San Diego or El Paso? I'm glad the Ducks took the first option by clowning on the knot nibblers. Maybe it's fitting for the Beavers to land in El Paso for a bowl game because I hear the greasy burrito's near Juarez will give Reser's a run (and the runs) for their money. I feel like I've finally got my wits about me to write this blog entry after a long evening of drinking and extensive partying due to the beatdown of, as my friend coined last night, "Beaver shanty town" AKA "Beaver Nation." I don't think there really are enough words to express my overall happiness as to what it means to be a Duck fan after yesterday's victory. Yesterday's contest wasn't a matter of "I hope we win" but rather "It's necessary we win." Over the course of the last two seasons Oregon State's ego has continued to inflate itself after back to back Civil War victories. Listening to them rant about how they really should be considered the superior program in the state and that Oregon is all "flash" and no "substance" has been hard to swallow. Bryant Cornell, starting linebacker for the Beavers, had this to say about the Ducks before the game:
"Oregon gets a lot of media, but I'd hate to think my media was coming from the uniforms I was wearing," he said. "I feel like a lot of their pub is what Phil Knight is doing for them."
How I'd love to hear what Bryant would have to say now. Maybe he could explain to me why those media grubbing whores with the green helmets and yellow "O's" absolutely beat his team like they stole somethin'. 694 total yards of offense was accumulated with 385 coming on the ground. That beats the old record for total yards that the Ducks set back in September against Utah St. Yeah that's right, Utah State...the team who is arguably the worst in FBS football this year. I should also mention that the final score of 65-38 looks eerily similar to the results of an Oregon State Men's Basketball game. 65 points is also the highest total that has ever been hung on the Beavers over the course of their program's 100+ year existence, and it will be nice to know that little nugget of info. will be staring them in the faces when they open their $5 dollar programs next season.
From time to time Duck fans have questioned the coaching staff for their ability to recruit superior talent but not showcase it on the field against a team like the Beavers who pride themselves on being "blue collar." After last night's offensive assault it truly became clear that Oregon's recruiting efforts have all been worth while. Oregon was better in all facets of the game, and it was the play from highly touted players that made all the difference. Years of ending with Top 20 recruiting classes made itself evident and it was truly a sweet sight to see. Since the end of the game last night I thought about how I wanted to tackle today's blog post. I wasn't sure if I wanted to truly express my disdain for everything Beaver or if I wanted to do take a different approach. I then realized that the Oregon players shared my hate and expressed it perfectly by setting records throughout the night, and letting the play on the football field speak for itself is exactly how it should be.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
On The Eve Of The Civil War: Post #2
Well, in less than 36 hours the regular season will come to an end for the Ducks and Beavers. I will either be drinking myself into a celebratory stupor for an Oregon victory or drinking to erase all memory of an Oregon loss...hopefully it's not the latter. The main topic of concern I've had with this Oregon State team isn't their offense this year...even with "Quizz" they haven't scored at will, but rather just hang around long enough to close out games. My concern lies in their defense and what they plan to do to stop Oregon. As I've mentioned previously to close friends (so bear with me if this is repetitive) the Beavers rely heavily on a pass rush from their defensive ends Victor Butler and Slade Norris. Should Oregon be concerned with this? Yes and No. Norris and Butler are both very good players, but their skills really work against a drop back passer who they can always locate. Masoli is so mobile, maybe even too much at times, and therefore will evade them repeatedly. After watching the Beavers this year they make every attempt to bring their D-ends on a heavy pass rush, and maybe this is too simple, but it seems like Masoli would simply be able to step up in the pocket and challenge the Beaver linebackers to make a play. When the Beavers have played mobile quarterbacks this year the results are somewhat astounding:
1) Penn State: QB Darryl Clark: Had 5 rushes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Even had a long run of 24 yards...his mobility stressed the Beaver defense and made the linebackers make plays. Needless to say....they didn't.
2) Utah: Brian Johnson: Had 11 rushes for 11 yards and a long of 15. Those numbers aren't very good, but they opened the passing game where he went 17-20 for 201 and 2 TD's. If I recall, free safety and Pac-10 defensive player of the week Greg Laybourne got torched repeatedly on the final drive of that game that lead to the Beaver loss.
The closest the Beavers have come to playing a true "spread" offense this year is against Penn St. and they got absolutely dismantled. Utah runs a version of the spread as well, but their execution was lacking throughout nearly the entirety of the game and they still were able to win. My point: the spread offense limits the Beavers strengths and makes their linebackers (who aren't exceptionally quick) make plays repeatedly in space.
We've all heard that the Beavers have the 2nd best rush defense in the Pac-10, that's no lie, but like all statistics they can be skewed...this is no exception. What competition at running back have the Beavers played against this year? It's been sub-par at best...just like the Pac-10 has been. Here's a breakdown of the Beaver's opponents and their rushing ability.
1) Stanford - Toby Gerhart rushes for 140 on 19 carries while Stanford as a team rushes for 210. Stanford is currently ranked 22nd in the nation in total rushing offense.
2) Penn State - Evan Royster rushes for 141 on 17 carries while Penn State as a team rushes for 239. Penn State is ranked 15th in the nation in total rushing offense.
3) Hawaii - They rush for 50 yards as a team and are currently ranked 103rd in rushing offense.
4) USC - They only attempted 22 rushes for 86 yards since they were trailing the whole game. USC is ranked 18th in total rushing offense.
5) Utah - Attempted 36 rushes for 138 yards. Utah is ranked 43rd in total rushing offense.
6) Washington St. - Attempted 42 carries for 53 yards. Washington St. is ranked 111th in total rushing offense.
7) Washington - 28 attempts for 101 yards...even from Washington! Washington is ranked 108th in total rushing offense.
8) Arizona State - 32 carries for 78 yards. The Sun Devils are ranked 107th in total rushing offense.
9) UCLA - 27 carries for 48 yards. UCLA is ranked 116th in the nation in total rushing offense.
10) Cal - Jahvid Best rushes 15 times for 116 yards and a TD. Outside of spectacular special teams plays by the Beavers the Golden Bears very well might have won that game. Cal is ranked 51st in total rushing offense.
