Bleacher Report - Oregon Ducks Football

Oregon at Arizona: Will The Ducks Escape The 'Zona Zoo?

Tristan Holmes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:02:54 -0500

I am a Ducks fan, and I am scared.

I am scared because I have seen this episode before, and it was one of my least favorites in the last several seasons of this gut wrenching show that is called “Oregon Football.”

Oregon is riding high and controls its own BCS destiny, but they have to play the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson.

The hairs on the back of my neck refuse to quit standing on end.

I still remember Kellen Clemens broken ankle in 2005. Dennis Dixon came into the game and immediately suffered a concussion. If it weren’t for “the pride of Cottage Grove” (linebacker Brent Haberly) and a fumble return for a touchdown the Ducks may well have lost. As it was they escaped 28-21.

Two years later Dixon returned at the head of a team ranked #2 in the nation and a favorite to win the Heisman trophy. But he completed a tear in his ACL that had originally been hurt the previous week. Oregon lost that game and the rest of its regular season matches.

Chip Kelly has done a good job downplaying the recent history of the Ducks trials in the desert. This is a good thing for the team because they have enough to worry about the here and now with this year’s Arizona team.

The Wildcats are unbeaten at home this year and both of Oregon’s losses have been on the road. Sophomore quarterback Nick Foles has revived Arizona’s offense while its typically accomplished defense has one of the most athletic front lines the Ducks have had to face all year.

The Ducks lost their opener at Boise State because the offense was completely inept. It took until the Pac—10 opener against Cal until this unit truly hit its stride, but it has been all but unstoppable as long as quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has been healthy.

Even when the offense has struggled, Oregon’s defense and special teams have generally covered the team’s back. That is except when they ran into Toby Gerhart, Andrew Luck, and Chris Owusu on the Farm. Stanford’s physical offense manhandled the athletic but undersized Duck defense to the tune of 51 points in the loss to the Cardinal.

Arizona was recently humbled against the Cal Golden Bears. Even without star running back Jahvid Best, the Bears were able to contain the Wildcats’ potent offense and overcame some mistakes by quarterback Mike Riley to hand Arizona only their second loss in the Pac-10 conference.

But Arizona, just like Oregon, still controls its own destiny in the Pac-10 championship race. If either team wins the rest of their games, they will go to the Rose Bowl.

That is what makes this game so dangerous for the visiting Ducks.

The Wildcats have already had a letdown late in the season and will be fired up for this game as ESPN’s Game Day arrives for the first time in Tucson to see Arizona play for the opportunity at their first Rose Bowl in program history.

With such a motivated team as an opponent, there is no room for error for Oregon. The offense, defense, and special teams must all be productive to snatch a win from the Wildcats and set up what might turn out to be the biggest Civil War game in over fifty years.

The biggest concern for the Ducks offense is simply keeping their composure. As long as the offensive line plays at a high level and they avoid turnovers and penalties, there is not much that can put the brakes on Chip Kelly and Kurt Helfirch’s spread option offense.

Last week Arizona State had the best running defense in the conference but were gashed by Masoli, LaMichael James and the Ducks. As long as all the starters stay healthy and assignments are carried out, Oregon should still be able to pass just enough to keep Arizona honest and live off of the run.

But if the “’Zona zoo” gets to the Ducks, things could get dicey. A few bad plays could disrupt the rhythm and quick play calling that characterize Oregon’s offense. Any failed third down conversions will only exacerbate the problems the Ducks defense will have playing so many snaps.

The matchup with Foles, Nic Grigsby, and the Wildcats offense is the biggest concern for the Ducks. The one piece of good news (for Oregon’s defense, not for college football in general) is that Rob Gronkowski, otherwise known as the bane of Nick Allioti’s existence, will not play.

Stanford proved that as athletic as the Ducks are on defense, they are vulnerable to power running and sustained drives. Though they needed the help of turnovers, even the struggling Sun Devils offense was able to find success up the gut at Autzen last week.

The key for Oregon is for their front seven to find a way to get off of blocks and find penetration. When they get the opposition out of proper down and distance the Ducks can use their team speed and creative blitz packages to get pressure on Foles and get the ball back to their potent offense.

But if Arizona can find consistent gains on first and second down, they can use their power running game and efficient short passes to grind out drives and wear Oregon down without giving the green and yellow (and black, and chrome, and …) an opportunity to respond. The blitz happy Ducks must also beware being caught out of position against the Wildcats effective screen passing game.

After seeing how they performed on the road against Golden Bears, I would give Oregon the slight advantage in overall talent. But it is by a slim margin, and the Wildcats are different beasts when they are in the desert.

Like any game, it all comes down to turnovers. I include third down stops and big special teams plays in that formula as well as interceptions and lost fumbles. All four have the effect of changing field position, momentum, and time of possession.

If the Ducks are able to keep the momentum and put some distance between themselves and Mike Stoop’s Arizona team they should be able to hang on for the win. But if the game is close in the fourth quarter, the home field and efficient offense might let the Wildcats pull the upset.

I’m not going to tempt fate and even contemplate what might happen if a “_________ injury” occurs again.

MY CALL : Oregon Ducks 30, Arizona Wildcats 24

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Trent's Touchdown - Six Games to Watch in Week 12

Trent Lane — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:28:00 -0500

With births to conference championship games and outright claims to the top spots in other conferences on the line, Week 12 looks like a winner. So, let’s skip the preamble and get right to the games.

