Most EVER Playoff Pressure on Cristobal and Oregon Fans?

[FishDuck Article]

You feel so much more pressure on every third down, and major plays in the games than ever before. As fans, we have not had so much on the line since 2014 for reaching the elite status and vying for the National CFB Playoffs. Sure we had a path in 2019, but everyone wondered if the Auburn loss would come ...

 

Read the full article here...

[Duck1984]

Agree there is pressure on Coach C, but only to keep up with recruiting calls while game planning to go 1 - 0 this week.

 

Isn’t the real pressure on the players who are more likely to read the social media hype?  

Hopefully the media keeps doubting,  as it seems to motivate them.

[Duckdude]

“So you’re saying there’s a chance……”

[HappyToBeADuck]

Confused you are so spot on and especially when you say:

 

"But a legitimate #3 team would mop the floor with WSU. Just saying..."

 

I never thought MSU was a legitimate #3 team. Purdue proved that point.

 

WSU has that capability, too!

 

This coaching staff and team came out of the bye week, changed. MC and his staff have game planned to exploit the other teams weaknesses.  On both sides of the ball....

 

If it were not for a couple of ill-timed penalties the total annihilation of the puppies would have been complete. End result Ducks 1-0

 

Last week we destroyed Colorado. The Buffs scored against the 2nd, 3rd and walk-ons. Young Players who deserved playing time for their hard work. Ducks 1-0

 

Just like the puppies, the Bruins running game got handled. The game plan was to force DTR to beat us with his arm. Ducks 1-0

 

None of those teams had an answer for the Ducks offense. As usual, only the Duck players stopped the offense.

 

Four things the players control:

     1. Blocking out the media noise

     2. Executing the game plan

     3  Eliminate needless penalties 

     4. Focus on WSU, not Utah

 

I am confident the Ducks can go1-0 this week. Boy this is fun.

 

Have a great week Duck fans.....

[30Duck]

This is what Mario wants; a tough, physical "1-0" team runs the table, and rests their fate in the hands of The Committee. They beat an inferior Washington team in a storm on the road and next face the Pac-12 poison oak, Washington State.

 

I agree with Charles, I'm glad that the Ducks are playing WSU next and not Purdue, and probably Utah instead of Michigan State the week after that. Each week gets more and more intense. A big difference between this year's teams and Chip's is that as soon as this year's team gets a lead I wish the game was over, it's a much different panic/pleasure experience.

[Steven A]

Great take Charles. Fan Pressure, the great reversal.

 

We put it on the team with our belly aching earlier on, see Cal game and other under whelming wins.  Now, having survived 9 games, the team has brought us into their boat with their #4 (soon to be #3 CFP ranking).  Only, we do not see it as 1 - 0, we look at it as needing to go 5 - 0, which would entail beating a good Utah team twice in 3 weeks.  "Always hard to beat a team twice."

 

I "have to" DVR the games and start watching 1 1/2 hours after it starts.  To watch live without being able to skip breaks would cause my Xanex to need a refill by half time.

 

Everyone says if we win out, we're in.  As our great friend is used to saying "not so fast my friend".  An undefeated OK team gets in over us.  Georgia only loses to Bama in the SEC CShip game, their both in.  a 11 - 1 OSU's schedule will be tougher than ours in the end.  I don't think Cinncy will pass us if we win out.  So, the win-out-and-your-in anxiety will also hang over us until A) we lose, or B) some dominoes fall in front and behind us.

 

I can also say, if we do lose another game, then we don't deserve to be in the CFP.

 

Maybe the great equalizer for this team is their resiliency they have already gone thru with the injuries, slow starts, and the calmness they seem to posses when things seem to be going against them.

 

P.S. With all the hype and expectations, if we go 4 - 1, and the 1 is the Pac 12 CShip, hello San Antonio?  OUCH

 

 

[Haywarduck]

I get the pressure Cristobal feels, but what I worry about is getting into a hole we can't get out of. My main concern is getting behind, a coming opponent, and having to pass our way back into the game. This isn't something we can do, like in the past with our riflemen at qb.

