Win One for the Aliottipper

Here's the truth about Texas. They're Texas. Nothing less. Texas is better than Arizona. They could beat Stanford on a good day when the Cardinal locker room is rife with the stomach flu. The Longhorns are plenty good enough to stampede roughshod over Oregon if the Ducks choose to approach this game feeling sorry for themselves.

That downer we all felt when we knew Oregon wasn't going to play 'Bama, Auburn or Florida State? Forget it. Texas will give the Ducks all they can handle. And they have good game film from Stanford, Arizona, and Oregon State.

The good news is Marcus Mariota will be as healthy as ever. He proved to be the most valuable player in the losses as well as wins. When he couldn't run, Oregon's offense didn't run. 

If you were to ask me for the key to the game (and you didn't, but I'm giving it to you anyway), it would be the FIRST QUARTER. Stanford and Arizona were able to take a good lead in the first quarter and then control the tempo with running. Had Oregon been able to keep pace or take the lead, the opponents would have been forced into riskier plays.  The team that controls the first quarter, controls the tempo. 

IS OREGON'S DOMINANCE OVER?
The question is an interesting suggestion I heard recently by a fellow Pac-12 fan who happens to be an avid hater of the Ducks. 

My initial reply was, "SHUT UP, IDIOT!". But after pondering his entitled opinion for a few weeks, my reply today is,

"SHUT UP, DUMB ASS IDIOT!"

Oregon's rise to the top over the past decade didn't merely happen by an infusion of cash, a lucky guess at a new coach and a few good recruits. It came by the methodical building of a foundation reminiscent of a Fortune 100 company. Oregon has set itself up to where they can have a disappointing year or two, and then suddenly come back to win the Pac-12 and get back to the championship again.

A recent article in Forbes Magazine, Why the Oregon Ducks Teach Us that Luck isn't Everything explained it like this.

Oregon's success is based on key management and development models of Entrepreneurial Forethought, Pioneering Innovation, and Disciplined Overachievement.

Nike designed End zone at Alamo
Bowl has winged pattern in background.
So which does this fall under, Entrepreneurial
Forethought, Pioneering Innovation or Disciplined
Overachievement?

In addition, the stability of the coaching ranks has a huge positive impact. Writer Jason Belzer says the following:

There is no better example of consistency for the Ducks than when it comes to the hiring of coaches. The last three head coaches of the university’s lauded football and track programs have all come from within the existing staff, a streak that is unmatched in college athletics. Even more impressive, a number of the current assistant football coaches have been on staff for all three of those head coaching regimes. In fact, under former head football coach Chip Kelly, the football coaching staff had absolutely no turn over for four straight years! Such continuity is simply unheard of in the turbulent profession of coaching, much less for any organization operating on a budget in excess of $21 million.




Aliotti: "I'm retiring after this game."

  
So while Mack Brown is coaching his last game for Texas, Oregon answered that "Win one for the Gipper" motivation with the announced retiring of Defensive Coach Nick Aliotti.

After about 90 years in coaching, roughly 60 of them at Oregon, Aliotti has decided to hang it up. The word is he was ready to retire last year when he didn't get the head coaching position, but felt he should stay one more year to help Helfrich transition.

That's the class of Aliotti. All the college football history books will talk about Oregon's head coaches including Helfrich. But just looking at the past six seasons of 10 wins or more, three coaches owe their success to the one constant, Nick Aliotti.

Rich Brooks couldn't have gone from zero to Rose Bowl bound hero in 1995 were it not for Aliotti's Gang Green defense.

What is Aliotti's legacy? Let him answer that in this Oregonian Article by Jason Quick:

“Bottom line, I’m very satisfied with my career,’’ Aliotti said. “I did it the right way. I did it with integrity. Never cheated to get a recruit. We were a laughingstock; they wanted us to get out of the Pac 8 ... five decades I’ve been here. All those nice buildings they have? Those were parking lots... I’ve been able to watch this thing grow from what was nothing to what it is today. I’d like to think on some level I had a lot to do with that.’’

Thanks for all the great games, Coach Aliotti. Now we ask that you do it just one more time.


Alamo Bowl Game time 3:45 pm Pacific on ESPN

--KB

A Day to be Duckful

I have much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for this year's anticipation of football season. It made the entire year exciting.

I am thankful for some great single plays, like this one.


I am thankful for the play of one single player, like Marcus Mariota.

We of course hope he returns to his prime form soon.

If I would be thankful for one single game, it would be the 10th consecutive win over Washington.


I am thankful for the number of times this year that Oregon played a roll in bringing together friends and family.

