Ducks To Face Their Fears on Monday

LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner (seated in front) are buddies.
They got this pic on the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland.
What did Barner do once he saw this image of LaMJ crying like a little girl?
He did what any good friend would do and immediately sent it viral.
I got this off of international gossip site, TMZ.

SIDE NOTE . . . ._____________________
You would think that with internet blogs and such, you would get a lot more quality coverage of Oregon and the Rose Bowl (I know. My blog is clear proof that that's bull.).
   But really, it's hard to pick through so much blah, blah, blah, to find some really insightful analysis.
   Here's an example. Perhaps you've heard of the blog Bleacher Report? Here is a line from one contributor's analysis of the game:

In the end, this matchup is going to come down to who racks up the most points.

Genius. And he picked Oregon!  With logic like that, who could argue?
____________________________________

Brian Bennett contributed a post to the Big Ten blog of ESPN. It spells out some trends in much of the analysis I'm seeing.
Opposite offenses could attract Rose record

By Brian Bennett

When they paint the end zones at Rose Bowl Stadium, they might want to consider a second coat. Because there's a pretty good chance Oregon and Wisconsin could end up trampling lots of colored grass under their cleats.

   On paper, at least, this matchup has the potential to surpass the record 80 combined points that Iowa and Washington put up in the 1991 Rose Bowl game. The Ducks average a little more than 46 points per game, while Wisconsin is just a hair under 45 points a contest. Each team has scored at least 50 points four times this season and has broken the 45-point barrier seven times.
   Bowl games between a pair of high-scoring teams are nothing new, of course. What sets this one apart, though, is how radically different both styles are and how difficult each may be for the other to slow down
"The great thing about this matchup is it's kind of like the direct opposites of offensive philosophy," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "Obviously, Chip [Kelly] and Oregon like to score at a very rapid rate, and we like to hold the ball and score as often as possible for the most amount of time. It's a very unique situation, and something that we're excited about."

Boil the contrast down to the essence, and you have Oregon's warp-speed spread attack versus the Badgers' Midwestern brute force. It's not nearly that simplistic, but for the purposes of the next couple of paragraphs, let's follow that narrative.
   The Ducks would like to snap the ball before the officials remove the pigskins from the equipment case, if that were possible. They try to hit you with as many plays in a short amount of time as the laws of physics allow. Oregon has 41 touchdown drives this season that have lasted two minutes or less and 13 that have taken less than a minute. Their last-place FBS ranking in time of possession is a source of pride.
   Even though the Big Ten is more familiar with 21st-century offenses than casual fans believe, nothing in its league can quite prepare Wisconsin for what's coming.
    "We've seen some spread offenses like Michigan that used to be like that," Badgers defensive end Patrick Butrym said. "But they didn't move nearly as fast. It's unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it."

Wisconsin doesn't have Phil Knight or flashy uniforms, and the team's main offensive strength -- its offensive line -- isn't exactly sexy. But the Badgers can be equally effective, as Kelly knows from watching some Big Ten games during pregame breakfast on the West Coast.
   "It just seems like it's a pinball number sometimes when you're watching Wisconsin games," Kelly said.
   And the offensive line provides the paddle. The front five is massive at an average of more than 320 pounds per man, and that doesn't include the fullback and tight ends that offensive coordinator Paul Chryst often employs to bludgeon people with the ground game. Wisconsin averages nearly seven minutes of possession per game more than Oregon and has had 11 scoring drives of five minutes or more this season.

   But it's not just size that overwhelms opponents. The Badgers' big uglies are shockingly athletic, and defenses often aren't ready for that until a guard pulls and plows open a gaping hole for star running back Montee Ball. Just as teams can't adequately simulate Oregon's speed, they can't exactly find scout-teamers who can duplicate Wisconsin. Kelly said that while the Ducks have faced beefy, pro-style attacks from Stanford and USC, those Pac-12 teams don't also have a high-caliber back such as Ball.

Big Ugly Badgers

   "People know what we're going to do, but a lot of teams don't see our style of offense very often," left tackle Josh Oglesby said. "That's an advantage that allows us to really go after guys early and confuse them with some sets. We've got power and we really move. The way we do it, you don't see too often."

The offensive philosophies aren't complete opposites. If Oregon were merely a finesse team, it wouldn't be averaging a nation's best 6.5 yards per carry. LaMichael James may be a smaller back at 5-foot-9, but he's no fun to bring down. Wisconsin doesn't just plod away; with the dynamic Russell Wilson at quarterback, it has a dangerous play-action passing game that can occasionally quack like a Duck.

   "When you look at our offense, it's unconventional in its own way," Wisconsin defensive coordinator Chris Ash said. "We've got some quick-strike ability with our quarterback and Montee Ball. We can score from anywhere on the field, also; it's just in a different way."
  
