The crabby fighting Duck doesn't get jet lag. He's used to long flights south.
All the work is done, and the players are reviewing their assignments. Around the country the writers and fans are reviewing their notes and preparing for a great matchup. One team has history, a glorious tradition and a frenzied home crowd on its side, and the other has more recent success. Nothing we do or say here will score a point, but it's all the football we have until Saturday evening:
Great article from rockytoptalk on the basics of the zone read.
A lot has been made, here and elsewhere, about Justin Wilcox and Peter Sirmon's familiarity with the Oregon scheme and Wilcox's apparent mastery of it, but football games aren't played by coaches on dry erase boards. Players play, and the effort and skill and poise displayed on the field is the critical thing. Oregon's offensive line is much more experienced than they were at Boise State a year ago, the running game has more weapons, and it's hard to think Darron Thomas will have a worse game against Wilcox's defense than Jeremiah Masoli did last year.
Addicted to quack interviews two Tennessee bloggers for an overview of their program.
The Tennessee writers and fans are cautiously optimistic about this year's team, frank and knowledgeable in their love of Volunteer football. They recognize that Coach Dooley's first squad has talent but lacks experience and depth. They have the memory of great victories to sustain them, and they have seen Neyland Stadium work its magic more than once.
Rob Moseley at the Register-Guard has a predictions thread, and a summary of what other newspaper writers are forecasting around the country:
Ken Goe, Oregonian: Oregon, 20-3
Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Oregon, barely
James Day: Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon, 34-23
Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Oregon, 38-17
Bud Withers, Seattle Times: Oregon, 31-20
Ted Miller, ESPN: Oregon, 35-20
Jason Vondersmith, Portland Tribune: Oregon, 38-21
Matt Hayes, The Sporting News: Oregon, 33-17
Heisman Pundit: Oregon 42-24
Wilner has a burr under his saddle for the Oregon Ducks. He repeatedly and unfailingly picks them to play badly, and downgrades their potential in all his preseason work. He has a stubborn contrarian soul and is best ignored. The consensus among the other west coast writers has Oregon winning, but none of them have eligibility left, and not more than one or two could have made the roster of Tennessee-Martin. I would have, but only in a distant day.
Mike Strange of govolsxtra lists "5 Big Things for Vols to beat Oregon".
On his list: 1) Adjusting to a national stage 2) converting on 3rd downs 3) Oregon traveling across three time zones 4) the potential and performance of UT's freshmen wide receivers and 5) the return game (Oregon returned two punts for TDs last week, while the Vols leading receiver and punt returner Gerald Jones is out with a broken hand.)
The Volunteer faithful have cited the time zone factor with unanimity, but I'm not sure it makes a gigantic difference to highly-conditioned twenty year olds. One pregame Friday night hotel room looks like any other. They all have too-firm mattresses and Sportscenter.
Randy Moore of Tennessee scout.com breaks down the matchup by position groups. He gives Oregon the edge at OL, RB, WR, and rates the defenses even, marks the Ducks with an edge at special teams, and concludes the intangibles favor the host Volunteers. Moore predicts a Tennessee upset, citing jet lag and home field advantage as critical factors.
Chip Kelly has said the time zone adjustment is not an issue, because it's equivalent to a late afternoon game on the west coast, affording his players the opportunity to remain on their Eugene body clocks, and that his squad welcomes the opportunity to play in a hallowed venue in the national spotlight.
In addition, Oregon fans would argue that the Ducks' defensive linemen and linebackers are much deeper and more talented than UT's. Hard to think Tennessee's safeties can match John Boyette and Eddie Pleasant. Boyette had 91 tackles last year, tops on the Ducks, more than the Vols entire returning secondary combined.
We have all weighed in with our clouded and cracked crystal balls, but it is the players themselves who must play. Now is a time to remember stirring Saturdays past and gather the air in our lungs, preparing to be amazed by their courage and agility.
College Football is the greatest sporting spectacle in the world. It has color, pagentry, passion, history and grace. The discourse between the fans of Tennessee and those of Oregon has been a testimony and a tribute to all of those things. Good luck to the Volunteers, and Go Ducks.
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