11) Arizona - Keola Antolin rushes 25 times for 114 yards and a TD. Arizona should have won this game if they had coaches that could think themselves out of a wet paper bag. Arizona is ranked 42nd in rushing offense.
12) Oregon - Ranked 6th in overall rushing offense...result TBD.
Nationally, Oregon State is ranked #22 against the run, but they have played some seriously pathetic opponents that are one-dimensional at best. To summarize that mountain of information up there ^^^^ here is the info. I want you to come away with:
Oregon - 38 / Oregon State - 27
1) Penn State: QB Darryl Clark: Had 5 rushes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Even had a long run of 24 yards...his mobility stressed the Beaver defense and made the linebackers make plays. Needless to say....they didn't.
2) Utah: Brian Johnson: Had 11 rushes for 11 yards and a long of 15. Those numbers aren't very good, but they opened the passing game where he went 17-20 for 201 and 2 TD's. If I recall, free safety and Pac-10 defensive player of the week Greg Laybourne got torched repeatedly on the final drive of that game that lead to the Beaver loss.
The closest the Beavers have come to playing a true "spread" offense this year is against Penn St. and they got absolutely dismantled. Utah runs a version of the spread as well, but their execution was lacking throughout nearly the entirety of the game and they still were able to win. My point: the spread offense limits the Beavers strengths and makes their linebackers (who aren't exceptionally quick) make plays repeatedly in space.
We've all heard that the Beavers have the 2nd best rush defense in the Pac-10, that's no lie, but like all statistics they can be skewed...this is no exception. What competition at running back have the Beavers played against this year? It's been sub-par at best...just like the Pac-10 has been. Here's a breakdown of the Beaver's opponents and their rushing ability.
1) Stanford - Toby Gerhart rushes for 140 on 19 carries while Stanford as a team rushes for 210. Stanford is currently ranked 22nd in the nation in total rushing offense.
2) Penn State - Evan Royster rushes for 141 on 17 carries while Penn State as a team rushes for 239. Penn State is ranked 15th in the nation in total rushing offense.
3) Hawaii - They rush for 50 yards as a team and are currently ranked 103rd in rushing offense.
4) USC - They only attempted 22 rushes for 86 yards since they were trailing the whole game. USC is ranked 18th in total rushing offense.
5) Utah - Attempted 36 rushes for 138 yards. Utah is ranked 43rd in total rushing offense.
6) Washington St. - Attempted 42 carries for 53 yards. Washington St. is ranked 111th in total rushing offense.
7) Washington - 28 attempts for 101 yards...even from Washington! Washington is ranked 108th in total rushing offense.
8) Arizona State - 32 carries for 78 yards. The Sun Devils are ranked 107th in total rushing offense.
9) UCLA - 27 carries for 48 yards. UCLA is ranked 116th in the nation in total rushing offense.
10) Cal - Jahvid Best rushes 15 times for 116 yards and a TD. Outside of spectacular special teams plays by the Beavers the Golden Bears very well might have won that game. Cal is ranked 51st in total rushing offense.
11) Arizona - Keola Antolin rushes 25 times for 114 yards and a TD. Arizona should have won this game if they had coaches that could think themselves out of a wet paper bag. Arizona is ranked 42nd in rushing offense.
12) Oregon - Ranked 6th in overall rushing offense...result TBD.
Nationally, Oregon State is ranked #22 against the run, but they have played some seriously pathetic opponents that are one-dimensional at best. To summarize that mountain of information up there ^^^^ here is the info. I want you to come away with:
- This year Oregon State is 1-2 against teams ranked Top 25 or better in total rushing offense (Penn State, Stanford and USC). Their lone victory was against USC and perhaps that was a total fluke.
- This season the Beavers have played 5 opponents that are ranked 100th or above in total rushing offense. They have won all 5...which isn't surprising. Oh, and there are only 118 division one teams...that makes it even worse.
Oregon - 38 / Oregon State - 27
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Civil War Prelude - Post #1
With the Civil War looming less than 6 days away I figured it would be pointless to deviate from this monumental match-up between the Beavers and the Ducks, therefore, I'll have 2 or 3 posts dedicated to the topic this week. I don't think there is any other team in the nation that can be defined by one singular offensive like Oregon State and their vaunted "Fly Sweep," but outside of last weekend that play has had little success in the overall tone of their season. When I say, "little success" I mean that James Rodgers hasn't consistently torched teams for 100+ yards week after week, but there is no doubt that it has been a tremendous factor in shifting defenses and creating diversions for their running game. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out what exactly Arizona was trying to accomplish by not getting in position at least once to stop James Rodgers when he ran the sweep more than 10 times last week for 110 yards and a Touchdown. You have to give the Beaver coaches credit though...they kept running it since Arizona showed no signs of truly dedicating an effort to stop it. Thankfully, I don't think we need to remind Oregon of how critical that play is to the Beavers success due to the outcome of last year's contest.
The old adage, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." seems too fitting for Nick Aliotti and the Ducks this time around against Oregon St. I can only hope that the Ducks defensive unit all watched Oregon St. chew up yards against Arizona with the "Fly Sweep" and have already made a huge mental effort to slow that down. Ultimately though, this defensive effort will fall square on the shoulders of Aliotti. Oregon fans still have the sickening feeling of watching Rob Gronkowski kill the ducks through the air time and time again 2 weeks ago, and the Ducks showed no signs of being able to stop that offensive barrage. Mike Riley made it known today that Jacquizz Rodgers is "very doubtful" to play this Saturday, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Ducks job will be any easier. I seem to recall a converted fullback with the name "Sieverson" stitched to the back of his jersey take a 70 yard touchdown run to the house against Oregon last year on the first play of the game. My point: it doesn't matter who Oregon St. has at running back...they will make plays. It is a serious blow to the Beaver offense though considering that their backups have less than 90 carries combined on the season.
Jacquizz Rodgers: 259 attempts for 1,253 yards and 11 TD's.
Jeremy Francis and Ryan McCants: 86 attempts for 367 yards and 3 TD's.
That's a huge offensive drop off, and not to mention the offensive scheme's that the Beavers were getting used to with "Quizz" on the field. Alright, now it's time to watch the Ducks put up a fight against No. 1 ranked North Carolina in the Maui Invitational. It's pretty cool to see 5 black kids on the floor all at the same time for Oregon...I don't know if that has ever happened in the history of the basketball program. Michael Dunigan has the potential to be a Pac-10 player of the year...doesn't take long to notice that. Goodnight Now!