1) No. 10 Ohio State at Michigan —12:00 on ABC

While this one looks like a cakewalk for Ohio State, this one gives me pause. As much as I hate it when people say that records don’t matter in rivalry games, this one transcends the records. Both have something to play for, just one is more important than the other.

Ohio State is playing for the outright championship of the Big Ten and, more importantly, respect. Yes, they are going to the Rose Bowl, but no one thinks they can beat any Pac-10 team. They are a team being carried by their defense. Every Buckeye fan out there, while not admitting it, just hopes that Terrelle Pryor doesn’t do anything stupid when he has his hands on the ball. I mean, look at the series they played in the OT win against Iowa, three straight dives into the heart of the line. Yes, Tressel really trusts Pryor.

Michigan is playing to get out of the cellar of the Big Ten and, most probably, for Rich Rodriguez’s job. After starting 4-0, they have gotten smacked around by all comers, wining only one of their last seven games. I like Tate Forcier and I like the enthusiasm of the team, but Michigan still makes dumb mistakes. I think Rodriguez really needs to take the training wheel’s off here and just let Forcier air it out. They have nothing to lose.

Michigan has played well at home all year, so they can keep it close. I just think the Ohio State defense is too good for Michigan. Ohio State wins this one, while I get deluged with “Ohio State is for real” stories before they douse their drawers against Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

2) No. 11 Oregon at Arizona —8:00 on ABC

Speaking of Oregon, they get to take one more step to securing the Pac-10. Personally, I like Stanford, but the Duchess like Oregon. As any married man knows, the secret to a successful marriage is to always listen to your wife.

Anyhow, the Oregon offense is pretty simple to figure out. It’s run, run, run, and then beat you with the play action pass. It’s just a question of stopping it. I don’t know why they bothered to reinstate LeGarrette Blount, since LaMichael James is one of the better running backs in the nation. Look for the Ducks to keep doing what they do.

Arizona is in a very good spot. They win out and they go to the Rose Bowl. However, they need to stay consistent on offense, something they couldn’t do against Cal last week. The problem is there is a big question mark at running back, as Nic Grigsby has a bit of a shoulder problem.

While Arizona is undefeated at home, they really haven’t had any quality wins (minus Stanford). Oregon knows how to get up for the big games and they know just how important this one is. I think they go into Arizona and win it, but Arizona sticks around for most of the game.

3) No. 25 California at No. 17 Stanford —7:30 on Versus

Talk about two teams on two different sides of the spectrum. Cal has absolutely no quality wins, while Stanford slapped around USC and Oregon in back to back weeks. God I love Stanford right now.

The blue-collar Stanford Cardinals are showing they are not a team to be taken lightly. They also know how to go for the kill when they have the shot, going for a two-point conversion up 27 in the fourth quarter against USC. Andrew Luck keeps plugging along, knowing the offense doesn’t rest on his shoulders. All he needs to do is get the ball to Toby Gerhart and he is all set. They have a competent defense that doesn’t get lit up, so they are all good.

Cal is one team I don’t understand. They can’t beat a good team, yet they keep getting into the top 25. Their best player is on the sideline after nearly killing himself trying to get into the end zone. We’ll be lucky if we Jahvid Best before the opening game next year. Shane Vereen is an admirable back up, but he isn’t Best. Pardon the pun, but Best is Cal’s best shot at winning.

Stanford wins this one, by doing what they always do. I don’t even think Cal keeps it close, but it’s worth watching just to see Stanford dismantle another team and keep their hopes of a Pac-10 Championship alive.

4) Virginia at No. 23 Clemson —3:30 on ABC

I’ll admit it; this is pure and utter homerism (even if I’ve never been to South Carolina or know anyone who has been there). This is the game every Clemson fan has been waiting for since 1991. Well, technically, that would be in 2 weeks against Georgia Tech, but they need to beat Virginia first.

Let’s forget about the Virginia offense completely. They can’t move the ball against a high school team, and Clemson is one of the better defenses in the country, leading the nation in interceptions. This game hinges on the ability of C.J. Spiller making plays and giving Kyle Parker piece of mind that the game isn’t on his shoulders. Throw in a big play by Jacoby Ford and you pretty much have yourself a victory.

It’ll be fun to watch for about two and a half quarters, which is usually where Clemson decides they’ve had enough and decide to just win it and be done with it.

5) No. 8 LSU at Mississippi —3:30 on CBS

Remember when everyone (including me) was saying how Jevan Sneed was for real? That was 14 interceptions ago. However, out of the limelight, Ole Miss has been able to put together a fairly good record.

If I was a LSU fan, I wouldn’t be sure if I was more scared of Jefferson or Lee starting at quarterback. Listen, I could go into some spiel about how LSU needs to work the run, but it’s all a lie. This game will come down to the LSU defense stopping Dexter McCluster. If they do that, they put the game in Sneed’s hands and as scary as that sounded at the beginning of the season, it would make me downright giddy now.

LSU wins this, but the game is ugly in the fact that it turns into a defensive struggle. LSU just needs to pray that if Lee does start, that he doesn’t make too many mistakes.

6) Harvard at Yale —12:00 on Versus

Come on people, this is The Game. The Game! Basically, it’s an excuse for the alumni of two Ivy League schools to drink all weekend, but that’s a whole different story.