Projected high-scoring games often disappoint. Just look at last season's BCS games involving these two teams. According to statistics, the Oregon-Auburn BCS title game and the Wisconsin-TCU Rose Bowl matchup should each have been played in the 40-point range. The combined point total for both games: 81.
   Something about this feels different, though, probably because the contrasting styles could give each side fits. Better apply that second coat of paint in the end zones just in case.

I think he's right about this being a high scoring game. The major difference between Wisconsin and Oregon's three games with Ohio State, Auburn and LSU are the latter teams' defenses. Those three teams each had NFL-ready D-linemen. While Wisconsin is good, it's not that good.

Also, I will be interested to see when one of Oregon's ball carrying speedsters breaks into the open and starts running to the endzone. It was a shocker when that happened against the other three teams. They had the personnel to catch up to our guys and bring them down from behind time and time again.

Does Wisconsin have the men to do that? When I hear one prognosticator after another say Oregon is going to win (I swear, the ratio is like 4 out of 5 favoring the Ducks), that is what they tend to point to. Speed.

Oregon can score a lot of points on Wisconsin.

But Wisconsin is easily the most prolific offense in the Big 10. If Andrew Luck had Wisconsin's offensive line and star running back, they might be going to the national championship.

USC showed that when the QB and receivers can have a great day, they can beat Oregon. Wisconsin's Russel Wilson had great days with his receivers all season long. And then they have Heisman candidate running back Montee Ball.

Wisconsin can score a lot of points on Oregon.

So if high-scoring is the kind of game it's going to be, who does that favor?  Again, this is why everyone is pointing to Oregon. Even if the Badgers and Ducks are trading TD's, who has the better shot at scoring with less than 2 minutes on the clock? In addition, as the game moves on and Oregon can establish pace, can Wisconsin keep up?

Another way of looking at this: Compared to the other three big games, this could be the first time when Oregon doesn't have to worry so much about adjusting to the other team and just focus on being themselves. This being their third consecutive BCS game, Oregon can feel at home against a quality opponent rather than on another planet against freaks like Terrell Pryor, Cam Newton or Nick Fairley.

When Wisconsin scores, the Ducks need to smile and say, "This is fun. Now give us the ball."
Oregon can challenge high scoring Wisconsin to beat them at their own game. They can help tired Badgers up onto their feet again to get ready for the next play. They can ignore the scoreboard and just play.

They can be fearless.

And no one is more eager to do that than this guy:

Space Mountain? Maybe.
But Badgers? He don't fear no stinkin' Badgers.

Rose Bowl: Monday January 2nd, 2pm Pacific on ESPN.

May this be the year.

--KB

The Most Awesome Uniforms EVER!

My question is, will they actually get to wear those wings in the game? Are the wings like swords to stab would-be tacklers? Can they fly?

Luke, I am your father.

 

These uni's look like they're about $1 million per copy. They're like Oregon't finest china. Do we really want to smash-bang with the Badgers and scratch that gloss finish on the helmets?

With wings on the sides, they slid the 'O' to the back of the helmet.

 

As for those Badgers, they're supplier -- Adidas -- is unveiling a new Rose Bowl uniform for Wisconsin. And if you go to this website: http://wisconsinrose.com/ , you'll see a countdown clock to when the BIG REVEAL of these fancy uni's will be. It's scheduled for about two days, TOO LATE!

 

For one thing, an online jersey shop is apparently already selling them, and I've got the pics right here.

Adidas' and Wisconsin's weak attempt
to keep up with Oregon and Nike.



Notice the lovely rose petaling in the numbers.



 Secondly, in comparison to Nike's unveiling, timing, and overall look, Adidas is already knocked out of the ballpark.

 

 

 

 
This link to goducks.com tells the story.

http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205352242



BADger

Recently I was at one of those classic old movie theaters. They try to do things a little different to distinguish themselves from the main line theaters.

For instance they still use those old style square red and white popcorn boxes; not the big round horse buckets you get today.

Another cool thing they offer are genuine s'mores! Hot whipped marshmallow with chocolate bits stirred in and sandwiched between two graham crackers.

I ordered one of each along with a coke. It was tricky to get it all into the theater. I carefully balanced the s'more on top of the striped popcorn box. When I held it up, it looked a little like this.

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Mouth watering s'more on top of a box of popcorn.

You know, it's perfectly understandable for people to make fun of our Duck, It's a DUCK!  All Duck and Beaver fans have occasionally found themselves envying teams with a cougar, a wolverine or a badger. With a ferocious animal, your mascot design is off to a great start.

How does this . . .



. . . become this?

At least it should be. So where did Wisconsin go wrong with "Bucky"? At some point they apparently decided to go more cute than mean. What they ended up with was weird. The candy striped shirt gives me a headache. The beady eyes set in the malshapen head must confuse children.