The old adage, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." seems too fitting for Nick Aliotti and the Ducks this time around against Oregon St. I can only hope that the Ducks defensive unit all watched Oregon St. chew up yards against Arizona with the "Fly Sweep" and have already made a huge mental effort to slow that down. Ultimately though, this defensive effort will fall square on the shoulders of Aliotti. Oregon fans still have the sickening feeling of watching Rob Gronkowski kill the ducks through the air time and time again 2 weeks ago, and the Ducks showed no signs of being able to stop that offensive barrage. Mike Riley made it known today that Jacquizz Rodgers is "very doubtful" to play this Saturday, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Ducks job will be any easier. I seem to recall a converted fullback with the name "Sieverson" stitched to the back of his jersey take a 70 yard touchdown run to the house against Oregon last year on the first play of the game. My point: it doesn't matter who Oregon St. has at running back...they will make plays. It is a serious blow to the Beaver offense though considering that their backups have less than 90 carries combined on the season.
Jacquizz Rodgers: 259 attempts for 1,253 yards and 11 TD's.
Jeremy Francis and Ryan McCants: 86 attempts for 367 yards and 3 TD's.
That's a huge offensive drop off, and not to mention the offensive scheme's that the Beavers were getting used to with "Quizz" on the field. Alright, now it's time to watch the Ducks put up a fight against No. 1 ranked North Carolina in the Maui Invitational. It's pretty cool to see 5 black kids on the floor all at the same time for Oregon...I don't know if that has ever happened in the history of the basketball program. Michael Dunigan has the potential to be a Pac-10 player of the year...doesn't take long to notice that. Goodnight Now!
Monday, November 24, 2008
More On The Blog Tomorrow
Well, the Civil War game has shaped up to be one of the most important since 2000 and I will have more on that tomorrow. Unfortunately, for you avid blog readers I do have a life on a Monday night (amazing I know!) and therefore am strapped for time. Sorry! Check back tomorrow though around 7:30 PM and I should have a detailed post regarding Oregon's future bowl game and the Beavers.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Oregon St. Vs. Arizona: What To Expect
Before I contribute my prediction and pregame analysis of the Oregon St. vs Arizona game I think it's important to note that all Oregon fans should be rooting for Stanford to beat California tomorrow. As I mentioned last week, if Stanford can beat Cal then Oregon would be a Holiday Bowl lock regardless of the outcome next week against Oregon St. A loss to Stanford for Cal would have the Bears finishing with 4 conference losses and the worst Oregon can finish is with 3 conference losses hence the "lock" of the Holiday Bowl. The reason I mention this is that the result of the Cal/Stanford game will be known before the kickoff of the Beaver game, and if Cal does end up losing all Duck fans should root for Oregon St. to beat the Wildcats...yeah I know...I can't believe I typed that either. Let me bullet point this "supreme" scenario so that I don't contribute to your head exploding:
Ok, enough with the scenarios. The Wildcat/Beaver game has had me excited to sit around, watch College Football and do absolutely nothing since last weekend when I briskly walked out of the Oregon game wondering what in the hell happened in the second half. Then I realized that Arizona is a very good team and that Oregon just beat them...and Oregon St. hasn't. A lot has been made this week about Jaquizz Rodgers being the gamebreaker for the Beavers and whether the Arizona defense can stop him. What nobody has been talking about is Arizona's own midget tailback in Keola Antolin. I'm sure all Duck fans remember him considering he scored two touchdowns in last weeks game and was getting lost in translation around the goal line. I thought about sending Antolin a "thank you" card for dropping a critical pass in the game when Arizona was trying to convert on 4th and 4. If he catches that pass Oregon may have lost, but he didn't so it's a moot point. Arizona practices against a "Quizz" clone everyday in practice so why wouldn't they be able to contain him during the game? Before the season started I remember reading articles from the Oregonian that said the Beaver defense couldn't handle "Quizz" and he repeatedly tore them up in practice. I'm sure that type of info. would make Mike Stoops feel all warm and fuzzy considering Antolin has the ability to do exactly the same thing.
In last year's contest in Corvallis the Wildcat's rushed for a TOTAL of 9 yards...yeah that's right...9. Tuitama threw 3 picks in the game and Oregon State won 31-16. I think it's safe to say that Arizona's offense, and their team as a whole, has come a long way since last years meeting. Oregon State won't have the same success they did last year against Arizona's running attack and if they try to sell out to stop the run I do expect Tuitama to pick them apart through the air. Sean Canfield was the quarterback during last year's game and it appears that he may be the signal caller for tomorrow's game as well. From what I heard on the radio today Lyle Moevao didn't practice yesterday and is considered a "game time decision" due to a shoulder injury he suffered against Arizona St.
The deciding factor for the game will be whether the Beavers will be able to stop Rob Gronkowski. He is a large target and the Ducks certainly had no answer for him. Gronkowski always seemed to be the last resort for Tuitama when pressure was coming, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Beavers pick him off at least once while he tries to force a pass to him. "Quizz" will get his 32 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns simply because it's what I would expect from him at this point...he is the second coming of Jesus after all.
Here's some interesting statistics regarding Arizona being the 2.5 point favorite for tomorrow's game:
- Cal loses tomorrow and achieve 4 conference losses. Oregon fans cheer with girl school glee.
- Oregon State beats Arizona and still has the Rose Bowl in sight.
- Oregon beats Oregon State next week and again Oregon fans cheer with girl school glee.
- Oregon fans then proceed to gloat more than normal because the Ducks take the Holiday Bowl while the Beavers fall from grace to the Sun Bowl.