 

 

 

 

 

I am thankful for my disappointment at this point in the season that Oregon has lost two games. There was a time when we would've been optimistic had Oregon lost ONLY two of it's first five games.

How awesome is this? I just found it online.

Finally I am thankful for all of you who have shared this fun with me.

The season hasn't gone like we wanted. I don't think there is any single reason for the collapse, but rather a perfect storm of several. I believe most of all, it's been a learning experience for both young players and new coaches.

But I will not let the bummer parts eclipse all of the above great parts of this season.

Friday: Civil War 4pm Pacific on Fox Sports 1.

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving.

\/
\/
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What? You were expecting me to flip some traditional Civil War crap at the Beavs?

OK. How's this: How do you get a Beaver off your porch?
Pay him for the . . . . Ah, screw it. Just play the game.

--KB

Kick the Cat Theory*

* Mad Duck 2020 wishes to state that in no way do the following comments and opinions support or endorse the harming of cats or any other animals.

Think the Ducks had a better showing against Utah?

Oregon's rushing was held to a net 145 yards. They could only convert 2 out of 10 third downs while allowing Utah to covert 9 for 18. The new and improved starting kicker MISSED A PAT?!? 

Once again Oregon's starting RB Byron Marshall was anemic in the first half. So was DeAnthony Thomas before his kickoff return for a TD that seemed to finally spark Oregon's famed steamrolling momentum. Mariota still couldn't run. The team committed 10 penalties for 80 yards -- most of them for false starts.

False starts?. . . . . FALSE STARTS?!?!

In games past, we laughed at other teams leading in time-of-possession. But it's not funny anymore when you see that Utah CONTROLLED the ball for nearly 12 more minutes and ran nine more plays than the Ducks.


It was good to see Josh Huff having a great
game after going down hurt last week.

Good for Oregon that the Utes couldn't do more with all that opportunity. But the team before them could. And the teams ahead of Oregon will. Arizona has a supposedly tough defense. Oregon State will bring their typical ferocity to the Civil War.

If Oregon manages those two, they're likely looking at Arizona State in the Pac-12 Championship. ASU leads the league in total defense. They are second only to Stanford in rushing defense.

Should Oregon find it's way past them, they can go to the Rose Bowl -- against Ohio State. Remember the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl of 2010 and their overpowering linemen? Well let's just say for this year they haven't gotten any worse.

Oregon got a fat bloody lip against Stanford. And it would only do them good if that shot still stings; if the unimpressive victory over Utah failed to lessen the taste of their own salty sweaty blood.

But now is the moment for them to taste that bitterness for the last time and move on. The Ducks need to scab over and heal. They need to get their mojo back. More than that, they need to stop feeling bloated and pent up and clear out some inner obstructions.

What Oregon needs right now is a good cleansing. You know how it feels when you've been blocked up for a couple of weeks and you're not feeling your best?

Oregon is irregular.

They could really use a blowout. More than a blowout -- a coffee and prune irrigated colon blowout. And Arizona Stadium seems like the perfect bowl. Last year Oregon blanked the 'Cats 49-0.  Though less likely (It was at Autzen, and Arizona was still trying to find themselves with their new coach.), it would still feel real good to do that again. 

For season altering games, Arizona vs. Oregon has history over the last eight years

Dixon at Arizona.

or so. Kellen Clemens ended his career against Arizona. Dennis Dixon's knee blew apart and so did Oregon's BCS Title hopes at Arizona.

Masoli at his best.

Then came 2009, Jeremiah "Weed" Masoli's finest hour. 'Zona fans were climbing over the walls in the final two minutes ready to storm the field with their Cats up by a TD. Oregon tied it and won that dramatic contest in double overtime.

But this year, no one wearing green is in the mood for drama. Oregon is better -- sometimes far better-- than Arizona in nearly every statistical category. The Cats (6-4, 3-4) have lost to every Pac-12 team with a winning record. Then last week they were completely dominated by Washington State.

They have one good offensive weapon, RB Ka'Deem Carey. Shut him down, they're done. Oregon has a better offense and a better defense, a better team. Period. Arizona will be the last weak team the Ducks plays for the season.

Why not blow away the 'Cats? Why not tee-off on them? Oregon is frustrated right now. They blew another golden opportunity. Ya, I know I said "Don't worry." and "A lot of football left." But damn it anyway.

Once again, Oregon is unlikely to get their shot at the Natty. And this Saturday, it's all Arizona's fault.

Kick the 'Cat.


BUT IT'S STILL ARIZONA
Give Oregon credit for playing a legitimate Pac-12 foe in mid November. I mean who else would they be playing, right?

Did you see who the two teams currently destined to play for the national title have slated this Saturday?