"Daddy, is Bucky happy or sad? Did he get hit by a car?"

The face is made of discount fleece you can buy at JoAnn's Fabrics. It's cheeks swell out beyond it's ear-like protrusions like it had an allergic reaction to a rabies shot. You can fold laundry across the top of it's head.

Bucky is Buttugly.

And while having a badger for a mascot is cool, imagine doing the following with one . . . .



What? You were hoping for critical football X's and O's?
Wisconsin is big. Oregon is fast. Discuss.

More of that stuff later,
--KB

Throwing out the HIP

A seven-year old who knows me pretty well asked me if Santa brought me just one present this Christmas, what would it be.

I thought about the usual politically correct answers like world peace and ending hunger. But I knew he was looking for a real answer. I told him what I really wanted. 

"A Rose Bowl win for the Ducks," I said. He smiled and nodded.

This is the third time in as many years that we in Oregon can walk into most any store and find Duck shirts showing off the BCS Bowl game they are ATTENDING, PARTICIPATING in. It's that Certificate of Attendance that you get when that was about all you accomplished.

One of the latest Rose Bowl shirts. This reminds me of what happens
 when I mess with the margins and tabs too much in MS Word.

Last year, shirts and hats everywhere told the story that Oregon was in the National Championship. And after Auburn won, that same Natty gear was marked down half price. You could still own something saying the Ducks participated in the National Championship.

I remember staring at those shirts thinking that right now, an Auburn fan is in Louisiana looking at a shirt that reads 'National Champions'.  Ours say 'National Championship'. I stared at those last three letters . . . 'ChampionsHIP'.

Maybe I can take a felt marker and cross out the 'HIP'. After a few years, no one remembers who won. I could get away with it.

I know. Pathetic.



This one is cute.
But someone didn't get the memo that
 the Ducks haven't huddled in three years.

Every Duck fan I've talked to this year feels the same way. It's time to win one. It's time to put a better ending on one of these fantastic seasons.
You know what it's like?  It's like the Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" -- my all time favorite movie next to "Starship Troopers".

The most frequent criticism of it was that in the end, Old Man Potter got away with his crime of taking and hiding the $8000. There was no vindication or retribution. Bailey didn't get any justice over Potter. 

So it goes, the thought of watching the Ducks face another tough opponent in a third consecutive BCS game is like watching Wonderful Life every December and thinking, "Just once I would like to see Bailey kick the crap out of Potter."

So I leave you with this, Duck fans. Here's to changing the ending and making it right. . . . . 


I wish you the happiest of holidays. May all of your wishes (and especially one of them) come true.

Oh, and by the way, it's always good to wish for world peace and ending hunger any time.
--KB

It would be just like him to win.

Pac-12 Trophy

One thing that keeps entering my mind is the one question where Rick Neuheisel is concerned, What if?

A master of getting the last laugh, what if Neuheisel pulls it off? What if he gets to leave Autzen one last time pointing upward and shouting, "Scoreboard baby!"?

Neuheisel (which is German for "God cast him out of heaven") gave the following quotes at the Pac 12 Champ press conference.

"Yet, despite all the difficulty and all the adversity on the field or off with injuries or the like, we’re a game from playing in the Rose Bowl, which is the amazing thing about all of this. We’re going to take our swings."

"We do have experience in getting up off the mat. We’ve done it before. We had a very difficult loss in Tucson on a Thursday night and came back the next outing and defeated a talented Cal team, and then followed that with a victory over a very talented Arizona State team. We have experience under our belt to lend itself to getting up, finding yourself and playing much better football. Hopefully that will be the case again tomorrow night."

"It’s all about commitment. Ultimately commitment is just that - finishing what you start. I was excited that I got to stay in my role as head coach for this particular game and just do that. See if we can find lightning in a bottle and make this a game."
We shouldn't expect any less of him.

Meanwhile, Chip Kelly has his usual approach to this game. . . .
Q: Can you speak to having a chance to play in the Rose Bowl for the second time since you’ve been here?

COACH KELLY: Haven’t talked one thing about that. Our sole focus is just playing another game. We don’t play games and say, “Hey, if we win this game, we get this.” It’s not about the prize at the end; it’s about the game itself. That’s all we’re focused and concentrated on.


Q: Did you guys get to finally practice in Autzen today? What did you think about what they’ve done with your stadium? [Note: Apparently, Autzen will look a little different. Pac-12 signs will cover up Duck stuff. Don Essig won't be the main announcer. However, the Pac-12 will allow the motorcycle to lead the team in. Coach Kelly clearly shows great concern about the changes . . .]
COACH KELLY: Yeah, we practiced in there today. I think they put some new banners up and covered up our stuff. We don’t care.