Ok, enough with the scenarios. The Wildcat/Beaver game has had me excited to sit around, watch College Football and do absolutely nothing since last weekend when I briskly walked out of the Oregon game wondering what in the hell happened in the second half. Then I realized that Arizona is a very good team and that Oregon just beat them...and Oregon St. hasn't. A lot has been made this week about Jaquizz Rodgers being the gamebreaker for the Beavers and whether the Arizona defense can stop him. What nobody has been talking about is Arizona's own midget tailback in Keola Antolin. I'm sure all Duck fans remember him considering he scored two touchdowns in last weeks game and was getting lost in translation around the goal line. I thought about sending Antolin a "thank you" card for dropping a critical pass in the game when Arizona was trying to convert on 4th and 4. If he catches that pass Oregon may have lost, but he didn't so it's a moot point. Arizona practices against a "Quizz" clone everyday in practice so why wouldn't they be able to contain him during the game? Before the season started I remember reading articles from the Oregonian that said the Beaver defense couldn't handle "Quizz" and he repeatedly tore them up in practice. I'm sure that type of info. would make Mike Stoops feel all warm and fuzzy considering Antolin has the ability to do exactly the same thing.
In last year's contest in Corvallis the Wildcat's rushed for a TOTAL of 9 yards...yeah that's right...9. Tuitama threw 3 picks in the game and Oregon State won 31-16. I think it's safe to say that Arizona's offense, and their team as a whole, has come a long way since last years meeting. Oregon State won't have the same success they did last year against Arizona's running attack and if they try to sell out to stop the run I do expect Tuitama to pick them apart through the air. Sean Canfield was the quarterback during last year's game and it appears that he may be the signal caller for tomorrow's game as well. From what I heard on the radio today Lyle Moevao didn't practice yesterday and is considered a "game time decision" due to a shoulder injury he suffered against Arizona St.
The deciding factor for the game will be whether the Beavers will be able to stop Rob Gronkowski. He is a large target and the Ducks certainly had no answer for him. Gronkowski always seemed to be the last resort for Tuitama when pressure was coming, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Beavers pick him off at least once while he tries to force a pass to him. "Quizz" will get his 32 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns simply because it's what I would expect from him at this point...he is the second coming of Jesus after all.
Here's some interesting statistics regarding Arizona being the 2.5 point favorite for tomorrow's game:
- The Wildcats score on average 42.2 points at home and 37.2 on the road.
- They allow an average of 30.6 points per game on the road and 14.8 at home.
- The Beavers score on average 46.6 points at home and 27.6 points on the road. This stat is a bit skewed since Oregon State had the luxury of playing Washington State at home and hanging 66 points on them. Arizona played them away.
- They allow an average of 26.2 points per game on the road and 17.4 at home.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Ducks Get Two New Commits
Oh the irony of college recruiting. After all the recruits Oregon has had during home games this season the two most recent additions to the Oregon football program never attended a single contest. Andrew Iupati, a 3-star JC defensive tackle, committed last week (this news broke Tuesday) along with his teammate Lavasier Tuinei. Both recruits are from Golden West Junior College in California and will help immediately fill voids that current seniors will be creating. Iupati is a huge recruit considering the recent mishaps Oregon has had in recruiting defensive tackles in recent years (Myles Wade, Simi Fili, Justin Thompson etc.). Iutapi is listed at 6'1" and 295 lbs. with offers from Oregon State, Tennessee, Arizona and Arizona St. All I can say is, if Mark Banker and 
Mike Stoops wanted this guy on their defensive lines that says enough for me. I think Tuinei has the potential to be a true "diamond in the rough" recruit for the Ducks. Listed as a 6'6" wide receiver who weighs 195 lbs. and can run a 4.5 -40...who wouldn't want this kid? I'm wondering if his recruitment was a complete accident before Duck recruiters actually saw the kid play. Here's what I think occurred: Oregon went to scope out Iupati since defensive line will be a major concern for next year and they just happened to stumble upon Tuinei as well. After doing some research it seems that Tuinei's family ended up moving during his junior year of high school which limited his high school exposure. As a freshman for Golden West he has 41 receptions for 680 yards and 3 TD's....16.6 yards per reception isn't bad at all.
Oregon will be young at wideout next year, but they have the potential to have some of the biggest receivers in the Pac-10. I'd suspect that Drew Davis, Jamere Holland and Jeff Maehl will be the starters next year, but once you mix in Ellis Krout, Garret Embry, Dion Jordan, Blake Cantu and Lavasier Tuinei it seems that Oregon's wideout worries recede a bit.
Here's a dream WR lineup for Masoli next year:
1) Ellis Krout - 6'4" and 190 lbs.
2) Dion Jordan - 6'6" and 215 lbs.
3) Lavasier Tuinei - 6'6 and 195 lbs.
I'm not sure Oregon has ever had two wide receivers on the field at the same time that were over 6'4"...let alone 6'6". Needless to say, Tuinei has me excited for Oregon at wideout next year.
There has been all kinds of chatter regarding Bryce Brown on Duck and Miami Hurricane message boards this last week regarding his recruitment and where he might end up. In a recent interview with ESPN Bryce Brown said Oregon had the "edge" over Miami at the current moment. Here's the question that was asked:
Interviewer: If you were to go somewhere other than Miami, where would it be?
Bryce: “It is safe to say that Oregon has got the edge by a little bit, but my decision is going to be a spiritual decision.”
After the Terrelle Pryor saga last year I'm trying to keep myself quietly optimistic that Brown may end up as a Duck, but after looking at the interviewers question more closely I'm not sure what to make of it. The question asked if he were to go somewhere OTHER than Miami not "do you favor Oregon over Miami?" Basically, it would seem Oregon has the "edge" over Missouri....not Miami like Duck fans would like to think. Ducksportsauthority.com has an article on the front page of their website titled "Brown loved Oregon visit" so who knows what Oregon can expect from him at this point. This is a biased remark, but why would he select Miami over Oregon? They currently have 3 top flight RB's committed including Brown and Miami hasn't put a successful running back into the NFL since Frank Gore...who is already in his 4th season with 49ers. Willis McGahee and Clinton Portis have both been in the league for well over 5 seasons, and it would seem that Oregon has become more of a "Running Back U" than Miami in recent years (Reuben Droughs, Maurice Morris, Onterrio Smith, Terrence Whitehead, Jonathan Stewart and throw in Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount for the future...hell even Chris Vincent made it as an RB in the NFL for awhile!). Ultimately, Miami has been irrelevant in a pathetic ACC conference for the past 5 seasons.
Here are a couple signs held up by fans during College Gameday appearances...the first one owns all!