FSU QB Jameis Winston
Heisman candidate,
Tallahassee's favorite son.

Alabama is hosting Chattanooga (That's not even a state. Not even a large city.), and FSU has scheduled this week's sexual battery on Idaho (Might as well be a small city). 

Also in the above linked story, you'll see that if the Sems struggle with Idaho at all, their good-ol'-boy boosters -- the Tallahassee Police Department -- will do whatever is needed to . . . . you know . . . . . make things right.



NOT TO NAME NAMES, BUT . . . .
Washington is in a pitiful position again. Their four losses this season have come at the hands of the truly better teams in the league -- Stanford, Oregon, ASU, and then last week when they lost the game and starting QB Keith Price at UCLA.

Keith Price's damaged shoulder is very iffy for their game at Corvallis at 7:30 Saturday night on ESPN2. Enter the Dawg's backup QB.

He's a redshirt freshman with a pretty cool name. At least he HAD a pretty cool name before America witnessed a horrific scene at a music awards show a few months ago.

I mean what could possibly be wrong with a name like Cyler Miles. It was just a good unique name . . . .


Cyler Miles

. . . . . until it became a cruel anagram-like joke for . . . . .


She who must not be named.

I would give Beaver announcer Mike Parker 10 bucks and let him watch me eat a napkin if he gets "confused" and says something like "Miley Cyrus can't escape the Beaver rush and goes down."

"Ain't that a kick in the head?" *

* Mad Duck 2020 wishes to state that in no way do the preceding comments and opinions support or endorse the harming of President Kennedy or any other presidents.  

Game time: Oregon at Arizona 12:30 Pacific on ABC or ESPN2

--KB

We Want 'Bama ..... to Just Wait 'til Next Year!!!

Told ya these T-shirts were a stupid idea.

Oh the horror, the horror. It was so hard to watch such a great team be brought down and manhandled. As I was watching the game I asked myself, "Could it be that Oregon could never have beaten Alabama after all?"

Some of you may already have your answer. I'll give mine in a moment.

There were many factors in this game. Stanford controlled most of them. Their offensive line could be the best in the nation. Their coaching is great. They were very VERY prepared for this game.

Their defense is good, but I won't say great because a key element of Oregon's attack was clearly missing. Marcus Mariota was sacked three times, and ran three times for only eight yards.

Was your house filled with the desperate screams of "RUN MARCUS RUN" when you saw a path open ahead of him? Were you pulling your hair out as he wouldn't take advantage of a hole in the line three times the size on anything he gained 50 yards through in the past?

Mariota didn't run, because Mariota couldn't run.

It all became clear when he fumbled during a sack and we saw him crumple to the ground. Super Mario was playing hurt. John Canzano's story talks about Mariota's pain inside and out.

"It is what it is," Mariota said after the game when asked about his knee.

Coach Helfrich was all class when he took the postgame mike and said that this loss was all on him. He took the blame and would not hear of any finger pointing at Mariota or anyone else.

I'm wondering whether Helfrich was just saying that to take the heat, or was he referring to something more specific?  Mariota first wore his knee brace in the second half of the UCLA game. So they had a whole week to deal with his injury.

Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda: 
Should Helfrich have declared Jeff Lockie or Jake Rodriguez the starter right away? Would either of them have netted better results with their running abilities even though Mariota is the more experienced passer? Could either of them have made a difference against a great Stanford team?

Perhaps, but we'll never know. And that brings me to the question of Alabama or any other National Champion foe. Could Oregon beat the other Natty contenders? Not with a hobbled QB they can't. Helfrich proved the hard way that a healthy and effective three-way dangerous QB is crucial for Oregon's system to work.  With a more mobile Mariota, the Ducks beat Stanford, I truly believe that. 

I still believe in the way the Ducks play. I think it is the future of football. I was looking forward to new math vs. old school had Oregon lined up against the Tide.  I believe the Ducks can beat anyone when all their key players are healthy. 

But if Oregon is a team from planet Krypton, an injury to the starting QB is it's Kryptonite (Remember Dennis Dixon crumpling to the carpet at Arizona?)  If faced with a stout blitzing defense, Mariota could peel off 70, 80 or 100 yards on the day. That output, -- or even the threat of it -- is fully needed against a Stanford, or an Ohio State, or an Alabama.

Forget those guys. For the present, it will be needed against UTAH. If Oregon's QB, whoever he may be, cannot run, Utah could beat Oregon next week. Arizona could beat Oregon the following week. Oregon State could very much beat Oregon in the Civil War.

Monday's practice will tell us an interesting tale. Will Mariota be able to run? How many reps will he get with the ones compared to the backup QB's?  I trust Helfrich is smart enough to know that health is more important than Heisman hype.

