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Friday, December 31, 2010

I Heard the News Today Oh Boy

Who knew? I looked up from my mountain of bills today and all the Duck News is good.

Rob Moseley reports LaMichael James is returning for his junior season. He plans to play running back for the Ducks and pursue his goal of making Academic All-America. James return makes Oregon the early favorite to three-peat as league champions (is it a three-peat if the league changes size?) and gives them an awesome stable of talent at running back. There has to be some question whether Seastrunk accepts a year as understudy--he struggled during his redshirt year.

Moseley also reports on practice. Ducks are in shells today and yesterday, take Saturday off, and travel to Glendale on Sunday, a day ahead of Auburn.

Washington rode a 177-yard rushing night by Chris Polk to shock Nebraska 19-7, bringing the PAC-10 to 1-1 in bowl matchups. The Huskies secured a winning season at 7-6. Jake Locker, 4-20 passing in their first meeting, improved to 5-16 for 56 yards in this one. Whoever thought he was a first-round draft pick at quarterback is a complete whacko.

More than anything the game again proves the biggest single factor in bowl games is which team is more motivated to be there. Nebraska won the first meeting in Seattle 56-21. Washington fans are probably saying this means the program has turned the corner in Sarkisian's second year with a winning season and winning a bowl game, but next year they're looking at rebuilding with the loss of a four-year starter at quarterback and standout linebacker Mason Foster. The true definition of turning the corner at Washington is probably beating the Ducks.

Duck Territory has a breakdown on defensive line recruiting. Quick, somebody tell me who the guys are in the pictures. With Zac Clark, Kenny Rowe and Brandon Bair graduating, there are some holes to fill in this area. New recruit Jared Ebert could contribute right away, redshirting jc transfer Isaac Remington, at 6-6, 275, has the size to compete for playing time. Terrell Turner, Brandon Hanna, Wade Keliipiki and Dion Jordan made significant progress and took lots of snaps this season. Does Heimuli return for his sophomore year or take his Mormon mission? That's a difficult decision for him; it certainly did wonders for the development and maturity of Mark Asper and Brandon Bair, two leaders on this current team. Duck fans have to wish him well either way.

Duck Soup has interviews with John Neal and Tom Osborne, plus all the links. The Neal interview is the longest clip I've seen with him, very candid and insightful.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Stop Saying He's Unstoppable


Unstoppable is the loosest of sports cliches. No one is unstoppable, except maybe the 100-points-a-game Wilt and the guy with the rainbow hair and John 3:16 sign. Everybody else was good for a while and got old.

Quick question: if Cam Newton is so unstoppable, why did the Auburn Tigers score just 28 points against Alabama, 24 against LSU, 27 against Clemson and 17 against Mississippi State? Of course the champions of the SEC did lay 62 on Chattanooga and 52 on Louisiana-Monroe. The numbers don't support the unchecked belligerence-straight-out-of-Deliverance from the fans of the rent-a-QB. He's good, and has amassed impressive stats, but War Eagle had to snare a few crippled ground squirrels to stay alive in 2010.

Beating the Ducks won't be as easy as lining up the fat guys and running right. The Ducks have run circles around big, fat guys all season. Scheme won't win the national championship, and neither will belly-bucking bigness. Auburn will have to earn the title just like everyone else who made it this far in the previous sixteen seasons.

Fan boards can huff and puff all they want, but the whole thing still might come down to the laces on a field goal try with two seconds to play.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The PAC-10's Reputation Swirls the Drain

If the plan is to get Auburn overconfident, Arizona is playing their part perfectly. They look inept and defenseless in tonight's Alamo Bowl, trailing 23-7 at halftime. Nick Foles served up a pick six, and the secondary let Justin Blackmon loose for a 71-yard touchdown reception. Down 16, the Wildcats have abandoned the run and Foles is getting pummeled.

Tomorrow night, Washington is liable to repeat the result, and the conference will be off to an 0-2 start in bowl games. Stanford has Va Tech in the Orange and they're favored. Will it be the last college game for Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck?

Of course if Oregon wins the National Championship Game, the league's reputation gets an instant and irrefutable boost. If Auburn wins, the SEC honking will be insufferable. I may have to move to New Zealand.

Gazing into a Blurry, Green-hazed Crystal Ball

With the long layoff and all the hype, it's always a question what kind of a game will emerge in Glendale on January 10th.

Will it be the offensive fireworks show everyone anticipates, an old WAC-style shootout, last team with the ball wins? 48-45, with LaMichael James or Cam Newton diving in for the winning score on the last play of the game, lieing on the turf exhausted in victory?

Will it be dominated by trick plays and fourth down conversions and brilliant coaching moves?

Will both teams be sharp and ready, producing a memorable game with lots of highlights? Or will it be a fizzle and a flop, a game where one team is dominant and precise, while the other gets lost in the glare of the national spotlight?

Or maybe both misfire after the long month with no live snaps. Defenses, turnovers and botched drives dominate, with one team slogging to an unconvincing victory.

Recent history provides the following clues: Auburn didn't go to a bowl in 2008. They edged Northwestern in the Outback Bowl last January 10th to complete an 8-5 season. Most "experts" had them pick to finish fourth in the SEC West this year. They rely heavily on two stars, Heisman Trophy winner Newton and Lombardi Award honoree and consensus All-America Nick Fairley. The Tigers are carrying the weight of a whole region on their shoulders, and the pressure of being number one and favored. In the last couple of weeks, their offensive coordinator has been courted for three million dollar head coaching jobs at Vanderbilt and Maryland.

Meanwhile the Ducks lost the Rose Bowl last year and had to rebuild their team after losing a star quarterback to an off season incident. The adversity brought this team closer, gave it a stronger character and a clearer focus. Outstanding leadership emerged. The passing game markedly improved. They took on the character of their coach, confident, unflappable, purposeful.

I'll be blunt. Watch Chizik in interviews. He's wooden and tense, with the personality of a chunk of lava.

Who would you rather play for, on the biggest stage of your life?

The Tigers will be depending on Cam to ride in and save the day again. The Ducks will be poised, loose and ready for the game of their lives.

Oregon is a family. Between Malzahn's resume and Newton's eligibility crisis and Fairley's academic one, the Tigers are a soap opera. One team is quietly getting ready, and the other one is putting out fires, boarding the windows in the face of minor media funnel clouds.

Roll Duck, and War practice and preparation. The Tigers will stumble in the desert. It's the first time they've crossed multiple time zones for a road game in their pampered SEC football lives.

All season long, Oregon's imposed its will in the second half, and Auburn has survived by star-crossed miracles and furious rallies.

The Tigers are poised for a collapse in Glendale. They'll be nervous, over-coached and over-confident. Their fans think winning the SEC title guarantees them a national championship. After all, that the way it's always worked before for the ESS EEE SEE.

They're in for a shock. The Ducks are all that and a bag of Tostitos. Newton scurries away to the NFL, Malzahn to the big office with a leather chair in some other state. Chizik faces a long hour at the podium answering the same five questions posed in 50 different ways. Let the recrimination and fulmination begin.

The Ducks will come home with a crystal football. They'll be the banana on the granola in a state that takes everything in stride.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Three Most Overstated Factors of the National Championship Game

Duck fans keep saying that Auburn won't be able to keep up with Oregon's pace, that even though the Tigers play a no-huddle, fast tempo spread, it isn't with the same frenzied pace that the Ducks do.

Statistically, it's true the Ducks play faster, running a play every 17 seconds at their best tempo, while Auburn hits the play clock around 24 seconds per play.

But it won't matter in this game. We've covered this before, but people keep bringing it up. Auburn is the deepest, fastest team Oregon has played this year. They're pretty good, and play at a good clip themselves. The National Championship game is a special circumstance. Ted Roof has five weeks to get his defensive team ready, and they were a well-conditioned football team to begin with.

In addition, the NCG is college's football's biggest payday. The teams will get $21 million apiece (they have to split it with their respective leagues, and buy hotel rooms for the band and rally squad, but still). Consequently the game has more and longer commercial breaks and a longer halftime show than any game all year. The wear down factor is mitigated. A crucial advantage Oregon has exploited all year simply doesn't exist in this game, due to its structure and the strengths of the opponent.

To beat Auburn, the Ducks will have to play their best game of the year, limit turnovers, and play four quarters of sound, fundamental football. There are no magic tricks or gimmicks. There will certainly be moments of memorable misdirection and chicanery, because the game features two of the game's most inventive offensive minds in Auburn's Malzahn and Chip Kelly. But the game will be won or lost the same way every game ultimately is, with blocking and tackling and disciplined execution. Auburn will handle Oregon's pace of play better than any team has all season. They are better acclimated, and they have more time to adjust. That doesn't mean the Ducks are done, or even disadvantaged. It just means they'll have to be prepared for the Tigers' best shot. They'll have to win straight up, mano a mano, like Lieutenant Dan climbing the rigging during the hurricane. They'll have to wear their magic legs, and run.