Extra Point

7) Let me throw in my two cents about the Mark Mangino debacle at Kansas. I want to preface this by saying that we don’t know all the evidence and I don’t want to come off like an idiot like Obama and the whole Gates incident. Also, I’ve always liked Kansas because of their underdog status.

That being said, if this is true, this is the weirdest thing I’ve heard in a while—but not completely shocking. With the amount of control coaches have over players in college football, something like this was bound to happen. If this was one or two players, you can write it off as sour grapes, but this is a whole host of players with similar stories.

This doesn’t just affect Mangino though. This will affect his assistant coaches and coordinators, not to mention the legacy of Bill Snyder at Kansas State. There is a fine line between hard-nosed disciplinarian and out of control behavior. No matter the outcome, Mangino is toxic after this. No team is going to touch him. If he did cross the line, let’s hope he learned his lesson.

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Oregon Ducks Football Campus Voice: “I Love My Ducks”

Kyle Sponseller — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:20:59 -0500

Did you hear that noise late last Saturday night? That was the University of Oregon breathing a collective sigh of relief.

After being kicked in the groin by Stanford, Oregon responded by getting back to what it has become accustomed to: winning.

The Stanford loss sent a shock of vulnerability through Duck fans, and the only remedy to calm them was to beat Arizona State down. Once this had been accomplished, students and fans took a relieving deep breath and their faith was renewed.

Roses are once again fluttering in the breeze here in Eugene, and students are anxious for Saturday’s showdown in the desert with the University of Arizona.

There is no better example of the excitement surrounding this season’s success than the recently released single by a group of University of Oregon students, who call themselves Supwitchyougirl, entitled “I Love My Ducks.”

You can view the music video here.

Throughout the week, Supwitchyougirl has soared in popularity, and is unquestionably the No. 1 song on campus right now. Talk of the song and the group's members has circulated through the sports world, making it to SI.com, The Dan Patrick Show, and countless local media outlets that cannot get enough of the single.

The group's Facebook page also exploded in popularity. Within a couple of days, Supwitchyougirl’s fan page has grown from a couple hundred followers to nearly 1,000 fans.

However, controversy has also swirled around “I Love My Ducks.”

The University of Oregon barred it from Youtube.com, where it was originally released, because of the use of Puddles, the Oregon mascot, and Oregon’s relationship with the Disney Enterprise.

The use of the Oregon mascot, which is copyrighted by Disney, was not official and therefore not sanctioned by the University or Disney.

Student reaction to the altercation between the group and the UO has sided with the group. Reasoning for the student support of Supwitchyougirl has ranged anywhere from considering the lyrics as being inoffensive, to simply stating that the song is good and puts Oregon football in a positive light.

Another argument against UO’s decision to remove the video from You Tube is that the University has not demanded the removal of another video previously, showcasing Puddles fighting with the Houston Cougar mascot. You may remember this being televised on ESPN and other networks, but if not here it is.

This video is certainly more harmful to the reputation of the University of Oregon than three students putting their hard work, effort, and time into a campaign that boosts popularity for the UO.

The group has found other, less popular outlets from which to stream their video, but that hasn’t halted their popularity or influence upon the Oregon student body.

The battle between Supwitchyougirl and the University has increased the overall excitement for Saturday’s game against Arizona. Football is now back atop students' minds this weekend, despite the heavy workloads as we near the end of the term.

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Bad Blood in Tucson: The Ducks Will Avenge the Fall of Dennis Dixon

Bryan Kelly — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:36 -0500

Leading up to this weekend's game, Oregon fans are surely thinking about the last time the Ducks visited Tucson with Pac-10 title aspirations.

The year was 2007. The Ducks had lost to Cal, but beaten USC (back when that still mattered) and Arizona State to claim a tentative Pac-10 lead.

QB Dennis Dixon, having torched the Wolverines in the Big House, and fresh off a four-touchdown performance against the Sun Devils, was riding the zone-read spread attack all the way to the Heisman ceremony.

But things didn't go as planned. Dennis Dixon had injured his knee during the ASU game in Eugene but hadn't disclosed the extent of the pain. Near the close of the first quarter, Dixon rolled left and juked the last hapless defender of his college career, collapsing to the turf without getting touched, clutching his knee, and missing the rest of the game, and the season, with a full ACL tear.

The Ducks were forced to put in Brady Leaf (shuddering is the proper reaction), and three miserable, characterless quarters later, the national championship/Heisman dream was finished.

These Ducks appear strikingly similar to their 2007 doppelgangers: short of the national title/Heisman hopes, they're still on a mission to capture their first Pac-10 title since 2001, and return to the Rose Bowl for their first BCS bowl since the days of Joey Harrington.

LaMicheal James, like 2007's Jonathan Stewart, is already a 1,000-yard rusher, while quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, like Dixon, is second on the team in rushing with just shy of 600 yards.

And at the risk of what saying it might incur, Masoli has also struggled with a lingering knee injury this year. A sprain to his MCL held him out of practice on and off throughout October, but he's resumed his prolific ways since then. Masoli started against Washington and deftly quarterbacked the paddling the Ducks put on USC on Halloween night.

The similarities might be striking—even alarming—but the differences in this year's game definitely slant in Oregon's favor. They have to do with Arizona and a little thing called "national exposure."

As you might recall, 2007 was the year "upset" became the byword of college football. The humiliation each favored team faced at the prospect of losing leveled the psychological playing field for every underdog. Michigan, USC, Ohio State, Cal, LSU (twice), and Boston College all fell victim to this larger narrative.

