After watching the replay of the Oregon vs. Arizona St. game I thought I saw Willy Glasper and Patrick Chung play rock, paper, scissors to determine who would get to fly down the field on punt coverage. Thanks to YouTube I was glad to find out that my eyes didn't deceive me:
It's great to see the enthusiasm from those two guys (especially Chung when he ends up losing)! Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but after last weeks defensive effort I would like to think that Oregon has turned the proverbial "corner" when it comes to the secondary living up to their potential. This weekends game against Cal will really be the indicator as to what we can expect out of the Ducks for the remainder of the season.
In last year's loss to the Bears the Ducks had a total of 3 turnovers that ultimately led to their demise...all three were in the 4th quarter too. The Ducks should be thankful that California no longer has Justin Forsett, Lavelle Hawkins and Desean Jackson on the offensive side of the ball. Jackson alone caught 11 balls for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns last year. If the Ducks would've been able to contain Jackson they probably would've won the game, but his world class speed was too much for Jairus Byrd and the Oregon secondary. For all the publicity I've heard this week about Cal's 3-4 defense stopping Oregon's running game I'm not convinced that they will have the monumental success that many people are giving them...including The Register-Guard's Rob Moseley. To make my point I think it's important to dissect Cal and take a closer look at what they do, who they have played etc.
So how good are the Golden Bears? There has been moments in the season where they look like the team that was picked to contend for second place in the Pac-10 behind USC. Then there are times (2nd half of Arizona game) where they fall apart at the seams and can't mesh on offense. Their biggest quality win is probably against Michigan St. back in week 1 where they barely got by the Spartans with a score of 38 to 31. They did hold one of the nations best running backs in Javon Ringer to 87 yards on 27 carries, but let's be honest...Ringer is the only offensive weapon Michigan St. has and they still put up 31 on Cal. Even more importantly Cal is probably less confident in their quarterback than Oregon is at this point in the season. Kevin Riley has been up and down his whole career, and I wouldn't expect an all world performance out of him on Saturday. The one game changer on Cal's squad that WILL make plays against Oregon is their running back, Jahvid Best. I'm going to guarantee that Best will have one long touchdown at some point in the game, but great players will make great plays. Luckily for Oregon, stopping the run is their specialty. Cal beat the Sundevils 24-14 back in early October, and although they may have thumped UCLA last weekend the score wasn't indicative of the overall outcome. Going into the 4th quarter the Bears were only up 13-17 on the Bruins before they resorted to flea flickers and Kevin Craft interceptions to finally pull away.
And what's with all this hype of Cal's 3-4 defense? Granted, they are ranked #12 in the nation in overall rushing defense but Oregon is ranked #17 so that statistic is very reliant on the opponents they have played. Cal has played 1) Michigan St. 2) Washington St. 3) Maryland 4) Colorado St. 5) Arizona St. and 6) Arizona. The best rushing offenses they have played came from Maryland (#45) and Michigan St. (#49)...both of those teams come from conferences that are total $hit too so those stats are probably even more skewed. Needless to say, they haven't met a rushing attack that is as good as Oregon's which is currently ranked #5 in the nation after 8 games...and that includes the game against USC. This 3-4 defense is the same set they showed against Oregon last year and it's the same defense which Jonathan Stewart gashed for 121 yards on 21 carries. Yeah I know, that was Jonathan Stewart, but Oregon hasn't missed a beat on the ground since his departure. Jeremiah Masoli will undoubtedly be the X-factor in this game. If he is able to find success moving the ball on the ground with his quarterback scrambles I think Cal will be in for a long day. This might be the coming out party for Masoli through the air as well...with Cal leaving 4 linebackers in to stop the run that will leave single coverage on the wide outs. Cal has won 3 of the last 5 meetings that I can remember, and 4 of them have been extremely close games...I don't expect this one to be any different.
2003-2004 Result: 21-17 Win in Eugene
2004-2005 Result: 27-28 Loss in Berkeley
2005-2006 Result: 27-20 Overtime Win in Eugene
2006-2007 Result: 24-45 Loss in Berkeley (Dennis Dixon throwing a pick on the 1st play hurt)
2007-2008 Result: 24-31 Loss in Eugene
Prediction: Oregon 31 - Cal 24
Feel free to leave a prediction of the score too...I'm interested to see what you all think.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Masoli Is The Guy For The Ducks
I knew the Ducks would get the memo that Saturday was my birthday and therefore they would celebrate by beating those lowly Sun Devils...I just didn't think it would be by 34 points. Thank God for Comcast and the invention of the DVR because since Saturday I've watched the game twice and there were some positives notes to comment on:
1) The defense played like we all knew they could. The Ducks came out with a fire that was evident in the first game against the Huskies. The secondary made big plays when it needed to and playmakers (Byrd and Thurmond especially) created turnovers and earned their preseason Thorpe Award status. Perhaps there can't be enough said about the recovery and preparation that takes place in a bye week. The Ducks did have a tall task of playing 7 games in a row before their bye week which made the wear and tear even more evident in the secondary unit at times (*cough* USC game *cough*). I don't think it's a coincidence that the Beavers beat USC after coming off a bye week...it truly is an invaluable time to prepare for an opponent and get healthy. Getting Spencer Paysinger back was huge too, and it's nice to see that Bellotti has decided to stick with Casey Matthews at linebacker instead being loyal to John Bacon. Matthews is the future and Bacon seems to get burned like the meat on a weekly basis (a bad analogy I know). Watching Patrick Chung hit Rudy Carpenter so hard that he was bleeding from the nose and mouth at the same time speaks volumes about the intensity that was out there on the field.
2) I know people will be quick to say that "Arizona St. sucks!" but before the game everyone thought that it would be extremely competitive. Even Vegas thought it would be a close game with a spread 3 point spread in favor of Oregon and a blowout being the last thing on anyone's mind. ASU is in a slump, but I don't think they are necessarily bad. Losing to Georgia by 17 and being shut out 28-0 against USC isn't good don't get me wrong, but that team has a good quarterback and athletes that can make plays. Oregon just didn't allow them to even get rolling. If Walter Thurmond doesn't pick off Rudy Carpenter in the first quarter the game may have been 7-7 and who knows what the outcome may have been. Oregon extinguished their hopes of being competitive early which is ultimately what the spread offense hopes to accomplish...force a team to panic and try to score points quickly. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, there was little doubt that Oregon was the better team.
3) Jeremiah Masoli is making vast strides in this offense. He may make decisions that are a little on the brazen side, but it's great to see a guy play with a little wreckless abandon at times. One of his option runs in the first half looked like he was going to get wrapped up for a 2 yard loss, but after a few juke moves he's 15 yards down the field. I think that defenders don't know what to make of him...he has very good speed and is one of those guys that's really hard to get a square hit on. Even in the USC game he was never sacked...he escaped the pass rush with his speed which is something Roper could never do. A critical play early in the first quarter featured a high snap over his head which rolled about 10 yards before he picked it up and instead of falling on the ball (i.e. Roper) he picked it up and chucked it 30 yards out of bounds. Less than 5 plays after that the score was 7-0. That's heads up football and Masoli playing like a veteran. Watching him go 17/26 for 147 through the air was encouraging too and those numbers will only get better as the playbook is opened up even more. Masoli "haters" should realize that he is the guy for this offense. It's pretty nice when ASU linebacker, Mike Nixon says, "He's perfect for that offense." Attention retarded Duck fan: that statement is coming from a guy who got absolutely humbled by Masoli...I think the poor little Sun Devil might be onto something with that comment don't you?
4) Lastly, I'm curious to see what we can expect out of the Sun Devils this weekend. If they lose to the Beavers that would be their 6th consecutive loss this season and I'm not sure the Sun Devil fan base can even remember the last time they lost 6 games in a row. I would expect the Sun Devils to come out with an intensity that we havent seen all season because there is a lot riding on Saturday's game. If they can beat the Beavers and win out they will be 6-6 and therefore bowl eligible. The remainder of their schedule is winnable with games against Wazzu, Washington and Arizona. From what I heard on the radio today the spread is 16 in favor of the Beavers...this could be a trap game for the wood chucks.
Not much recruiting news has taken place so far this week, but then again it is only Monday. Later this week I'll break down the Top 10 for the last time and foreshadow what I expect to take place over the next 3 to 4 weeks.
1) The defense played like we all knew they could. The Ducks came out with a fire that was evident in the first game against the Huskies. The secondary made big plays when it needed to and playmakers (Byrd and Thurmond especially) created turnovers and earned their preseason Thorpe Award status. Perhaps there can't be enough said about the recovery and preparation that takes place in a bye week. The Ducks did have a tall task of playing 7 games in a row before their bye week which made the wear and tear even more evident in the secondary unit at times (*cough* USC game *cough*). I don't think it's a coincidence that the Beavers beat USC after coming off a bye week...it truly is an invaluable time to prepare for an opponent and get healthy. Getting Spencer Paysinger back was huge too, and it's nice to see that Bellotti has decided to stick with Casey Matthews at linebacker instead being loyal to John Bacon. Matthews is the future and Bacon seems to get burned like the meat on a weekly basis (a bad analogy I know). Watching Patrick Chung hit Rudy Carpenter so hard that he was bleeding from the nose and mouth at the same time speaks volumes about the intensity that was out there on the field.
2) I know people will be quick to say that "Arizona St. sucks!" but before the game everyone thought that it would be extremely competitive. Even Vegas thought it would be a close game with a spread 3 point spread in favor of Oregon and a blowout being the last thing on anyone's mind. ASU is in a slump, but I don't think they are necessarily bad. Losing to Georgia by 17 and being shut out 28-0 against USC isn't good don't get me wrong, but that team has a good quarterback and athletes that can make plays. Oregon just didn't allow them to even get rolling. If Walter Thurmond doesn't pick off Rudy Carpenter in the first quarter the game may have been 7-7 and who knows what the outcome may have been. Oregon extinguished their hopes of being competitive early which is ultimately what the spread offense hopes to accomplish...force a team to panic and try to score points quickly. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, there was little doubt that Oregon was the better team.
3) Jeremiah Masoli is making vast strides in this offense. He may make decisions that are a little on the brazen side, but it's great to see a guy play with a little wreckless abandon at times. One of his option runs in the first half looked like he was going to get wrapped up for a 2 yard loss, but after a few juke moves he's 15 yards down the field. I think that defenders don't know what to make of him...he has very good speed and is one of those guys that's really hard to get a square hit on. Even in the USC game he was never sacked...he escaped the pass rush with his speed which is something Roper could never do. A critical play early in the first quarter featured a high snap over his head which rolled about 10 yards before he picked it up and instead of falling on the ball (i.e. Roper) he picked it up and chucked it 30 yards out of bounds. Less than 5 plays after that the score was 7-0. That's heads up football and Masoli playing like a veteran. Watching him go 17/26 for 147 through the air was encouraging too and those numbers will only get better as the playbook is opened up even more. Masoli "haters" should realize that he is the guy for this offense. It's pretty nice when ASU linebacker, Mike Nixon says, "He's perfect for that offense." Attention retarded Duck fan: that statement is coming from a guy who got absolutely humbled by Masoli...I think the poor little Sun Devil might be onto something with that comment don't you?
