title teams.  It is a conspiracy that started when the SEC made sure USC got the death penalty. 

 

The 2010 Oregon team didn't have as much talent as we've had the past four years, but that was easily the most dominant team Oregon has ever put on the football field - especially the defense. 

 

When Lanning's boys provide hits like those Ducks displayed all of 2010?  Yeah, we'll win a Natty for sure.  Watch that tape again.  That is what I call punishing defense.  Watch the Stanford game that year.  Even the secondary delivered knockout blows.  

 

If I'm Lanning, I'm playing tape of every blow that team, and any other Oregon team (2019 comes to mind) delivered to opponents.  That's better than SEC football my friends.  That's what I want to see.  

[Dav3d]

I was there at the game in Phoenix and couldn't believe those two calls. Still gets me a little worked up thinking about it: the only thing worse is a mention of Rick Neuheisel. Makes me twitch.