Mike Stoops wanted this guy on their defensive lines that says enough for me. I think Tuinei has the potential to be a true "diamond in the rough" recruit for the Ducks. Listed as a 6'6" wide receiver who weighs 195 lbs. and can run a 4.5 -40...who wouldn't want this kid? I'm wondering if his recruitment was a complete accident before Duck recruiters actually saw the kid play. Here's what I think occurred: Oregon went to scope out Iupati since defensive line will be a major concern for next year and they just happened to stumble upon Tuinei as well. After doing some research it seems that Tuinei's family ended up moving during his junior year of high school which limited his high school exposure. As a freshman for Golden West he has 41 receptions for 680 yards and 3 TD's....16.6 yards per reception isn't bad at all.Oregon will be young at wideout next year, but they have the potential to have some of the biggest receivers in the Pac-10. I'd suspect that Drew Davis, Jamere Holland and Jeff Maehl will be the starters next year, but once you mix in Ellis Krout, Garret Embry, Dion Jordan, Blake Cantu and Lavasier Tuinei it seems that Oregon's wideout worries recede a bit.
Here's a dream WR lineup for Masoli next year:
1) Ellis Krout - 6'4" and 190 lbs.
2) Dion Jordan - 6'6" and 215 lbs.
3) Lavasier Tuinei - 6'6 and 195 lbs.
I'm not sure Oregon has ever had two wide receivers on the field at the same time that were over 6'4"...let alone 6'6". Needless to say, Tuinei has me excited for Oregon at wideout next year.
There has been all kinds of chatter regarding Bryce Brown on Duck and Miami Hurricane message boards this last week regarding his recruitment and where he might end up. In a recent interview with ESPN Bryce Brown said Oregon had the "edge" over Miami at the current moment. Here's the question that was asked:
Interviewer: If you were to go somewhere other than Miami, where would it be?
Bryce: “It is safe to say that Oregon has got the edge by a little bit, but my decision is going to be a spiritual decision.”
After the Terrelle Pryor saga last year I'm trying to keep myself quietly optimistic that Brown may end up as a Duck, but after looking at the interviewers question more closely I'm not sure what to make of it. The question asked if he were to go somewhere OTHER than Miami not "do you favor Oregon over Miami?" Basically, it would seem Oregon has the "edge" over Missouri....not Miami like Duck fans would like to think. Ducksportsauthority.com has an article on the front page of their website titled "Brown loved Oregon visit" so who knows what Oregon can expect from him at this point. This is a biased remark, but why would he select Miami over Oregon? They currently have 3 top flight RB's committed including Brown and Miami hasn't put a successful running back into the NFL since Frank Gore...who is already in his 4th season with 49ers. Willis McGahee and Clinton Portis have both been in the league for well over 5 seasons, and it would seem that Oregon has become more of a "Running Back U" than Miami in recent years (Reuben Droughs, Maurice Morris, Onterrio Smith, Terrence Whitehead, Jonathan Stewart and throw in Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount for the future...hell even Chris Vincent made it as an RB in the NFL for awhile!). Ultimately, Miami has been irrelevant in a pathetic ACC conference for the past 5 seasons.
Here are a couple signs held up by fans during College Gameday appearances...the first one owns all!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Oregon Ranked 22 & 24 in USA Today and AP
The notorious November fade that has been synonymous with Oregon football the last few seasons has finally vanished...at least for the 2008 season. Wins over a formidable Stanford squad and a offensively dangerous Arizona team have put the Ducks back in the Top 25 right before a bye week. Before the season started I slated the Ducks for a 9-3 regular season record with losses to Arizona St., Cal and USC. With a win over Oregon St. the Ducks would achieve that 9-3 record and would most likely clinch a birth in the Holiday Bowl. Here's the updated Pac-10 standings after yesterdays games.
USC, Oregon State and Oregon have sizable leads over Arizona and Cal at this point in the conference standings so I'll break down some scenarios of what we can expect for the Ducks.
1) Oregon State goes down to Arizona next week, beats the Wildcats and then proceeds to beat Oregon the following week. USC would go to another BCS game that doesn't have "Rose" in the title while Oregon State would be playing against Penn St. in Pasadena. California would have to win out against Stanford and Washington to be 6-4 and take the Holiday Bowl away from the Ducks since they hold the tie-breaker over Oregon, but do they really beat Stanford? That will be a game to watch next week.
2) Oregon State goes down to Arizona but loses, and then beats Oregon in the Civil War. USC takes the Rose Bowl while Oregon St. takes the Holiday Bowl. Oregon wouldn't be able to play in the Sun Bowl again since there is a "no repeat" clause which would keep them out. That leaves either a trip to San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl or to Las Vegas. Likely opponents for Oregon would be TCU in the Vegas Bowl and Georgia Tech in the Emerald.
3) Oregon State loses to the Wildcats next saturday and then loses to Oregon the following week (they inherit the November fade). USC takes the Rose Bowl while Oregon is a Holiday Bowl lock. This is the scenario I would most like to see.
Amazingly enough, there are two scenarios that have Oregon winding up in the Holiday Bowl, but they are predicated on Cal losing to Stanford (which could easily happen) and Oregon State winning out. Ultimately, Oregon controls its own destiny to play in the Holiday Bowl which is kind of refreshing...especially since nobody is talking about that yet. CBS Sportsline has Oregon slated for the Las Vegas Bowl against TCU which would be a pretty interesting game, but the Las Vegas Bowl is for the Pac-10 team ranked #5 in the final standings and Oregon can't finish any better than 4th at this point so I'm not quite sure how they came up with that.
Oregon did a great job of pissing of the Wildcats yesterday so I'm sure they will be more than eager to beat the Beavers next Saturday in the desert. Arizona has had a knack in recent years for beating ranked opponents that had high hopes of post season play, and I'm sure the crowd will be riled up to bring down the Beavers. I know Beaver fans want nothing more than to get national recognition in the Top 25, but I believe this is one of those times that their ranking will actually work against them. Arizona will be playing extra hard just to knock off a ranked opponent at home and to add Oregon St. as another statistic to their resume.