The second most overstated factor is the Auburn delusion that their team has been tested by a tougher schedule and will blow the Ducks out of the water merely by showing up. Oregon isn't intimidated by anyone. They don't feel pressure because they know what they're doing, and as we've discussed, they've faced big, physical offensive and defensive lines all season. The Ducks have an athletic, agile, swarming defense, ideally suited to compete with Auburn's multiple offense and their reliance on Cam Newton. Casey Matthews, Josh Kaddu and Kenny Rowe will pursue him better than anyone has all year, and Oregon's secondary will contest his passing game. The Ducks are good tacklers. They have five players with 60 or more tackles, and 17 with 22 or more. They've held opponents to 4.5 yards per play and forced 35 turnovers.

Auburn has faced tough competition this year, but they've also faced eight conference games against teams with inflated records and rankings. The Tigers were rarely dominant and often challenged in a league that has a rightful claim to historical supremacy but little legitimate claim to undisputed preeminence in the here and now. This isn't Oregon versus the SEC; it's Auburn versus Oregon, and even if it were, this Oregon team would be very competitive. Auburn beat Alabama 28-27, beat LSU 24-17, beat Clemson 27-24, beat Kentucky 37-34. I like the Ducks' chances against the same four opponents, but that's a hypothetical, and we don't deal in hypotheticals.

The third overstated factor is the lazy assertion that no one can stop Cam Newton. Nonsense. You're only saying that because the NCAA couldn't. Take another look at the scores above. Even with Cam Newton playing his best football against teams with crucial weaknesses, Auburn rarely dominated anyone. They won games by the stripes of their fur, and in a couple of them they lost a claw or two in the fourth quarter. Cam Newton is a great football player, a force on the field. Statistically he's had the best season since Vince Young left Texas or Tebow cried his last tear for Florida. But look objectively at the results and box scores: Auburn is not an unstoppable football team with a wall of mayhem for a defense. They are just a very good one.

So is Oregon, and this will be a competitive game, decided by who plays better in two weeks. Posturing, reputation, fan claims and counterclaims won't make a difference of one feather, be it an eagle's or a duck's. To win, both teams have to tackle and take care of the football. It isn't inevitable. The future isn't written. It's earned.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Two Weeks Away and Right on Schedule

The Ducks sound dialed in. First practice back from Christmas break, and everyone is flying around with good intensity. Drills are crisp and the focus is sharp. Lindsay Schnell of oregonlive reports several players took video home to review over the break, that every player has watched and studied all 13 of Auburn's games.

The beat writers asked Chip Kelly how far away the team is from being ready. "Two weeks," he said.

Vintage Chip, and perfect.

They just might surprise everyone East of Ontario and South of Klamath Falls.

Interview With a Vampire--well no, not exactly a vampire; maybe a devoted carnivore, I'd say

This is more of the spontaneous recognition I need. The website Bowlseason asked me to an interview for their site, previewing the national title matchup.

Bowl Season has previews and comments on all the bowl games, including tonight's Independence Bowl ground war between Air Force and Georgia Tech. Their questions appear below in the slanty-face type. My answers are in the straight-up type. It was my first interview; please tell me if I left out anything important.

BS: The Oregon Ducks have won 2 consecutive PAC-10 titles in the first 2 years under Chip Kelly.How has Kelly been able to turn a good program into a great program?

Coach Kelly would be the first to give credit to his coaches and players. Oregon has been on a steady climb toward respectability since the late '80s, and a big part of that success has been continuity. Since 1977 the Ducks have had just three head coaches, Rich Brooks, Mike Belotti and now Kelly. In addition the Ducks have a core of longtime assistants, Steve Greatwood, Nick Aliotti, Don Pellum, Gary Campbell, and strength coach Jim Radcliffe. all of whom have 20 or years or more in the program, serving under all three head coaches.

Kelly elevated the program in two ways. One, with leadership. He handled some difficult, very public situations with consistency and decisiveness, sending the message that if you want to be part of this program you have to adhere to the same rules and standards as everyone else. In 2009 he suspended star running back LaGarrette Blount for eight games, and his handling of that situation was instrumental in both Blount's rehabilitation and the team's resilience. Star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was suspended in February and then booted off the team in May of this year. Kelly suspended LaMichael James and kicker Rob Beard for off-field incidents.

The team has bought in, completely. They have absorbed his win-the-day philosophy, and have treated every game like the Super Bowl.

Kelly's second major innovation is the way the Ducks practice and the tempo at which they play. They work with tremendous intensity, running a play every ten seconds in drills. In games they rotate about 26 players a game on defense, playing a fast, attacking style that forced 35 turnovers this year.

BS: The offense has been great this year, averaging 49.3 points a game. Talk about Darron Thomas' job at QB and what are the keys to success against this SEC defense? Also, please include some personnel.

When Jeremiah Masoli was suspended and then booted off the team last spring, many experts downgraded the Ducks from a potential national title contender to question mark. The thinking was, no one competes in the PAC-10 without an experienced quarterback. How would a sophomore starter handle a hostile road environment in game 2 at Tennessee in front of a national TV audience and 102,000 fans? How would he handle a big confrontation with smashmouth Stanford in game 4, or a road game to face USC in the Coliseum on Saturday Night College Football?

Thomas' rapid development was the key to Oregon's undefeated season. He was poised and unflappable. He handled every challenge and progressed way more quickly than anyone could have hoped, throwing for over 2800 yards and 28 touchdowns, running for about 500. He proved to be an upgrade over Masoli in the passing game, and distributed the ball effectively in Oregon's faced-paced multiple read offense.

Here's a telling stat: Thomas threw only seven interceptions this season, and after six of those, Oregon scored on their next offensive possession. That's resilience. In fact, he threw a pick on the Ducks' first drive of the year versus New Mexico (a lineman missed a key block on an inside screen) and he went down and made the tackle. Oregon quickly got the ball back and won 72-0, Thomas throwing for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The next weekend they trailed midway through the second quarter 13-3 in Neyland stadium, and he took big hits to toss a pair of touchdown passes as the Ducks scored 45 unanswered points to win 48-13 on the road versus an SEC opponent.

Throughout the season DT met every challenge. He handled all his firsts, the first college start, the first road game in a hostile environment, the conference opener, the first showdown game with a ranked opponent, a Saturday night game against USC in the Coliseum, the pressure of an undefeated season and a number one ranking. He not only replaced Masoli, which many pundits and experts doubted he could do, he upgraded Oregon's downfield passing game, a glaring weakness in key games last year.

But the beauty of Oregon's attack is that it isn't just about one star and one guy. It's a cohesive team with many weapons. The offensive line, led by center Jordan Holmes, guard Bo Thran and tackle Mark Asper, roadgraded opponents for 6450 yards of offense, 3646 on the ground. Senior Jeff Maehl leads a tough, unselfish group of wideouts that excels at downfield blocking. He's joined by Lavasier Tuinei and Drew Davis. Tight end David Paulson may have the best hands on the team, and all but two of his catches went for a first down or touchdown. The Ducks are deep on offense, and get big plays from explosive players Kenjon Barner and Josh Huff off the bench. Both have breakaway speed. Huff took a pitch 85 yards for a touchdown in the Arizona game. Barner had five touchdowns in the opener against New Mexico, an 80-yard punt return for TD against Tennessee, and 134 yards rushing on 15 carries in the Civil War.

BS: The defense was very underrated this year, giving up only 18 points a game. What will the key to success be against the potent Auburn offense? Also, who are the top players on the unit?

Jim Rome interviewed Chip Kelly last week, and Kelly told him that there is no magic scheme for stopping Cam Newton and Auburn, that the game would come down to fundamentals, particularly gang tackling and pursuit. A lot of experts and SEC honks say the Ducks have no chance against the fast, physical and potent Tiger attack, but the Ducks will get on the plane and plan to play the game.

Oregon matches up a lot better against Gus Malzahn's offense than many think, because they are deep, fast, and physical themselves. They regularly play about 26 guys, and the talent in the unit is such that there isn't a big dropoff when they go to the bench. Senior Casey Matthews is one of the leaders at middle linebacker, and he's a smart player with great instincts and a great football pedigree. His family has a long, proud history in the NFL. Kenny Rowe, who had 3 sacks in last year's Rose Bowl against Terrelle Pryor, anchors the line along with DT Brandon Bair. Rowe is so athletic and versatile Oregon uses him in a variety of roles, standing him up on some plays as a linebacker and putting him in a three-point stance on others. Bair is tough in the middle, with 15.5 tackles for loss and 8 batted passes.