4) Lastly, I'm curious to see what we can expect out of the Sun Devils this weekend. If they lose to the Beavers that would be their 6th consecutive loss this season and I'm not sure the Sun Devil fan base can even remember the last time they lost 6 games in a row. I would expect the Sun Devils to come out with an intensity that we havent seen all season because there is a lot riding on Saturday's game. If they can beat the Beavers and win out they will be 6-6 and therefore bowl eligible. The remainder of their schedule is winnable with games against Wazzu, Washington and Arizona. From what I heard on the radio today the spread is 16 in favor of the Beavers...this could be a trap game for the wood chucks.
Not much recruiting news has taken place so far this week, but then again it is only Monday. Later this week I'll break down the Top 10 for the last time and foreshadow what I expect to take place over the next 3 to 4 weeks.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
BIG 12 and SEC: Bad Defenses or Good QB Play?
I'm watching the Texas Tech Red Raiders absolutely violate the Kansas Jayhawks this morning which gave me perfect insight for this blog post. If you have ever gone to a BIG 12 or SEC blog/forum you probably read comments from people that claim "Our conference plays the best defense EVERRR!" and then they will poke fun at the Pac-10 and its inability to stop anybody. The Pac-10 is always labeled as the conference that simply tries to outscore its opponents rather than stop them, but has that stigma finally been shifted to the BIG 12? This Texas Tech v. Kansas game is a perfect example of the point I'm trying to make. With 11 minutes left in the contest the Raiders have scored 63 points on the No. 23 ranked Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas! ESPN has been kind enough to update the status of the Oklahoma vs. Kansas State game too and amazingly the score is 55 t0 28....at halftime! The only excuse I can reasonably make for the lack of defense in that conference is the plethora of very good quarterback play.
Texas - Colt McCoy
Kansas -Todd Reesing
Oklahoma - Sam Bradford
Missouri - Chase Daniels
Texas Tech - Graham Harrell
Oklahoma St. - Zac Robinson
I understand that these guys are all really solid players, but does it warrant the lack of defense we've seen from the Big 12 especially since it is considered by many this year to be the best conference in the nation? Here is a ranking of the Big 12 conference broken down by total defense and where they stack up nationally. Sadly enough there isn't a team that cracked the top 30 in this category, and the total pass defense for this conference is even worse...believe me I've checked. Even the vaunted Oklahoma's and Texas' of the world are nearly giving up 5 yards a play which is REALLY poor considering Texas is ranked #1.
Now how about those SEC fans who truly do proclaim their conference plays the best defense. I have a simple response to that: Outside of Tim Tebow (who is overrated) and Matthew Stafford from Georgia the remaining QB's in the conference are a bunch of donkeys. I like to think I'm an avid follower of college football, but when I can't name another quarterback outside of the two I previously mentioned that should speak volumes about how things look on the offensive side of the ball in the SEC. It's not like the SEC doesn't get a ton of publicity either. Hell, CBS labels themselves as the home of SEC football! No wonder SEC defenses look like absolute studs...they play against quarterbacks that truly are pathetic and for the most part one dimensional. The West Virginia vs. Auburn game on Thursday night illustrates my point perfectly. The Auburn defense had been labeled their strength this season (mostly because their offense blows), but once they come up against a multi-dimensional quarterback in Patrick White it completely messed with their schemes. They gave up 445 total yards to the Mountaineers and 271 of those were on the ground. Oh, and they got owned 34-17 by a Big East team that has played like crap for most of the year.
Here's how the SEC Conference breaks down nationally in total defense:
Wow, look at that...only 3 teams DIDN'T break the Top 25 nationally in total defense. These statistics don't take into account the complete lack of quarterback play in the conference though. When the final score of the Auburn vs. Mississippi contest was 3-2 you know the conference is absolutely despicable on offense. Nobody back East wants to bring this up though. There is no doubt that both conferences are very good, especially the BIG 12 with their QB's, but these statistics are so skewed if you don't look at them from a proper vantage point. The BCS games at the end of the season that feature match-ups between teams from these two conferences will help shed a little more light on which really is better. In many ways I think it poses the question of which came first: the chicken or the egg? Is QB great play responsible for these statistics or the complete lack thereof?
Texas - Colt McCoy
Kansas -Todd Reesing
Oklahoma - Sam Bradford
Missouri - Chase Daniels
Texas Tech - Graham Harrell
Oklahoma St. - Zac Robinson
I understand that these guys are all really solid players, but does it warrant the lack of defense we've seen from the Big 12 especially since it is considered by many this year to be the best conference in the nation? Here is a ranking of the Big 12 conference broken down by total defense and where they stack up nationally. Sadly enough there isn't a team that cracked the top 30 in this category, and the total pass defense for this conference is even worse...believe me I've checked. Even the vaunted Oklahoma's and Texas' of the world are nearly giving up 5 yards a play which is REALLY poor considering Texas is ranked #1.
| Year: 2008 | Thru: 10/18/08 |
| Rank | Name | Gm | Avg | Plays | Yds | Tds | YdsGm | Win | Loss | Ties | Natl Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | 7 | 4.59 | 481 | 2210 | 18 | 315.71 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| 2 | Texas | 7 | 4.94 | 458 | 2262 | 15 | 323.14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| 3 | Oklahoma St. | 7 | 4.88 | 482 | 2351 | 19 | 335.86 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| 4 | Texas Tech | 7 | 4.96 | 495 | 2457 | 17 | 351.00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 58 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 7 | 5.70 | 442 | 2520 | 21 | 360.00 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 64 |
| 6 | Kansas | 7 | 5.12 | 492 | 2521 | 19 | 360.14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 65 |
| 7 | Colorado | 7 | 5.20 | 486 | 2527 | 21 | 361.00 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 66 |
| 8 | Baylor | 7 | 4.88 | 525 | 2564 | 23 | 366.29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 73 |
| 9 | Iowa St. | 7 | 6.19 | 464 | 2873 | 28 | 410.43 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 98 |
| 10 | Missouri | 7 | 5.38 | 535 | 2876 | 25 | 410.86 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
| 11 | Texas A&M | 7 | 5.90 | 488 | 2878 | 31 | 411.14 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 101 |
| 12 | Kansas St. | 7 | 5.56 | 540 | 3005 | 26 | 429.29 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 105 |
Now how about those SEC fans who truly do proclaim their conference plays the best defense. I have a simple response to that: Outside of Tim Tebow (who is overrated) and Matthew Stafford from Georgia the remaining QB's in the conference are a bunch of donkeys. I like to think I'm an avid follower of college football, but when I can't name another quarterback outside of the two I previously mentioned that should speak volumes about how things look on the offensive side of the ball in the SEC. It's not like the SEC doesn't get a ton of publicity either. Hell, CBS labels themselves as the home of SEC football! No wonder SEC defenses look like absolute studs...they play against quarterbacks that truly are pathetic and for the most part one dimensional. The West Virginia vs. Auburn game on Thursday night illustrates my point perfectly. The Auburn defense had been labeled their strength this season (mostly because their offense blows), but once they come up against a multi-dimensional quarterback in Patrick White it completely messed with their schemes. They gave up 445 total yards to the Mountaineers and 271 of those were on the ground. Oh, and they got owned 34-17 by a Big East team that has played like crap for most of the year.
Here's how the SEC Conference breaks down nationally in total defense:
TOTAL DEFENSE
| Year: 2008 | Thru: 10/18/08 |
| Rank | Name | Gm | Avg | Plays | Yds | Tds | YdsGm | Win | Loss | Ties | Natl Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina | 8 | 4.22 | 486 | 2049 | 14 | 256.13 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Tennessee | 7 | 4.10 | 456 | 1869 | 10 | 267.00 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| 3 | Georgia | 7 | 4.58 | 412 | 1888 | 16 | 269.71 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| 4 | Auburn | 7 | 4.11 | 464 | 1909 | 11 | 272.71 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| 5 | Florida | 6 | 4.45 | 370 | 1646 | 10 | 274.33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| 6 | Alabama | 7 | 4.36 | 443 | 1932 | 12 | 276.00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 7 | 4.36 | 453 | 1975 | 9 | 282.14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 8 | Mississippi St. | 7 | 4.81 | 424 | 2041 | 18 | 291.57 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 22 |
| 9 | LSU | 6 | 4.84 | 366 | 1772 | 15 | 295.33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 24 |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 7 | 4.92 | 475 | 2337 | 15 | 333.86 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 45 |
| 11 | Mississippi | 7 | 4.99 | 476 | 2375 | 20 | 339.29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 52 |
| 12 | Arkansas | 7 | 5.54 | 452 | 2505 | 30 | 357.86 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 61 |
Wow, look at that...only 3 teams DIDN'T break the Top 25 nationally in total defense. These statistics don't take into account the complete lack of quarterback play in the conference though. When the final score of the Auburn vs. Mississippi contest was 3-2 you know the conference is absolutely despicable on offense. Nobody back East wants to bring this up though. There is no doubt that both conferences are very good, especially the BIG 12 with their QB's, but these statistics are so skewed if you don't look at them from a proper vantage point. The BCS games at the end of the season that feature match-ups between teams from these two conferences will help shed a little more light on which really is better. In many ways I think it poses the question of which came first: the chicken or the egg? Is QB great play responsible for these statistics or the complete lack thereof?
Friday, October 24, 2008
The Sirles Saga Is Over
Well, according to nearly every major recruiting site it appears that Jeremiah Sirles has decided to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers next season rather than with the Ducks. I am a bit surprised considering that insider info. had Sirles pegged as a Duck, but I'm not really sure Oregon really lost out. As I mentioned before, Sirles has been downgraded from a 4* to a 3* and the reason being he recently hadn't been playing up to those standards. From what I'd read he doesn't like to block on the run which definitely wouldn't of worked in Oregon's system. Oregon is still in the running for Charles Siddoway and Taylor Lewan who are both seriously considering the Ducks. Lewan plans to make a visit during one of the last remaining homes game, and Siddoway will most likely be in attendance as well.
All the talk show radio hosts have been saying all week that Vegas missed the boat by putting USC as 16.5 point favorites over Arizona. Colin Cowherd fell just short of urging listeners to bet their life savings on the game. It is to be played in Tucson which many think will make all the difference in the point spread considering the Wildcats always seem to play well at home. Am I really the only one that thinks USC is going to skin the Cats? Arizona would've gotten beat last weekend if it wasn't for Cal's offense going completely anemic in the second half of that game. Granted, 16.5 points is a lot to spot the Trojans and the bet is tempting, but USC hasn't given up a point in over 11 quarters of football. For all the attention this game has garned from the media this week I wouldn't be surprised if USC absolutely destroys Arizona.
Prediction: USC - 45 Arizona - 17
I haven't really delved into college basketball yet, but with Lute Olson's retirement I think this is a perfect time to segueway into that topic. The Ducks recruiting class can really benefit from this sudden shakeup in the Pac-10 considering one of their top prospects for the 2009 class has decommitted from Arizona today. Mike Moser, a 4* small forward from Portland, decided to reopen his recruiting due to Lute Olson's news. Oregon could benefit greatly from this considering Moser had narrowed his scholarship offers down to a short list of schools and Oregon was thought to be a primary player. Before Olson's retirement Arizona had 3 recruits commited, but in the course of 24 hours two of them have decommitted and a third seems imminent. That is a crushing blow to the program considering all three recruits are highly rated (2 four stars and 1 five star). I'll be sure to keep tabs on that situation since basketball is right around the corner.