Q: You don’t think about the other team’s mindset, but do you think in this situation, which is fairly unique, with Rick Neuheisel coaching his last game, did you have to prepare mentally that maybe they’re going to try some pretty tricky, funky stuff in terms of trick plays on offense and really let it all hang out instead of just sticking to some of the things they’ve done in the 12 games before this?

COACH KELLY: You can talk about that, but then you’re chasing goats. If you don’t prepare based upon what they’ve done and then just say, “Hey, I think that their mindset is going to be this. I know they’ve done this for 12-straight games, but let’s start practicing halfback passes and double reverses and all these other things,” we’d be kicking ourselves if they run the ball up and down the field like they’ve done the last 12 games. The other thing you have to be conscious of is everybody in a short week only had two days to really practice, so how much can you put in that’s new at that point in time? I think we’re prepared. It’s about understanding where your keys are. No matter what people run for a trick play, there still should be someone watching it. [Ha ha. Kelly called the Bruins goats.]

Two things that will save Oregon from Neuheisel's last stand.
1) Kelly got it right when he said that the teams have little time to prepare for each other. That affects UCLA far more than it affects Oregon.
2) The way the Ducks focus on the next thing is so solid. The next game, the next play, the next option. Even if UCLA were to jump out ahead, they would have the joy of trying to maintain that lead.

I just thought of one more factor. This isn't just Oregon's chance to win. It is their DUTY. The whole nation is counting on them to keep a terrible Bruin team from going to the Rose Bowl. The thought is so horrible, Rose Bowl officials in Pasadena will actually be rooting against their home team.

Neuheisel is frighteningly correct. UCLA is just one step away -- perhaps only one dislocated elbow away from winning it. They are the Sarah Palin of college football.
They must be stopped at all costs; and Oregon is just the team to do it.


Ya. That's the stuff.

Game time: Friday, 5pm Pacific on FOX (Not Fox Sports, the other FOX where you watch the Simpsons, Judge Judy, or reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond.)

A True Reward

Team WTD

Oregon beat OSU as scheduled. The Beavers played really hard, but Oregon just had the better blah blah blah . . . OK whatever.
Here's a video and some pictures if you want to see it again. But then we gotta move on . . . .

Photos from Oregonian.

DAT's a TD.

Tight end of the future, Colt Lyerla makes the snag.

Beavers could not stop Barner around the edges.

"Oh ya? Well you lost to Louisiana State. So there!"

. . . . So much has happened since then. You probably heard -- Rick Neuheisel got fired!  And as punishment for his coaching crappiness, UCLA is sending him to Eugene and forcing him to watch the Ducks further humiliate him and his team. Here are some juicy quotes from Neuheisel before his firing as he defended his job in The Orange County Register's story, "Neheisel Says He Deserves to Return".

"We've won five conference games as opposed to three last year," Neuheisel said. [Ya. That's better than Arizona,  ASU or WSU; and you don't see they're coaches getting -- Wait . . . what's that? . . . . Oh, never mind.]  "We have won the right to represent the South in the conference championship. ["Won the right"? At 6-6 and with USC on probation, there's a HUGE asterisk next to that statement.]
"I was told that we needed to move the needle," Neuheisel, 50, said during a news conference. "And if the needle moved then we would be fine and I'd get to continue along my five years of my five-year contract. [Through that 50-0 drubbing by USC, you can say he moved the needle as he prompted UCLA fans to stab it into their eyes, blinding them from the horror. ]

For the second time in two weeks, he gets to watch his team get stomped. And it won't be by just anybody, but by the one team who hates him most (not counting the schools where he has coached). The Ducks get to say goodbye to their old nemesis in the most excellent way.

If fact this is shaping up to be a really good year. Oregon gave OSU an ol' fashioned thrashing just like the old days.

The Ducks beat Washington for the eighth consecutive time -- a reality so painful for the Dawgs that they tore down their stadium in despair.

Oregon was also successful in playing a part with the conference-wide intervention to FINALLY convince Arizona that their coach was an embarrassment.

And although they don't get to go back to the Natty, they are given a wonderful, WONDERFUL consolation prize complete with a challenge: 
Beat the crap out of the one coach you despise most in the world, and we'll send you to the Rose Bowl!

It's like giving the whole Jedi Council 10 minutes in a locked room with Darth Vader tied to a post.

People are calling this matchup a disappointment. Sure, USC or Stanford would have been a far more interesting game. But Oregon fans will clearly see the upside to this.  I just hope for two things:
1) Will someone please make a fitting sign that says it all:
"SCOREBOARD BABY.  Bu'bye Rick."
and 2) I want Neuhoser to personally hand the Pac-12 trophy to the Ducks with a sincere smile on his face. 