Matthews is one feature performer in a talented group of linebackers, including fast, physical Josh Kaddu, heady senior Spencer Paysinger, and youngsters Michael Clay and Bo Lokombo, who returned a fumble for touchdown against Arizona State. The secondary flies to the football, and they've been thoroughly tested in the pass-happy PAC-10. Safety John Boyett and cornerback Cliff Harris had five interceptions each, and cornerback Talmadge Jackson III is a sure tackler who improved all season. Strong safety/rover Eddie Pleasant is Oregon's fastest player on defense.

The Ducks' defense excels at big plays and turnovers. This season they created 35 turnovers. They were tough in the red zone (67.6%) and tough on fourth down (23.8%). Because of the high-powered offense, they are often underrated and overlooked, and may surprise some people on January 10th.

BS: If you could choose one player to have a breakout performance in the bowl game, who would it be?

Odd to say, but I think the breakout performer will be LaMichael James. James thrives on big games, rushing for over 200 yards against both Stanford and USC this year. He was hampered by a third-quarter shoulder injury against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Over Oregon's last four games of this 2010 regular season, LMJ ran tough but didn't have his customary burst. He ended the Cal game on crutches and didn't have his top gear for Arizona or Oregon State. With five weeks to heal, James will be at full-strength and full quickness, and the country will get a chance to see what a great player he truly is.

Watch out also for Oregon's special teams, which have produced big plays all season, and Huff and Barner. Kelly loves to get those two in open space.

Stopping Cam Newton: Be Quick Like a Chicken and tend to business

The best quality video coverage of Oregon football is consistently available at Oregon Duck Soup. The pieces chosen are top notch, and the video stream is always clean and reliable. None of that grainy, low-quality youtube nonsense. Today he has an interview, Chip Kelly with Jim Rome. Chip and Rome play it straight, and he gives a great breakdown of the game. Beating Auburn won't be a matter of creating a magic scheme, Kelly says. It will take effort and fundamentals.

Duck Soup always produces great effort and fundamentals. Here at The Duck Stops Here, it's like Gilligan's Island, as primitive as can be. The secret to stopping Cam Newton can be found in the movie Rocky 2: be quick like a chicken.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Success Breeds Success, and Silences the Critics

Former Duck running back LeGarrette Blount put a punctuation mark on his comeback by rumbling for 164 yards on 18 carries against Seattle today. With one game to go Blount is closing in on a 1,000 yard season, and could be the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

With current Duck LaMichael James winning the Doak Walker Award and leading the country with over 1600 yards rushing, it will become harder and harder for the critics and negative recruiters to say the Oregon system doesn't prepare backs for the next level.

The three young backs in the system, Seastrunk, Williams and new verbal commit Tra Carson, have to be inspired by all this success.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

The Question That Never Gets Asked

Over the last several days several of the ESPN college football commentators have weighed in on the announced violations and subsequent NCAA penalties at Ohio State. Mark May, Tom Luginbill, Kirk Herbstreit, Robert Smith and Craig James have all talked at length about the impact of the five-game suspensions, the long-term effect on the Ohio State program, and the likelihood the athletes involved will opt for the NFL draft rather than return for an abbreviated senior year.

Mel Kiper opined that none of the five, including Terrelle Pryor, were likely to be a first or second round draft pick. Pryor, he said, was looking at a probable position change as a pro, to tight end or h-back. Tall, athletic, and fast, he's a natural there, but he doesn't have the arm strength or throwing mechanics to be an NFL quarterback.


The commentators deplored the selfishness and poor judgment of the players. They questioned the timing of the NCAA penalties and the apparent inconsistency, allowing the five to play in a lucrative bowl game while some other players in other conferences had been suspended immediately. They questioned the logic of "I didn't know" defense, and its potentially disastrous repercussions for the future of college football. It's a loophole street agents could drive ten trucks through, it seems.

Luginbill, James, May, Smith and Herbstreit talked about the integrity of the game and the difficulty of enforcement. They expressed outrage at the NCAA's inconsistency and the players selfishness, and concern for the future of college football.

But one question was never asked. In fact, it is never asked. The guy in the main chair on the ESPN set needs to say, all of you guys were stars at major programs, highly sought after, highly successful. Do you take illegal benefits? What went on at your schools? James has famously denied being involved in the flamboyant cheating at SMU in the '70's. "All that happened after I left," he has said.

Call me a cynic, but the outrage and pontificating rings a little hollow. The men on the panel are all products of the system they decry, the whole silent, submerged, hypocritical underside of college football.

It's a beautiful game with a dark secret. When someone noisily bumps into the furniture, the lights have to come on, and it threatens to reveal how broken everything is.

What happened at SMU, Craig James? And what happened at Ohio State, when you were there, Kirk Herbstreit and Robert Smith? Are we to believe the problem of street agents and boosters and illegal benefits started with Terrelle Pryor and Devier Posey?

May makes the point that you can't really pay the players openly because then girls' volleyball and men's baseball have to be paid too. The message seems to be, everybody just keep cheating, but keep it quiet like the old days. But the old days are long gone. What you do on Tuesday shows up on Deadspin or the Wizard of Odds on Wednesday. There's a blogger or a whistle blower standing on top of every other rock.

Here's hoping the Ducks win the national title game, and save the NCAA from another embarrassing mess in a few months.

Yet who is to say the Ducks won't one day have an embarrassing mess of their own.

Merry Christmas

This is a day for more important things, for family and reunion and forgiveness, for celebrating our blessings and sharing a cup or a bottle in moderation. We are thankful for the Ducks, for their health and success, and we are thankful for each other.

Blessings today to Tigers and Eagles, blessings to the athletes and fans that have lost their way. Christmas is a time of redemption and awakening. Take a moment today to take stock, to count your joys, and reach out to someone you know who comes to the season broken, or lost or uncertain. Welcome them in love. Make a place for them at the table, and let the errors or disappointments of the past be exactly that.

Merry Christmas. Thank you for your visits and contributions, and best wishes. Go Ducks.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Ask any Auburn fan, and this game is already won

"Auburn has played six ranked teams," the meme goes, "Who has Oregon played? Nobody."

But Oregon beat Tennessee, an SEC bowl team, on their home field. They beat them more decisively than anyone in the SEC did.

"Tennessee's the worst team in the SEC this year. You beat them early in the year before they jelled."

Got to admire SEC fans. They are champions of circular reasoning. If you pointed out that the Vols beat Kentucky, which took the Auburn to the last minute of play, or played LSU to a standstill, they'd have an answer for that also, something like, "Comparin' scores don't mean nothin'. Y'all aren't prepared for the size and speed of the ESS EEE SEE."

Oregon fans wind up making the same argument that TCU and Boise fans make, that the Ducks beat everybody on their schedule, a schedule that included #4 Stanford, one of the most physical teams in the country, and USC in the Coliseum, one of the nation's fastest and most talented squads. The Tigers are good, very good in fact, and deserving of their number one ranking, but there are plenty of fast, physical athletes in the PAC-10. Oregon won challenging matchups all season.

In truth, the Ducks dominated a down conference. But part of the reason the conference was down was the presence of two dominant teams. Hard to look good when Oregon and Stanford go a combined 17-1 in the league. That means everyone else starts 0-2. Then factor in those out of conference games against Nebraska, TCU, Wisconsin, Iowa, Syracuse, Boise State, and Nevada, and the league doesn't look as bad. Arizona, USC, and Cal could hang in the SEC East.

Actually we'll never know, partly because the SEC rarely ventures outside their home stadiums in non-league play. But the Ducks will take a shot at Auburn on January 10th, and they open next year with LSU on a neutral field.

By then we'll all have a much clearer idea of whether Oregon can compete with the fast, physical SEC.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Ohio State Tattooed by 2011 Penalties

ESPN reported this morning that five Ohio State players, including stars Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and Devier Posey, are suspended the first five games of next season by the NCAA. All five are still eligible for the January 4th Sugar Bowl, however.

The five accepted extra benefits, including free tattoos, and sold autographs, memorabilia and gear. Pryor sold his Big Ten Championship ring, a 2009 Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award and his 2008 Gold Pants, a gift players received for beating arch-rival Michigan. The other players involved sold jerseys and shoes, also received tattoos.

The other two players suspended are starting left tackle Mike Adams and reserve defensive linemen Solomon Thomas. Former OSU quarterback and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit called it "addition by subtraction," saying now the Buckeyes could get back to being a team.

Pryor, Posey and Herron are all eligible to enter the NFL draft after this season.

The NCAA is a weird, weird world. Cecil Newton openly shops his son around the SEC for $200,000 and the Auburn quarterback walks off with an armload of awards, including the Heisman. Now he's playing on the NCAA's biggest stage. Stars all over the country are driving around in cars they never paid for and apartments furnished by invisible ink. LaMichael James mentioned in an interview that he and the Rodgers brothers like to meet for dinner at Ruby Tuesday. College football players don't have time for summer jobs. Training is a year-round deal now. Where do they get the money to spring for dinner at Ruby Tuesday?