WANTED IT MORE?  WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP MORE.
Who were those clowns announcing the game? And who was that particularly ignorant clown who kept saying, "You see? Stanford just wants it more.", every time Stanford got the better of a play?

I don't know who it was and frankly don't care. But obviously it was someone who has never been around the Oregon locker room, someone who has never talked to the players or coaches.

What was he thinking, that the Ducks took a team vote moments before taking to the field at The Farm, "Hey guys, do we really want this?"
"Naaaaa, let's just go out there and tank it."

Say what you want about style, talent, game prep, injuries, etc. But don't watch the game and then -- like a casual beer chuggin', pork rind stuffin' Jabba-the-Hut in a Lazy Boy -- say, "Oh I guess they just don't want it."

SHUT THAT STUPID CRAP UP.

I mean how stupid is that, REALLY?

   "And the Huskies go back to pass, and it is INTERCEPTED, INTERCEPTED. KENNY WHEATON. HE WANTED IT MORE . . . "

What?!?! SHUT UP!!!

   "Swing and a high fly out to center. Willie Mays goes back to the warning track and it's going, going, OH WHAT A GREAT CATCH!  Willie Mays clearly wanted it more!!!!

That doesn't even make any sense . . . . SHUT UP!!!!

   "Swing and a high fly, and over the wall it goes just over Mays outstretched hand. Mays apparently didn't want that one as much as the batter, so . . . ."

SHUT UP!!!!

   "Flash from Dallas. Shots rang out at the presidential motorcade. President Kennedy has been shot. Lee Harvey Oswald obviously wanted it more."

SHUT UP!!!

   "The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor because they wanted it more."

SHUT UP!!!

IT'S NOT OVER YET.
There is still a lot of football left. Stanford has to travel to a resurgent USC next week. Could that be their trap game? Upsets can happen anywhere at anytime. Let's just hope Oregon got their's out of its system for the rest of the season.

At halftime, I threw this video up on Facebook. I'd like to show it again. We Duck fans are NOT going to be like SEC teams or the Huskies of the 90's who threw up their hands after the first loss and said, "That's it. The season is over"  Don't let that be the Oregon way. We who have endured so many ugly games and seasons are going to appreciate each win with the team, suffer each loss with the team, and enjoy the drama that either brings to the season. It'll be exciting.

In the meantme, stay loose. Stay positive. Keep believin'. Don't worry 'bout a thing. 

And as for those three little birds . . . Exactly what kind of birds are they?
Hmmmmmm?

--KB

Colossus Defined (and refined)




El Coloso


This week Sports Illustrated doubled down on their cover jinx by putting Marcus Mariota on the front with the title "The Colossus", and the lines, "Oregon redefined West Coat football, now it's time to conquer America (They're coming for you, SEC)."

Thanks S.I. Way to put that target on Oregon's back with indelible oil base paint; and with Stanford up next, no less.

So OK. Let's just go with it. Stick our chins out, and as Crash Davis said in Bull Durham, "Be cocky and arrogant."  But what exactly is this "Colossus" they speak of?

I climbed the 21st century Mt. Olympus of information (Google) to get to The Oracle of modern knowledge (Wikipedia) and found two primary definitions of "The Colossus." The first was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, "The Colossus of Rhodes", a 100-foot tall statue of a strong dude holding a lamp near Greece circa 260 BC. But that didn't seem to fit this narrative.

The second reference was the painting shown at the top. And as soon as I saw it, I got it. From the famous Spanish painter Francisco De Goya, The Colossus, or El Coloso, and also called El Panico (The Panic) and El Tormenta (The Storm), is an image of a giant seen beyond the hills who looks to be in a bad mood. In the valley below, we see the little people, the rabble and their livestock all panicking and fleeing in hopes of getting away before El Coloso turns his attention toward them.

Let me take this moment and say that it's been years since I had an SI subscription, let alone read it regularly. I grew tired of the East Coast bias and sloppiness with local detail. This is indeed an interesting SI story about the shift of power from USC and UCLA to Oregon and Stanford. Nevertheless it had one line in it saying for all of Phil Knight's philanthropy to Oregon, he has "kept his name off the architecture" in Eugene. 

That suggests to me that even if writer Austin Murphy visited Autzen and surrounding facilities, he never ventured onto campus where he would've walked past the Matt Knight Basketball Arena, past the Knight Library, and over to the Knight Law Center where he could have found a cozy quiet spot to write his story. And then if he caught a connecting flight out of Portland, he could have looked up on a hill and spied the Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU. It's just another typical case of poor, lazy journalism intermixed with otherwise good writing.