Arizona was one of the underdogs that benefited. Entering the Oregon game, the Wildcats were almost entirely ignored by the national media. They were 4-6, suffering losses to New Mexico and Jim Harbaugh's young Stanford team, but coming off solid wins over Washington and UCLA. They were just good enough (and not terrible enough) for exactly no one to be paying attention.

Some programs and coaches thrive on inattention and the threat of surprise; Mike Leach, Nick Saban , and Houston Nutt come to mind. Other coaches merely exist in it, insisting that their team is not like the others, promising that one day, they will emerge.

Mike Stoops—whom you might know as Bob's brother—is the latter case. Whether it's fear of the "Stoops Big-Game Curse," or whether the rebuilding process has truly taken longer than many anticipated, Stoops' term in Tucson has been notably big-game free. Mediocre finishes and middle-tier bowls have been the order of the day—and that's when the Wildcats make the postseason, which, in 2007, they did not.

2009 has been the exception; Arizona hasn't had the luxury of laying low. Besides the ignominious tipped/kicked interception that put Washington over the top and made a few highlight reels , the Wildcats have been on and off the BCS radar all year, debuting at No. 22 in the first week of the rankings and reaching as high as No. 17 before disappearing entirely after the loss to Cal this weekend.

There's also been quiet talk about the steady play of QB Nick Foles, who led the conference in passing efficiency for much of the first half of the season.

The improvement of the Wildcats defense (Stoops was a defensive coordinator under his brother at Oklahoma before taking the Arizona job in 2004) also brought attention. The Wildcats currently rank second in the Pac-10 in total yards allowed and third in rushing. Defensive end Ricky Elmore is providing a legitimate pass rush, leading the Pac-10 with 8.5 sacks on the year.

Bigger than all of this is that the Wildcats, in spite of the loss to Cal and the fickle BCS love, are still playing for the Pac-10 title , courtesy of tiebreaker-friendly wins over Stanford and Oregon State earlier in the season. Beating the Ducks would put them in their first Rose Bowl ever.

Which is precisely why it will take a tremendous break from tendency for Arizona to win.

As the first Pac-10 title-deciding game Stoops' team will have played in, this is a tough draw. Oregon remains one of the hottest teams in the country. They've had two weeks to recalibrate from the Stanford loss, and put up 268 rushing yards against the Sun Devils in a tune-up game last weekend.

In spite of their good numbers, the best rushing attack Arizona has faced so far is either a healthy Iowa team in Week Two—against whom the Wildcats allowed 133 yards and three rushing touchdowns—or Stanford, which put up 150 yards and two scores.

What's more, Chip Kelly's fake-heavy spread is a far cry from Stanford or Iowa's power-running game (it remains my pick for the toughest offense in the country to defend, loss to the Cardinal notwithstanding). The strength of the zone-read is that it will confound good pass rushers like Ricky Elmore, catching him out of position with the believability of its fakes.

The intangibles deck is also stacked against 'Zona. It's the first time College GameDay is in town, and the national spotlight is rarely a warm bath a program slips into. Though fans may delight at seeing their idea for a funny sign behind Lee Corso's head finally come to fruition, it's a different story when the game is getting played on national TV. Turnovers, fumbles, and sacks are all augmented by the camera's eye, and it's a feeling Arizona is just not used to yet.

Oregon, on the other hand, rose to the national spotlight in magnificent fashion, exorcising the demons of the Boise State loss by steamrolling USC (with GameDay in town, I might add). And though it ended brutally, the brief time in the spotlight in 2007 probably helped the character of this program in the long run. Any publicity is good publicity, and the Ducks know better than the Wildcats the difference between feeling hungry and feeling desperate.

Nick Foles is young, a fact of which we were reminded during another ignominious play against Cal that displayed his (understandable) ignorance of the double-pass rule. With youth comes inconsistency—brilliance against Stanford, so-so play against Cal—and that doesn't bode well for the biggest game yet of his career.

And these Ducks are no slouches in pass defense. They're tops in the Pac-10, and have rattled better passers than Nick Foles en route to compiling 12 interceptions.

Even if the unthinkable were to happen to Masoli, Oregon has demonstrated the ability to overcome injuries to their quarterback in the road win over UCLA. The 24-7 victory with backup Nate Costa at the helm wasn't pretty—Costa isn't immobile, but his running poses a far lesser danger than that of Masoli, and he's less of a magician on the fake—but in that close game, the Ducks showed they can lean on their defense and running game and ask that, at the very least, the quarterback doesn't lose it for them.

With Masoli at the helm, things just run a lot smoother.

There are just too many breaks going against Arizona to believe the Wildcats can keep pace. The revenge factor is in there, but the Ducks have already shown they can be an explosive team without motivation beyond the Pac-10 title.

Oregon is a battle-hardened team; they've been on this big stage before, and they don't mind showing so. Beyond avenging the ghost of the brilliant Dixon, the Ducks will expose the relative youth and folly of the Wildcats, who can neither cloak themselves in the old garb of the underdog nor yet embrace their status as the nouveau riche of the Pac-10.

Oregon 33, Arizona 14.

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OSS: What Oregon Needs to Do this Weekend to Start Sniffing the Roses

Fletcher Johnson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:13:51 -0500

Only two games remain between the Oregon Ducks and their fifth appearance in the Rose Bowl. However, the two games left on the schedule may be the most challenging games the Ducks have played all season.