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski once said you couldn't investigate any program in major NCAA sports without finding at least ten minor violations. The hypocrisy and glaringly obvious inconsistencies are everywhere. Millions of dollars are at stake, and these are the most talented and sought-after young athletes in their respective sports.

Knowing what's at stake, the NCAA looks the other way in most cases, while randomly hammering players and schools for minor and obvious violations. Sell a jersey or get a free tattoo? You're going to miss games. Finance a church renovation with a large lump sum payment? Shame on you. We'll talk to you later. All over the country there are parents of athletes who have gotten jobs and homes and cars. It's a package deal and an old story. Hugh McElhenny once joked when he went to the NFL he had to take a cut in pay. That was in the 1950's. Auburn's '57 national title team included a blocking back who shot a man to death. The Tigers were already on probation for recruiting violations. They will be again. It's part of the circle of life in the NCAA.

The Oregon Ducks are big time now, and a future NCAA probe is inevitable. The other Northwest schools, infested by the bedbugs of envy and resentment, will fuel an innuendo with a whisper followed by a rumor until some administrative flack with a basement office follows a money trail to the door of a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant or tattoo parlor and the Ducks are painted with the same brush that once marked SMU or Alabama or USC with a scarlet "C." Cheater. Lose 30 scholarships and suffer a three-year bowl ban.

Here's the problem: When teams get penalized, they get penalized for doing the same things everyone else is doing, just in a more successful or flamboyant way. Athletes at lowly Washington State are getting paid. They're just not getting paid as well or as effectively. To evade the penalty you have to postpone the attention and detection. And the surest way to do that is unpalatable.

Keep losing.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Girlsie State Rolls in Las Vegas Bowl

Utah and Boise State play to a nothing-nothing tie for most of the first quarter, then Utah intercepts Kellen Moore and drives backwards for a field goal and a 3-0 lead, but it's all Broncos after that. Someone should have told the Utes they were playing Alabama. Without their triggerman, quarterback Jordan Wynn, they look flat and lifeless.

BSU is the most annoying team for a non-fan to watch. Playing in a minor bowl on Wednesday night, they celebrate and dance and pistol-pose over every completion or tackle.

Someone should tell them another meaningless victory in a nowhere bowl against a non-AQ opponent convinces no one of anything. Alabama or Stanford or Wisconsin would put the pistols back in the holster in a hurry.

Have to wonder also if Utah is ready for the step up in class to the new PAC-12.

It's another reminder that the biggest single factor in most bowl games is which team is the most motivated to be there. And the next biggest factor is which team is missing its star player.

What Dreams May Come

Last night I had a dream, and I saw the National Championship Game unfold before my eyes. I normally avoid mumbo jumbo like visions, but this was different than anything I'd ever experienced. I was watching from a nose bleed seat in the end zone. I spilled a spot of mustard on my pants. My brother Roger bought me a beer. This dream was real, and unprecedented. Except for the spot of mustard. I do that stuff all the time.

Auburn scored first, on their first possession. They marched right down the field passing only once. On third and five from the 13 McCalebb took a direct snap on trick play and scooted around left end untouched, the Ducks badly fooled, following Newton and the apparent flow of the play to the right. Newton never had the ball, hiding nothing but his big hands on his right hip. I think that's when I spilled the mustard, screaming at the defense not to bite on the fake.

Chizik then applies an in-your-face to Kelly. The Tigers line up quickly and go for two, Newton keeping and diving over the top easily. 8-0 Auburn, and the War Eagle spit-screamers are in a frenzy. ESSSSSS EEEEEE SSEEEEE Footbaw!

Their frenzied chortling continues as the Oregon offense sputters for much of the first quarter. After a three and out on the second possession, LaMichael James is visibly upset, going from teammate to teammate, slapping helmets, grabbing jerseys, "C'mon, C'mon! We're better than this!" You could read his lips on the Jumbotron. I'd never seen him react that way.

Auburn scores again at the start of the second quarter, a long pass play to Darvin Adams down the right sideline, a double move that looks eerily similar to Juron Criner's first score in the Arizona game. 15-0 Auburn. The Tiger crowd grows more obnoxious. The whole stadium smells like Southern Comfort and barbeque sauce.

Oregon gets the ball. Josh Huff returns the kickoff to the 37. Darron Thomas sails high on a pass to Drew Davis, a quick screen left with blockers in front of him. A zone read right loses two, Fairley pile-driving LaMichael into the turf. Third and season. James is fuming.

On 3rd and 12, four-down territory for the Ducks, the Doak Walker Award winner spins out of a tackle at the line of scrimmage and races 65 yards up the left sideline for a touchdown. He gets key blocks downfield from Davis, Maehl and Tuinei, a play eerily similar to his 72-yard run against Tennessee.

Oregon goes for two on a swinging gate play but the Tigers sniff it out, incomplete to Jordan in the back of the end zone.

With Auburn up 15-6 at halftime, the stone-faced and colorless Chizik says something bland to Erin Andrews, "They're a good football team, we've just got to keep up the pressure in the second half." Thanks coach. He sprints off the field.

In the third quarter, the Ducks get a 38-yard touchdown pass, Thomas to Paulson and close it to 15-13. Oregon's defense holds the Tigers to two field goals. 21-13, and the University of Phoenix Stadium urinal troughs are a river of cheap whiskey.

Early in the fourth quarter, third and eight, from the Oregon 44. Four down territory for the Ducks. James runs a wheel route down the right sideline, Thomas' fourth option on the play. He stands in and takes a brutal hit from Fairley, finds James in stride, and the Ducks close to 21-20.

Auburn answers with a drive but Bo Lokombo intercepts Newton near mid-field, a pass in the left flat intended for Lutzenkirchen. It's the same formation the Tigers ran for the tying touchdown against Alabama, but Lokombo is in perfect position, and Newton throws right into coverage. Lokombo hugs the ball to his chest and gets mobbed by his teammates. Eight minutes to play.

The Ducks drive, all running plays to advance inside the 20 but stall there. Incomplete to Maehl. Fairley stuffs a zone read. A high snap messes up the timing on third down. Fourth and nine, and Kelly signals a field goal.

Beard wobbles it inside the right upright, and Oregon leads 23-21 with 5:45 on the clock.

Auburn starts a drive. They return the kickoff to the 23. Two designed runs by Newton get the ball quickly to the 40. On first and 10, he throws over the middle, a skinny post to Adams.

The ball has a little too much air under it. Cliff Harris, who has been quiet all day, steps in front of it for the pick. He cuts right and weaves inside the 20. At the 13 he breaks Newton's ankles with a juke, picks up a block from Matthews and scores, getting a 15-yard celebration penalty for flashing the O with his Nike gloves. No one cares. 59-yard interception return, Oregon lead. Beard drills the 35-yard extra point.

As time runs out Boyett picks off a desperation pass. Oregon 30, Auburn 21.

I hope the dream was wrong. I don't want it to be that tense and nerve-wracking. But the Ducks win, and they do it with heart and resilience and commitment.

The last thing I saw was LaMichael James kissing the crystal football.

Oregon 0 6 7 17--30
Auburn 8 7 6 0--21

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Things Are Different in the South

Southern football is different. Football is all tied up in their cultural identity and approaches the level of a religion. Each school has their flag, their traditions and symbols and sacred songs. Every school has its heroes and mythology and memories of magical years. The pride is enormous. The emotional investment and identification surpasses anything we can imagine. We love our Ducks, but we do so with a trace of irony and self-mockery. In Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama, the fortunes of the state's teams are essential dinner conversation 12 months a year. The Spring Game is played to a packed house.

There is nothing in our experience like War Eagle and the '57 National Champions. On the field, the 2010 Oregon Ducks are a fair challenge for the Auburn Tigers, but as fans we'll never equal their passion or their single-minded fervor. It's another mindset, another way of life.

The Final Countdown: Is Chip Kelly Consensus Coach of the Year?

Coaches aren't measured by awards. Coaches are measured by wins and titles. This postseason Kelly has won the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award, after previously being honored by the Football Writers Association and The Sporting News. Kelly also won the AP, the award that has a $25,000 bonus clause in his contract. Gene Chizik won the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, selected by ESPN and ABC college football analysts.

Let's call it a tie, and count Glendale as the tiebreaker.

I was talking to Richard, one of my wife's coworkers, at the MetroWest Ambulance Christmas dinner, and he remarked on how uptight and rigid Chizik looked at the BCS unveiling on ESPN. He used a colorful expression involving a stick. Chizik does come across as a little robotic and humorless on camera, and the contrast of the quipster Kelly, surrounded by his jubilant players, to Chizik speaking from some sterile glass-brick anteroom, was marked. Hard to think the Auburn coach would inspire much loyalty, confidence and passion in his players, although they've certainly accomplished all their goals to this point.