*Notice that I didn't mention Arizona in the above scenarios simply because Oregon holds the tie-breaker over them after yesterdays win. Arizona could beat both Oregon State and Arizona St. to finish the year, but still settle for a lower bowl game even if Oregon ends up 6-3 in Pac-10 play.*
Sadly enough, CBS Sportsline has Miami playing Pittsburgh in the Orange Bowl on January 1st. How in the hell are those two teams even worthy of playing in a BCS game?! The ACC champion is an Orange Bowl lock and it would seem that Miami is primed to take the crown considering the ACC is horrid. The Orange Bowl gets the last pick in the BCS bowl selection process and will end up with either an undefeated non BCS sqaud or the Big East champion. Whoopity doo for that bowl game...what a joke.
Here's a funny video I found while searching "College Gameday" on YouTube...it's of Lee Corso dropping an "F" Bomb. Check it out:
| TEAM | CONF. W-L | OVERALL W-L |
| -USC | 7-1 | 9-1 |
| -Oregon State | 6-1 | 7-3 |
| -Oregon | 6-2 | 8-3 |
| -Arizona | 4-3 | 6-4 |
| -California | 4-3 | 6-4 |
| Stanford | 4-4 | 5-6 |
| UCLA | 3-4 | 4-6 |
| Arizona State | 3-4 | 4-6 |
| x-Washington | 0-7 | 0-10 |
| x-Washington State | 0-8 | 1-10 |
USC, Oregon State and Oregon have sizable leads over Arizona and Cal at this point in the conference standings so I'll break down some scenarios of what we can expect for the Ducks.
1) Oregon State goes down to Arizona next week, beats the Wildcats and then proceeds to beat Oregon the following week. USC would go to another BCS game that doesn't have "Rose" in the title while Oregon State would be playing against Penn St. in Pasadena. California would have to win out against Stanford and Washington to be 6-4 and take the Holiday Bowl away from the Ducks since they hold the tie-breaker over Oregon, but do they really beat Stanford? That will be a game to watch next week.
2) Oregon State goes down to Arizona but loses, and then beats Oregon in the Civil War. USC takes the Rose Bowl while Oregon St. takes the Holiday Bowl. Oregon wouldn't be able to play in the Sun Bowl again since there is a "no repeat" clause which would keep them out. That leaves either a trip to San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl or to Las Vegas. Likely opponents for Oregon would be TCU in the Vegas Bowl and Georgia Tech in the Emerald.
3) Oregon State loses to the Wildcats next saturday and then loses to Oregon the following week (they inherit the November fade). USC takes the Rose Bowl while Oregon is a Holiday Bowl lock. This is the scenario I would most like to see.
Amazingly enough, there are two scenarios that have Oregon winding up in the Holiday Bowl, but they are predicated on Cal losing to Stanford (which could easily happen) and Oregon State winning out. Ultimately, Oregon controls its own destiny to play in the Holiday Bowl which is kind of refreshing...especially since nobody is talking about that yet. CBS Sportsline has Oregon slated for the Las Vegas Bowl against TCU which would be a pretty interesting game, but the Las Vegas Bowl is for the Pac-10 team ranked #5 in the final standings and Oregon can't finish any better than 4th at this point so I'm not quite sure how they came up with that.
Oregon did a great job of pissing of the Wildcats yesterday so I'm sure they will be more than eager to beat the Beavers next Saturday in the desert. Arizona has had a knack in recent years for beating ranked opponents that had high hopes of post season play, and I'm sure the crowd will be riled up to bring down the Beavers. I know Beaver fans want nothing more than to get national recognition in the Top 25, but I believe this is one of those times that their ranking will actually work against them. Arizona will be playing extra hard just to knock off a ranked opponent at home and to add Oregon St. as another statistic to their resume.
*Notice that I didn't mention Arizona in the above scenarios simply because Oregon holds the tie-breaker over them after yesterdays win. Arizona could beat both Oregon State and Arizona St. to finish the year, but still settle for a lower bowl game even if Oregon ends up 6-3 in Pac-10 play.*
Sadly enough, CBS Sportsline has Miami playing Pittsburgh in the Orange Bowl on January 1st. How in the hell are those two teams even worthy of playing in a BCS game?! The ACC champion is an Orange Bowl lock and it would seem that Miami is primed to take the crown considering the ACC is horrid. The Orange Bowl gets the last pick in the BCS bowl selection process and will end up with either an undefeated non BCS sqaud or the Big East champion. Whoopity doo for that bowl game...what a joke.
Here's a funny video I found while searching "College Gameday" on YouTube...it's of Lee Corso dropping an "F" Bomb. Check it out:
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Attention Pac-10: Be Scared Of The Holiday Bowl
Congratulations Oregon. You officially saved your football season yesterday in one of the rainiest contests I've attended in a long time. 7-3 sounds a lot better than 6-4, and with Arizona and Oregon St. lurking just around the corner a win in November was more than needed. I think I'm still having a hard time digesting the fact that Oregon won the game with six seconds left and that's after turning the ball over 4 times. There's no doubt that Jeremiah Masoli is a work in progress, but after this 25 yard run with 1:20 left in the game I don't think there's any doubting why he's playing instead of Roper. When he was forced to throw he did just that, and going 11/21 for 144 yards and a TD is a much needed boost for the team and his confidence. I get annoyed when people say he "can't" throw, but I think it's along the lines of "does he really HAVE to throw?" Stanford couldn't stop Oregon's running attack yesterday, and it seems like half the time when Oregon does throw the ball the wide receivers don't catch it anyways. Masoli only needed to throw on occasion, but when Blount and Johnson combine for 225 yards on the ground passing the ball needed to be an afterthought anyways. If Duck fan didn't notice yesterday, it did rain for about 85% of the game and those conditions aren't exaclty condusive to airing the ball out. Another positive point is that Masoli did gain more yards through the air than Tavita Pritchard too (He went 15/22 for 138 yards and score). And more importantly, the Ducks beat a Stanford team that was 5-4 yesterday...they finally notch a win against a team that HAD a winning record.