All the talk show radio hosts have been saying all week that Vegas missed the boat by putting USC as 16.5 point favorites over Arizona. Colin Cowherd fell just short of urging listeners to bet their life savings on the game. It is to be played in Tucson which many think will make all the difference in the point spread considering the Wildcats always seem to play well at home. Am I really the only one that thinks USC is going to skin the Cats? Arizona would've gotten beat last weekend if it wasn't for Cal's offense going completely anemic in the second half of that game. Granted, 16.5 points is a lot to spot the Trojans and the bet is tempting, but USC hasn't given up a point in over 11 quarters of football. For all the attention this game has garned from the media this week I wouldn't be surprised if USC absolutely destroys Arizona.
Prediction: USC - 45 Arizona - 17
I haven't really delved into college basketball yet, but with Lute Olson's retirement I think this is a perfect time to segueway into that topic. The Ducks recruiting class can really benefit from this sudden shakeup in the Pac-10 considering one of their top prospects for the 2009 class has decommitted from Arizona today. Mike Moser, a 4* small forward from Portland, decided to reopen his recruiting due to Lute Olson's news. Oregon could benefit greatly from this considering Moser had narrowed his scholarship offers down to a short list of schools and Oregon was thought to be a primary player. Before Olson's retirement Arizona had 3 recruits commited, but in the course of 24 hours two of them have decommitted and a third seems imminent. That is a crushing blow to the program considering all three recruits are highly rated (2 four stars and 1 five star). I'll be sure to keep tabs on that situation since basketball is right around the corner.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
An Assortment
Jeremiah Sirles, an offensive line recruit who was a visitor for the UCLA game, has announced that he will be making his verbal commitment to either Nebraska or Oregon this upcoming Friday....either way I'll be sure to give a brief summary of his final decision once I find the news. The moderator on Chat4Quacks believes Sirles is an Oregon lock so it will be very interesting to see if that information turns out to be true. In regard to Sirles it's interesting to note that he was rated a 4-star by both Rivals and Scout but has currently been reduced to a 3-star on both sites. I'm not really sure what the reasoning was for this, and to be quite honest I'm not really sure that it even matters at this point.
So what's up with that referee in the LSU vs. South Carolina game going Chuck Norris on the Gamecock quarterback and giving him a nice forearm shiver to the ground?
Here's the video if you haven't seen it yet:
The more I watch that video the more I find myself pondering what in the hell the referee was actually thinking? I've heard some people say that Stephen Garcia, the South Carolina QB, was making a run right at the guy and he just defended himself. If you watch the video though Garcia doesn't even see the ref to his right before he is knocked to the ground. Hell, the ref actually looks like he drops back into coverage before he sees the QB start to run and then he makes a conscious attempt to take him out himself. ESPN mentioned yesterday morning that the ref was actually a linebacker for Kentucky back in the early 70's which may actually explain a lot. I'm guessing that he just had a brain fart of Mt. Everest proportions and instinctively played the QB like he did back in the day. Does this make it right though? Of course not. I think the ref should probably be suspended, but instead the SEC is going to sweep that one under the rug and hope that we all just forget about it. RIIIIGHT. Apparently the people in charge of the SEC haven't heard of YouTube...2 Million viewers of the combined clips of that play in the last 3 days. I don't think anybody will be forgetting about it anytime soon.
What can we expect from Oregon this weekend? Arizona St. is in need of a win VERY badly considering they've dropped their last 4 contests, and Oregon needs this as a statement game to show they won't be a pushover for the rest of the season. I think Oregon will try to establish themselves on the ground (big surprise there) while Rudy Carpenter and the Sun Devils try to air mail passes across our suspect secondary. Before the season began I never thought our secondary would be the biggest liability on this defensive unit, but luckily Oregon has had a knack for getting to Rudy Carpenter the last 2 times the teams have met up. I expect ASU's defense to give Oregon problems on the ground which will force the Ducks to throw. I expect a couple of turnovers from both teams, but a very strong showing by Jeremiah Masoli. I think the bye week will have worked wonders for the Ducks and I expect them to get on top early. Unfortunately, the game isn't on TV and I don't have the patience for Jerry Allen's feeble attempts to depict what is actually going on. My birthday is on Saturday and I'm going to assume that the Ducks got the memo that I simply want a "W" for my b-day gift. A Duck victory it will be.
Prediction: Oregon 31 - ASU 27
Feel free to post a comment on what you think the score will be!
So what's up with that referee in the LSU vs. South Carolina game going Chuck Norris on the Gamecock quarterback and giving him a nice forearm shiver to the ground?
Here's the video if you haven't seen it yet:
The more I watch that video the more I find myself pondering what in the hell the referee was actually thinking? I've heard some people say that Stephen Garcia, the South Carolina QB, was making a run right at the guy and he just defended himself. If you watch the video though Garcia doesn't even see the ref to his right before he is knocked to the ground. Hell, the ref actually looks like he drops back into coverage before he sees the QB start to run and then he makes a conscious attempt to take him out himself. ESPN mentioned yesterday morning that the ref was actually a linebacker for Kentucky back in the early 70's which may actually explain a lot. I'm guessing that he just had a brain fart of Mt. Everest proportions and instinctively played the QB like he did back in the day. Does this make it right though? Of course not. I think the ref should probably be suspended, but instead the SEC is going to sweep that one under the rug and hope that we all just forget about it. RIIIIGHT. Apparently the people in charge of the SEC haven't heard of YouTube...2 Million viewers of the combined clips of that play in the last 3 days. I don't think anybody will be forgetting about it anytime soon.
What can we expect from Oregon this weekend? Arizona St. is in need of a win VERY badly considering they've dropped their last 4 contests, and Oregon needs this as a statement game to show they won't be a pushover for the rest of the season. I think Oregon will try to establish themselves on the ground (big surprise there) while Rudy Carpenter and the Sun Devils try to air mail passes across our suspect secondary. Before the season began I never thought our secondary would be the biggest liability on this defensive unit, but luckily Oregon has had a knack for getting to Rudy Carpenter the last 2 times the teams have met up. I expect ASU's defense to give Oregon problems on the ground which will force the Ducks to throw. I expect a couple of turnovers from both teams, but a very strong showing by Jeremiah Masoli. I think the bye week will have worked wonders for the Ducks and I expect them to get on top early. Unfortunately, the game isn't on TV and I don't have the patience for Jerry Allen's feeble attempts to depict what is actually going on. My birthday is on Saturday and I'm going to assume that the Ducks got the memo that I simply want a "W" for my b-day gift. A Duck victory it will be.
Prediction: Oregon 31 - ASU 27
Feel free to post a comment on what you think the score will be!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Blog Post Tomorrow
Sorry for no blog post the past two days, but a new one is coming tomorrow. Due to the Fantasy Basketball Draft this evening I was once again strapped for time (Kent, I also made Brownies...that took up some of my time too...Tapioca pudding is next). I have plenty on the blog agenda for tomorrow so check back then!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Midway Point: PAC-10 Analysis
Well, my 35-17 prediction of Cal over Arizona was so off base I feel embarrassed for even posting that yesterday. I guess I banked my hunch on Cal coming out firing since they had a bye week to prep for the Wildcats, and Arizona was coming off a heartbreaking loss to Stanford by 1 point. The quarterback situation at Cal only got more clouded yesterday as Nate Longshore played well for the first half, but later was replaced due to poor production in the second which could ultimately spell disaster for Bears. Wasn't it last year that after beating Oregon they proceeded to lose their last 6-7 due to quarterback woes? Here's the newest Pac-10 standings via ESPN.
What does that leave for the remaining teams? If USC somehow sneaks into the National Title then the runner up could possible be playing in the Rose Bowl, but only if the Rose Bowl committee deems the runner up in the PAC-10 worthy for that bid. I'm trying to figure out if any of the teams in the Pac-10 besides USC could hold their own in the Rose Bowl. Penn State and Ohio St. play this next weekend to dictate whether the Nittany Lions are on track for the title game, and if they win the Buckeyes will likely take the Rose Bowl. Could the Ducks, Beavers, Wildcats or Bears play them tough? At this point I'm not so sure. I think the Holiday Bowl actually could produce a tougher opponent than the Rose. Texas will likely play for the National Title if they continue to handle business (which isn't all that unlikely) and Oklahoma will probably get the Fiesta Bowl. So that leaves Missouri, Texas Tech and Oklahoma St. for the Holiday Bowl. All 3 of those teams can score points like crazy and it could be a rough outing for whoever has to play them. Do I think the 2nd or 3rd place teams in the PAc-10 could beat Ohio St. or those aforementioned Big 12 Schools? No, not from what I've seen from those teams thus far but the next five weeks may persuade me otherwise.
I've been perusing ESPN's PAC-10 blog by Ted Miller and many Beaver fans are already claiming that they can win out and take the PAC-10 title from USC since they hold the tiebreaker over them. That's all fine and good, but Beaver fans forget that they have to play UCLA and Arizona away while also playing ASU, Cal and Oregon at home. Didn't UCLA just beat Stanford yesterday, and didn't Stanford beat the Beavers? The real fun of their PAC-10 schedule lies ahead, and the same is true for Oregon. With pivotal games of Arizona and Stanford at home, the schedule doesn't appear to be as bad as before. Having a bye week to rest and get healthy for the Sun Devils is always helpful, and the Ducks have the added benefit of a bye right before the Civl War game. While the Ducks will be resting that weekend the Beavers will have the joy of playing down in Arizona against a feisty Wildcat team, and who knows...Arizona may REALLY have something to play for at that point.
How good are the Cal Bears? They have the personnel to really play some solid football and I think Jahvid Best is one of the PAC-10's best running backs, but I think their QB situation will dictate whether this team can really accomplish anything. In many respects I think Cal and Oregon are identical teams. I'm predicting that Cal will beat either Oregon or Oregon St. just to further complicate the PAC-10 picture, but they will probably lose to Stanford or UCLA too. The Washington schools are a total joke and can't be taken seriously this year or probably for the remainder of this decade. Arizona St., although being 2-4, will beat somebody they shouldn't whether that be Oregon, Oregon St. or Arizona. Dennis Erickson seems to have Mike Riley's number and I can see that being a trap game for the Beavers (Ha, a Beaver trap!). Fortunately for the Beavers they will have a bye week to prep for the Sun Devils and the remaining pivotal games on their schedule. With that being said, I'll do some research this week and make my bowl game predictions for the Pac-10 and who they can expect to be playing in those games.