George Schroeder of the R-G talked more of the absurdity of this matchup in his story, "UCLA makes Pac-12 title a Friday night blight"

I was just getting a little sentimental over the exit of our departing friend.
So I picked up and started flipping through the old photo album when I pulled out this gem.
"Neuhoser kicking a baby sea lion. Reason #105 of why he's a terrible person."
Gonna miss you, Rick. We never loathed anyone quite like you.

More later,
KB

No Beaver Trap this time.

Bucky Justin Beaver
(Would love to take credit for this,

but I stole from Facebook.)

Obviously after the letdown last week, we're worried about a letdown trend. What if the team didn't learn from last week? What if they allow OSU to put them in a big hole again? The following article suggests otherwise.

From the Washington Post . . .

No. 9 Oregon focuses on what’s left, starting with Civil War rival Oregon State

By Associated Press, Published: November 22

For the ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks, there is no use looking back at what might have been.

Oregon (9-2, 7-1) lost last Saturday to USC, eliminating any chance of a repeat bid for a national title. But the Ducks still have the inagural Pac-12 championship game to look forward to, and perhaps even the Rose Bowl, if they can get past rival Oregon State in the annual Civil War game.

“We’re not really used to handling losses but you just think it over for about a day and when Monday comes around you just have to focus on the next week,” Ducks tight end David Paulson said. “It’s the same as a win. You get to enjoy it for a day, then you have to come back and focus on the next week.”


While the Civil War doesn’t seem like much of a challenge — the Beavers have won just three games this season — the Ducks are wary. They were supposed to beat the Trojans, too, but instead lost their first game at Autzen Stadium since September 2008.

The Ducks trailed USC 38-14 in the third quarter but pulled within 38-35. On Oregon’s final drive, Alejandro Maldonado missed a 37-yard field goal that would have sent the game into overtime.

Oregon also lost its season opener to top-ranked LSU, but had climbed back into the national championship picture after a 53-30 victory at No. 4 Stanford.

“When you lose a game you can’t wait to play the next one,” Ducks running back LaMichael James told reporters on Tuesday. “Practice has been going really well. We’re really fired up. It’s gonna be a different game than it was last week. Everybody’s really motivated to put that loss behind them.” [No more "second-half team" crap. They need to be the team that beat Stanford wire to wire.]

The Beavers (3-8, 3-5) are coming off a 38-21 win over Washington last Saturday. A victory over Oregon would further ease the disappointment of a second straight season with no bowl berth.

“They’re going to bring everything they’ve got,” Paulson said.



Even their scented candles and Snuggies?!?!?



 

Oregon State coach Mike Riley grew up in Corvallis and his dad was an assistant for the Beavers under celebrated coach Dee Andros, so he’s seen more than his share of Civil Wars.

“It’s especially tough this year with a great Oregon team,” he said on Tuesday. “Every phase of the game we’re going to have to play at a tremendously high level to compete. But, I’ll tell you this: I think our team will compete hard and prepare well. I know they’re looking forward to a great opportunity.”

Saturday’s game is the 115th Civil War. Oregon has won the last three, sending the Ducks off to the Rose Bowl in 2009 and the national championship game against Auburn last season

With a victory over the Beavers, Oregon will win the North Division and host the first Pac-12 title game on Dec. 2. The championship game was added this season after Colorado and Utah joined the league.

Should the Ducks lose, Stanford (10-1, 8-1) will host the game. The Cardinal play Notre Dame in a non-conference finale on Saturday.

The South Division’s representative for the game is also undecided. UCLA can clinch with a victory over USC in their rivalry game, but Arizona State and Utah could still claim the South under certain circumstances.

The league champion will earn a trip to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, to play the winner of the Big Ten title.

While Oregon has long espoused Chip Kelly’s “every game is our Super Bowl” philosophy, the Ducks still headed to practice this week with a little extra enthusiasm.

“For us, it’s the same every week. Practice is Groundhog’s Day here,” offensive lineman Mark Asper said. “But I do enjoy the energy around town and on campus and stuff when we’re playing a traditional rival. I get excited for that. The community energy fuels the fire a little bit.”

Prediction:

Beaver Fail

Gametime 12:30 Pacific on ABC.

--KB

Everyone loses . . .

Ducks make statement . . .

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Beavers reply . . . 

True . . . . True.
--KB

Oh Well. I didn't really want the Ducks to play LSU again anyway.

This was the worst part for me. After the game, the Trojan Band playing on and on at Autzen.
Barkley up there directing them. It's like watching Fidel Castro take a dump
on the lap of the Lincoln Monument. It's like watching Russians catapult
pumpkins at the faces of Mount Rushmore. It's an insult and a crime
against all that is good.

First of all, let me say that I was completely wrong about Matthew Barkley. He backed up what he said about exposing the Ducks' weaknesses. He passed with perfect precision. He came with a game plan and executed it almost flawlessly. He is a fine young man with a heart of a champion. He and his Trojans won deservedly.