So what does this game mean for postseason play? Here's how the top half of the Pac-10 standings shape up:
1) USC - 6-1
2) Oregon State - 5-1
3) Oregon - 5-2
4) Arizona - 4-2
5) California 4-2
Oregon State and California face off this next weekend in a game that has Rose Bowl implications for the Beavers and Holiday Bowl hopes for the Bears. USC is hoping that Oregon St. wins out so they can play in a BCS Bowl other than the Rose, but ultimately I think USC will end up facing off against the Nittany Lions in Pasadena. Oregon State gets to face off against the upper echelon of the Pac-10 now, and I don't think they can beat Cal, Arizona and Oregon all in a row. The last month has been good to the Beavers considering they've won 4 games in a row, but those games have come against teams that are a combined 7 and 30. That wasn't a typo...7 AND 30! Oregon, Arizona and Cal are a combined 19-9...that's much stiffer competition for a birth in the Rose Bowl, and if the Beavers can make it through unscathed they may deserve to play in the game...but who really wants to watch a rematch of Penn St. vs Oregon State? You know the BCS committee doesn't want to see that considering the first outcome. USC vs Penn St. is a much more attractive offering, and I won't be surprised if that's the matchup we ultimately see.
So that leaves Cal, Arizona, Oregon and Oregon St. duking it out for the Holiday Bowl. With the way the Ducks are playing this year I think it would be in their best interest to defer that game due to the opponent that they would face. Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma are all in the Big 12 South, and if Texas Tech beats Oklahoma on the 22nd (Tech won last years meeting and they have a bye week to prepare) they will probably beat Missouri in the Big 12 title game and play for the national title. That leaves either Oklahoma or Texas to play for the Holiday Bowl. Texas is easily a #1 team and Oklahoma isn't far behind. I think the Holiday Bowl opponent is exponentially more difficult than that of the Rose Bowl, and I think it's safe to say that the Pac-10 runner up would likely get beaten handily. The Sun Bowl and Emerald Bowl opponents are much more favorable, and if Oregon wins out and plays in the Holiday Bowl I won't be complaining...but I can't say that I will be expecting a victory.
RECRUITING NEWS: It's too early to say whether Oregon has received any commitments from this weekends highly touted recruits, and Bryce Brown attended the basketball game this afternoon so his visit hasn't even ended yet. I'm sure I'll hear more later in the week. Unfortunately, it seems Oregon may be losing another recruit. Four star wide receiver, Diante Jackson, may be switching his commitment. Per a Rivals interview he says:
"Looking back, I feel like I kind of made my decision too early. I have to call [Oregon head] coach Mike Bellotti and their coaches and let them know how I feel about stuff." Some Rivals insiders are saying that his decision to decommit may be based on being closer to his friends rather than Oregon becoming a more run oriented team. Oregon's emphasis on running is more predicated on the quarterback situation anyway, and if he was to change his commitment based on what he's seen the last month I'm not sure it's in the best interest that he's a Duck. With the way kids change their minds all the time I can't say that I'm not surprised, and hopefully Oregon can find a kid that is 100% committed to the program. Garret Embry, Blake Cantu, Chris Harper, Dion Jordan, Drew Davis and even Jamere Holland will fill voids in the future...I'm not worried...yet.
So what does this game mean for postseason play? Here's how the top half of the Pac-10 standings shape up:
1) USC - 6-1
2) Oregon State - 5-1
3) Oregon - 5-2
4) Arizona - 4-2
5) California 4-2
Oregon State and California face off this next weekend in a game that has Rose Bowl implications for the Beavers and Holiday Bowl hopes for the Bears. USC is hoping that Oregon St. wins out so they can play in a BCS Bowl other than the Rose, but ultimately I think USC will end up facing off against the Nittany Lions in Pasadena. Oregon State gets to face off against the upper echelon of the Pac-10 now, and I don't think they can beat Cal, Arizona and Oregon all in a row. The last month has been good to the Beavers considering they've won 4 games in a row, but those games have come against teams that are a combined 7 and 30. That wasn't a typo...7 AND 30! Oregon, Arizona and Cal are a combined 19-9...that's much stiffer competition for a birth in the Rose Bowl, and if the Beavers can make it through unscathed they may deserve to play in the game...but who really wants to watch a rematch of Penn St. vs Oregon State? You know the BCS committee doesn't want to see that considering the first outcome. USC vs Penn St. is a much more attractive offering, and I won't be surprised if that's the matchup we ultimately see.
So that leaves Cal, Arizona, Oregon and Oregon St. duking it out for the Holiday Bowl. With the way the Ducks are playing this year I think it would be in their best interest to defer that game due to the opponent that they would face. Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma are all in the Big 12 South, and if Texas Tech beats Oklahoma on the 22nd (Tech won last years meeting and they have a bye week to prepare) they will probably beat Missouri in the Big 12 title game and play for the national title. That leaves either Oklahoma or Texas to play for the Holiday Bowl. Texas is easily a #1 team and Oklahoma isn't far behind. I think the Holiday Bowl opponent is exponentially more difficult than that of the Rose Bowl, and I think it's safe to say that the Pac-10 runner up would likely get beaten handily. The Sun Bowl and Emerald Bowl opponents are much more favorable, and if Oregon wins out and plays in the Holiday Bowl I won't be complaining...but I can't say that I will be expecting a victory.
RECRUITING NEWS: It's too early to say whether Oregon has received any commitments from this weekends highly touted recruits, and Bryce Brown attended the basketball game this afternoon so his visit hasn't even ended yet. I'm sure I'll hear more later in the week. Unfortunately, it seems Oregon may be losing another recruit. Four star wide receiver, Diante Jackson, may be switching his commitment. Per a Rivals interview he says:
"Looking back, I feel like I kind of made my decision too early. I have to call [Oregon head] coach Mike Bellotti and their coaches and let them know how I feel about stuff." Some Rivals insiders are saying that his decision to decommit may be based on being closer to his friends rather than Oregon becoming a more run oriented team. Oregon's emphasis on running is more predicated on the quarterback situation anyway, and if he was to change his commitment based on what he's seen the last month I'm not sure it's in the best interest that he's a Duck. With the way kids change their minds all the time I can't say that I'm not surprised, and hopefully Oregon can find a kid that is 100% committed to the program. Garret Embry, Blake Cantu, Chris Harper, Dion Jordan, Drew Davis and even Jamere Holland will fill voids in the future...I'm not worried...yet.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Delusional World of BCS Football
Well, I think I'm ready to address the Cal game now. I have to wonder what the outcome would have been like if the "field" wasn't a lake by half time, but even with the weather conditions Oregon had numerous opportunities to make a move and potentially win the game. Instead of reliving those moments, which I'm sure we can all pinpoint precisely in our minds, I'll just say this: The defense played with authority. T.J. Ward, Nick Reed and Patrick Chung were hitting people...and hitting them hard. I still have a hard time stomaching the repeated 3rd and long attempts that the defense gives up, but when the defense is hitting people it makes it a little easier to swallow. Is it time to throw Roper back out there and abandon Masoli? I'm not really sure. Our wide receivers have a hard time catching a dry football...let alone a wet one...and he did play great against Arizona St. I think he has this weekend against Stanford to make his case that he deserves to remain the starter. And how bad is Jaison Williams? I think J-Will made it apparent that he is officially the most overrated Oregon Duck in the history of the program considering he receives so much press about his size, speed etc. and then proceeds to repeatedly suck week-in and week-out. Drew Davis should be starting in his place the rest of the season. Davis is large, physical and catches everything thrown his way....maybe Wide Receivers coach Robin Pflugrad just has a hard time benching a guy that is 6'5", runs a 4.4 forty and looks like Randy Moss streaking down the field? Too bad looks aren't everything.
