Blackout or Shootout? Neither is Likely to Materialize

Defense wins championships. And a championship defense asserts itself in a showdown game.

These are two well-coached, highly-rated, talented football teams. The team that makes tackles, creates more turnovers and forces more punts will probably win. One team has Andrew Luck and the other has Darron Thomas, Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James, and somebody has to stop somebody.

Shootouts rarely materialize. When all the signs point to an offensive explosion, somebody usually rises up, and early in a game like this, there’s a feeling-out process, like two heavyweight fighters circling each other in the ring. The strengths of the two teams tend to cancel each other out, and rather than raining haymakers, there are a few body blows and key punches that decide each round.

As for a blackout, what an utterly stupid idea. Black isn’t an Oregon color, and particularly for a day game, it doesn’t stand out or make a visual statement. It dilutes the home field advantage and rarely comes off due to a high rate of nonparticipation.

Yellow is the most traditional and visually distinctive color Oregon fans could wear, particularly on national tv at dusk. As for the team, I don't get a vote, but I hope they go with the throwback green and yellow they wore to trample Cal.