But back to the painting and the cover, what SI is suggesting is that Oregon's style -- both the play on the field and the successful marketing off the field -- is taking the country by storm (El Tormenta). As you look again, you can see how this image can apply to what may appear before our eyes starting tonight and through the winter.

Looking in the distance (Let's say westward.), we see the giant looming beyond a mountain range (Let's say the Rockies). His attention is presently turned in another direction (Perhaps maybe let's say . . . . southward, towards Palo Alto.) where he has some unfinished business to, uhhh. . . . FINISH.

The folks in the valleys and plains below fear what is about to happen to The Farm, as El Coloso Pato (The Giant Duck) will turn the Cardinal into a sea of red. (???)  And they can only hope that this will buy them time to run and hide.

If you were to look closer at the scurrying figures at the bottom of the image (But don't bother looking too close because I just didn't have time to Photoshop some stuff down there like I wanted, although it would've made the refinement of this masterpiece even more awesome.), you could definitely see some Sooner schooners speeding and Longhorns stampeding. With a little imagination (again, because I just didn't have the time...) you can perhaps see amongst the panicking horde at least three tigers, a wolverine, a large chestnut, some guys husking corn, a drunken feisty Irishman, a gator, at least one American Native who, for the purposes of not offending them, shall not be specifically identified, unless they don't mind at all, which in that case would be the Seminoles; a gator, an aggie, a red raider, at least one bear, maybe even a turtle. . . . and in the center of it all, one big obnoxious red elephant.

If it all turns out well, El Coloso Pato will be completed, enlarged and hung over my fireplace. Perhaps yours too? Place your orders.

WHY OREGON WILL BEAT STANFORD
I was expecting Oregon to be favored, perhaps by 3. I was surprised to see the spread at 10-1/2. But I think everyone is looking at one glaring fact.

Stanford is injured. Oregon is not.

According to this Oregonian story, Stanford's powerful defense took a huge hit when they lost their starting Defensive End Ben Gardner to a torn muscle against Oregon State. They are hoping to get back another starting DE, Henry Anderson, after he missed six weeks with a knee injury.

That right there reveals a problem. It's one thing to be back from injury able to play. But it's a whole 'nother matter to come back from six weeks of rehab and be healthy and conditioned enough to play against the rapid, powerful, and unrelenting wave that is the Oregon offense.

Stanford receiver Devon Cajuste is also injured. And while their much heralded receiver Ty Montgomery will play, is he at full strength? Reports were he was fighting pain in his lower body as late as last week. Against Oregon State he only had 3 catches for 55 yards and no TD's. Stanford is also down one kicker.

Don't get me wrong, the Cardinal are still potent. But while they're dealing with those issues, DeAnthony Thomas is healthy, eager to go, and promising 40 points. He only played the first half against UCLA before his ankle got sore again. I'm just wondering what if he plays one half again, this time the second?

Another factor in Oregon's favor: The most valuable person on Oregon's sideline that Stanford didn't face last year, Passing Coach Matt Lubick. Rated the best offensive coordinator of the year last year when Helfrich picked him up, Lubick has helped to stretch the field and give Mariota some spot-on downfield targets this year.

Last year, Stanford was successful in forcing Oregon into third and long. This year, third and long -- hell, even fourth and long -- are just other downs.

When Ken Goe asked San Jose Merc writer Jon Wilner "How is this Stanford team different from last year's team (that beat Oregon 17-14)?", Wilner started his answer, "Actually it's fairly similar." And he's right. After their loss to Utah, Stanford has worked to become about as good as they were last year.

But the bottom line is this. Oregon this year is flat out better than Oregon of last year. Mariota is better. DAT is better. Marshall is better. All the receivers are better. The defense is better. The kickers are . . . . . The defense is better!  And along with the addition of Coach Lubick, the Ducks have enjoyed the new talents of RB Thomas Tyner and Tight Ends Pharoah Brown and Johnny "The Mundster" Mundt.

Furthermore, the day after their loss to Stanford last year, Mariota led the team in studying, analyzing and learning what they did wrong in that game. They have been chomping at the bit ever since that day to make things right.

DAT's 40-point comment wasn't just loud mouth blathering. It was confidence. It was eagerness. He is picturing in his mind what he and his teammates are ready to do. And we know exactly how the Ducks will conquer the Cardinal because we have already seen them do it.

First down. "Oh you stopped the Ducks? Congratula-- ah oh, here comes second down. . . Incomplete! Hold that high-five, they just snapped the ball for third down . . . Gain of nine. HA, a yard short! Head for the Gatorade, they're done. WHAT? They're going for it!. . . . TOUCHDOWN!!!"