With Texas Tech knocking off the Longhorns in one of the greatest endings to a college football game I've ever seen it would appear that the BCS has a lot more shaking up to be done. Here's a link to the newest BCS standings for reference.
1) Alabama
2) Texas Tech
3) Penn St.
4) Texas
5) Florida
6) Oklahoma
7) USC
8) Utah
9) Oklahoma St.
10) Boise St.
I'm sure all Nittany Lions fans are bent out of shape that they got leap frogged by Texas Tech, but after watching the Red Raiders play a superb game AND BEAT #1 TEXAS it only seems relevant that they take over the #2 spot behind the undefeated Crimson Tide. Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, I don't think they will stay atop their lofty perch for the rest of the season...especially since they have to play Oklahoma in Norman and go through the rigors of the Big 12. Amazingly enough, the Sooners may be sitting atop the BCS standings by the end of the season if they continue to win and beat Texas Tech. After seeing the way Florida absolutely $hit canned the Georgia Bulldogs you have to wonder how they will fit into the BCS picture. Outside of Alabama I'm not sure there's another SEC team that holds a candle to them. They are only 1 point away from being the #1 team in the country, and I firmly believe that the Gators will be making up one half the National Championship. So who makes up the other half? I think that either Oklahoma or Texas will fill that void. If either team wins out I think the BCS computers will rank them ahead of an undefeated Penn St. team who comes from one of the weakest conferences in all of college football. I hear media pundits repeatedly talk about how weak the Big 10 is, but then they want to see Penn St. in the big dance either because 1) they'd like to see Joe Pa on the sidelines or 2) they have amensia and have forgotten that the Big 10 has been in the title game the past two years and has been pimp smacked in both appearances. In my opinion, a one loss SEC or Big 12 team is a better representative to play for the national title than Penn St. ever would be. The simple fact that Texas had to play FOUR Top-10 opponents all in consecutive weeks speaks volumes about the Big 12, and the SEC Title Game between Alabama and Florida should determine which of those teams plays for the National Title.
My Utopian Prediction: Florida vs. Texas in the National Championship
In a perfect world I think that would be the best matchup, and who knows maybe it will happen. The BCS computers don't take into account the media love affair with Joe Paterno, and they do weigh heavily on strength of schedule.
Here's my actual prediction: Florida vs Penn St. in which Florida proceeds to own the Lions 44 to 10.
Mark it down. As my dad says, "Bet the wife, house and kids."
With Texas Tech knocking off the Longhorns in one of the greatest endings to a college football game I've ever seen it would appear that the BCS has a lot more shaking up to be done. Here's a link to the newest BCS standings for reference.
1) Alabama
2) Texas Tech
3) Penn St.
4) Texas
5) Florida
6) Oklahoma
7) USC
8) Utah
9) Oklahoma St.
10) Boise St.
I'm sure all Nittany Lions fans are bent out of shape that they got leap frogged by Texas Tech, but after watching the Red Raiders play a superb game AND BEAT #1 TEXAS it only seems relevant that they take over the #2 spot behind the undefeated Crimson Tide. Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, I don't think they will stay atop their lofty perch for the rest of the season...especially since they have to play Oklahoma in Norman and go through the rigors of the Big 12. Amazingly enough, the Sooners may be sitting atop the BCS standings by the end of the season if they continue to win and beat Texas Tech. After seeing the way Florida absolutely $hit canned the Georgia Bulldogs you have to wonder how they will fit into the BCS picture. Outside of Alabama I'm not sure there's another SEC team that holds a candle to them. They are only 1 point away from being the #1 team in the country, and I firmly believe that the Gators will be making up one half the National Championship. So who makes up the other half? I think that either Oklahoma or Texas will fill that void. If either team wins out I think the BCS computers will rank them ahead of an undefeated Penn St. team who comes from one of the weakest conferences in all of college football. I hear media pundits repeatedly talk about how weak the Big 10 is, but then they want to see Penn St. in the big dance either because 1) they'd like to see Joe Pa on the sidelines or 2) they have amensia and have forgotten that the Big 10 has been in the title game the past two years and has been pimp smacked in both appearances. In my opinion, a one loss SEC or Big 12 team is a better representative to play for the national title than Penn St. ever would be. The simple fact that Texas had to play FOUR Top-10 opponents all in consecutive weeks speaks volumes about the Big 12, and the SEC Title Game between Alabama and Florida should determine which of those teams plays for the National Title.
My Utopian Prediction: Florida vs. Texas in the National Championship
In a perfect world I think that would be the best matchup, and who knows maybe it will happen. The BCS computers don't take into account the media love affair with Joe Paterno, and they do weigh heavily on strength of schedule.
Here's my actual prediction: Florida vs Penn St. in which Florida proceeds to own the Lions 44 to 10.
Mark it down. As my dad says, "Bet the wife, house and kids."
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Ugh
I'm not gonna lie...I don't have much motivation to make a blog post after yesterday's loss. By tomorrow I think my disappointment will have faded enough to make a truly thoughtful post. There will be a lot for me to talk about...especially the new BCS rankings. Ok, I'm going to go drown my sorrows over a Mirror Pond. Goodnight now!
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