Chizik reminds me of Tom Landry. Kelly doesn't remind me of anyone. Chizik seems aloof and preoccupied by schemes and matchups, endlessly spouting coachspeak. I'll always remember Kelly's answer to the sideline reporter before the UCLA game, when he was asked about the pressure of the number one ranking, "Pressure is what you feel when you don't know what you're doing. We know what we're doing."

Results are the ultimate measure of a coach, but there isn't any doubt that Kelly is one of the best teachers and motivators in football. His kids believe in him and in each other. I've never seen a coach who could achieve such a balance of discipline and affection, enthusiasm and execution, confidence and humility. The Ducks are the most consistently dialed-in players in the country. They speak with one voice, and practice with relentless intensity. That's a tribute to coaching with a practical focus and true vision.

Chip Kelly is consensus Coach of the Year, with the deciding vote to be cast on January 10th. It won't be a popularity contest.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Money Never Sleeps, and Neither Does Quality Duck Info

21 days to go. Like the team, Duck fans have 21 days to prepare for National Championship. With the windows papered over at the Moshofsky Center, information becomes precious. Knowledge staves off panic.

News of crisp practices, the entire two deep healthy and ready, including Jackson Rice booming punts to the ceiling and landing them at the two, is exactly the kick Duck fans need in the Christmas punch. Lavasier Tuinei is wearing a full-go practice jersey, turning quick screens into first downs and sealing off the second level. There is peace on earth, good will toward men, and a decent chance of pummeling the cow college with the rent-a-quarterback. Somehow a true fan lives with an unspoken sense that if we study hard enough and glean enough win-the-day wisdom, we can coax the outcome toward the dream.

Fortunately, the steady climb of success has brought with it a pure stream of quality information. Rob Moseley, Ken Goe, Morning Mud, and Duck Sports Now will give you the fundamentals. Addicted to Quack provides the summary and analysis and the free-flowing banter of the never-ending tailgate.

Then there are these two wise guys, who provide the football gold, frankincense and myrrh. Here are two other links that belong on your Duck football favorites:


Gary Horowitz, Statesman Journal

Horowitz doesn't quite have the following of Goe or Moseley at the big city papers, but he's a solid journalist who works the beat every day:

The Tigers’ 6-foot-6, 250-pound Heisman Trophy winner leads the nation in passing efficiency, and has run for 1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Newton is by no means a one-man show. Running back Michael Dyer has rushed for 950 yards, and wide receiver Darvin Adams has 48 catches for 909 yards and seven touchdowns.

Tony DiFrancisco,Duck Sports Authority

If you don't currently bookmark the RSS feed to Tony D's tweets, you should start, or turn in your Yell-O tee shirt. DiFrancisco works a speed bag of juicy facts and info on Duck recruiting and other random Duck topics, each as powerful and crisp as a quick left jab from Irish Micky Ward. Tony D is connected. No one drops knowledge like Tony D:

RT @ajude34: Darron Thomas threw 7 interceptions this season. after 6 of those, Ducks immediately scored TD on next possession

Duck_Feed 58 Oregon football players recorded a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher for the fall term #goducks #thenatty

If Cal DL Coach Tosh Lupoi becomes the DL coach for Texas as rumored, it will be interesting to see what happens with Cal's recruiting class

Adam Jude's stat on the Thomas interceptions, only seven for the season against 28 touchdowns, six of them followed by an Oregon touchdown on the next possession, is a testament to the uncommon poise and resilience of this football team.

It's a fact to give you hope, and in the words of the immortal Andy Dufresne, "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

And that's a Christmas sentiment that every well-informed Duck fan can endorse.






What Duck fans can expect at University of Phoenix Stadium, a link with the straight dope

stadiumjourney.com has a review of University of Phoenix Stadium, site of the BCS National Championship. It seats 63,400 and looks like a giant spaceship rising out of the desert. Tailgating is encouraged, with tents of no more than 10x10, taking up no more than a single parking spot. Inside the stadium, the turf is natural grass and a small beer is 6.75.

The stadium has a retractable roof and seating in the end zones can be expanded to increase capacity to about 72,000 fans. The sightlines are excellent and there are 30 men's restrooms and 35 for women. With ample parking and a pleasant atmosphere, it's a clean, modern facility. The only drawback is that's it's a little small for such a big game.

The website has pictures and fan comments. Worth a look for fans wanting to get a lay of the land or map out the perfect away tailgate.

Cam Newton/Terrelle Pryor, and Other Knee-Jerk Comparisions

Certain comparisons are inevitable but limited in their usefulness. Darron Thomas often got pegged as the next Dennis Dixon. I'm just glad he's the first Darron Thomas. 28 tds and 3000 yards of total offense are all the credentials he needs.

Facing Cam Newton it's certain analysts will bring up Pryor and last year's Rose Bowl. After all, they're both tall, athletic and black. But there are several significant points of distinction between the two. Auburn uses Newton far more in designed runs. Pryor, who is two notches faster than Newton, not quite as tall or big, hurt the Ducks improvising, on quarterback scrambles. This year's Duck defense is faster, more varied, and deeper. If they succeed in holding Newton to 266 yards passing, 72 yards rushing, and 26 points, Oregon will win the game handily. Auburn's defense won't contain this year's Quack attack the same way OSU did. There's more resolve on this year's team, and better leadership. No one on this team is content merely to be going to the bowl.

Oregon's defense matches up really well with Newton and his offense. Their multiple pressure and coverage schemes will challenge him to make reads and quick decisions. They'll pursue and gang tackle as well as anyone he faced in the SEC.

Can't Help but Wonder Department: How will the outcome of the NCG affect some key staff and player decisions?

Read on the web this morning that Justin Wilcox, Tennessee defensive coordinator and a former graduate assistant and all-league defensive back at Oregon, is a leading candidate to replace departed Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who took the head job at Florida. Funny how the dominoes fall in college football.

I've always hoped Wilcox would wind up on the staff at Oregon one day. The Duck staff is strong with former Duck players and long, long-time assistants, and that continuity has been a big part of the program's sustained success. Steve Greatwood and Don Pellum are former Duck players, and coaches Greatwood, Pellum, Campbell, Aliotti and Radcliffe all have 20 or more years on the staff.

Will a national championship lead any of those long-time assistants, a tremendous group and the source of the stability and success of the program, to consider other offers or even retiring from coaching? With recruiting, it's a year-round grind. Gary Campbell is 59, and Aliotti is 56. The young guns of the staff, Mark Helfrich and Scott Frost, will have to start getting some national attention as well. Frost, who played for Bill Walsh and Tom Osborne in college, quarterbacked an undefeated national champion Nebraska team in 1997, then played six years in the NFL as a safety, will make a great defensive coordinator or head coach some day.

Oregon is an exceptional place to live and work, and Kelly, an innovator who shares credit, leads by example and encourages creative thinking, has to be an ideal boss. It will be interesting to see how this new level of sustained success affects the growth and development of the staff. Maybe Oregon will again become a cradle of coaches the way it was in the Len Casanova years. At one point Casanova had John McKay, John Robinson and George Seifert on his staff.

Kelly will inspire imitators and influence others. His methods and philosophy will have a lasting effect on college football, particularly in the pace of practice and the use of the no-huddle philosophy. There are probably a handful of current Duck players who have the intelligence and drive to become very good coaches when they're finished playing football, if they decide to go that way. Kelly's leadership and positive energy will have a profound influence not only on their football careers, but the men they become outside of football. Mark Asper, who has already completed two B.S. degrees and is now working on a graduate degree in sociology, has expressed interest in teaching, school administration and coaching after football. Nate Costa wants to go into law enforcement, but he has the communication skills and poise to be a terrific coach if his life opened up in that direction.

It will be interesting to see where the 2010 Ducks are in 20 years. From Spencer Paysinger to Brandon Bair to Mark Asper to LaMichael James, they are an exceptional group. Their future is bright, well beyond the national championship game.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Is Tra Carson the next great Duck running back?

High school highlight videos can be misleading. As a star in Texas 3-A high school competition Carson probably doesn't face more than 6-7 athletes a year with his ability, speed and size, and in the PAC-12, he'll face 6-7 a week.

He looks promising, however. Carson runs and cuts with purpose and has soft hands out of the backfield. He has a powerful base and good vision. Chip Kelly and Gary Campbell have an impressive track record as talent evaluators and running back teachers, certainly. Jim Radcliffe's innovative training regimens will make Carson a step or two quicker as well. It's an added bonus that the young man is such a good student. Those kind of kids tend to be harder workers, and more likely to adjust and apply themselves.

Carson isn't as explosively fast as James or Seastrunk, but few backs are. He's a determined runner and tough to bring down. Mo Morris, LeGarrette Blount, Toby Gerhart and Steven Jackson all had great conference careers without a track star time in the 100. He'll make a great addition to what's becoming an impressive stable of talent at the running back position. His power makes a great compliment to the other weapons in Kelly's offense.

At 6-0, 220 he already has a mature body. Likely to redshirt next fall, he could get even stronger in the Duck system.