 

First off I still worry greatly about AB's interceptions. I hope Moorhead sees what other defenses see in AB's patterns and vulnerabilities. The Dawgs picked off AB with little effort, just get into his blind spot on a sideline pass. Stanford picked him off and should have again, and I could go on. 

 

The other item which worries me is Mr. Dye and his fumbles. As much as I love this warrior, he has a propensity to fumble. He more than makes up for this weakness, but it is a weakness, as I see it.

 

The scenario I worry most about is losing the turnover battle and then having to battle back with a game plan this team doesn't have, against a decent passing defense, and game plan. 

 

So, I agree, there is huge pressure on Cristobal. I don't mean to be insensitive, but the pressure I feel is knowing this team can win it all, but lose it all with how susceptible we are to losing the turnover battle, and then the battle to win, even against the teams we face going forward.

[JDuck]

And in Seattle, it looked like we tried to score when we could have taken a knee, too bad Cardwell didn't get in.  Two weeks in a row MC tried to pour it on just a bit.  I don't get how any coach would NOT want to win by at least 3 scores every week.  Maybe he gets it now?  I hope so.  As someone else stated, #3 in then land should MOP THE FLOOR WITH WSU.  I believe against the perpil pooch muttts that was the first time we beat the spread all year when favored?  We are like 13.5 against the kitties, I hope we win by at least 21 but I'm not a betting man. 

 

Those of you who know me know I won't disgrace the word "mutt" by spelling it correctly in reference to the team up north, same with the word purple, which can be a nice color in the right context.  Or, maybe my spelling is not intentionally incorrect, but I"m just trying to show how much more academically prowesserer we is than wushingtin.   Dubbs Down LOL

[JDuck]

On 11/8/2021 at 7:39 AM, Steven A said:

Great take Charles. Fan Pressure, the great reversal.

 

We put it on the team with our belly aching earlier on, see Cal game and other under whelming wins.  Now, having survived 9 games, the team has brought us into their boat with their #4 (soon to be #3 CFP ranking).  Only, we do not see it as 1 - 0, we look at it as needing to go 5 - 0, which would entail beating a good Utah team twice in 3 weeks.  "Always hard to beat a team twice."

 

I "have to" DVR the games and start watching 1 1/2 hours after it starts.  To watch live without being able to skip breaks would cause my Xanex to need a refill by half time.

 

Everyone says if we win out, we're in.  As our great friend is used to saying "not so fast my friend".  An undefeated OK team gets in over us.  Georgia only loses to Bama in the SEC CShip game, their both in.  a 11 - 1 OSU's schedule will be tougher than ours in the end.  I don't think Cinncy will pass us if we win out.  So, the win-out-and-your-in anxiety will also hang over us until A) we lose, or B) some dominoes fall in front and behind us.

 

I can also say, if we do lose another game, then we don't deserve to be in the CFP.

 

Maybe the great equalizer for this team is their resiliency they have already gone thru with the injuries, slow starts, and the calmness they seem to posses when things seem to be going against them.

 

P.S. With all the hype and expectations, if we go 4 - 1, and the 1 is the Pac 12 CShip, hello San Antonio?  OUCH

 

 

I got a rechargeable home defibrillator pretty cheap on ebay.  Used it 37 times now during Duck 4th quarters this season

[Charles Fischer]

On 11/8/2021 at 6:08 AM, Duck1984 said:

Agree there is pressure on Coach C, but only to keep up with recruiting calls while game planning to go 1 - 0 this week.

 

Sure...until he loses a game to an unranked opponent that he is heavily favored against (14 point line vs. WSU) again.  Losing to a 5-5 ASU team in 2019, then woeful Cal and Oregon State teams last year followed by losing to a horrible Stanford team in 2021?  Some would say that is a trend, and there is pressure on him, I believe, to win every game remaining because he can.