That's one series. Cram a bunch of those in one quarter. Then the second quarter. Still holding them? Good job. Here comes the third quarter. The game is still winnable. And look they're bringing in their third string bench warmer Thomas Tyner. . . .  

It is relentless.  Stanford can feel as good as they want about what they got away with last year. But all they did was kick a giant in the shin. Now he's coming. His shadow looms over the valley. And he doesn't stop. Doesn't hesitate. No mercy. No rest.

He pursues. He overwhelms. He suffocates. Finally, he crushes. And the lone tall tree, the Palo Alto, snaps in his fingers and digs in his molar to clear out whatever memory of last year's small Stanford victory was left.

In the end, that victory bore not a reward, but a terrible price. The wrath of

THE COLOSSUS.

Now crank it and stomp around your office like a big green, fire breathing monster!

Game time: Thursday, 6 pm Pacific on ESPN
--KB

Think you wanna play Oregon?

UCLA was up 7-0, they had just stopped Oregon on their second consecutive drive. The Bruins owned the momentum. Facing 4th and 14 on their own 25, the Ducks were forced into only one choice:

Proof that if you bring the Ducks to their knees, they'll punch you in the gonads.

While this brilliant special teams play sparked the offense to their first score, the talk of the game was the defense.

Nick Aliotti, after cussing out Washington State for continuing to pass with their first string in the closing minutes of that game, took a different approach in this game. Yes, UCLA's QB Brett Hundley was still slinging away in the fourth quarter, but in the end he only netted 64 yards passing for the game.

Oregon's coaches noted that their players were even more eager to get back out on the field in the second half than at the start. In this story by goducks.com Rob Moseley, the players talked about shutting out UCLA for the second half.

Ducks couldn't wait to get their hands
on Bruins in the second half.

Oregon got matched in the first half. They were squarely faced by the Bruins. But they came out in the second half eager to pretend the first half never happened. If the first half was a nightmare, the second half was tying Freddie Kruger to a cactus and beating him with rubber hoses.

Stripped.

Oregon's incredible taking of a punch and delivering back a wallop was an impressive show of resilience and dominance. So it surprises me when I read misinformed ignorance like this:

BAMA BRAINIACK
AL.com (All Alabama!) writer Kevin Scarbinsky (That's a stupid name. How can you take any writer seriously with a name like Kevin?) wrote the following about which team Alabama might prefer to play in the Natty.

Live at 9 with Kevin Scarbinsky: Alabama wants Oregon, too, not FSU

Oregon wants Alabama. We get it. When the Duck fans aren't chanting it at their games, they're printing T-shirts with that slogan.
But what about Alabama?
What, or more precisely, whom does the Crimson Tide want if they run the table to earn one of the two spots in the BCS Championship Game?
Alabama has to want Oregon, too.

If the choices are Oregon or Florida State, the two teams who've swapped the No. 2 BCS ranking behind Alabama the last two weeks, it's no choice. Give the Tide the Ducks.

Why? Florida State has a much better chance to man up to Alabama.

FSU has SEC-style talent on both sides of the ball, including up front. FSU has a special quarterback in Jameis Winston who doesn't get rattled in big moments.

FSU has a head coach in Jimbo Fisher who's worked for Nick Saban and modeled his program after Alabama's. FSU has a defensive coordinator in Jeremy Pruitt who worked for Saban until last year and knows the Alabama program inside and out, from schemes to personnel.
Pruitt, by the way, has done an excellent job in his first year as a college coordinator.

Of the remaining unbeaten teams, Florida State has the best chance to compete with Alabama for 60 minutes, which no team has done in any of Alabama's three BCS Championship Games.

Of course, it's likely that if Alabama, Florida State and Oregon run the table, Oregon will finish second behind Alabama, and FSU will be unbeaten but unrewarded like the 2004 Auburn team.
That's my story, and I'll stick with it all the way to Pasadena. What's your take? Bring it on Live at 9.

OK first let's sort through the things we can agree with.

Student entrepreneurs at Oregon.
Pssssst..."Hey guys, you're not helping."

"We want BAMA" shirts sold at Oregon?  Bad. Dumb. Embarrassing. It completely violates Oregon's "Win the Day" mantra. It becomes a joke and a dust rag should either team fall between now and then. 

What's more, if these two honor students took any combination of advertising and political science classes, they would learn that calling out your perceived chief competition like that only legitimizes them. You set your own self up as the underdog. You give them the power and position to smack you down in a war of words.

The other thing we can agree on? This all screams for a real playoff system. Florida State, Bama, Oregon, Baylor, Clemson, Ohio State. . . . . . only head-to-head games can truly decide who deserves to play whom through to the championship.