- USC: 3-1
- Arizona: 3-1
- Oregon: 3-1
- Oregon State: 3-1
- California: 2-1
- Stanford: 3-2
- UCLA: 3-2
- Arizona St.: 1-2
- Washington: 0-4
- Washington St.: 0-5
What does that leave for the remaining teams? If USC somehow sneaks into the National Title then the runner up could possible be playing in the Rose Bowl, but only if the Rose Bowl committee deems the runner up in the PAC-10 worthy for that bid. I'm trying to figure out if any of the teams in the Pac-10 besides USC could hold their own in the Rose Bowl. Penn State and Ohio St. play this next weekend to dictate whether the Nittany Lions are on track for the title game, and if they win the Buckeyes will likely take the Rose Bowl. Could the Ducks, Beavers, Wildcats or Bears play them tough? At this point I'm not so sure. I think the Holiday Bowl actually could produce a tougher opponent than the Rose. Texas will likely play for the National Title if they continue to handle business (which isn't all that unlikely) and Oklahoma will probably get the Fiesta Bowl. So that leaves Missouri, Texas Tech and Oklahoma St. for the Holiday Bowl. All 3 of those teams can score points like crazy and it could be a rough outing for whoever has to play them. Do I think the 2nd or 3rd place teams in the PAc-10 could beat Ohio St. or those aforementioned Big 12 Schools? No, not from what I've seen from those teams thus far but the next five weeks may persuade me otherwise.
I've been perusing ESPN's PAC-10 blog by Ted Miller and many Beaver fans are already claiming that they can win out and take the PAC-10 title from USC since they hold the tiebreaker over them. That's all fine and good, but Beaver fans forget that they have to play UCLA and Arizona away while also playing ASU, Cal and Oregon at home. Didn't UCLA just beat Stanford yesterday, and didn't Stanford beat the Beavers? The real fun of their PAC-10 schedule lies ahead, and the same is true for Oregon. With pivotal games of Arizona and Stanford at home, the schedule doesn't appear to be as bad as before. Having a bye week to rest and get healthy for the Sun Devils is always helpful, and the Ducks have the added benefit of a bye right before the Civl War game. While the Ducks will be resting that weekend the Beavers will have the joy of playing down in Arizona against a feisty Wildcat team, and who knows...Arizona may REALLY have something to play for at that point.
How good are the Cal Bears? They have the personnel to really play some solid football and I think Jahvid Best is one of the PAC-10's best running backs, but I think their QB situation will dictate whether this team can really accomplish anything. In many respects I think Cal and Oregon are identical teams. I'm predicting that Cal will beat either Oregon or Oregon St. just to further complicate the PAC-10 picture, but they will probably lose to Stanford or UCLA too. The Washington schools are a total joke and can't be taken seriously this year or probably for the remainder of this decade. Arizona St., although being 2-4, will beat somebody they shouldn't whether that be Oregon, Oregon St. or Arizona. Dennis Erickson seems to have Mike Riley's number and I can see that being a trap game for the Beavers (Ha, a Beaver trap!). Fortunately for the Beavers they will have a bye week to prep for the Sun Devils and the remaining pivotal games on their schedule. With that being said, I'll do some research this week and make my bowl game predictions for the Pac-10 and who they can expect to be playing in those games.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Look for a Pac-10 Analysis Tomorrow
Due to time constraints and the number of good college football games to be watched this evening I will write a more detailed blog post tomorrow. Oregon did receive a commitment from a recruit that was at the Oregon vs. UCLA game last weekend. Everett Benyard, a 6'6" and 323 lb. offensive lineman, committed to the Ducks today. From what I've read he sounds like a "pancake block" specialist and addresses the need for O-line recruits in this years class. Oh, and I guess UCLA isn't THAT bad after all considering they were able to beat Stanford today! Anyways, back to watching Mizzou get rolled. Go Tampa Bay Rays!
Prediction: Cal: 35 - Arizona: 17
Prediction: Cal: 35 - Arizona: 17
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Quick Update: Chris Williams To Nebraska
4 star linebacker, Chris Williams, who I profiled early this week decided to commit to the University of Nebraska today. He will not be making a visit to Oregon and has closed his recruitment at this point. It's interesting he made this decision so fast considering he just told Scout.com on Monday that he planned on making a visit to Oregon and found the Ducks to be a great program. Next year when the Cornhuskers are on TV he may be the only reason I watch the game for 5 minutes instead of immediately changing the channel.
On a more positive note, Tajh Boyd, a 5-star prospect and the #3 Dual rated QB in the country decommited from West Virginia last week and is apparently eyeing Oregon. This was the prize recruit of West Virginia's recruiting class, but due to their inconsistent effort on offense and recent coaching change he has decided to look elsewhere. Apparently once Mountaineer fans found out that Boyd had decommitted some of them took the opportunity to send him text messages and e-mails that were angry and inappropriate. That information was relayed to the national media by Boyd's mother who said her son would never reconsider playing for West Virginia. Is it just me or are Mountaineer fans a completely classless bunch? They send death threats to Rich Rodriguez (can't say those weren't warranted since Rich Rod is as bad as they are), but now they send hateful emails and texts to a high school kid? I'm thinking Boyd showed up on campus and saw girls with hairy legs and students wearing coon skin caps while carrying muskets to class. He probably had a Samuel L. Jackson moment and said, "*uck This!" You have seen their mascot right????
Note: most "outsiders" think that this gentleman dresses in this "costume" for Mountaineer home games when in fact this is normal attire in the state of West Virginia.
Take this for what it's worth, but the moderator on Chat4Quacks who shares insider info. has made it known that Boyd is very interested in the Ducks and may be silently verballed at this time. Boyd contacted Oregon on his own accord due to the Duck's spread offense being a perfect fit for his skill set. Chip Kelly has been on the recruiting trail this week and actually went back East to visit Boyd and conduct an in-home visit. (I've posted a YouTube video below of highlights from Boyd in his Junior season)
As I'm typing this I'm laughing at how TCU is beating the crap out of BYU 17-0. TCU's defense is ranked #1 in the nation and is absolutely man-handling the Mormons. Hopefully the ass whooping continues so the love affair with BYU will officially end after tonight.
On a more positive note, Tajh Boyd, a 5-star prospect and the #3 Dual rated QB in the country decommited from West Virginia last week and is apparently eyeing Oregon. This was the prize recruit of West Virginia's recruiting class, but due to their inconsistent effort on offense and recent coaching change he has decided to look elsewhere. Apparently once Mountaineer fans found out that Boyd had decommitted some of them took the opportunity to send him text messages and e-mails that were angry and inappropriate. That information was relayed to the national media by Boyd's mother who said her son would never reconsider playing for West Virginia. Is it just me or are Mountaineer fans a completely classless bunch? They send death threats to Rich Rodriguez (can't say those weren't warranted since Rich Rod is as bad as they are), but now they send hateful emails and texts to a high school kid? I'm thinking Boyd showed up on campus and saw girls with hairy legs and students wearing coon skin caps while carrying muskets to class. He probably had a Samuel L. Jackson moment and said, "*uck This!" You have seen their mascot right????
Note: most "outsiders" think that this gentleman dresses in this "costume" for Mountaineer home games when in fact this is normal attire in the state of West Virginia.
Take this for what it's worth, but the moderator on Chat4Quacks who shares insider info. has made it known that Boyd is very interested in the Ducks and may be silently verballed at this time. Boyd contacted Oregon on his own accord due to the Duck's spread offense being a perfect fit for his skill set. Chip Kelly has been on the recruiting trail this week and actually went back East to visit Boyd and conduct an in-home visit. (I've posted a YouTube video below of highlights from Boyd in his Junior season)
As I'm typing this I'm laughing at how TCU is beating the crap out of BYU 17-0. TCU's defense is ranked #1 in the nation and is absolutely man-handling the Mormons. Hopefully the ass whooping continues so the love affair with BYU will officially end after tonight.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Top 10 Rankings: Time To Review
Since there hasn't been a whole lot of recruiting news from last weekend's visitors I figured I'd take the opportunity to break down the Top 10 for the second time this season.
Before I do that though I'd like to invite the blog readers to partake in a Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball league. It will be a competitive rotisserie point style league with a live draft set for Tuesday the 21st at 7:15 PM. Right now there are 3 teams signed up which leaves 7 spots open for a 10 team league. To join the league go to Yahoo's Fantasy Sports page and click the link for Fantasy Basketball. You will be asked to join either a "public" or "custom" league...opt for the custom league. You will need to enter a league ID and Password for entry into the league. That information is posted below.
Fantasy Basketball League ID# is 1606
Password: pdx08
With that out of the way here's the newest link to College Football's Top 25 on ESPN.com. I still don't think some of the teams in the Top 10 have started playing the meat of their schedules considering most teams are heading into their tougher games during the next few weeks. I'll probably do one more "Top 10 Breakdown" before I begin my bowl projections in the next few weeks.
1) Texas - I can't argue with the way they beat Oklahoma...it was gritty, physical and they simply beat the Sooners at their own game. They were able to capitalize on big plays when they needed them, especially when the game was looking like it might be blown wide open. Watching Jordan Shipley return a touchdown to keep the game in reach (score was 14-3 in favor of the Sooners at the time) was a thing of beauty. Great teams make big plays to win games of last Saturday's magnitude, and after beating the previous #1 ranked team they definitely deserve to inherit that ranking this week.
2) Alabama - Alabama has shown to be a national title contender at times (ex. beating Georgia 31-0 at halftime) but at the same time they have looked fairly ordinary (giving up 30 to Georgia in the second half and beating them 41-30). A bye last week helped prepare them for the second half of their SEC schedule, and I'd assume they will be ranked #2 or even #1 for at least the next few weeks. They face Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas St. before facing off against LSU on November 8th down in the bayou. Due to his recent success perhaps the Miami Dolphins will attempt to lure Nick Saban back to the organization for the simple task of locking him up for a day and letting fans kick him in the nuts for subjecting them to the fiasco that was the Miami Dolphins last season. Hey, I can wish right?
3) Penn State - Penn State wasn't always known for its offensive prowess, but this years team is putting up points and yards. The October 25th game at Ohio St. will be the make or break game for this team. If they can get by the Buckeyes there is little doubt that they will make up one of the teams playing for the National Title. Maybe then Joe Pa will finally retire and we all won't have to watch him wander around the sidelines like he's Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man." For that reason alone I'm hoping that the Nittany Lions make it to the big dance.
4) Oklahoma - This team has a knack for losing big games. Whether it be back to back BCS bowl losses to Boise St. and West Virginia there is little doubt that Bob Stoops hasn't been able to coach his teams to victory in the games that really matter. However, that doesn't mean this team isn't a good one. If Jordan Shipley doesn't return that kickoff for a touchdown the Longhorns may have proceeded to get their ass kicked because Oklahoma was in full control of that game. Sam Bradford is one hell of a quarterback, and his 5 TD passes against Texas makes you wonder if maybe he is the best QB in the Big 12.
5) Florida - This team is 1 point away from being undefeated and quite possibly the #1 team in the country. With the exception of Ole' Miss Florida has beaten their opponents by 20 points or more, but that could come to a halt real soon. Kentucky is next up with away games at Georgia and Vanderbilt to follow. I'm sure Urban Meyer is breathing a sigh of relief that Alabama is nowhere to be found on this year's schedule too. If Florida wins out and handles business in the SEC Championship there is no doubt that Gator fans will be calling for the National Title game. I can't say that I blame them either...especially if Texas was to lose between now and then.