And that could lead to a college highlight video that will make this one seem boring.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Not-So-Slick Rick Throws Assistants Under the Sleigh in a Grinchy Move

EPSN Los Angeles reports that UCLA head man Rick Neuheisel, an Oregon fan favorite for many years, stooped to a new low this morning, firing defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough and wide receivers coach Reggie Moore a week before Christmas.

At 4-8 and next-to-last in the conference, Neuheisel had to fire somebody to look busy, but the curious thing is why he chose Bullough instead of offensive coordinator Norm Chow. Chow's newly-installed Pistol offense misfired all season, ranking 103rd in the country. Bullough's defense ranked 86th. Losing to crosstown rival USC again didn't help either.

This is a curious move with recruiting in full swing, and waiting until now gave the newly departed less time to land a new job. It cripples the Bruins for the rest of this recruiting cycle and delays post season evaluations and preparations for winter workouts and spring practice. At UCLA Neuheisel has managed one winning season and one minor bowl in three years, and if there isn't progress next season, he may be getting a lump of coal of his own this time next year. Altogether he's 15-22 at his alma mater, finishing 8th, 8th and 9th in conference despite being a 3-wood away from the richest recruiting ground this side of Florida.

The Bruins regularly sign a busload of top talent and fast athletes, but they lack cohesion, discipline and execution on the field. The three words that best describe them are as follows and I quote: stink, stank, stunk.

The good news, though, is that under the new PAC-12 alignment, he doesn't have to face the Ducks again until 2012.

Tales From the Stat Sheet: Which Ducks Have a Great Game in Glendale?

You don't get to 12-0 without some superlative individual performances, but a National Championship isn't possible without some key players rising to the occasion on college football's biggest stage. Below is a review of highs and lows for four of Oregon's pacesetters this season.

Which of them elevates his play to pace an upset victory?

The Defensive Line: Kenny Rowe, Brandon Bair and Company




Best games:

Bair, UCLA 8 tackles, 1 tfl WSU, 7 tackles, 3.5 tfl

Rowe, UCLA 6 tackles, 1 sack, forced fumble ASU 6 tackles, fumble recovery USC 4 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 2 tackles for loss

Worst Games:

Bair, Cal, 0 tackles Rowe, OSU, 1 assist

Defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro needs these two to be relentless, pursuing and disruptive against Cam Newton and Auburn on January 10th. The line has to maintain the contain and keep Newton from creating outside the pocket. They have to wrap up and tackle him when they get their chances, accelerating through the stiff arm he loves to use to keep defenders off his long legs.

If the Ducks can bottle up the running game the way they did against USC, OSU and Arizona, it forces Newton to beat them through the air. Oregon's secondary will give some ground as they always do, but they should also be able to produce a couple of turnovers if Auburn has to rely more on the passing game. Newton's ball floats and flutters a bit. He's pickable, especially if the defensive front can get some pressure. Cliff Harris and John Boyett can do some damage contesting the football downfield, provided Newton doesn't have all day to scan and improvise.

Early in the game, a couple of key questions have to be answered. Can Rowe catch Newton with backside pursuit, maybe force a fumble? Can Bair get enough penetration inside to get his hands up and force a couple of tips or batted passes?

Last year at the Rose Bowl, Kenny Rowe had a breakout game with three sacks. Bair struggled with a couple of costly (questionable) facemask penalties, a problem he seems to have eliminated this season.

Pursuit and containment are critical. The Ducks don't want the Heisman trophy winner running loose. It will take discipline and tenaciousness from Oregon's defensive front line, including supporting cast members Zac Clark, Terrell Turner and Dion Jordan. The rotational players inside, Ricky Heimuli and Wade Keliikipi, have to play strong and agile against Auburn's big offensive line. They can't get stood up. They must force some second and third and longs, and get the Tigers' multiple offense in some negative situations.

Like Oregon, Auburn is a rhythm and tempo offense. A good game from the Ducks' defensive line can keep Gus Malzahn's potent attack from finding its best rhythm after the long layoff.

Photo credit: All photos courtesy of the Oregon photo store. Use the promo code Foot21 for a 21% discount on Oregon Duck framed and unframed photo art. Free shipping and Christmas delivery.


LaMichael James, tailback

Best games: Stan, 31 carries, 257 yds, 3 tds
USC, 36 carries, 239 yds, 3 tds


Worst game: Cal, 29 carries, 91 yds, 0 tds, long run 13


With fresh legs, LaMichael will be himself against Auburn. He'll have that extra gear. He be quick to the hole and able to use the small creases, creative in space. LaMichael at his best can make something out of nothing. In 2009 Brian Price of the Bruins was PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year, All-American, All-PAC-10 and a 2nd round NFL draft pick. He was that year's Nick Fairley. James had him tackling air.


The speedy Oregon running back can run strong and run through people when necessary, and when healthy, he's a threat to break one for 60 any time he touches the ball. James didn't have that dimension in the last four games of the year. He ran courageously and effectively, but by his own admission, was only 75% physically.


On January 10th Auburn and the nation will see LaMichael James at his best. And LMJ at his best is the greatest running back talent in college football, a legend and a leader.

Here's a startling thought: this year the Ducks offense produced 49 points and 537 yards a game, and the NCG will be the first time since game 4 that Chip Kelly has had LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner fully healthy and available at the same time. Want to bet that isn't a net scheme advantage for the Ducks? Auburn will see a level of explosiveness that surpasses anything they see on film. Track Town USA could put on a speed clinic.


Photo credit: photo courtesy the Oregon photo store. Use the promo code Foot21 for a 21% on Duck photos, memories and keepsakes. Free shipping and delivery in time for Christmas.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Darron Thomas, Quarterback

Best Games: UCLA, 22-31 308 yds, 3 td, 0 int; 5 carries 48 yds

USC, 19-32 288 yds, 4 td, 1 int; 8 carries 42 yds


Worst Game: Cal, 15-29 155 yds. 1 td, 0 int; 17 carries, 30 yds


Thus far this season Thomas has passed all of his first tests: first start, first road game in a hostile environment, conference opener, first big game against a ranked opponent; coming from behind, overcoming a bad start, first close game and defensive struggle, first Civil War.


The National Championship Game is his first bowl game, but Thomas has the demeanor and outlook to handle the challenge. He's proven himself to be steady and unflappable, and extremely cool under pressure. Mistakes don't rattle him. He adjusts quickly, a calming influence on his teammates. Ahead or behind, his approach and urgency don't waver. Thomas has a great makeup for a big-game quarterback, tough physically, very composed. The key to Oregon's tremendous season was the ease and speed with which their young qb adjusted to being The Man. He was consistent and made good decisions, with far fewer mistakes than anyone outside the coaching staff could have expected.


In Glendale, the sophomore star has to handle the frenzied atmosphere with his characteristic optimism and evenness. A good start is crucial. The Ducks need him to be in rhythm. He has to handle the pressure from an athletic front four and take care of the football. He's likely to be hit in this game, sometimes late. He can't force the ball into traffic to avoid a sack. If the pocket collapses, he has to feel it and make quick adjustments and avoid getting stripped. Recognition in the Ducks' option game will limit negative plays.


Last year Jeremiah Masoli was a disaster in the Rose Bowl. Thomas' startling consistency earned his team an undefeated season and a second straight conference championship. There's every reason to believe he'll handle college football's biggest stage with the same composure. He's the perfect guy to lead an underdog team into a packed house.


Photo courtesy of Oregon photo store. Use the promo code Foot21 for a 21% discount on framed and unframed photos and wall calendars. Free shipping and delivery by Christmas.


Auburn Doesn't Scare the Ducks, They Don't Scare Me, and They Shouldn't Scare You Either

Since the Ducks clinched their berth in the National Championship Game I've watched video of every Auburn game I could get my hands on. I've watched the SEC Championship twice, Auburn vs. Alabama, Auburn vs LSU, and Auburn vs Kentucky. From national "experts" and ESS EEEE SEEEE honks, the consensus is pretty clear: Oregon doesn't have a chance. They won't be able to stand up to SEC speed and physicality. The Ducks' defense won't be able to stop the Tigers offense. Oregon's defense doesn't have the size and toughness to compete with Cam Newton and Auburn's attack. There is no X factor for the Ducks.

Nonsense.

Auburn is a very good football team. But they are not the '85 Bears, the '79 Steelers, or the 2004 USC Trojans. Oregon is better than Kentucky, LSU and Alabama, and all three of these teams took the Tigers deep into the fourth quarter. The Tigers are physical, but so is Stanford, and the Ducks beat the Cardinal by three touchdowns. Nick Fairley is a beast. So are Stephen Paea, Jurrell Casey and Malik Jackson, and LaMichael James managed to find running room against all of them. Lots of it.

