The No-Drama Program

[jrw]

I’m struck by how little sports talk blather the Ducks generate. Ranked #1 most of the season, with little discussion about them, really. Maybe because the team and the program are operating like a fine watch: no noise, no mistakes, no drama, always on time. 
 

Even ESPN noticed this:

 

“The No. 1 team in the country may also be the least interesting at this point.

Oregon won again Saturday, 49-21 against Washington, to finish the regular season at 12-0. Yawn.

Since their dramatic 32-31 win over Ohio State on Oct. 12, the Ducks have basically been the work-from-home guy who was told he had to start going into the office again. They show up, swipe their badge, grab a coffee, say hello to Denise in accounts receivable, Dillon Gabriel throws a couple touchdowns, then they're home in time for "The View."

 

Me, I’ll take this kind of boring. 

[Drake]

When the offense struggles, the defense just tells DG to stay warm, we are going to get that ball back for you.
 

The Ducks winning is only boring to those that want to see them lose. 
 

 

[30Duck]

On 12/1/2024 at 11:32 AM, jrw said:

Ranked #1 most of the season, with little discussion about them, really.

Shows exactly how ridiculous ESPN and the rest of the media are. Oregon's No.1, moving on. "But what about Texas?" "How can Alabama still make the Playoffs?" "The U" "? "Prime?" Oregon, the most innovative team in college sports can't get a mention?

[Desert Duck]

Just taken care of business. "Taken care of business and workin overtime"

 

The Oregon Business Ducks

[David Marsh]

Andy and Ari on3 night show had a great mention of Oregon.

 

Something a long the line of... "We should mention them because they keep dominating but yeah Oregon is a lock for the playoff." They moved on to the rest of the chaos. 

[Desert Duck]

On 12/1/2024 at 12:51 PM, 30Duck said:

Shows exactly how ridiculous ESPN and the rest of the media are. Oregon's No.1, moving on. "But what about Texas?" "How can Alabama still make the Playoffs?" "The U" "? "Prime?" Oregon, the most innovative team in college sports can't get a mention?

Exactly. I went to ESPN.com this morning and I literally could find ZERO mention of OBD totally opening that proverbial can of whoop arse on the Huskies. 

 

I don't think the rest of the blueblood CFB nation like us crashing the party. 

[OregonDucks]

Just thinking about it:

 

Pre-BCS, the upcoming Oregon vs. Penn State game would be in Pasadena on New Year’s Day and if Oregon won the game they would be the unanimous National Champion (AP and Coach’s Poll).
 

Now the game is for a first round bye and the opportunity to play 3 more top 12 teams.  

 

That’s how much harder winning the national championship has become (vs. when the mutts won their 1/2 national championship). They didn’t even have to play the other top team, which would have waxed them on the field, IMO.  

Edited Sunday at 08:41 PM by OregonDucks

[30Duck]

The biggest noise about Oregon was the not a story about Lanning leaving and going to the NFL next year. According to the ramblings from Huskyville Charles brought over they're clinging desperately to that happening. 

[Desert Duck]

On 12/1/2024 at 1:45 PM, 30Duck said:

The biggest noise about Oregon was the not a story about Lanning leaving and going to the NFL next year. According to the ramblings from Huskyville Charles brought over they're clinging desperately to that happening. 

It is the Huskies only remaining hope. 

[The Kamikaze Kid]

On 12/1/2024 at 12:40 PM, OregonDucks said:

That’s how much harder winning the national championship has become (vs. when the mutts won their 1/2 national championship). They didn’t even have to play the other top team, which would have waxed them on the field, IMO

I may be too new school but I think to win a championship, you need to actually win a championship. I have a hard time giving anybody credit for championships based on poll votes alone. Until you convert that do or die late game 3rd and twelve or make that 4th quarter goal line stand, you just don't know how any team is going to react in a playoff or championship environment.

 

Oregon kept Cam Newton and the unstoppable Auburn offense to their lowest point total all season, with only six in the second half including a final play field goal. The Buckeyes were a four seed when they beat the three seed Ducks in the Championship. They both beat the one and two seeds which likely would have shared a title before the playoff era.