Having said all that, this fool just proves that slashed state education budgets and malnutrition have truly robbed Alabamans' brains of any useful means of common sense, let alone critical analysis. He probably brushes his teeth with his finger. I'll bet he'd pee on an electric fence if you told him Nick Saban said it was safe.  His whole kingdom is bordered by the Rocky Mountains, the Gulf, and the Mason-Dixon line.

 "Hey Scarbinsky, when you tithe at your church, do you write 'to SEC' on your check"?

He said that FSU coaches Jimbo and Jeremy are Nick Saban students. Therefore only they can pull Saban's sword out of the rock. He, of course, is assuming that Nick Saban is The Lady of the Lake, and thusly Coach Jimbo is King Arthur and Jeremy is  . . . . I don't know. . . . Brave Sir Robin I guess.

What he doesn't realize about his beloved Bamalot is that the white rabbit with big  pointy teeth is coming. But he's too dim to realize it, because he said his favorite color was red when it was actually blue, and the duck weighs more than a witch. . . . .

OK sorry, I'll drop the Monty Python metaphors.  But clearly, this guy hasn't even watched -- I mean REALLY watched -- the Ducks play.

Tennessee played both Bama and Oregon. Ask those like ESPN's Alex Scarborough who paid attention to BOTH games. He'll tell you that Oregon compared, at the very least, equally to Alabama.

I loved this line supporting his logic that FSU is better than Oregon: 
 FSU has a special quarterback in Jameis Winston who doesn't get rattled in big moments.
Oh, a SPECIAL quarterback. And he doesn't get rattled, you say? Even after he threw four interceptions? So has Scarbonesky seen any other QBs who don't seem to get rattled?

Why doesn't he ask UCLA coach Jim Mora if he's come across a QB who doesn't get rattled. Ask the entire Washington defense.

Why doesn't he ask FOX Sport's Coy Wire, who wrote the following in this good story complete with videos (Thanks RW for sending it to me.) :
So despite Jameis Winston’s burgeoning star and Johnny Manziel’s weekly brilliance, among many others, if we’re discussing the “best quarterback in college football,” it’s Oregon’s Marcus Mariota against the field.

Finally, I'm calling out other sports writers like Goe or Canzano at the Oregonian, Ray Ratto at the SF Chronicle, Bud Withers in Seattle, or Mitch Albom in Detroit. Why don't you end your stories with such bravado and pizzazz like Scardunceski when he says,  "That's my story, and I'll stick with it . . ."?

OR ASK STANFORD WHO THEY'D RATHER PLAY
From the SF Chronical

Stanford-Oregon should be worth wait

Jake Curtis

For the next 10 days, the question will be: Can Stanford's defense stop Oregon's explosive offense again?
Neither team plays until they meet at Stanford on Thursday, Nov. 7, with the winner improving its chances for a berth in the national-championship game.
Here are the numbers worth discussing as the game approaches:
34: Consecutive games in which Oregon has scored at least 34 points - with one conspicuous exception: The Ducks scored just 14 points in four quarters plus overtime in Stanford's 17-14 victory in Eugene last year.
0: Points the Ducks scored in the final 21:35 of regulation plus the untimed overtime in last year's game against Stanford.
1887: The last time a team had started a season by scoring at least 45 points in each of its first seven games before Oregon achieved it this season. The Oregon streak ended when the Ducks were "held" to 42 points in their 42-14 victory over UCLA on Saturday in Game 8. Oregon fell one game short of the 1887 streak achieved by Harvard, which extended its run to eight games of 45 points or more when it edged Wesleyan 110-0.
12: Points Stanford yielded Saturday to Oregon State, which came into the game averaging 44.1 points and had scored at least 33 points in each of its first seven games.
8: Sacks by Stanford against Oregon State.
9: Sacks allowed by Oregon State in its first seven games.
2: Stanford starting defensive ends whose status is in question for the Oregon game. Henry Anderson, who had 2.5 tackles for loss against the Ducks last year, might be ready to return after missing the past six games with a leg injury. Ben Gardner sat out the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against Oregon State with a recurring arm problem that leaves his status in question. Both Anderson and Gardner were second-team All-Pac-12 selections last season, when they combined for 27.5 tackles for loss.
88: Yards passing against Oregon State's mediocre defense by Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan, who passed for 211 yards against Oregon last year.
123: Receiving yards by Stanford tight ends against Oregon last year.
30: Receiving yards by Stanford tight ends this season.
4.41: Yards per play allowed by Oregon's defense this season, which is seventh best in the country and better than either Stanford or Alabama.

Makes your mouth water, don't it?
That's my story and I'm stickin' with it. More later.