6) USC - Oh how the Trojans are slowly making their way up the ladder. We all know the Pac-10 is in a down year which makes it even more surprising that USC already has a loss in conference play. With the BCS standings coming out this week there has been speculation that USC will be ranked #4 which would allow them to have a legit possibility at playing for the title. What USC needs is Cal to keep winning so "if" they beat them they would have one more quality win to help elevate them with the BCS computers. Pete Carroll knows how to get his boys up for a big game, and "if" a title game is in their future I definitely seem them taking care of business.
7) Texas Tech 8) Oklahoma St. and 9) BYU - Hey look everybody it's the 3 jackass teams that have no real reason even being ranked this high. I figured I'd just compile these teams because I don't feel like they have really accomplished anything. Oklahoma St. beat Missouri which was pretty cool, but who had Missouri played up until that point? I might tip my hat if Missouri goes out and beats Texas this week, but until then I don't really think that win is as great as people are making it sound. BYU didn't exactly light up the scoreboard last week against New Mexico (beat them 21-3) which is why they've stayed at the #9 position for quite some time. Or maybe it's because BYU opponents have a combined record of 10-27. I wouldn't be surprised if the BCS rankings have them somewhere around 13th or 14th...hell with those opponents they should be ranked in the high 20's! Texas Tech STILL hasn't played anybody and their fun begins a week from Saturday. They then play Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma St. and Oklahoma...all in a row. At that point the Red Raiders should put their heads firmly between their legs and kiss their asses and the Top 10 goodbye.
10) Georgia - They probably won't be on this list too much longer. Dealing with Vanderbilt, LSU and Florida 3 weeks in a row doesn't bode well for the Bulldogs. If they lose any of those games they will likely be out of a BCS bowl bid. Is there much else to say for this team other than they have Knowshon Moreno? I don't really think so.
Before I do that though I'd like to invite the blog readers to partake in a Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball league. It will be a competitive rotisserie point style league with a live draft set for Tuesday the 21st at 7:15 PM. Right now there are 3 teams signed up which leaves 7 spots open for a 10 team league. To join the league go to Yahoo's Fantasy Sports page and click the link for Fantasy Basketball. You will be asked to join either a "public" or "custom" league...opt for the custom league. You will need to enter a league ID and Password for entry into the league. That information is posted below.
Fantasy Basketball League ID# is 1606
Password: pdx08
With that out of the way here's the newest link to College Football's Top 25 on ESPN.com. I still don't think some of the teams in the Top 10 have started playing the meat of their schedules considering most teams are heading into their tougher games during the next few weeks. I'll probably do one more "Top 10 Breakdown" before I begin my bowl projections in the next few weeks.
1) Texas - I can't argue with the way they beat Oklahoma...it was gritty, physical and they simply beat the Sooners at their own game. They were able to capitalize on big plays when they needed them, especially when the game was looking like it might be blown wide open. Watching Jordan Shipley return a touchdown to keep the game in reach (score was 14-3 in favor of the Sooners at the time) was a thing of beauty. Great teams make big plays to win games of last Saturday's magnitude, and after beating the previous #1 ranked team they definitely deserve to inherit that ranking this week.
2) Alabama - Alabama has shown to be a national title contender at times (ex. beating Georgia 31-0 at halftime) but at the same time they have looked fairly ordinary (giving up 30 to Georgia in the second half and beating them 41-30). A bye last week helped prepare them for the second half of their SEC schedule, and I'd assume they will be ranked #2 or even #1 for at least the next few weeks. They face Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas St. before facing off against LSU on November 8th down in the bayou. Due to his recent success perhaps the Miami Dolphins will attempt to lure Nick Saban back to the organization for the simple task of locking him up for a day and letting fans kick him in the nuts for subjecting them to the fiasco that was the Miami Dolphins last season. Hey, I can wish right?
3) Penn State - Penn State wasn't always known for its offensive prowess, but this years team is putting up points and yards. The October 25th game at Ohio St. will be the make or break game for this team. If they can get by the Buckeyes there is little doubt that they will make up one of the teams playing for the National Title. Maybe then Joe Pa will finally retire and we all won't have to watch him wander around the sidelines like he's Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man." For that reason alone I'm hoping that the Nittany Lions make it to the big dance.
4) Oklahoma - This team has a knack for losing big games. Whether it be back to back BCS bowl losses to Boise St. and West Virginia there is little doubt that Bob Stoops hasn't been able to coach his teams to victory in the games that really matter. However, that doesn't mean this team isn't a good one. If Jordan Shipley doesn't return that kickoff for a touchdown the Longhorns may have proceeded to get their ass kicked because Oklahoma was in full control of that game. Sam Bradford is one hell of a quarterback, and his 5 TD passes against Texas makes you wonder if maybe he is the best QB in the Big 12.
5) Florida - This team is 1 point away from being undefeated and quite possibly the #1 team in the country. With the exception of Ole' Miss Florida has beaten their opponents by 20 points or more, but that could come to a halt real soon. Kentucky is next up with away games at Georgia and Vanderbilt to follow. I'm sure Urban Meyer is breathing a sigh of relief that Alabama is nowhere to be found on this year's schedule too. If Florida wins out and handles business in the SEC Championship there is no doubt that Gator fans will be calling for the National Title game. I can't say that I blame them either...especially if Texas was to lose between now and then.
6) USC - Oh how the Trojans are slowly making their way up the ladder. We all know the Pac-10 is in a down year which makes it even more surprising that USC already has a loss in conference play. With the BCS standings coming out this week there has been speculation that USC will be ranked #4 which would allow them to have a legit possibility at playing for the title. What USC needs is Cal to keep winning so "if" they beat them they would have one more quality win to help elevate them with the BCS computers. Pete Carroll knows how to get his boys up for a big game, and "if" a title game is in their future I definitely seem them taking care of business.
7) Texas Tech 8) Oklahoma St. and 9) BYU - Hey look everybody it's the 3 jackass teams that have no real reason even being ranked this high. I figured I'd just compile these teams because I don't feel like they have really accomplished anything. Oklahoma St. beat Missouri which was pretty cool, but who had Missouri played up until that point? I might tip my hat if Missouri goes out and beats Texas this week, but until then I don't really think that win is as great as people are making it sound. BYU didn't exactly light up the scoreboard last week against New Mexico (beat them 21-3) which is why they've stayed at the #9 position for quite some time. Or maybe it's because BYU opponents have a combined record of 10-27. I wouldn't be surprised if the BCS rankings have them somewhere around 13th or 14th...hell with those opponents they should be ranked in the high 20's! Texas Tech STILL hasn't played anybody and their fun begins a week from Saturday. They then play Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma St. and Oklahoma...all in a row. At that point the Red Raiders should put their heads firmly between their legs and kiss their asses and the Top 10 goodbye.
10) Georgia - They probably won't be on this list too much longer. Dealing with Vanderbilt, LSU and Florida 3 weeks in a row doesn't bode well for the Bulldogs. If they lose any of those games they will likely be out of a BCS bowl bid. Is there much else to say for this team other than they have Knowshon Moreno? I don't really think so.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Two Texas Players On Oregon's Radar
The firing of Clemson's head Coach, Tommy Bowden, has resulted in a shake up of the Tigers recruiting class and the Ducks hope to benefit from it. 5-star recruit Craig Loston, the #1 ranked safety in the nation according to Rivals, committed to Clemson back in April but after learning of Bowden's dismissal he's decided to look elsewhere. Listed at 6'2" and 193 lbs he fits the prototypical mold of a large strong safety that has the heigth to disrupt the passing game in the backfield. The Ducks are currently one of his top 3 choices with Texas and LSU. He's from Aldine, Texas which happens to be the same hometown as Oregon QB Darron Thomas. Oregon has had luck recruiting players from Texas...especially since last year. Freshman wide receiver's Garret Embry and Blake Cantu are from Texas along with running back LaMichael James. Just to be considered in Loston's top 3 is quite an achievement considering he holds over 40 offers from teams including USC, Florida and Oklahoma. Oregon may be high on his list due to his ability to fill the void of Patrick Chung immediately...either way I hope he makes a visit.Here's a video of Loston in action:
The other recruit that is strongly considering Oregon is 4-star linebacker Chris Williams. A native of Abilene, Texas, Williams is ranked the 13th best linebacker according to Rivals. Listed at 6'0" and 230 he has the size to be a force no matter where he lines up on the field. After watching his highlight videos (which I've posted below) there is no doubt that he would probably see the field immediately. In a recent interview with Scout.com this is what he had to say about the Ducks:"I really like Oregon because it's a good program," he said. "The defense is strong and I like the coaches a lot. They've been recruiting me a lot and seem real interested."
So he thinks Oregon's defense is strong? Maybe he should mention that to the jackasses that sit directly behind me in Section 36 Row 61. Williams does admit that some schools that had initially offered him aren't really showing much interest anymore:
"Schools like Arizona, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St…they offered and that's about it. Besides Nebraska and Oregon, there aren't really any other coaches that I'm talking to on a regular basis."
This bodes extremely well for Oregon considering the coaching staff is making a trip out to Abilene on the 17th of October to make an in-home appearance with Williams and schedule a trip to Eugene. The Ducks will be the next recruiting visit he plans to make, and may ultimately be his last considering he's already tripped out to Nebraska. Williams reports a 3.3 GPA and an SAT score of 1200 so the kid is far from an academic risk. Perhaps he just scares the hell out of the coaches trying to recruit him. I know I wouldn't want to be an opposing quarterback lined up across from him.
Chris Williams Highlight Video #1
Chris Williams Highlight Video #2
Sunday, October 12, 2008
A "Transition"...Not A "Rebuilding"
During the late part of the third quarter in last night's game one of the camera men that operates the Duck Vision gave a quick shot of what appeared to be Joe Montana and his wife. I turned to my dad and yelled, "No way, Joe Montana is here!" while the two guys sitting in front of me looked at the screen and then shook their heads like I'm a retard that should be working at Goodwill. Here's some proof that I'm not delusional after all: Montana Can't Hide. From what I've been reading Joe Montana's son, Nick Montana, was a surprise recruit at last night's game. He is a recruit for the class of 2010 and appears to have the talent to make some noise apart from the media glitz of being the son of an NFL Legend.
Too be honest I'm not really sure what to take away from last night's game. I know Jeremiah Masoli has the arm and the running ability to make this Oregon offense a versatile and scary one, but I think this year is more of a transition than a rebuilding. I'm not sure "rebuilding" is even pertinent to college teams considering the NCAA doesn't have a draft, free agency or trades. College teams recruit players to the best of their capabilities, but does a team like Arizona truly rebuild? They've been in the bottom half of the Pac-10 for as long as I can remember and they seem to just transition their best players into the key roles of their offense and defense. Teams like USC, however, don't ever rebuild...they just reload. Oregon in a way does this too. The Ducks knew they needed new QB talent for this offense and they went out and got some (One of those QB's is now catching TD's as a wide receiver...go figure). The more Masoli gets to play in this offense the quicker he will transition into a Pac-10 quarterback, and that simply bodes well for the Ducks and their future as a team. Going 5/19 for 42 yards and a TD through the air isn't what most Duck fans would like to see, but his 25 carries for 170 yards is. How would Duck fans feel if Masoli went 14/22 for 180, 2 Td's and 2 Int's that resulted in 10 points for the other team? The kid has only thrown 1 interception this year and that was a desperation pass against USC that we all know he threw against his better judgement...the Ducks were already down by 27 at that juncture in the game. The point I'm trying to make is that he doesn't make mistakes (*knock on wood*) and for a sophomore Junior College transfer that is something that people take for granted. At this point Masoli hasn't lost a game for Oregon and that cannot be overlooked.