Watch video of Auburn struggling with Kentucky, Clemson, LSU and Alabama. It's available on ESPNU or CBS College Sports. True, it's SEC footbaw, but these teams aren't better than Oregon. They're not better than Stanford.

If Kentucky's offense can hang 34 on the Tigers, so can the Ducks. If Alabama and LSU can hold the unstoppable Gus Malzahn juggernaut to 28 and 24 points, Oregon can too. Arkansas State scored 26 on the Auburn defense, Chattanooga 24.

I watched Cam Newton loping free running at three-quarter speed on those slow-developing running plays and I think, where's the pursuit? He's cutting back at will downfield, and I envision Josh Kaddu, Bo Lokombo, Eddie Pleasant and Kenny Rowe ripping and stripping. Oregon's defense swarms to the football. They created 35 turnovers this year. The Auburn offense is full of talent, and their offensive line is big, but no more so than USC.

In the passing game, Newton throws from his shoulder. He's 6-6 but the release point isn't much higher than Ryan Katz's. The Ducks had ten batted balls in the Oregon State game, four interceptions and three sacks. The Beavers aren't as good as Auburn, but they're as good as several of the teams in the Tigers' roster of victims, half of whom came with a few points of ending their dream season. Oregon had one escape this season. The Tigers had five. They needed overtime to defeat 6-6 Clemson, a last minute field goal to beat 6-6 Kentucky. Mississippi State rallied late but lost 17-14. They beat Alabama by a point and LSU by a touchdown.

The SEC fans will tell you how dominating, intimidating and unstoppable SEC defenses are. View the recordings yourself. Count the missed tackles. Watch #41 of Kentucky in pass coverage, confused, not even contesting a 20-yard out route, tip-toeing around the receiver, avoiding contact, his hands in the air like he'd just been arrested for attempting to impersonate a cornerback. Take note of the complete breakdowns in the South Carolina secondary. Think Cliff Harris or John Boyett could cover this play (51-yard Hail Mary to Darvin Adams) better than that?

Auburn is plenty good. It will be a compelling game, and Oregon will have to be prepared and play their best football to win. They need to be focused and get off to a better start, taking care of the football and taking advantage of their opportunities. But pundits and War Eagle spit-screamers who say it won't be a competitive game are flat wrong.

Respect all, fear none. Talk is cheap, and all we have right now, but we'll find out in three weeks.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

A Sad Adjustment the Ducks Must Make for the National Championship Game

Heads up, Ducks: a Big Ten officiating crew is working the national title game. It might even be the same crew that flagged Ohio State for two 15-yard personal foul penalties for end zone celebrations when players flashed the "O" sign with their special Nike gloves. The Big Ten is a humorless league.

Stuff like that annoys me. College football is a game played by 18-to-22 year old kids. Oh, there are a few Brandon Bairs and Mark Aspers out there with a wife and a family, but they are still young men. Flag outright taunting, absolutely, but flair, enthusiasm and spontaneity should be part of the game. To have one turn on a critical foul over excitement in the moment is utterly stupid. I hate it when officials think they are the show, and try to penalize joy. It's a game. It's supposed to be played with passion and abandon. The rules are there to promote order and prevent injury, and to apply them in a way that takes the color out of the game is foolish.

But Cliff Harris, Jeff Maehl and LaMichael James have to be on their guard. The fun police from the conference of leaders and legends will be watching them.

What Makes Chip Kelly the Best Coach in College Football

Three things made Chip Kelly Sporting News National Coach of the Year. No, five things: wins, organization, energy, Xs and Os, and relationships.

The Portland Tribune's Kerry Eggers has a great feature on Kelly and his ability to relate to players. These kids love and respect their coach, and it's hard to think the stone-faced tyrants like Nick Saban or Gene Chizik would inspire the same loyalty and enthusiasm.

Chizik and Saban use a fear model in their coaching. It's the old school approach favored by Bear Bryant or Woody Hayes back in the day. Players would work hard out of fear of being singled out, and one or two times a week, practice deteriorated into ass-chewing ranting humiliation. This used to be the standard. High school and peewee coaches aspired to be Vince Lombardi or Mike Ditka, grabbing a player by the uniform shirt and spitting red-faced expletives until a 6-7, 300-pound tackle (or a 4-6, 105-lb. one) cowered into submission.

That works for a while. You can create a lot of discipline being a tyrant, but a team that learns to trust their skills and love their coach is better prepared for pressure and adversity. They will believe they're ready for the big stage, and they will believe in each other. And they will love playing football and be eager to practice. Dread keeps people in line, but love inspires them.

On January 10th, the country is going to see a loose, confident, inspired Duck team totally prepared to play their best. And their best is good enough to compete for the biggest prize in college football.

Free is a very good price


The Portland Tribune has Duck posters, a free download online, suitable for wrapping paper or window display.

It's good to commemorate a moment like this. Some mornings fans need a reminder it really happened.

The Ducks are going to the National Championship. The Beavers are 5-7 and going nowhere. We've come a long way since The Toilet Bowl .

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A Nauseating Level of Newton Love

Over at the Sporting News, they've named Cam Newton their Player of the Year in college football. That's certainly understandable. He had a fabulous regular season.

But what is over the top is that their tagline reads "the only question is where Newton ranks among the greatest of all time" Whaaaat?

He had a great season, but he hasn't even completed one season of Division I college football. Let's see if he can win a bowl game, and survive an NCAA inquiry, before he's mentioned in the same breath with Bo Jackson and Red Grange, and a host of other great players that completed three and four seasons.

Muhammad Ali was the Greatest of All Time. Wayne Gretzky was the Greatest of All Time. Michael Jordan was. Jim Brown and Willie Mays were. Cam Newton had a marvelous 13 games in the SEC. He'd have to win two national championships and two Heismans to be mentioned in this company, and there's a good chance he's one and done as a college football player.

Besides that, he still hasn't passed his toughest test. Here's a bold prediction: Nick Aliotti is going to scheme the heck out of Cam Newton, and Oregon's defense will hold him to his worst performance of the year. They'll contain his running, make him pass, and he'll suffer three turnovers and three sacks. Here's an early peak at the final score: Oregon 35, Auburn 28.

The Perfect Christmas Gift for Duck Fans





My brother is hard to buy for. Every Christmas I rack my brain. He likes fishing, but the guy has about 120 rods and reels. He loves the Ducks, but he has a dozen sweatshirts and fifteen polos and 22 hats.

The Duck Stops Here has partnered with the Oregon Photo Store to get Duck fans a perfect gift solution for the family member who buys everything for himself. Use the promo code Foot21 to get a 21% discount on photos and 2011 Duck calendars. They have free shipping right now and you can get it shipped in time for Christmas.

Altogether there are 611 photos on the site. In this display I've included a few of my favorites.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The 13 Questions I'd Like to Ask Chip Kelly


--I don’t have any illusions. I’m sure my questions would get the clipped answers and the stare, just like everyone else’s except Terrelle Turner’s. These are just the ones I’d love to ask.

photo at left: Coach Kelly patrols the sidelines versus Arizona. Photo courtesy of the Oregon photo store. Use promo code Foot21 for a 21% discount on framed and unframed prints.

1. What’s the most interesting question you haven’t been asked?

2. In evaluating a kid for recruiting, how much do you rely on video and internet clips, and how important is your impression of him as a person? Is all about measurables and mobility or do you try to evaluate his confidence and character? What makes you offer on one kid and pass on another? Is it a gut feeling? How much of it is the time on the stop watch?

3. What did you learn from last year’s Rose Bowl that you can use in this game? Is there anything you’re changing about the practice order or schedule based on what worked or didn’t work last bowl season?

4. Terrelle Pryor had a great game against Oregon. How useful is the comparison between him and Auburn’s Cam Newton, and does the experience of facing one help at all in preparing you for the other?

5. How do stop a player like Newton, or is that even a useful question? When you look at an opponent like Auburn, where do you start to break them down or look for an edge? Do you spy him, blitz him, sit back in the zone or mix it up as much as possible? In what ways is Darron Thomas a better quarterback than Newton?

6. The national guys are saying that Oregon is no matchup for Auburn, particularly on defense. Obviously you and the team focus on what you have to do, but does stuff like that annoy you or piss you off? Do you use it at all as motivation?

7. Who’s the best tackler on the defense? Any specific techniques or adjustments defenders have to make to tackle a guy like Newton in the open field? How do you counter the stiff arm, which he uses a lot, along with the ball and shoulder fakes?

8. I watch Newton carrying the ball and he’s swinging it around on that long arm of his like a stolen calzone. Yet he only has one career fumble. Your defense pursues and forces turnovers better than any team in the country. They have 20 picks. Any chance Newton has a bad, bad game due to some underrated PAC-10 tenaciousness?

9. Nick Fairley. The offensive line contained Steven Paea, who is stronger. Fairley is quick and violent. How do you block that guy?

