No one feels good about how the season ended. It’s especially hard to digest given the 2.0 nature of it. No one can also dispute the incredible strides OBD have taken since the infamous “Toilet Bowl.”, to name just one moment in time in Duck football lore. As a fan since 1975, I can provide a few others. We all ...

Why Whether Dryer was Down or Not...Doesn't Matter

Mr. Marsh, you perfectly described football, and all the other games we humans love to play and watch! Excellent examples of the incredible moments during all games when the outcome of a game is on the line. That line is razor thin and can go either way.

I say those moments provide the "thrill of the sport". Thank you for helping us remember those moments!

Thanks Mr. Marsh! That was a good read. Oregon had two of those in that game, because Cliff Harris intercepted that ball clean and in bounds.

This is a great article for perspective by Don Marsh, and I sure welcome guest articles such as from him, Mike Whitty and Jon Joseph. Everyone is welcome to write about a topic that is on your mind, and just email me with it at charles@fishduck.com and I'll take it from there.

How close is a 'Natty between winning and losing? We know Indiana won by six points, so effectively...when a backup tight end as a punt protector made the split-second decision to block inside instead of blocking the punt rusher further--that decision by one player in a micro-second decided the national championship.

THAT is how close it becomes...

Or how Beck in a split second decided to underthrow a pass that I think would have scored a winning TD if he had thrown it to the goal line corner of the end zone. Not back of the end zone just across the goal line. Not sure why but it's interesting that #6 blocking the Miami punt was not #17 that blocked the Oregon punt. #17 was not injured in the Miami game. They both played that same position.

I agree with you though, that split second decision to let him pass by outside was strange to me. The only other IU player rushing was being double teamed...

Great article, Don. The margin between victory and defeat is frequently razor thin and can hinge on a single missed assignment or coverage read, a bad snap or slightly wrong angle. Those errors can be minimized by repetition but never eliminated. A key injury or blown officiating call is out of the control of the players and coaches and can swing a game. Duck fans have seen each of these things play out in high stakes games.

Something that maybe doesn't get talked about quite as much is momentum. A setback can flip a player, coach or team's attitude enough to alter confidence and execution. The "Big Mo" can turn on a dime in the wake of a sack, fumble, pick or special teams catastrophe. There is a snowball effect when things go wrong.

Was Oregon really that much worse than Indiana? No, but when you throw a pick six first play then follow it with devastating turnovers in your end of the field, you turn that snowball into an avalanche that buries you and gives all the momentum to the other team. Players and coaches may not give up (like FSU, Jameis and Jimbo did against OBD a few years back), but you dig a hole you just can't climb out of against a good team, and the rout is on.

Regardless, football remains a game of inches, and one day soon Oregon will gain just enough of those inches to win it all.

Indiana

20-15 at Iowa - winning TD with 1:28 left

27-24 at Penn St - winning TD with 0:36 left

13-10 vs Ohio St in B1G Championship played 53 miles from campus

There is an old saying about luck resulting from preparation meeting opportunity. Hoosiers were certainly prepared when they visited Autzen. Less sure about ALL the other games, but they gave themselves opportunities with a very mature roster in terms of age and experience.

Hoosiers 2026 schedule looks like 1-2 losses at most? Who you play, where, has always been a factor. IF Ducks had proceeded to go Miami, Atlanta, Miami in a CFP run I'm doubtful that would have been duplicated in terms of travel during the CFP anytime soon.

Preparation requires overcoming adversity. Indiana was also "lucky" on the injury front. That is rare too. Sometimes it is just unexplainable destiny.