[Haywarduck]

I do think a better understanding of the SEC scheduling needs to be understood. While Alabama plays a tough schedule, don't get me wrong, their next opponent is 1-8 New Mexico State. They put games into the end of the season so they can be ready for the tough games. New Mexico State has had a winning season once, in over 20 years, by the way.

 

Playing opponents who have won, know how to win, can create losses, from mistakes. When you put a team on your schedule who really is pathetic, the risk for injury, mistakes and the preparedness needed, just isn't there. This allows a team to focus on winning the big games, which they have.

 

In the Pac-12 we play teams week in and week out who can beat anyone given the opportunity. Anyone who plays Utah at Eccles Stadium can lose, just ask Michigan, and out of conference teams don't want to play there. This happens week after week, with, of course, like any conference, games you really have to try and lose to, Colorado this year.

 

So Alabama should be respected, but we also need to understand how they schedule. Maybe, just maybe the Pac-12 can learn from the SEC in how to make their teams look even better than, maybe they are.

 

I also agree, if Oklahom wins out, they are in. I think the voters for the playoffs know this, and the door is wide open for Oklahoma and deservedly so.

[Charles Fischer]

On 11/8/2021 at 8:46 AM, Haywarduck said:

While Alabama plays a tough schedule, don't get me wrong, their next opponent is 1-8 New Mexico State.

 

Right.  I left that off because it did not matter.  My point is that playing Arkansas, Auburn and Georgia are more difficult than what the Ducks face--even if we stuck in a New Mexico State in between in our schedule as well.  IMHO.

[UtahDuck]

Here is my quick synopsis of our remaining pac 12 games. First I don't expect to go undefeated during these three games, not because we can't but because it is our hardest string of games and we haven't played consistent enough to win these games.(it could be possible to turn around and play more consistent.) As a side note We have only played one pac 12 team with a winning record to date which was UCLA, the next three teams will all having winning records as we move forward.

 

WAZZU: Has the second best passing offense in the conference paired with the second worst rushing offense. They started the season 2-2(skipping fcs games) and have since gone 3-1. I think what has people worried is that after firing Rolo, WSU has had a close loss to BYU and a win over at the time pac12 south leaders ASU. What i'll say is they will likely get some yards against oregon, but I don't think this offense is efficient enough to score at will. Add in that this defense is about as middle of the conference on every meaningful stat(except fumble recovery) and I think we should roll pretty handedly. I'd also keep in mind that under Cristobal oregon is 20-1 at home with the only loss going to Stanford in 2018. This team should be ready to roll.

 

Utah: Scares me the most but only because I really respect Whittingham. what I will say about Utah that gives me some good hope is they lose to teams that run the ball. They lost to SDSU who put up over 180yds rushing, BYU over 200 and OSU who put up 220+ yds. Add in that while they have beaten both UCLA and STAN in back to back beat downs, both teams were without their starting QB. This is a team that has a clear weakness on defense; one that I think the oregon offensive line should be able to exploit. I also think that the oregon defensive front should be able to limit Utahs rushing. Don't get me wrong I Think this is our hardest game remaining of the season.

 

OSU: First off, Smith is the most likeable head coach in the pac and I still think he is the best play caller too(better than Moorhead). BUT... 1. The ducks won't have forgotten 2020 in this rivalry. 2. they have one of the worst defenses in the conference and just fired their DC. and 3. they have yet to play a good Dline all season. 

 

All in all I think oregon has a good shot to win out but the game in SLC scares me the most. I think it has the tellings to be an exact rundown of the 2019 pac12CCG where all the predictions go to Utah and Oregon runs away with it but That doesn't mean I am not scared for it.

 

Edited November 8, 2021 by UtahDuck

[30Duck]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:27 AM, UtahDuck said:

think it has the tellings to be an exact rundown of the 2019 pac12CCG where all the predictions go to Utah and Oregon runs away with it but That doesn't mean I am not scared for it.

 

It is sounding like DeJaVu all over again. Being scared is being aware.