"OK Matt, now can you let go of my arm and get your knee off my head?"

I thought Montana played for Washington. But
Barkley and his two main receivers did a re-enactment
of Joe, Jerry Rice, and Dwight Clark all night.

Perhaps we Duck fans and maybe a few players all fell into the "trap" of thinking, after beating Stanford at Palo Alto, that handling USC in Eugene would be a sure thing. Could you ever imagine in all your years that USC would prove to be a trap game for the Ducks?

Meanwhile, down in L.A., the Trojans were stewing about the last two humiliating losses to Oregon; and no one more than Matt Barkley. It's one thing to circle a game on a calendar and get all worked up about it. It's so much more to set a good plan, prepare, and execute it effectively.

Lots of teams have gotten all fired up for playing the Ducks. A few came out with good game plans, only to run out of gas in the end. USC did it exactly right. They stunned the Ducks and built a big lead. Then they hung on for the ferocious comeback that Oregon was sure to serve.

Oregon's motto is WTD -- "Win The Day". Another fitting motto might be ANQ -- "Absolutely No Quit". Sure, the Ducks lost. But those in witness saw them working their tails off to erase the deficit. They almost did it. But as Vince Lombardi once said, "We didn't lose. We just ran out of time."

Talking to other Duck fans, we agreed that had that field goal kick gone through, Oregon had the momentum to carry them through overtime and win. 
Photos from Oregonian.

Absolutely No Quit in Kenjon Barner, Darron Thomas, David Paulson, or the rest of the Ducks Saturday night.

But that's all moot under the bridge today. All we can do now is face the realities, which aren't so bad.

Oregon isn't ready to go back to the Natty. USC showed that. But that's OK because the Ducks need to take care of other business first. They need to go back to the Rose Bowl and win that thing. That possibility is still very much alive.

Beat Oregon State and they host the first Pac-12 Championship. Win that and the Ducks are likely back in the Rose Bowl as long as the big giant heads of the BCS don't suddenly decide to get creative with the placements.

At the end of the USC game, I was smirking to myself, "Congratulations, Trojans. Have fun sitting at home watching the Ducks play in the post season."

But ironically, their probation turns out to be a bit of a shame. They lead the Pac-12 South right now. How cool would it have been to say, "Nice game Trojans. Now come back in two weeks and try it again. Only this one will be for all the marbles."?

 How we would've loved to see our Ducks run into the locker room right after Saturday night's game, seething, and saying "Rematch, baby. Let's beat OSU and get USC back up here."

Oh well. The bottom line is still the same as it always was. Take care of business for the coming Saturday. It's Civil War week. Had Oregon beaten USC as expected, they might've shown mercy on the Beavers and beaten them nicely, humanely, and without a lot of bloodshed. 

But that's not gonna happen now. The Beavs will be walking into a cranky Autzen. And they can bet the Ducks will be certain not to underestimate their opponent again. 

Have a Cookie
When you were young and you had a bad day, did your mom ever try to cheer you up with a cookie, or brownie, or bowl of pudding? Did she give you some treat to help take the sting away? Well Duck fans, wipe away your tears and bite into this treat. . .
Thomas Tyner, five-star prospect from Aloha, verbally commits to Oregon Ducks
Published: Saturday, November 19, 2011, 9:30 PM
By Jason Quick, The Oregonian 
 
The fastest athlete in Oregon high school history has come to a quick decision about where he will attend college: Thomas Tyner is verbally committing to the University of Oregon to play football and run track.

A junior from Aloha, Tyner is the state record holder in the 100 meters and the reigning Class 6A offensive player of the year in football. He gave Oregon football coach Chip Kelly a verbal commitment Saturday after the Ducks lost to USC 38-35 at Autzen Stadium.

Tyner is regarded as a five-star recruit, and figures to be near the top of the nation's recruiting lists. His decision is not binding, but he said "I'm pretty sold on Oregon.""Being a big recruit, and all that goes with that, I think making this decision early will take a lot of the stress off," Tyner said Saturday. "I've been going to nearly every Oregon game this year and I got the feeling that's where I belong."

Tyner said assistant Steve Greatwood and Kelly did the majority of his recruiting, but the school and the football team sold themselves. Tyner also wants run track and study broadcasting. Oregon has a storied track and field history and a well-regarded journalism program

He was being recruited by every power conference in the nation, including several Southeastern Conference schools.

"Football wise, I think I fit pretty well into Oregon's offense," Tyner said. "I think with a lot of those SEC schools, they run a Pro-I, grinding type offense that would take a toll on my body. In Oregon's spread offense, I can get out in the open and use my speed. I think I can rack up some yards. Plus, Oregon has shown they do a good job recruiting offensive linemen.

"And school wise, I want to go into broadcasting and I looked into their program, and I think it will be great for me."