This Saturday, the Ducks travel to Tucson, to take on an angry Arizona Wildcat team that is coming off a tough loss to the Cal Bears.

Arizona quarterback Nick Foles has been efficient throughout the course of the season, but recently he has shown some cracks, which have left people wondering if Arizona has already played their best football.

You can bet that the Wildcats will give Oregon all they can handle on a night when ESPN’s College Gameday will be in Tucson for the first time ever.

Some Duck fans believe that Arizona Stadium has been a house of horrors for past Oregon teams, but dating back to the 1999 season, Oregon has won four of five in Tucson.

On their past two trips to Arizona, Oregon left with a different starting quarterback then they came in with though. Kellen Clemens broke his ankle in 2005, and Dennis Dixon finished off his ACL (which was actually torn against Arizona State in the previous game).

Duck fans shudder at the thought of losing another quarterback in Tucson, but they should really be worrying about Arizona's Nick Foles.

Foles has the third highest passer rating in the conference, and also owns the second highest completion percentage in the Pac-10. His offensive lineman have treated him well, as he is the least sacked quarterback in the conference, having gone down only five times in 2009.

On the other hand, the Ducks have to like the fact that they will not play anymore big, bruising running backs. Arizona has some playmakers back there, but no one with the size of Toby Gerhart. Nic Grigbsy and Keola Antolin lead the Arizona rushing attack. The combo gave the Ducks trouble last year, rushing for 199 yards on 52 carries.

To me, it is not a matter of whether Arizona can slow Oregon’s offense, but whether Oregon can slow Arizona’s offense.

People will look at the Stanford game and say the Ducks defense is vulnerable, but the Cardinal played a virtually flawless game. However, Arizona has shown weaknesses as well, giving up 4.4 yards per carry last week to a Cal team without star running back Jahvid Best.

But like most other match-ups between good teams, turnovers will be key. The Wildcats are even in turnover margin through this point of the season, while Oregon is plus-four.

To win this game, Oregon must have strong performances by LaMichael James and Jeremiah Masoli. If the Ducks aren’t on early, and they can’t stop Arizona, it will be a very similar game to the loss they incurred on The Farm two weeks ago.

Jeremiah Masoli has thrown only one interception in conference play, and the Ducks as a whole have been able to hold onto the ball relatively well. That strong play must continue Saturday.

One final thing to keep an eye on Saturday night is how Jeremiah Masoli throws the ball. At different points during the Arizona State game last Saturday, it seemed like Masoli lost focus. Masoli has struggled at times this season on certain possessions.

From what I have seen, if he misses his first pass on a drive it seems to mess up his rhythm. The encouraging thing is that even if he struggles on a drive, he can turn it on the next time he comes on the field.

To win this one, the Ducks have to confuse Foles with their zone blitzes and hope that he makes some mistakes. With a nationwide audience, we can expect some fireworks in Tucson on Saturday night.

If the Ducks escape Tucson, it sets up an intriguing Civil War with Oregon State, with the winner heading to the Rose Bowl. It would be the first time since 1964, when the Beavers beat the Ducks 7-6 and eventually lost to Michigan in the Rose bowl 34-7, that a trip to Pasadena is on the line in the Civil War.

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College Football Thoughts and Opinions on Week 11

David Hedlind — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:27:24 -0500

Playing for Conference Titles

As we learned last week, the SEC title game is set with Florida and Alabama.

This week Georgia Tech clinched a spot in the ACC championship game. They will likely meet Clemson provided Clemson can win their next game against Virginia.

The Big East is going to come down to Cincinnati and Pitt when they meet in December.

The Pac-10 will be all about Oregon and Arizona this coming Saturday, but even then, whoever wins will still have games on the schedule that they have to win. Oregon State and Stanford are waiting to see what happens.

I don’t know if anything is secured in the Big 12, but I would bet on Texas and Nebraska playing for the title.

The Big Ten is pretty much done no matter what happens with Ohio State and Michigan—the Buckeyes have won the conference again.

Who Is Going Bowling?

Stanford and Iowa State are eligible.

Duke is one win away, and Army needs two.

SMU went 1-11 last season but is bowl eligible this season.

Temple is not only bowl eligible but also in a good spot to win the MAC.

Boise State usually makes all the headlines in Idaho, and despite the blowout loss to the Broncos, the Vandals are still going to go bowling.

BCS

As mentioned above, Ohio State has won the Big Ten and now has the only cinched-up spot in a BCS bowl. There are at-large spots that need to be filled, and right now it is likely at least one will go to either TCU or Boise State. There is still the possibility that both make it in.

We usually expect the loser of the SEC title game to get invited to the Sugar Bowl.

USC was in the running for an at-large as was Notre Dame. With the recent losses by both, it is unlikely that either will see a BCS bowl.

Iowa and Penn State are still possible out of the Big Ten.

Oklahoma State could also be a choice from the Big 12.

The loser of the Pitt and Cincinnati game may still have a chance except that with the loss being so late in the season, it may knock them out.

How Long of a Pass Does Weis Get?

The two things that have been stated and stand out to me are that Charlie Weis now has the same record as Bob Davie and the same win percentage as Ty Willingham at the time of both of their firings.

So two guys in a row let go, and now Weis is truly no better than either one, yet he is still standing. Even if the talk is going on, he still hasn’t been let go.

With the last two games on the schedule not exactly looking like gimmie games, the record and win percentage could fall below those two. Then what excuse will we get?