Are Pac-10 officials the most god awful bunch in Collegiate Football? The interception by Jairus Byrd in the endzone that was negated by a pass interference call had to be one of the worst calls I've seen since the Oklahoma game...except this one didn't go in our favor. I don't think the final score of the game was indicative of the way the Ducks or Bruins played. If the referee's don't job the Ducks on that call the final score of the game would've been 31-17. Whether it be a ref flagging Washington's Jake Locker for excessive celebration or phantom PI calls against Oregon's secondary it seriously makes me wonder if this is only a part time job for these guys. I've always wondered the salaries of Pac-10 officials over the course of a season, and I'm sure if that information was disclosed to the public we'd all boo for the whole game instead of for just 10 minutes. As much as I hate Oklahoma and everything that embodies that program and their coach I think this photo speaks volumes about the referees in the conference:
(Click to Enlarge)
Then again Oregon did block their game winning field goal and score two touchdowns in under five minutes....sucks to be Stoopid.
Not much has been made of how the recruiting weekend went thus far, but I'm sure I'll have more to report on that front in the next couple of days.
Too be honest I'm not really sure what to take away from last night's game. I know Jeremiah Masoli has the arm and the running ability to make this Oregon offense a versatile and scary one, but I think this year is more of a transition than a rebuilding. I'm not sure "rebuilding" is even pertinent to college teams considering the NCAA doesn't have a draft, free agency or trades. College teams recruit players to the best of their capabilities, but does a team like Arizona truly rebuild? They've been in the bottom half of the Pac-10 for as long as I can remember and they seem to just transition their best players into the key roles of their offense and defense. Teams like USC, however, don't ever rebuild...they just reload. Oregon in a way does this too. The Ducks knew they needed new QB talent for this offense and they went out and got some (One of those QB's is now catching TD's as a wide receiver...go figure). The more Masoli gets to play in this offense the quicker he will transition into a Pac-10 quarterback, and that simply bodes well for the Ducks and their future as a team. Going 5/19 for 42 yards and a TD through the air isn't what most Duck fans would like to see, but his 25 carries for 170 yards is. How would Duck fans feel if Masoli went 14/22 for 180, 2 Td's and 2 Int's that resulted in 10 points for the other team? The kid has only thrown 1 interception this year and that was a desperation pass against USC that we all know he threw against his better judgement...the Ducks were already down by 27 at that juncture in the game. The point I'm trying to make is that he doesn't make mistakes (*knock on wood*) and for a sophomore Junior College transfer that is something that people take for granted. At this point Masoli hasn't lost a game for Oregon and that cannot be overlooked.
Are Pac-10 officials the most god awful bunch in Collegiate Football? The interception by Jairus Byrd in the endzone that was negated by a pass interference call had to be one of the worst calls I've seen since the Oklahoma game...except this one didn't go in our favor. I don't think the final score of the game was indicative of the way the Ducks or Bruins played. If the referee's don't job the Ducks on that call the final score of the game would've been 31-17. Whether it be a ref flagging Washington's Jake Locker for excessive celebration or phantom PI calls against Oregon's secondary it seriously makes me wonder if this is only a part time job for these guys. I've always wondered the salaries of Pac-10 officials over the course of a season, and I'm sure if that information was disclosed to the public we'd all boo for the whole game instead of for just 10 minutes. As much as I hate Oklahoma and everything that embodies that program and their coach I think this photo speaks volumes about the referees in the conference:
(Click to Enlarge)
Then again Oregon did block their game winning field goal and score two touchdowns in under five minutes....sucks to be Stoopid.
Not much has been made of how the recruiting weekend went thus far, but I'm sure I'll have more to report on that front in the next couple of days.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Big Recruiting Weekend
This weekend is shaping up to be one of the biggest recruiting events for the Ducks this season. Aside from rumors and other speculation it appears that Oregon will have anywhere between 8-10 visitors depending on whether you compile reports from ESPN, Scout and Rivals.
Here's a list of the visitors scheduled & rumored to make the trip to Eugene with a brief synopsis of each:
1) Myles Wade (5 -Star) - He's already committed to Oregon and was an Army All-American out of high school with offers from all the big programs. His only offer on the table is from Oregon and his lack of offers isn't because he's not playing well. Other programs aren't even trying to sway his commitment from Oregon since he's been outspoken about being a Duck from the very beginning.
2) Travis Hawkins (4-Star) - Rated the #6 best corner in the country by Scout and has offers from Virginia Tech, Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee. This is the guy I hope Oregon gets a commitment from over all the others this weekend. If Virginia Tech wants this kid on their defense that says enough for me.
3) Jeremiah Sirles (4-Star) - It's down to the wire between Nebraska and Oregon for this large individual. Rivals list him at 6'6" and 300lbs while Scout lists him at 6'8" and 300 lbs. For the sake of making everything equal we'll just say he's 6'7"/300...which is still damn big. This kid has been playing in Texas Tech's spread offense in high school so his transition to Oregon's offense would be painless.
4) Anthony Anderson (3-Star) - Already committed to Oregon and is being recruited as a DE or TE. He's 6'5"/220 and appears to have the body to play at either position. He had interest from Florida, USC and Utah before he committed to the Ducks over 2 months ago.
5) Alex Logan (3-Star) - The Ducks are the last stop on his recruiting journey which always bodes well since they can make the final impression. He's ranked as the #33 best safety by Scout, and has made visits to Nebraska, California and Arizona St.
6) Everett Benyard (3-star) - Another large offensive lineman that would fit well into the Oregon offense. Listed by Scout as 6'6"/323 he would be another key addition to an offensive line that is already stacked with young talent.
7) Avery Patterson (3-Star) - He's already committed to Oregon and seems to fit the mold of a future Walter Thurmond III. He's ranked as the #46 best corner by Scout. He's not the biggest kid at 5'9"/165 but he makes up for it with his speed. He has been electronically timed with a 4.35 40-yard dash which is always good since coaches can't teach speed.
Expected (Rumored) To Be Visiting
8) Charles Siddoway (4-Star) - Looks remarkably similar to "Smash Williams" from the show Friday Night Lights. Aside from that he is a local product (plays football for Sheldon) and is ranked the #1 prospect in the state of Oregon. He is being recruited heavily by Alabama and people close to his recruiting say it is a dead heat between Oregon and the Crimson Tide. It has been said that he attends every home game and if that's true I doubt he misses this one.
9) Jason Ankrah - (4-Star) - Is the best friend of Travis Hawkins (#2 on this list) and it has been rumored that he will be making the trip as a surprise visitor. Ranked as the #25 best DE he has offers from Penn State, Virginia Tech, Nebraska and Michigan.
10) Jamal Atofau (3-Star) - A prospect from Washington who is looking to play anywhere but the Huskies or Cougars. He is ranked the #56th best safety according to Scout and it's reported Oregon is the only school on his list with "high" interest. Rivals mentioned back in September that he planned on making a decision soon...perhaps this weekend is the time?
One of the message boards I read frequently is called Chat4Quacks and the main moderator there sometimes has inside information that neither Rivals or Scout has...and he shares this info. for free. Last year during recruiting season he knew of a secret commit that was silently verballed to Oregon (ended up being Hamani Stevens) and he shared that information the night before signing day. Low and behold the following morning all Duck fans were happy to find out that Stevens was indeed a Duck. I mention this because he made a comment today in regard to Jeremiah Sirles (#3 on the list):
I wouldn't be surprised if Sirles was an Oregon lock, but I highly doubt Oregon would turn away either Siddoway or Benyard depending on which committed first. After this weekend I'll scour the web and be sure to update how all the visits went.
Prediction: Oregon - 34 / UCLA - 17
Here's a list of the visitors scheduled & rumored to make the trip to Eugene with a brief synopsis of each:
1) Myles Wade (5 -Star) - He's already committed to Oregon and was an Army All-American out of high school with offers from all the big programs. His only offer on the table is from Oregon and his lack of offers isn't because he's not playing well. Other programs aren't even trying to sway his commitment from Oregon since he's been outspoken about being a Duck from the very beginning.
2) Travis Hawkins (4-Star) - Rated the #6 best corner in the country by Scout and has offers from Virginia Tech, Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee. This is the guy I hope Oregon gets a commitment from over all the others this weekend. If Virginia Tech wants this kid on their defense that says enough for me.
3) Jeremiah Sirles (4-Star) - It's down to the wire between Nebraska and Oregon for this large individual. Rivals list him at 6'6" and 300lbs while Scout lists him at 6'8" and 300 lbs. For the sake of making everything equal we'll just say he's 6'7"/300...which is still damn big. This kid has been playing in Texas Tech's spread offense in high school so his transition to Oregon's offense would be painless.
4) Anthony Anderson (3-Star) - Already committed to Oregon and is being recruited as a DE or TE. He's 6'5"/220 and appears to have the body to play at either position. He had interest from Florida, USC and Utah before he committed to the Ducks over 2 months ago.
5) Alex Logan (3-Star) - The Ducks are the last stop on his recruiting journey which always bodes well since they can make the final impression. He's ranked as the #33 best safety by Scout, and has made visits to Nebraska, California and Arizona St.
6) Everett Benyard (3-star) - Another large offensive lineman that would fit well into the Oregon offense. Listed by Scout as 6'6"/323 he would be another key addition to an offensive line that is already stacked with young talent.
7) Avery Patterson (3-Star) - He's already committed to Oregon and seems to fit the mold of a future Walter Thurmond III. He's ranked as the #46 best corner by Scout. He's not the biggest kid at 5'9"/165 but he makes up for it with his speed. He has been electronically timed with a 4.35 40-yard dash which is always good since coaches can't teach speed.
Expected (Rumored) To Be Visiting
8) Charles Siddoway (4-Star) - Looks remarkably similar to "Smash Williams" from the show Friday Night Lights. Aside from that he is a local product (plays football for Sheldon) and is ranked the #1 prospect in the state of Oregon. He is being recruited heavily by Alabama and people close to his recruiting say it is a dead heat between Oregon and the Crimson Tide. It has been said that he attends every home game and if that's true I doubt he misses this one.
9) Jason Ankrah - (4-Star) - Is the best friend of Travis Hawkins (#2 on this list) and it has been rumored that he will be making the trip as a surprise visitor. Ranked as the #25 best DE he has offers from Penn State, Virginia Tech, Nebraska and Michigan.
10) Jamal Atofau (3-Star) - A prospect from Washington who is looking to play anywhere but the Huskies or Cougars. He is ranked the #56th best safety according to Scout and it's reported Oregon is the only school on his list with "high" interest. Rivals mentioned back in September that he planned on making a decision soon...perhaps this weekend is the time?