10. You always say you give yourselves 24 hours to celebrate a win and then you move on to the next game. This is the last one. How will you celebrate it?

11. You seem to thrive on the energy, demands and challenge of coaching. What do you do to refresh yourself? Some guys seem to reach the top of the heap and burn out and lose interest.

12. One of the hard things about coaching has to be saying good bye to a group like this year’s seniors. What will you remember most about them?

13. If you win the National Championship, will you wear one of those regular hats, the championship hat?

What about you? If you could ask Coach Kelly a question, what would it be? And what kind of answer would you expect?

The One Thing that Would Make LaMichael James Holiday Season Perfect

LaMichael James has had a remarkable postseason.

He's won the Doak Walker award, finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting, and been named first team to every one of the major All-America teams, Oregon's first unanimous All-America in 114 years of football. He rushed for 1682 yards, setting a PAC-10 sophomore record, and closed within striking distance of Oregon's career and season rushing marks. He reached the end zone a school record 22 times.

Only one thing is left for The Most Interesting Duck in the Universe: a National Championship. Then he can focus on making Academic All-America next fall.

Get Him to the Geek: Are the Ducks Really Wearing THAT to the NCG?

Nike's announced the new look for Oregon, and for this old school Duck, it's a muddled disaster. It gives Robert Smith and Craig James one more reason to laugh at us. The SEC traditionalists will have a field day with this out-there combination.

The lime green fluorescent socks are atrocious. That's not a school color. Juju forbid that it ever become a school color. It has the potential to be a more ruinous jinx than the grello helmet.

The designers at Nike are the most talented sports apparel people in the country, but they missed on this one. The Pro Combat look they created for the Beavers in the Civil War was sleek and classic, echoing their proud past at just the right time and in just the right way. This design looks confused and weird. It matters way more whether B.J. Kelly and Danny Shelton like it, but for old school Duck fans anticipating the biggest game in University history, it's a wtf of the worst order. It's the uniform equivalent of Jake Locker kissing his mother on the lips.

For the national championship, after thirty years of hard-won progress and heartbreak, the Ducks ought to wear a look that echoes their tradition and their journey of success. a look that honors Rollin Putzier and Kenny Wheaton and Matt Smith. If their was ever a time for Oregon to wear traditional green and yellow and the throwback interlocking UO or the walking-through-the-block-O crabby fighting Duck, this is it. Particularly playing Auburn, a school with 118-year-old symbols and 11 undefeated seasons. They'll look foolish. The other part is, the look isn't all that fresh and original. It's largely the same design they wore for Oregon State, with a weird undershirt and some ugly socks. Why wear the gray helmet when the green iridescent one is so cool and distinctive?

Ultimately the game will be decided by character and talent of the players in the uniforms, but this one is a gigantic huh? for a school that has achieved so much and done it with such style.

Or maybe I'm just getting old.

Monday, December 13, 2010

The SEC Empire Strikes Back

The Duck Stops Here has gone national. Over the weekend I wrote an article critical of the SEC, "The SEC is a Self-fulfilling Prophecy" and now I have the great honor and pleasure of being ridiculed at one of the country's leading SEC websites, the leather helmet blog, the brainchild of Greg Poole, who writes under the web moniker ecdawg.

Every dawg has his day. Poole takes me to task in his article, "Breaking News: They've Discovered Our Secret Plan." He lambastes my rant on SEC scheduling and supremacy with piercing southern humor. Here's an excerpt:

They've discovered that back in the 1930's we conspired to have bowl games played in the Homeland (point 1). Yet to uncovered is the inducement used to gerrymander games southward when, clearly, the better option for a winter vacation would be Newark, Cleveland, or Bismark.

Most disturbing is how they found out that we have conspired to have all (point 2) AP Poll voters be native Southerners or have signed THE uber-secret contract that requires a minimum of 6 SEC teams be ranked in every preseason poll ballot. As you know, keeping that arrangement quiet has been a top priority for The Committee For SEC Football Dominance (TCFSFD). TCFSFD was formed, you will remember, just after WWII by returning Southern generals. Those gentlemen swore to assure football supremacy for the SEC into the 22nd century. I love it when a plan comes together.

The dirtiest trick TCFSFD has pulled so far is to propagate the notion that SEC reams play "7-8" home games each year. It has worked so well that even with schedules published openly, those outside the region continue to believe the propaganda (point 3). For years we worried that the rest of the country would find out that we only have 50,000 people in our 95,000 seat stadiums on Saturday. We fooled 'em for years with those fake paratroopers TCFSFD bought surplus at Fort Benning right after WWII (50 for $10). 45,000 rubber soldiers, some piped-in crowd noise, schedule Appalachian State and, voila, WE'RE #1. I'll bet Michigan would like to try...wait...maybe not.

Those other conferences have been playing round robin schedules and keeping themselves out of bowls and the BCS - but now they know our secrets. Armageddon would appear to await.


I don't remember expressing my criticisms in quite that way, but I take a certain pride in being singled out by one of the foremost honks in SEC country. I feel like Steve Martin in "The Jerk" when the new phone book comes out. This is the kind of spontaneous recognition I need. The lesson is, if you're going to put yourself out there you have to be prepared for a little sniping.

The Growing List of Distractions for Number One Auburn

Number One is only 6-6 in the BCS final, and the team with the Heisman winner is 2-6. Number two has won four of the last five. The distractions and scrutiny the favorite and the trophy winner face are two of the reasons.

All season long the Oregon Ducks have maintained a beady-eyed focus on the next opponent and winning the day. This is their 13th national championship game this season, and they pride themselves on bringing intensity and energy to every single practice. The music is loud, Coach Kelly is shouting and jumping around, and the tempo is fast. The Ducks get their work in, and understand that preparing the right way is essential, whether climbing Mount Everest, fighting Aurturo Gatti, or watering the bamboo. Kelly's team gets a consistent message, reinforced constantly with lessons from Steve Prefontaine and Secretariat. The kids buy in, and they have since day one of spring practice.

Auburn, however, faces multiple and mounting distractions. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn had a three million dollar flirtation with Vanderbilt over the weekend. The Washington Post reported he took the job, while this morning Chris Low of ESPN reported he turned it down. Hard to get much game planning and recruiting done when you're counting and handing back all that money. Meanwhile conference rival Florida hired a new coach, upstaging the Heisman trophy ceremony with the announcement.

While the Ducks were inside the Mosofsky Center for their first three days of bowl preparation, working on fundamentals rather than Auburn stuff, Cam Newton was in New York, appearing on NFL Today, CNN, Good Morning America and David Letterman. The questions about his recruitment and the pay-for-play scandal won't go away, and neither will the doubt in people's minds about whether he'll hold on to the trophy. Also persistent are the rumors he'll head to the NFL after the season. Teammates can't have the same loyalty and confidence in a one-and-done quarterback. Over the weekend, he's been everywhere but in the huddle.

All season long Auburn has been undefeated but not dominant. They were taken to the wire or had to scramble in seven of their wins, trailing at Alabama, at Georgia, struggling with LSU, Clemson, Kentucky and Missippi State, rallying to beat South Carolina in their first meeting. They're a talented bunch that relies heavily on their star, and leading up to the championship game, the demands and scrutiny he'll continue to face will be a huge distraction in this game. The paid, working press won't let go of the allegations, speculation and off-field pressures.

Newton and his teammates have managed to be resilient in the face of all this during the season, but it ramps up exponentially in the intense spotlight of college football's biggest game. It's an unfriendly and persistent glare. And there's always one gunslinger with a notepad, trying to make a name for himself, who'll ask the questions no one wants to answer. The repeated denials will hang in the air like a bad stench.

While Auburn faces all this, it's the Ducks that have the eye of the tiger. They can prepare in relative quiet, and they're blessed with a coach that has a fast answer to every question. Oregon's players are shielded from controversy and distraction by Chip Kelly, who doesn't allow these in the first place. In fierce storm of preparing for a big game, it's vital to remember where you are in the circle of life.

Big Ten (12) Makes a Lame Name Change

Logos and realignments have to be done carefully. You're establishing a new identity for your conference, and ideally, that has to be done in a way that preserves tradition while forging a new identity.

It helps if the change has some internal logic, organizing the conference for the future while drawing from its past.

The Big Ten didn't set Lake Erie on fire with its latest change. They're still calling themselves the Big Ten, which means that Indiana and Minnesota must be the Little Two. They named the divisions "Legends" and "Leaders," which makes utterly no sense. Who's a legend and who's a leader? Football fans around the country won't be able to keep track, and they're not attention-grabbing or meaningful. Divide them geographically, or call them "Lakes" and "Plains" divisions, or Stagg and Paterno, do something, but Leaders and Legends?

Someone got paid big money to make that decision and come up with that design, but the whole thing will sink like the Edmund Fitzgerald. A conference with a proud tradition just launched a new era with clanking, creaking rust bucket of an idea that's not going to excite anyone.