Blount, No Blount

It seemed like a big story. ESPN announcers tried to make it one. When asked about it at halftime, coach Chip Kelly simply said, “Stay tuned.”

One week ago, suspended running back LeGarrette Blount was reinstated after serving a suspension that started Sept. 4, the day after he blew up on national television and punched an opposing player.

It has been argued both ways. Some people are upset about the reinstatement, saying he got what he deserved. The opposite argument is that a season-long suspension was too much and people are glad he was okayed to come back.

For the first time in two months Blount was suited up on the sideline. The cameras found him time and time again.

Oregon ran the ball with LaMichael James, who has stepped in and clearly become a feature back, already passing the 1,000-yard mark.

His backup Kenjon Barner got carries, as did Andre Crenshaw and Remene Alston.

Blount never played a down.

To me, the message was clear. Blount is a backup now, and he will play AFTER those ahead of him on the depth chart, if at all.

Coaches Up and Down

So how long should a coach get to turn things around?

Memphis and Western Kentucky have already let their coaches go. Who else is likely in danger?

Here is my list of the possible.

Al Groh, Virginia

Tom O’Brien, NC State

Mark Mangino, Kansas

Dan Hawkins, Colorado

Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville

Bill Lynch, Indiana

Ron Zook, Illinois

Charlie Weis, Notre Dame

Mark Snyder, Marshall

Mike Price, UTEP

Bob Toledo, Tulane

David Bailiff, Rice

J.D. Brookhart, Akron

Mike Sanford, UNLV

Dennis Erickson, Arizona State

Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt

Todd Dodge, North Texas

Steve Roberts, Arkansas State

Mario Cristobal, FIU

Dick Tomey, San Jose State

And who is on the up? Who are the guys that may get some press to move on to a bigger paycheck?

Brian Kelly, Cincinnati

Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee State

Chris Petersen, Boise State

Rob Akey, Idaho

Butch Jones, Central Michigan

Al Golden, Temple

Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois

Gary Patterson, TCU

Bronco Mendenhall, BYU

Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Troy Calhoun, Air Force

Kevin Sumlin, Houston

Larry Fedora, Southern Miss

Jim Harbaugh, Stanford

Chip Kelly, Oregon

Paul Rhoads, Iowa State

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Ducks Burn Sun Devils in Biggest Snooze-Fest of the Year

Keith Becker uosportsdude.com — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:22:30 -0500

This game is officially in “eh” territory.

Coming off the loss to Stanford, all the Ducks really needed to do was scratch out a win and regain a little momentum before their two real tests to end the Pac-10 season.

There was just something unusually uninspiring about this game. It felt almost like a formality. There was no way Arizona State was going to come in to Autzen and get a win. There was no buzz, no excitement, no real anticipation for this game.

It felt like a business meeting you just had to sit through to get on with your day.

Arizona State is a bad football team. They were starting a true freshman quarterback, the game was in Autzen, the Sun Devils had nothing left to play for, and an Oregon win wouldn’t really tell us anything about our hopes to come out on top in the Rose Bowl race.

To sum up, if I were playing NCAA Football 2010, I would have hit the “simulate” button and moved on to Arizona.

The game turned out exactly how you would have imagined between a team whose season was over and a team whose expectations went from the national title to the Rose Bowl.

Fortunately, we got the win, looked moderately decent in the process, and now we can move on to a game that actually matters in Arizona.

Here are my thoughts on the game:

I’m very happy with the way Chip Kelly is handling the LeGarrette Blount reinstatement. Andre Crenshaw and Remene Alston, although not containing even a single ounce of excitement, deserve to be ahead of Blount on the depth chart.

And who cares about Blount anyway when you have LaMichael James running for 150 yards and three touchdowns every week?

LMJ is tenth in the country and rushing yards, and first in yards per carry for any running back in a BCS conference.

Yes, my man crush on him is growing. My girlfriend is legitimately jealous.

Best moment of the game: when the crowd wildly cheered in the fourth quarter when Alston ran onto the field. Probably the only standing ovation he’s ever received and it wasn’t even meant for him. Even the announcer was hoping for Blount. I feel for the guy.

I don’t think we could have played much better in the first half. The offense was rolling, the pass defense was suffocating and the Arizona State fans (all six of them) were quiet.

On the contrary, we couldn’t have played much worse in the second half. The offense stalled and the defense couldn’t stop anything. I’m going to chalk it up to looking ahead, but I would have expected (and liked) Chip Kelly to have his players more focused coming out of the half.

Free advice to opposing coaches: true freshman quarterbacks do not fare well in Autzen stadium.

Did you know that the Sun Devils had the number one rush defense in the conference coming into the game? Me neither. Now, 268 Oregon rushing yards later, ASU is now solidly locked into the fourth slot.

I loved the “U.S.A.” chant every time ASU scored and their male cheerleaders ran across the end zone with their flags. Hard to argue with condescending patriotism.

Quote of the game goes to ASU coach Dennis Erickson, who said this about the Ducks: “This offensive team is as good as any I’ve seen in college football.”

Despite that, I am still legitimately worried about the final two games of the season. Going into Tuscon has not ended well for the Ducks in recent history, and the Beavers will come into Autzen in the exact same situation we went into Reser last year—trying to dash our Rose Bowl hopes.