[Haywarduck]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:26 AM, Charles Fischer said:

 

Right.  I left that off because it did not matter.  My point is that playing Arkansas, Auburn and Georgia are more difficult than what the Ducks face--even if we stuck in a New Mexico State in between in our schedule as well.  IMHO.

While I agree it doesn't take away from their difficult schedule it is the way the SEC schedules, which matters. 

 

New Mexico State is almost a program kept afloat just so the SEC can have a pansy. Alabama would never schedule an Eastern Washington after playing Georgia, because EWU knows how to win games, compete. They especially wouldn't schedule EWU between playing Georgia and BYU. 

 

I realize this is a different subject, but the Pac-12 and Oregon needs to get with the scheduling advantage many SEC teams have. They put pansy's into their schedules because they play a tough schedule.

 

The tough games make them look good. The pansy games don't do anything other than help them get ready, which we aren't and maybe this contributes.

 

I suppose we play more of a schedule like Clemson. Even Clemson, during their National Title Year 2018, played two pansies between beating Texas A&M in Texas. All that mattered was they beat T A&M, not that they beat two irrelevant teams in before and after. 

 

We will do it Mario's way, but playing tough games matter, certainly, but the pansy games is how it all comes together.

[Charles Fischer]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:27 AM, UtahDuck said:

Here is my quick synopsis of our remaining pac 12 games.

 

This was really, really good.  THANKS Utah, as I never get enough analysis from you!

[Jon Joseph]

Excellent take on what lies ahead. Although you did miss the Bama vs New Mexico State home game this Saturday. (I am happy that you did not bother with Cincinnati because there is nothing to see.)

But pressure = FUN! It means the games count and reverberate across the country.

 

Of course the games might resonate more if they kicked off before 10:30 eastern? The #3 team in the country, 3 is where Oregon will be ranked, kicking off at 10:30? Insipid! (Who was the fool who negotiated this media deal? What's that? OK, now I get it.)

 

Looking at the upcoming games? Compare the Pac-12 opponents (thanks Utah Duck, great stuff) to the upcoming opponents in other conferences?  Everyone outside the Pac-12 thinks that Oregon should simply roll against these lousy, not ranked opponents. Opponents that failed out of conference.

 

People can beef about Bama/Ohio State always getting a mulligan from the Committee, but these 2 play nasty, in-conference top 25 ranked teams in November, when it matters. The in-conference opponents did not stink it up out of conference.  B1G: No L's vs FCS teams and not a lot of Ls vs MAC schools; 2-1 vs the Pac-12 and wins against the ACC and SEC. The Pac-12? Other than for the Ducks and the Bruins win over LSU, not the L vs Fresno, the conference was terrible.

 

In other words Pac-12 Football Brothers, how about a little help!

 

GO DUCKS! One step at a time.

 

 

[Jon Joseph]

On 11/8/2021 at 6:00 AM, Confused said:

Validating are elite status by beating two unranked teams like Utah and WSU is a must to keep the blue chip recruits we have, and have coming in the future.  Most Duck fans that attend games will continue to do so win or lose I believe?   
 

This years team has far more to play for than just themselves and we Duck fans?   I think what little credibility the Pac 12 has as a football conference is completely riding on these very young ducks!   Like it or not, fair or not, If we drop out of playoff contention because we lost to pathetic teams like Stanford and WSU it will bury the Pac for years to come.   
 

Remember we open next year with an inexperienced QB and backfield against the defending NC Georgia team in their own backyard. (With most of their team returning!)

 

So yes there is tremendous pressure on these young men.   But I doubt that matters as much to 19 year olds as it does to us older fans.   I may be off base here but who else is going to challenge the Big 10 or SEC?   USC loves hiring inept coaches, UCLA is still years behind, and nobody else can get the blue chip recruits?  

A loss this Saturday is devastating to the entire conference.   But a legit top 3 team would mop the floor with WSU.  Just saying...