Tyner (6-foot, 208 pounds) missed six games this season with a variety of injuries, the last a hairline fracture in his right tibia that caused him to miss Aloha's final two games. He will be in a walking cast for two more weeks. He still finished with 1,136 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns, plus one kickoff return for a touchdown.

Last season, he rushed for 1,821 yards and 19 touchdowns in leading Aloha to the Class 6A state title. He also won the state title in the 100 meters, and set the state record of 10.35 (wind-aided), which was the fifth fastest prep time in the nation last year. He said he will run track for the Ducks as well.

At one point it was believed that Oregon State had the inside track to Tyner, and he admitted the Beavers held a special place with him entering the school year because they were the first team that recruited him and the first team to offer him a scholarship.

"For any athlete, the first school that offers you, you automatically like that school; it's going to put a big smile on your face," Tyner said. "So I gave Oregon State a lot of attention, and I really loved it in Corvallis, and the coaches are amazing, they made me feel like family. Then I went down to the Sacramento State game ... and that wasn't too pretty. I ended up leaving at halftime. It seems like their sports are going down, and Oregon, I don't know, I just like it down there. It's awesome." 

Oooo. Ouchy, Beavers. That loss to Sac. State came back to bite you again, didn't it. That's unfortunate.

Let me hammer home what you just read. This guy is five star. Nationally recruited by the major schools. The fastest sprinter in the state, he's not a 5'8", 175 pound squirt. He is 6', 208 pounds -- and only a junior in high school. Thomas Tyner has been compared to Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson.

I saw a video of him where he looked like a runaway downhill freight train.  When he gets in the secondary on a head of steam, smaller cornerbacks just wave at him as he runs by. They ain't no fools.

When I heard this, I immediately started dreaming. Think along with me. In 2013, QB Brian Bennett and RB De'Anthony Thomas will be juniors. Tyner would be a freshman. That's two years of talent and leadership in key positions. Add a good supporting cast around them . . . . . savor those cookies for a moment.

Here's one video for a little taste. Tyner is #4.

Ya think Coach Kelly will talk to him about getting back to the huddle a little quicker?

--KB 

We'll see who's not as good as before.

Michael Clay and Avery Patterson stop by to wish Andrew Luck
all the best with the whole Heisman thing.

[Two stories from L.A. take differing views of Oregon's defense. The following is from the L.A. Times.]
Oregon isn't all about offense

Ducks' defense, while not posting flashy numbers, gets the job done. Like the offense, they are deep and troublesome.
By David Wharton

November 17, 2011, 4:30 p.m.

Reporting from Eugene, Ore. — Just to be clear, Michael Clay does not want to sound like a complainer.

The linebacker understood when he signed with Oregon he was joining a program known for its rapid-fire offense. For outracing opponents, not stopping them cold.

Defense is something of an afterthought.

"Can't deny that," Clay said. "We kind of fly under the radar."

But this fall, with the fourth-ranked Ducks sneaking back into the national championship hunt, scoring almost seven touchdowns a game, Clay and his defensive teammates are starting to get noticed.

They frustrated Heisman Trophy favorite Andrew Luck in a lopsided win over Stanford last week. Now comes another test against Matt Barkley, who leads No. 18 USC into Autzen Stadium for a Pac-12 Conference showdown Saturday.

"Their defense is really good," USC Coach Lane Kiffin said. "Probably the best it's ever been there."

At first glance, the statistics make that sound like normal pregame talk from a coach. Giving up an average of 384 yards a game, the Ducks rank around the middle of the conference.

But look closer.

Their offense, which can score as quickly as some teams go three-and-out, has left the defense on the field a wearying 797 plays. That's 122 more than USC — almost two games' worth.

"I'm not going to sit here and [lie to] you," defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said. "Sometimes it can be difficult."

Where Aliotti's squad shows its worth is in per-snap statistics, giving up only 4.8 yards, which would put the Ducks among the top 20 or so defenses in the nation.

"They cause you a lot of problems," Kiffin said. "They're all over the place."

Much like the offense, the defense tries to confuse opponents with an array of looks from a variable scheme that can switch from 4-3 to 3-4 in an instant. But deception goes only so far.

The Ducks have to reach deep into their roster to keep fresh legs on the field for so many minutes. It's not unusual for them to rotate seven or eight linemen, a handful of linebackers and seven or eight defensive backs.

"You're not going to find anybody in the nation that rotates that many people and gets the results we do," defensive end Terrell Turner said.

It also helps that they work against that offense for parts of each day's practice, hustling through Coach Chip Kelly's distinctively frenetic drills. In one regular segment, the ball is placed for a new snap even as the previous play is coming to an end.

"That's full-tilt, hyper-speed," Aliotti said. "You'd have to see it to really understand."