Interesting possibility: is there still a chance for two Pac-10 teams to sneak into the BCS? If Oregon and Stanford both win out, with the help of losses from Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and LSU, could Oregon jump ahead and sneak into an at-large bid? Doubtful, but fun to imagine, nonetheless.

And finally, I have found a mascot worse than the Stanford Tree: Sparky the Sun Devil. Aside from wearing pants it looked like he bought from Ross, he didn’t do ANYTHING. He just pranced around every once in a while and waved to the six sad-looking ASU fans.

Ok, I’m done. This game sucked. Time to get ready for the good team from Arizona.

Go Ducks.

The UOsportsdude.com

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Oregon-Arizona State: Ducks Look to Exorcise the Sun Devils

Tristan Holmes — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:04:28 -0500

On the plus side, we don’t have to hear the endless debate about whether a one loss Oregon Ducks team should be ranked higher than the undefeated Boise State Broncos they lost to opening week.

That is, aside from a gutty second half performance by the offense, the only good news for Ducks fans from last week’s lost to the Stanford Cardinal.

Toby Gerhart blasted through the Ducks defense almost at will, and even when he wasn’t doing the work, Andrew Luck was able to find his receivers down field.

The bottom line for the Ducks is that last week they allowed Stanford’s offensive line to simply bully them. Whether it was making holes for Gerhart or keeping Luck upright, Oregon’s defense was consistently out-muscled.

The reaction to this loss from the Duck faithful has been uncharacteristically calm. After Boise State, and even after wins against Purdue and Utah when the offense struggled, there were calls for change. Chip Kelly coaching from the press box, Nate Costa starting at quarterback, and a dozen other plans were proposed.

But there has been no outcry following the defensive collapse that saw the Cardinal hang half a hundred on an Oregon team that some had been calling the hottest in the country.

Maybe it is because the game was a close shootout and Duck fans don’t mind losing so much when their team puts points on the board. Maybe it is because Oregon still controls its own destiny in the Pac-10 conference race. Maybe everyone remembers that no Pac-10 team has managed to go undefeated since the round robin schedule.

For fans, that might be the healthiest attitude to take. After all, this is a young team and losses do happen.

But for the Ducks sake, I hope the defense is angry. Arizona State may not be a contender in the conference race, but the Sun Devils played USC close at home and aren’t going to just roll over at Autzen.

Looking at the statistics, the Ducks offense played quite well on the farm. Key cogs Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James in particular put up big numbers. But Oregon only managed to score twice in the first half and dug a hole too deep to get out of.

The hubbub about the offense this week has been the reinstatement of suspended running back LaGarrette Blount. While a great storyline for this week’s game, big number 9 does not figure to see much playing time. With the emergence of James and Barner, and his coach’s own admission that he is not in “game shape,” Blount will not see action unless the Ducks build a big lead.

Against a defense as stout as the Sun Devils’, that will not be easy. Arizona State leads the conference in rushing defense, and Oregon’s spread option attack keys off of the run.

As good as the Sun Devils have been on defense, their offense has been consistently poor. True freshman quarterback Brock Osweiler took over for injured (and struggling) senior Danny Sullivan last week against USC.

The Sun Devils lost to the Trojans 14-9 and Osweiler’s numbers were not inspiring. He will be making his first start in a hostile Autzen stadium.

The Ducks defense, after serving as the bedrock for the team’s success all season, was anything but hostile last week. Out-muscled up front by the Cardinal’s offensive line, Oregon could not put the brakes on Stanford’s running game.

After losing senior corners Walter Thurmond III and Willie Glasper, the Ducks secondary had managed to hold up well but couldn’t contain Stanford’s receivers. Much of this success needs to be credited to the pressure that Oregon had been generating on opposing passers, something that was lacking last week.

Stanford is the only team in the conference that has a return game that is clearly superior to the Ducks. With Arizona State not presenting as much of a threat on returns, and Groza Award semi-finalist Morgan Flint handling the place kicking, don’t expect the Sun Devils to pull out a win with special teams play alone.

The biggest key for the Ducks in this game is to simply remain focused. Oregon has handled adversity this season following the Boise State debacle. But that was the first game of the year and they could legitimately look at the game and say if they had corrected their own errors, they would have had a shot.

The loss to Stanford is a different animal. Yes it was close, and had a few plays been made on the defensive side of the ball the end result might have been different.

But it wasn’t blown coverages or fumbles or bad snaps that beat the Ducks. No, it was a simple inability to stop the Cardinal’s offense. Whether running or passing, Stanford was simply better at their job than Oregon was last week.

The Ducks have used up their entire margin for error if they still want to determine their own fate in the Pac-10 conference race. One more loss could lead to convoluted tie-breaker scenarios with one of several possible teams, and the Ducks don’t hold the advantage in every situation.

Oregon can get back on track, but only if they don’t let the Cardinal beat them twice. The offense must continue to play at a high level and the turnover and special teams edge has to go the home team’s way to keep the Sun Devils from having a shot.

But more important than that is Oregon’s defense. Allioti’s unit must not allow last week’s performance to define them. This defense needs to get back to its strengths. That means getting off of blocks to use their speed to swarm to the football to make tackles, and getting pressure on the opposing quarterback.

Back in the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium, I expect the Ducks to rebound. That said; I learned my lesson last week about predicting double digit win margins. I’ll keep it modest and not tempt fate.

