Back to Where It All Began

For a handful of Oregon players, this trip to Arlington, Texas for the National Championship brings them full circle. Here's are two excerpts from the goducks.com article, "Return to the Title Game ..."
The Ducks can avenge a Rose Bowl loss to the Buckeyes after the 2009 season, a loss in their last national championship game appearance, to cap the 2010 season, and their loss in Arlington to open 2011. “We’re not new to anything we’re stepping into,” Malone said. “We’ve got some business to take care of.” . . . . . . .

On the current roster, 13 players made the trip to Glendale, Ariz., for Oregon’s previous national championship game experience. Of that group, 11 were among the 16 current players who were on the travel squad for the LSU game in 2011 (receiver Keanon Lowe and running back Kenny Bassett were on the BCS trip but didn’t travel to the LSU game).

2010 Natty. Oh, those socks!

“We’re just used to playing in big games,” Hill said. “Every game at Oregon is honestly a big game, because you’re always competing for something. That’s what it really prepared us for, was playing in big games and understanding the atmosphere and things like that. I’m sure this Rose Bowl prepared everybody for that, so we should be used to it and just come out and play now.”

So how does this team compare to those earlier Duck teams? Much better, I think. Those Oregon teams struggled against the bigger, cornfed meatheads of the Midwest and South. This 2014 team mastered traditionally meaty teams like Michigan State, Stanford, and Florida State.

Avenging those big losses of the past in this one game would be so epic.

OREGON CLASSLESS IN ITS
INSECURE SHAME OF ITS OWN NAME
The city of Oregon, Ohio, that is. Did you hear about this?
There's a city in Ohio called Oregon. That got a local resident itchy. He's not even an Ohio State fan, but he publicized his wish for Oregon's city council to change it's name on the day of the championship.

At first, the mayor refused. But then, according to this story, he compromised . . .

Oregon, Ohio, mayor changes city name to show support for Buckeyes
Jan. 5 Update:
The mayor of Oregon, Ohio, stopped short of changing the city's name to Buckeye Town but did officially amend it Monday in support of Ohio State.
Mayor Mike Seferian said the city will be known as “Oregon, Ohio Buckeyes on the Bay, City of Duck Hunters” for the next week - until Ohio State and Oregon play for the national championship Monday night.
It’s a play on the city’s motto: “Oregon on the Bay, City of Opportunity.”
The proclamation also declares this week “The Ohio State Buckeye Week” in the city.

Original Story:
At least one of the nearly 21,000 people who live in Oregon, Ohio, a suburb of Toledo, doesn’t want to be associated with their namesake on game day, so he has decided to do something about it.
For a day anyhow.
Matt Squibb started a petition on the website Change.org to have the name of the city changed until after OSU and Oregon battle on Jan. 12. He created it Jan. 2, hours after Ohio State dismantled Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, setting up the championship showdown.
“I grew up in Oregon, Ohio and love the city, but for the day of the ‘Big Game’ I am asking the city council to make a proclamation to change the name of the city for one day. Call it Buckeye Town, Ohio City, Brutusville, whatever, you get the point."
[Matt Squibb added that he also happens to own a pair of green and yellow shorts. On that day he plans to squat a dump into those shorts to show his Ohio pride.]

In a related story . . . .
Toledo, Oregon will change its name
to Eat Me, Ohio.
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Complete with a parade . . .

More later,
--KB