One of the message boards I read frequently is called Chat4Quacks and the main moderator there sometimes has inside information that neither Rivals or Scout has...and he shares this info. for free. Last year during recruiting season he knew of a secret commit that was silently verballed to Oregon (ended up being Hamani Stevens) and he shared that information the night before signing day. Low and behold the following morning all Duck fans were happy to find out that Stevens was indeed a Duck. I mention this because he made a comment today in regard to Jeremiah Sirles (#3 on the list):
"Ok, I've heard that Sirles is going to commit on the visit. Jordan Holmes I believe is his host but we shall see. I then was told that with Sirles committing that would leave one spot left for the Ducks on the offensive line and I had heard that if things were going to be ending soon for OL recruits that Siddoway might be pulling the trigger in fear he wouldnt have a spot. However after reading Benyard's previsit report on Rivals it might be a case of who commits first between the two."
I wouldn't be surprised if Sirles was an Oregon lock, but I highly doubt Oregon would turn away either Siddoway or Benyard depending on which committed first. After this weekend I'll scour the web and be sure to update how all the visits went.
Prediction: Oregon - 34 / UCLA - 17
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Today's Musings
I was listening to the Colin Cowherd show on ESPN Radio this morning when Colin brought up a good point in reference to fans. He labeled fans as "teenage girls" that fall in and out of love with numerous boys just the way fans do with their respective team's coaching staff. A teenage girls attention can be squarely fixed on that special someone, but at the first hint of "weirdness" or "adversity" they can do a complete 180 and be in hot pursuit of someone "better." That mentality is so pertinent to Oregon fans right now when it comes to the hiring and firing of a new defensive coordinator. I'll be the first to admit that I wish Oregon's defense was more hard nosed and had a pulse of a pass rush so I knew one actually existed, but is firing Nick Aliotti the cure? Has Duck fan already forgotten that Aliotti's defense was #1 in the Pac-10 last year in turnover ratio, and the same scheme he drew up last Saturday did beat USC last year? Maybe USC IS really that good, or maybe I just like playing devils advocate. I think everyone should simply chalk up USC's performance against Oregon St. as a brain fart and move on. I do believe Aliotti deserves the chance to redeem himself this week against a Bruin team that does have the capacity to beat the Ducks. Then again, Oregon is 17 point favorites and if they somehow lose to Neuheisel I'm sure everybody and their dog will want to string Allioti up by his gonads and beat him with an ugly stick. As of this moment Oregon is ranked 110th out of 119 FBS schools in Pass Defense...which is pretty damn bad if you're not good with numbers. What's funny though is that Missouri is ranked #114 in total pass defense right behind the Ducks, but nobody gives a rats ass about that since they can score points like a machine and haven't had a single "three and out" all season. Oregon and Missouri both run the spread offense, and both schools have a tendency to create sizable leads against their opponents. Teams tend to throw when they are behind to make up the difference which would indicate that Oregon and Missouri are a victim of circumstance rather than fielding horrible defensive units.
Another perfect example of how SEC football is taken more seriously than the Pac-10 is Auburn's firing of Offensive Coordinator, Tony Franklin, after only 6 games. The Tigers have a 4-2 record, identical to the Ducks, but are ranked 104th overall in total offense. So let me get this right: Auburn is in the exact opposite predicament of the Ducks, but they do something about it immediately because being ranked in the 100's in any category is not acceptable by the Auburn coaching staff, university or its fans. Wow, a truly novel idea. Auburn had an 11 win season in 2006, and finished with a 9-4 record in 2007, which was also identical to the Ducks. Perhaps Oregon (cough* Mike Bellotti cough*) can learn something from Auburn in regard to moving a program forward if the defense does continue to struggle throughout the season...or at least after Saturday.
The LFL. Any idea what it is? It's single-handedly mankinds greatest achievement since the wheel or silicone implants. It may not be directly related to college football, but I found it too good not to inform all heterosexual males about. LFL stands for "Lingerie Football League"...don't worry....you DID read that correctly. Football and Lingerie wrapped into one convenient product! The teams will consist of the Los Angeles Temptation, Phoenix Scorch, Seattle Mist, San Diego Seduction, Dallas Desire, New England Euphoria, Chicago Bliss, Atlanta Steam, Miami Caliente and Tampa Breeze. The games are set to air on cable television (likely SPIKE TV), making their debut in Fall 2009. This is the true definition of "Fantasy Football."
Here's a team photo of the Los Angeles Temptation (Click to Enlarge)
And a YouTube video to further stress the "awesomeness" of the LFL:
Another perfect example of how SEC football is taken more seriously than the Pac-10 is Auburn's firing of Offensive Coordinator, Tony Franklin, after only 6 games. The Tigers have a 4-2 record, identical to the Ducks, but are ranked 104th overall in total offense. So let me get this right: Auburn is in the exact opposite predicament of the Ducks, but they do something about it immediately because being ranked in the 100's in any category is not acceptable by the Auburn coaching staff, university or its fans. Wow, a truly novel idea. Auburn had an 11 win season in 2006, and finished with a 9-4 record in 2007, which was also identical to the Ducks. Perhaps Oregon (cough* Mike Bellotti cough*) can learn something from Auburn in regard to moving a program forward if the defense does continue to struggle throughout the season...or at least after Saturday.
The LFL. Any idea what it is? It's single-handedly mankinds greatest achievement since the wheel or silicone implants. It may not be directly related to college football, but I found it too good not to inform all heterosexual males about. LFL stands for "Lingerie Football League"...don't worry....you DID read that correctly. Football and Lingerie wrapped into one convenient product! The teams will consist of the Los Angeles Temptation, Phoenix Scorch, Seattle Mist, San Diego Seduction, Dallas Desire, New England Euphoria, Chicago Bliss, Atlanta Steam, Miami Caliente and Tampa Breeze. The games are set to air on cable television (likely SPIKE TV), making their debut in Fall 2009. This is the true definition of "Fantasy Football."
Here's a team photo of the Los Angeles Temptation (Click to Enlarge)
And a YouTube video to further stress the "awesomeness" of the LFL:
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Duck Recruiting Update
I mentioned in a prior blog post about Oregon's recruitment of running backs Bryce Brown and Dasarte Yarnway for the 2009 class. There is new information regarding these two, and news that isn't so surprising in terms of Yarnway. As many had already come to expect, Yarnway committed to the California Golden Bears this afternoon after narrowing his choices to either Oregon or Cal. This doesn't surprise me in the least considering he is from the Bay area and never officially took a visit to Oregon in the first place. This may have seemed like a real bummer if it wasn't for Andre Harris, a 4-star JC running back according to Rivals, express his current interest in the Ducks and actually contacting them on his own. Unfortunately, this kid is enrolled at El Camino C.C. which recently put out highly touted recruits Simi Kuli and Justin Thompson. Kuli committed to Oregon State and Thompson to Oregon, but neither have found themselves academically eligible to enroll at their respective schools. I'm wondering if we could expect the same from Harris in terms of ACTUALLY showing up on campus if he does choose Oregon.
The newest twist in the Bryce Brown saga is Miami's addition of ANOTHER top-flite running back for this years class. That makes 3 RB's added to the list thus far, and the newest addition just may be the catalyst that has Bryce Brown seriously looking elsewhere. Lamar Miller, a 4-star recruit per Rivals/Scout and the #1 RB in the state of Florida, committed to Miami this afternoon. After browsing the Miami boards many of the posters in the "know" seem to think that he will ultimately be better than Bryce Brown in the long run. Mike James, the other 4-star running back committed to the "U," is also very talented and said he welcomes Miller to the tailback competition. Bryce Brown could start immediately at Oregon which may seem more and more appealing. Oregon's recruitment of current QB Darron Thomas was a perfect example of too much talent at one school. Last year Thomas was committed to LSU until they proceeded to load up on 4 QB's which ultimately lead to his decommitment and enrollment at Oregon. If Bryce Brown does end up at Oregon I suppose Duck fans should send a personalized "Thank You" note to Lamar Miller for pushing him in our direction. Or perhaps somebody should inform Brown that the "U" hasn't been relevant for over 5 years and that Miami is currently 2-3 in a piss poor ACC Conference. To make matters worse they don't have a QB or O-Line either. Miami's 2008 recruiting class was ranked #5 overall, but out of the 33 individuals they signed only TWO of those were offensive linemen. This year they are already ranked #15, but still only have ONE offensive line commit. Don't they know you need a plethora of solid offensive Linemen to run the rock? Who knows...maybe THAT's why they suck.
The Ducks did receive a big WR commit on Saturday that will definitely fill a need for the future. Diante Jackson, a 3-star recruit according to both Rivals/Scout, had offers from nearly every Pac-10 school (except for USC). Many of the moderators on the recruiting boards believe he will be elevated to a 4-star recruit due to his outstanding play so far this season. Jheranie Boyd, a WR on the Rivals Top 100 list and ranked #4 overall at his position, had removed Oregon from his list of schools but has recently added them back. If Oregon could get a commitment from Boyd their WR worries would significantly dissipate. Overall, Oregon's recruiting class is already shaping up to be a good one.
The newest twist in the Bryce Brown saga is Miami's addition of ANOTHER top-flite running back for this years class. That makes 3 RB's added to the list thus far, and the newest addition just may be the catalyst that has Bryce Brown seriously looking elsewhere. Lamar Miller, a 4-star recruit per Rivals/Scout and the #1 RB in the state of Florida, committed to Miami this afternoon. After browsing the Miami boards many of the posters in the "know" seem to think that he will ultimately be better than Bryce Brown in the long run. Mike James, the other 4-star running back committed to the "U," is also very talented and said he welcomes Miller to the tailback competition. Bryce Brown could start immediately at Oregon which may seem more and more appealing. Oregon's recruitment of current QB Darron Thomas was a perfect example of too much talent at one school. Last year Thomas was committed to LSU until they proceeded to load up on 4 QB's which ultimately lead to his decommitment and enrollment at Oregon. If Bryce Brown does end up at Oregon I suppose Duck fans should send a personalized "Thank You" note to Lamar Miller for pushing him in our direction. Or perhaps somebody should inform Brown that the "U" hasn't been relevant for over 5 years and that Miami is currently 2-3 in a piss poor ACC Conference. To make matters worse they don't have a QB or O-Line either. Miami's 2008 recruiting class was ranked #5 overall, but out of the 33 individuals they signed only TWO of those were offensive linemen. This year they are already ranked #15, but still only have ONE offensive line commit. Don't they know you need a plethora of solid offensive Linemen to run the rock? Who knows...maybe THAT's why they suck.