 

Paper trophies deserve golf clap applause.

[woundedknees]

On 12/1/2024 at 12:48 PM, Desert Duck said:

It is the Huskies only remaining hope. 

DawgyGon Kennel-bye, you're their only hope!

[Grandpa Duck]

Even over the years of the poll granted “championship” it was considered to be a “mythical championship “.

[Krsmqn]

'Cause 10 sacks in a game is typical mundane stuff. 

 

I don't mind Oregon being the monster lurking in the shadows... Hopefully they pounce on everyone. Then they'll be the talk of the town all off-season. 

 

[EagleScoutJim]

Honestly, I think that the talking heads are fun shy about talking up the Ducks - they have been burned every time since 2010 whenever they committed to talking up OBD. 
 

Face it, we’re not one of ‘the blue bloods’ ( no loss there IMHO). 
 

We have not succeeded in our two BCS championship games (Dyer was down, and it would have helped if we were had at least one receiver not suspended or injured and able to play).

 

 Last year we were beaten by The Dawgs twice, and won the opportunity to showcase our talent playing Liberty in a bowl game.

 

 The point is, it has been risky to talk up the Ducks. But talent and coaching will win out. When we win a championship this year, all that will change for good.

[Jon Joseph]

On 12/1/2024 at 2:32 PM, jrw said:

I’m struck by how little sports talk blather the Ducks generate. Ranked #1 most of the season, with little discussion about them, really. Maybe because the team and the program are operating like a fine watch: no noise, no mistakes, no drama, always on time. 
 

Even ESPN noticed this:

 

“The No. 1 team in the country may also be the least interesting at this point.

Oregon won again Saturday, 49-21 against Washington, to finish the regular season at 12-0. Yawn.

Since their dramatic 32-31 win over Ohio State on Oct. 12, the Ducks have basically been the work-from-home guy who was told he had to start going into the office again. They show up, swipe their badge, grab a coffee, say hello to Denise in accounts receivable, Dillon Gabriel throws a couple touchdowns, then they're home in time for "The View."

 

Me, I’ll take this kind of boring. 

Spot On! Teams that let other teams stick around pay for it sooner or later. See, Miami lost two of its last three games to unranked opponents. Very sad. 

 

With major differences in these mega-conference teams' strength of schedule, one metric the PO Committee should focus on is a team's Strength of Record (SOR). SOR = how an 'average top 25 team' would perform against its schedule. Far more reliable and important than the Faulty Prediction Index. SOR represents how a team played, not how a computer projected a team to play. (Does the Committee do anything other than count Ws and Ls? No one knows.)

 

OBD is No. 1 in the CFB Playoff, AP, and Coaches Polls and NUMBER 1 in STRENGTH OF RECORD.

 

The more accurate than the FPI SP+ has the Ducks winning the B1G champ game by 3.2 points. The oddsmakers have OBD -3.5 and at +350, the best odds to win the playoff title.

 

Win on the field in Indy - Declaw the Lions! Don't let some guy named Franklin bring home the Benjis!

 

 

[30Duck]

On 12/2/2024 at 3:18 AM, Jon Joseph said:

(Does the Committee do anything other than count Ws and Ls? No one knows.)

 

Kirby suggested it, and we all have a good idea that while "the committee is watching every game, cheering the explosive plays." their scrutiny goes as deep as the final score.

[Annie]

Maggie and Perloff talk about the Ducks. Maggie's a fan.

[David Marsh]

On 12/2/2024 at 3:18 AM, Jon Joseph said:

(Does the Committee do anything other than count Ws and Ls? No one knows.)

At the same time... they might let a 3 loss team in to the playoff only because they played in the SEC and managed to lose to bad or mediocre SEC teams. Alabama failed to score a touchdown at Oklahoma! 

 

So in some regards... counting Ws and Ls is the baseline but I'm not entirely sure they can do that. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 12/2/2024 at 9:01 AM, 30Duck said:

Kirby suggested it, and we all have a good idea that while "the committee is watching every game, cheering the explosive plays." their scrutiny goes as deep as the final score.