 

 

What a second! You don't have the Ducks beating the Dawgs in Indy for the 2021 title? OK, maybe that's a little too optimistic?

[Jon Joseph]

On 11/8/2021 at 2:27 PM, Confused said:

Jon do you think Oregon carries the load for what little respect the Pac still has as a football conference?  If so then losing to stinking WSU is a tragedy that will reverberate from the west coast to the southern tip of Africa.  I think this game Saturday determines Oregon’s future as a football power.  We lose and a lot more goes away then just the playoffs.  Remember I’m from Arizona now and work at a sports bar.  I’ve yet to hear a single Duck fan who likes a Mario as anything but a recruiter.   Losing to WSU will solidify that belief. 

 

I think the Ducks whip WSU. But if the Ducks don't win no one east of your sports bar will likely see the game? Other than for insomniacs and alcoholics in bars back east that stay open late. Honestly, I am not that worried about WAZZU at home? WSU gave BYU a game in Pullman. But unlike Baylor in Waco, did not close the deal vs BYU.

 

Mario has but 1L in Autzen. And I think, hope and pray that after being booed he is starting to 'get it' and is improving as a HC? At Utah will be a big tell as to where Mario is as a coach.

[DuckFan93]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:27 AM, UtahDuck said:

Utah: Scares me the most but only because I really respect Whittingham. what I will say about Utah that gives me some good hope is they lose to teams that run the ball. They lost to SDSU who put up over 180yds rushing, BYU over 200 and OSU who put up 220+ yds. Add in that while they have beaten both UCLA and STAN in back to back beat downs, both teams were without their starting QB. This is a team that has a clear weakness on defense; one that I think the oregon offensive line should be able to exploit. I also think that the oregon defensive front should be able to limit Utahs rushing. Don't get me wrong I Think this is our hardest game remaining of the season.

 

Great Analysis.   But I also remember what happened when these 2 teams last played each other in the Pac12 cship.    Nobody expected the Dux to have a chance coz Utah looked so dominant.  This year the comps are much more in our favor, but then we have to play at their home...    Overall I am hopefully optimistic - as long as we are prepared like tOSU or even the UCLA/UW game, we should win, despite moments of bad AB plays...

[Vandownbytheriverduck]

On 11/8/2021 at 3:00 AM, Confused said:

defending NC Georgia team

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Not a forgone conclusion AT ALL. Georgia’s offense isn’t special. 

[Duck 1972]

On 11/8/2021 at 3:00 AM, Confused said:

Validating are elite status by beating two unranked teams like Utah and WSU is a must to keep the blue chip recruits we have, and have coming in the future.  Most Duck fans that attend games will continue to do so win or lose I believe?   
 

This years team has far more to play for than just themselves and we Duck fans?   I think what little credibility the Pac 12 has as a football conference is completely riding on these very young ducks!   Like it or not, fair or not, If we drop out of playoff contention because we lost to pathetic teams like Stanford and WSU it will bury the Pac for years to come.   
 

Remember we open next year with an inexperienced QB and backfield against the defending NC Georgia team in their own backyard. (With most of their team returning!)

 

So yes there is tremendous pressure on these young men.   But I doubt that matters as much to 19 year olds as it does to us older fans.   I may be off base here but who else is going to challenge the Big 10 or SEC?   USC loves hiring inept coaches, UCLA is still years behind, and nobody else can get the blue chip recruits?  

A loss this Saturday is devastating to the entire conference.   But a legit top 3 team would mop the floor with WSU.  Just saying...

 

U know I have been pondering why the PAC isn't as good. What about all the different types of offenses that are ran in PAC compared to B10 SEC it seems to be a different type every week. I also don't like the bye wks it seems to give 1 team an advantage.

On 11/8/2021 at 3:00 AM, Confused said:

 

 

[jrw]

It seems like Max Borghi has been playing since the Carter administration.

[ESJ]

Wow, have YOU been in my living room?  Next stop, ER!  Great Article and talk about hitting 'that' Nail on the head.

Big THANK YOU.