The Ducks did receive a big WR commit on Saturday that will definitely fill a need for the future. Diante Jackson, a 3-star recruit according to both Rivals/Scout, had offers from nearly every Pac-10 school (except for USC). Many of the moderators on the recruiting boards believe he will be elevated to a 4-star recruit due to his outstanding play so far this season. Jheranie Boyd, a WR on the Rivals Top 100 list and ranked #4 overall at his position, had removed Oregon from his list of schools but has recently added them back. If Oregon could get a commitment from Boyd their WR worries would significantly dissipate. Overall, Oregon's recruiting class is already shaping up to be a good one.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
USC Aftermath: A Humbling Experience
It's hard to be positive after a 44-10 beat down at the hands of the evil Trojan Empire, but things could be a lot worse. Before I get to my "glass half full" perspective I have to reiterate Oregon's need for a real Defensive Coordinator. Watching USC torch our secondary and front seven for 598 total yards was simply unacceptable. We DO have the talent on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the secondary, to avoid an offensive barrage that USC doled out yesterday. Maybe it's unfair to Nick Aliotti, or as many Oregon fans begrudgingly refer to him as "Allowalotti", having to coach within the same vicinity as Oregon St. Oregon out recruits the Beavers in every position on the field, but year-in and year-out they continually field a solid defense from the personnel they are able to recruit. I know it leaves me, along with other Duck fans, trying to grasp what the hell Oregon is doing on defense most of the time. I remember hearing the excuse that Nick needed "solid DB's" to run his defensive schemes the way he wanted to. Well Nick, you have them. Patrick Chung, Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond III are, or should I say "were," on the Thorpe award watch list given to the nation's top defensive back. If Oregon's defensive schemes don't change VERY soon I think Aliotti and Bellotti will both be feeling the heat. Oh, wait...they already are.
Now where's the positives out of all of this mess? Well, look no further than Arizona St., Washington and Washington St.
1) Washington hasn't won a football game since 2007 and looking at the remaining games on their schedule it may be a battle-royale against the Cougars for their first and final win in 2008. The next four games on their schedule include Oregon St., Notre Dame, USC and Arizona St. They will NOT win a single one of those games...especially if Jake Locker is absent. And why should Oregon fans take solace in the Huskies agony? It's a humbling reminder how fast a successful football program can take a swan dive from its ivory towers to the true helms of hell. The Ducks have the talent to breed success for years to come, and that is something all Oregon fans can take pride in.
2) Arizona St. was ranked #15 in the Preseason polls and was expected to be a true contender for the Pac-10 Title. After 6 weeks of football they possess a 2-3 record, and with USC looming next on their schedule it would appear they are headed for 2-4. They are having an extremely difficult time running the ball and they haven't been able to capitalize on the experience of senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter. This is actually one of the rare occassions where a senior quarterback in the Pac-10 doesn't appear to have his team headed for greatness (ex. Joey Harrington, Kellen Clemmens, Dennis Dixon, Jonathan Smith, Jason Gesser, Matt Leinart, Aaron Rogers...just to name a few in RECENT years). After their meeting with USC they face Oregon and Oregon St. The Ducks seem to have Rudy Carpenter's number, evidenced by 2 wins in the last two meetings, and the Devils have to line up against the Beavers in Corvallis. This is a team that could be 2-6 before they finally get their feet underneath them. Again, the Ducks could be in their shoes right now. Especially if we don't pull out that win against Purdue.
And finally, the dreadfully awful Washington St. Cougars. I'm going to start calling this team the "Dr. Phil" of the Pac-10 Conference because opposing teams always feel better about themselves after bitch slapping the hell out of them. How did this program get so bad? It was only 6 years ago that this team was ranked #7 in the nation and playing against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. Now the only win this team can notch is against Portland State!? Wow...that makes me almost feel sorry for them. Maybe recruits have finally come to the realization that Pullmam is the most boring location for a college campus on the west coast. I'm sure tractor pulls and bailing hay aren't exactly "sweet" extracurricular activities for prospective football players.
Keep in mind that in 2005 Oregon got destroyed at home against USC 13-45 and ended up with a 10-2 record. See Duck fans, there is hope after all...and things could definitely be a hell of a lot worse.
Now where's the positives out of all of this mess? Well, look no further than Arizona St., Washington and Washington St.
1) Washington hasn't won a football game since 2007 and looking at the remaining games on their schedule it may be a battle-royale against the Cougars for their first and final win in 2008. The next four games on their schedule include Oregon St., Notre Dame, USC and Arizona St. They will NOT win a single one of those games...especially if Jake Locker is absent. And why should Oregon fans take solace in the Huskies agony? It's a humbling reminder how fast a successful football program can take a swan dive from its ivory towers to the true helms of hell. The Ducks have the talent to breed success for years to come, and that is something all Oregon fans can take pride in.
2) Arizona St. was ranked #15 in the Preseason polls and was expected to be a true contender for the Pac-10 Title. After 6 weeks of football they possess a 2-3 record, and with USC looming next on their schedule it would appear they are headed for 2-4. They are having an extremely difficult time running the ball and they haven't been able to capitalize on the experience of senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter. This is actually one of the rare occassions where a senior quarterback in the Pac-10 doesn't appear to have his team headed for greatness (ex. Joey Harrington, Kellen Clemmens, Dennis Dixon, Jonathan Smith, Jason Gesser, Matt Leinart, Aaron Rogers...just to name a few in RECENT years). After their meeting with USC they face Oregon and Oregon St. The Ducks seem to have Rudy Carpenter's number, evidenced by 2 wins in the last two meetings, and the Devils have to line up against the Beavers in Corvallis. This is a team that could be 2-6 before they finally get their feet underneath them. Again, the Ducks could be in their shoes right now. Especially if we don't pull out that win against Purdue.
And finally, the dreadfully awful Washington St. Cougars. I'm going to start calling this team the "Dr. Phil" of the Pac-10 Conference because opposing teams always feel better about themselves after bitch slapping the hell out of them. How did this program get so bad? It was only 6 years ago that this team was ranked #7 in the nation and playing against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. Now the only win this team can notch is against Portland State!? Wow...that makes me almost feel sorry for them. Maybe recruits have finally come to the realization that Pullmam is the most boring location for a college campus on the west coast. I'm sure tractor pulls and bailing hay aren't exactly "sweet" extracurricular activities for prospective football players.
Keep in mind that in 2005 Oregon got destroyed at home against USC 13-45 and ended up with a 10-2 record. See Duck fans, there is hope after all...and things could definitely be a hell of a lot worse.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Mike Riley: From Hero to Zero in 7 Days
I've got to hand it to the Beavers. They have done more damage to the Pac-10 conference in 7 days than I ever thought possible. Beating #1 USC last Thusday took the lone team East Coast media respects from the Pac-10 out of National Title implications, and also made the Rose Bowl just that much tougher to achieve for the remaining teams in the conference. Then they proceed to lose to #15 Utah when the game was theirs for the taking and reaffirm to the nation that the Pac-10 is indeed the Midwestern Conferences' bitch. And who do we have to thank for all this kick-in-the-crotch fantastic good news? Our buddy Mike Riley of course!
Before last Thursday I was perfectly content with USC running the table, playing in the National Title Game and the Pac-10 runner-up casually walking into the Rose Bowl. Now, USC could still win out, not go to the Title game, take the Rose Bowl and leave the runner up with a Holiday Bowl appearance. This means a team like Oregon who is 2-0 in Pac-10 may lose to USC, then win out, but will still fall short of a Rose Bowl appearance due to the tie-breaker USC would hold over them. Coming to that conclusion is jumping WAY ahead, but after last Thursday it may be more of a reality than anything.
For a coach who scripted a masterpiece of a game plan against USC last week I'm trying to figure out what Mike Riley was thinking with the clock management against Utah. I could delve into the 2-point conversion calls in the first half of the game that were egregiously misguided or even the prevent defense the Beaver coaches ran with 2:00 left in the game that really just "prevented" them from winning. With those errors being pointed I believe the clock management on the last offensive possession was something to be ashamed of. The Beavers got the ball back with 1:29 left in regulation and punted it off nearly 20 seconds later. 3 plays in 20 seconds!
1st Play - An incomplete pass (To a TE I think)
2nd Play - Fly sweep to James Rodgers for 1 yard and out of bounds
3rd Play - An incomplete pass to Morales caught out of bounds
I can understand that the Beavers were TRYING to march down and kick a field goal to win the game, but really Mike...KICK A FIELD GOAL? Weren't you avoiding your kicker at all costs in when you decided to for two 2-point conversions instead? You expected to just march down the field, line your kicker up and have him knock one through for the game winner? Surely, you should have at least ran the ball on 2nd and 3rd downs in hopes of at least making Utah use up their final two Timeouts JUST in case you couldn't get a first down. Instead, you ran three plays that ultimately set up a win for Utah that their fan base will be talking about for years to come.
At the bottom of all this is the need for a kicker/punter on that Beaver squad. The punter last week against USC dodged numerous bullets when he'd kick them off the side of his foot and they'd take tremendous bounces 30 yards down field. His final punt yesterday went for a measley 32 yards and allowed Utah to take over at their own 45. Hell, Utah's All-American kicker was practically in field goal range at that distance. Mark it down: the beavers will lose two more games this season due to their kicking/punting. I bet they still wish they had Alexis Serna right now:
(Click Image To Enlarge)
Before last Thursday I was perfectly content with USC running the table, playing in the National Title Game and the Pac-10 runner-up casually walking into the Rose Bowl. Now, USC could still win out, not go to the Title game, take the Rose Bowl and leave the runner up with a Holiday Bowl appearance. This means a team like Oregon who is 2-0 in Pac-10 may lose to USC, then win out, but will still fall short of a Rose Bowl appearance due to the tie-breaker USC would hold over them. Coming to that conclusion is jumping WAY ahead, but after last Thursday it may be more of a reality than anything.
For a coach who scripted a masterpiece of a game plan against USC last week I'm trying to figure out what Mike Riley was thinking with the clock management against Utah. I could delve into the 2-point conversion calls in the first half of the game that were egregiously misguided or even the prevent defense the Beaver coaches ran with 2:00 left in the game that really just "prevented" them from winning. With those errors being pointed I believe the clock management on the last offensive possession was something to be ashamed of. The Beavers got the ball back with 1:29 left in regulation and punted it off nearly 20 seconds later. 3 plays in 20 seconds!
1st Play - An incomplete pass (To a TE I think)
2nd Play - Fly sweep to James Rodgers for 1 yard and out of bounds
3rd Play - An incomplete pass to Morales caught out of bounds
I can understand that the Beavers were TRYING to march down and kick a field goal to win the game, but really Mike...KICK A FIELD GOAL? Weren't you avoiding your kicker at all costs in when you decided to for two 2-point conversions instead? You expected to just march down the field, line your kicker up and have him knock one through for the game winner? Surely, you should have at least ran the ball on 2nd and 3rd downs in hopes of at least making Utah use up their final two Timeouts JUST in case you couldn't get a first down. Instead, you ran three plays that ultimately set up a win for Utah that their fan base will be talking about for years to come.
At the bottom of all this is the need for a kicker/punter on that Beaver squad. The punter last week against USC dodged numerous bullets when he'd kick them off the side of his foot and they'd take tremendous bounces 30 yards down field. His final punt yesterday went for a measley 32 yards and allowed Utah to take over at their own 45. Hell, Utah's All-American kicker was practically in field goal range at that distance. Mark it down: the beavers will lose two more games this season due to their kicking/punting. I bet they still wish they had Alexis Serna right now:
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