 

Here comes the Sankey/ Petitti (Tony not so much in 2024) test. If SMU loses to Clemson on Saturday, will a 2L SMU get a bid instead of a 3L SEC team with a harder SOS and without a home loss to BYU? 

 

It looks like the ACC will, of course, receive (not earn) at least one bid with either 3L Clemson or SMU having a 1st round bye instead of many teams ranked ahead of the ACC champ. And a very good G5 team but a G5 team nevertheless, Boise State, with a 1st round bye?

 

Boise SOS - 81. However, Notre Dame comes in at 78.

 

When it comes to whining over 3L teams that should be considered, how about this -

 

AP 11 Bama - Ls to No. 6 Tennessee, and to 6-6 Oklahoma and Vandy. 

 

AP 21 Illinois - Ls to No. 1 OREGON, No. 3 Penn State, and 7-5 Minnesota. Why is Illinois so low? The SEC brand that the PO Committee pretends to but does not ignore. BTW, Illinois, like Texas, has a W over Michigan. 

 

This format must GO in 2026.

 

Whip the Zits (er, Nits ) Lion Back to Its Crummy, Smelly Cage!

 

 

[30Duck]

On 12/2/2024 at 8:14 AM, Jon Joseph said:

This format must GO in 2026.

You know, we should have seen this coming. The Committee struggled with the 4 team format. It can't be a surprise that 12 teams is a unwieldy mess. Between making sure to keep the "favored" teams in the conversation and ignoring SOR, this is what we have. 

 

The Committee definitely didn't expect Oregon to be No.1, so the No.1 vs No.5 issue isn't a conspiracy, just something Oregon will have to get through before it's corrected next year. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 12/2/2024 at 11:44 AM, 30Duck said:

You know, we should have seen this coming. The Committee struggled with the 4 team format. It can't be a surprise that 12 teams is a unwieldy mess. Between making sure to keep the "favored" teams in the conversation and ignoring SOR, this is what we have. 

 

The Committee definitely didn't expect Oregon to be No.1, so the No.1 vs No.5 issue isn't a conspiracy, just something Oregon will have to get through before it's corrected next year. 

From Coast-to-Coast many did see this coming. The format for the next two seasons kind of made sense to get the required unanimous vote (thanks Pac-2) and with a Power 5 but makes no sense with a Power 4 and in reality, with a Power 2. 

 

With Disney/ESPN paying the PO cost, you never heard a discouraging word from the World Wide Leader except for a tortured explanation every Saturday on College Game Day of what we have this year and in 2025. Like so many things college football, and with a PO managed by ESPN and not the football playoffs managed by the NCAA (GULP!) this is screwed up.  Including, still placating bowls in a 12-team PO era because ABC/ESPN broadcast 95% of the bowl games.

 

3-loss Clemson has a chance for a 1st round bye and a 2nd round opening game an hour-and-a-half drive from its campus? 

 

Is there any other playoff format that rewards lower-seeded teams with preferred seeding and a first-round bye? I am hoping for a Clemson win and 2L SMU getting in over a 3L SEC team. I believe the PO format will be altered come 2026/27 but this would Guaranty an alteration. (Even worse, putting 2L MIA in the field. )

 

If a 3L SEC is in, it will be ALABAMA and not the USC-East team I see in many projections. The Gamecocks Lost to Bama. It was a close loss; so what?

 

PUNISH PENN STATE!

[Solar]

If SMU is ranked 10th or better, they are in even if they lose.

 

There is too much damage to be done if they penalize a team severely for going to the CCG.

 

Boise State is a more interesting question due to their non P4 status. Are they still in if they lose, so Mountain West gets nobody in? This isn't being talked about enough.

[QuackyQuack]

On 12/2/2024 at 12:07 PM, Solar said:

Boise State is a more interesting question due to their non P4 status. Are they still in if they lose, so Mountain West gets nobody in? This isn't being talked about enough.

If Boise State loses they do not have a chance to still make it. It would come down to who would be ranked higher between UNLV and the winner of Army vs. Tulane.