Well, OK. That's just funny right there.
At least it's Miley amusing.

--KB

For Cougs, It'll Only Get Worse

BAD NEWS FOR WSU QB CONNOR HALLIDAY
HE'S GOING TO GET PICKED AND SACKED A LOT
From the Oregonian:

UO's defense hopes Washington State throws early, often and into mistakes

EUGENE – Unlike No. 2 Oregon, whose offense perplexes opponents with the duplicity of its read-option attack, teams coached by Mike Leach aren’t coy about their all-out passing strategy.
In his second season at Washington State, and despite an improved offensive line and running back corps, Leach still directs an offense living up to its “Air Raid” nickname. Even when defenders know what’s coming – in 2008 his Texas Tech team won 11 games while throwing 67 percent of the time -- it works.
No team has attempted more passes than WSU’s 339 this season, and the Cougars are 4-2, including a 2-2 Pac-12 record that started with a stunning road upset of USC.
“It’s one of those things that’s confoundingly simplistic,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said. “They can lock you into something and they’ll do it till you bleed.
“When they’re rolling, they’re rolling.”
When the one-dimensional Cougars hit trouble, however, they come to an immediate halt.
Though WSU quarterback Connor Halliday is as prolific as any Leach quarterback – he’s the only person in FBS to throw for 500 yards in a game this season – he’s more error-prone, too, by throwing an FBS-worst 13 interceptions. During Leach’s 10-season run at Texas Tech, his quarterbacks averaged 2.2 interceptions per 100 passes. Halliday’s interception rate is 3.8 percent. Forcing him into continued turnovers is a key for Oregon’s defense.
“Against Oregon State he was fine just chunking along, taking short-yardage gains and maybe taking a shot down the field once in a while and as soon as Oregon State got up, that’s when the wheels kind of fell off,” said Brian Anderson, a contributor to the WSU blog Cougcenter.com, which has detailed Halliday’s season in detail. “They were ‘what are you thinking?’ kind of balls.”
Halliday’s three interceptions on consecutive possessions against Oregon State last week turned just a seven-point deficit into a rout but were only the most recent examples of how his struggles are exacerbated when trailing -- and oddsmakers expect the 39-point underdog Cougars to trail a lot Saturday.
When trailing, his interception rate jumps to 6.5 percent as his completion percentage dips to 52.3 percent, symptoms of what Anderson calls “hero-ball.”
“He tries to score 14 points on every pass, and it’s just not possible,” Anderson said. [Can you blame a guy for just wanting it so bad?]
It started in the season-opening loss at Auburn. After the Tigers kicked a field goal to take a seven-point lead into the final quarter, Halliday led the Cougars within eight yards of a tying touchdown with 4 minutes remaining. Then he threw an interception. He’s thrown four picks this season when down seven points or fewer.
That trend offsets Halliday’s otherwise positive developments this season. His overall completion percentage has never been higher at 63.9 percent, and an incredible 10 WSU receivers have catches in five straight games. Vince Mayle and Dom Williams are Halliday’s go-to targets when throwing deep, but Gabe Marks is the all-around favorite, Anderson said.
“You can look at a route and say wow, that was not the right throw but maybe the guy broke the pattern off completely,” Helfrich said of Halliday. “He’s been a very efficient passer from what we’ve seen from him in the past.”
Though at times Leach has chastised the QB in postgame press conferences doing too much, he defended Halliday after the OSU loss.
“We had adversity, and it certainly wasn't just Connor,” Leach said. “He played two-thirds of the game real well. If he can play two-thirds of the game, he can do it a full game."
UO’s secondary starters have been tested a full game just once, though all-American candidate cornerbacks Terrance Mitchell and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu are up for the challenge.
Mitchell has three interceptions this season, and this week Washington coach Steve Sarkisian called Ekpre-Olomu “probably the best defensive player we've seen this season." The UO secondary has drawn a pass interference penalty in each game but one. Ekpre-Olomu said the receivers’ precision on tricky, shorter routes make this a particularly difficult group to cover.
“The secondary is going to have a lot of opportunities to make big plays,” Ekpre-Olomu said. “If we have a great pass rush and good coverage in the secondary we’ll be able to make a lot of plays but if we’re only doing one of those, Halliday is good enough to make us pay.”
So long as the Cougars aren’t trailing. [Oh, they'll be trailing.]

-- Andrew Greif

WORSE NEWS FOR HALLIDAY:
HE'S GOING TO GET PICKED AND SACKED A LOT BY GUYS WEARING PINK.
 

The Ducks will be wearing pink for breast cancer awareness.

 

 

Game time: Saturday evening 7pm Pacific on FoxSports1
--KB