MY CALL : Oregon Ducks 31, Arizona State Sun Devils 24

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Creature Vs. Creature: Why Oregon Should Be Ranked Higher Than Iowa

Caleb M. — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:07:24 -0500

So, as we know, Oregon lost to Stanford this last weekend. Ridiculous. I actually threw my food at the TV. It was a pathetic loss. Oregon, one of the hottest teams in the nation, went down to an unranked conference team—after beating USC.

What some people—in their focusing on the Ducks' failure—overlooked, is Iowa's loss.

The Hawkeyes also lost to an unranked, conference team as well in Northwestern.

And the fact is, both should have been steamrolled by the top-10 teams, Oregon and Iowa. But they didn't.

Northwestern is, let's face it, worse than Stanford. Let's check out each team, and see who's more impressive, and deserves the higher ranking.

Stanford and Oregon

Stanford is a dark horse in the Pac-10. With all the talk of the Ducks, the Trojans, then Arizona getting some of the spotlight...people have forgotten about Stanford until last weekend.

Gerhart is the second best running back in the nation right now. Andrew Luck is proving himself as one of the best freshman quarterbacks and sits at fifth place in the Freshman Watch List .

Stanford barely lost to Oregon State and Arizona—both great Pac-10 teams. Then they finally broke out in a big win against Oregon.

Stanford also killed Washington, UCLA, and Arizona State.

Oregon, has been on the up-and-up ever since losing to Boise State. They beat Utah, a team now contending for BCS recognition. They also creamed Cal (then ranked No. 6), as well as punishing top ten team USC by 27 points.

They got upset in California to Stanford and suddenly everyone is against them. The Ducks looked bad out there, but Stanford has been getting top 25 votes nearly the whole year. Stanford's a good team, as much as I hate to admit it.

Why so much hate for the Ducks? They're still a decent football team, the best in the Pac-10.

Northwestern and Iowa

Northwestern is a disappointing program this year. Their out of conference games included Eastern Michigan, Towson, and Miami Ohio. All three either FCS, or bad FBS teams.

Has anyone even heard of Towson before? I didn't think so. Northwestern even almost lost to East Michigan, barely winning 27-24.

Northwestern also just barely edged out Indiana 29-28, and lost a close one to Michigan State.

Iowa hasn't been a picnic either. They were No. 3 at one point, with national championship hopes! But Iowa barely beat Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, and FCS team Northern Iowa.

Impressive football, fun to watch? Sure. Better than the Ducks? Not by a long shot.

Oregon could beat Iowa should they meet in the Rose Bowl. But with Ohio State looking like they're going to win the game, it doesn't seem they'll be playing each other any time soon.

Iowa pulled out some wins with luck, and the refs on their side. Oregon has won with an outstanding option offense, and a shutdown defense missing it's stars.

Bottom Line

Oregon is more impressive than Iowa. Oregon lost to a top 10 team, and a ranked conference team.

Iowa lost to an unranked team, one that doesn't even receive any votes after beating Iowa. The Hawkeyes haven't been impressive all year, and Oregon deserves a higher ranking.

Iowa barely wins most of their games. Now, true, a win is a win. But Oregon punishes teams. They got cocky, and lost a conference game. But don't let that distract you from how good they are.

Be sure to check out Tim Weideman's article on why Iowa should be ranked higher than Oregon.

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Oregon Ducks Football Campus Voice: Students Rejoicing Blount's Return

Kyle Sponseller — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:46:26 -0500

Students here at the University of Oregon are obsessed with LeGarrette Blount.

The infatuation with Blount that has developed over the past two seasons has persisted through thick and thin, and has grown through tragedy.

He came to Oregon as a relative unknown, transferring from a tiny community college in Mississippi where he set himself apart from other junior college prospects.

Blount’s popularity skyrocketed as soon as he put on the Oregon uniform and began hurdling defenders. Several times during his inaugural season as a Duck, Blount danced around opposing players, ran through safeties, and leapt over the defense on his way to running for over a thousand yards.

Students clamored over the way in which Blount played with heart, grit, and determination. His jersey would soon be gracing the shoulders of Duck fans everywhere.

Then, disaster struck. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

And then, after several weeks of suspension and unparalleled support from the University of Oregon student body, LeGarrette Blount was reinstated.

Blount’s popularity has never been so high among Oregon students as it has been this week.

Young entrepreneurs, looking to make a quick buck, have been successful in trying to cash in on the T-shirt business that has become so trendy on the Oregon campus. Several different shirts have been vended around campus, all of them playing on the fact that Blount’s last name is synonymous with a certain, prominent culture here in Eugene.

From “Get Blounted” to “Blunts for Blount,” Oregon students are devouring the T-shirt craze as if they were brownies.

To put it bluntly (I couldn’t hold myself back), Oregon students are extremely excited to see their long-lost—and controversial—heartthrob take the field.

However, playing time will not be handed to the running back. Blount will have to prove himself in practice and during games to move up the depth chart. Coach Kelly has already announced Blount will be the fourth of fifth running backs on the depth chart, so Blount may not even enter the game this weekend against Arizona State University.

Despite this, whenever Blount does happen to take the field for the first time, there will surely be a raucous response from the student section at Autzen Stadium. The rest of the stadium may be silent, or it may be supportive, but sections four, five, six, seven, and eight will show their devotion to their senior running back.

That will be the only moment on Saturday night Duck fans will not be on the same page. As for the rest of the game, Autzen will be shaking and making ASU’s starting freshman quarterback, Brock Osweiler, wish he had never picked up a football.

Until next time, GO DUCKS!!!

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