The deep rotation necessitates playing some underclassmen and suffering through growing pains. Oregon has also missed All-American cornerback Cliff Harris, suspended multiple times for traffic tickets.

Harris sat out a 40-27 season-opening loss to Louisiana State, a game in which three turnovers left the Ducks continually scrambling to defend a short field.

Since then, they have matured enough to hold the likes of California and Washington to 17 points or fewer and would have shut out Colorado if not for a safety on Harris' fumbled punt return.

A big part of the Ducks' success comes from pressuring the quarterback, collecting a conference-best 32 sacks. Luck credited the front seven for pestering him into a subpar game that included a fumble and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

"They did a good job with stunts and blitzes," he said.

Still, most of the talk this week has centered on USC needing to keep pace with Darron Thomas, LaMichael James and the rest of an Oregon offense that averages almost two touchdowns more than the Trojans.

Hardly anyone has talked about the Ducks who play on the other side of the ball.

Which is fine with them. If anything, the defense can see an advantage to being overlooked.

"We like being the underdog," Clay said. "We can surprise people."
[It's true that Oregon's defense has been playing much better the past three weeks. But one person still has his doubts. . . .

Barkley: Oregon's defense still vulnerable

November, 15, 2011
by Pedro Moura, ESPN LA

USC quarterback Matt Barkley said after Saturday's 40-17 win over Washington that the Oregon Ducks, the Trojans' next opponent, have been better in the past than they are in 2011.

But his head coach, Lane Kiffin, said the next day that Barkley would realize he should retract his statements once he started watching film of the Ducks, and Barkley did just that after Tuesday's practice.

“They’re a great team,” Barkley said. “They’re well-deserving of their ranking. That (assessment) was just based off of scores I had seen -- I had never really watched them. [He would do well in the Republican debates.]

"After watching tape of them, they’re probably one of the top defenses we’ll be facing this year."

But, even so, he maintained that there are options on offense for USC. There are ways to beat the Ducks, he said.

“They show a lot of different fronts, a lot of different coverages and blitzes," Barkley said. "They try to confuse you. But there are weaknesses and holes that we’ll have to exploit."

“They get after it when they do that, and they’ll catch you off guard. That’s when we have to be smart enough to, especially me, recognize those and get our offense in the right checks. But they are vulnerable in some aspects.”
[Well good luck with that, Matt. Oh by the way, your #1 receiver probably won't be playing Saturday, or at best he'll be playing hurt. Also, your running game sucks (166 yards/game). But good luck with that. ]

After Barkley's initial comments, Oregon safety Eddie Pleasant told Eugene-area reporters that the Ducks "don't even care" what any of the Trojans have to say about the matchup.

“Ever since I’ve been here (USC players) always have something to say before we play them,” Pleasant said, according to The Oregonian. “We just can’t do nothing about that. We just have to go out there and play."
[It's easy to quantify Barkley's statements. Last year against the Ducks, he was sacked twice and intercepted twice. If he's asking the Ducks to prove that they're better this year, I'm sure they'll be up to the challenge. After all, they lead the league in dishing out sacks.

To be fair, USC currently leads the league in giving up the fewest sacks. Stanford did hold that lead, but then Oregon added three more to their total last week.

Oregon ranks third in the league with 12 interceptions (USC is ninth with 8). But stats mean nothing once the game starts. So Barkley, if you see holes in Oregon's D., make it your calling to exploit them.

Level with us, Barkley. Things haven't turned out for you quite like you hoped, haven't they? Three years ago, you were the Man. The PHENOM! The Boy Wonder.

Now all you hear is LUCK, LUCK, LUCK. You must be sick of Luck. Why if you weren't a good Christian boy, you'd think of a bad word that rhymes with Luck and scream it into your pillow!

But that's not all. There's a new Phenom. A new boy wonder in Keith Price of Washinton. He currently leads you in passing efficiency. 

And that's still not all. Nick Foles of Arizona is still around, out-passing you. And so is Brock Osweiller at ASU. When people talk about the great QB's of the league, they may rattle off the names of up to four or five guys before they think of you.

This wasn't how you had planned it. MATT BARKLEY was supposed to be on the Heisman watch. MATT BARKLEY was supposed to be the talk of the league. MATT BARKLEY was supposed to be leading his team to the Natty.

But it didn't work out that way. Even if you had won all of your games, you wouldn't be going anywhere because USC is on probation.

Oh well, Matt. Don't worry about it. Just focus on those weakness and holes in Oregon's D that you're sure about. You do that and I'm sure you'll beat Oregon.

Hey, at least you'll be the best quarterback on the field. . . . . . Oops. . . . . Darron Thomas has a better pass efficiency rating than you too.

Sorry about that, Matt.

Gametime 5pm Pacific on ABC.

The following features footage of the last time Barkley and Co. visited Eugene.