Making a Bid for Greatness

The Great teams in football history were dominant. They didn't just get by their opponents. They destroyed them.

Great teams play Mongol horde, Viking pillage, blitzkrieg, shock and awe football. They unleash waves of mayhem and bursts of electricity. They put their foot on opponents' necks and leave an imprint on history. The '85 Chicago Bears went 15-1, and outscored three playoff opponents 91-10. In the regular season they beat down the Dallas Cowboys 44-0, the Redskins 45-10, the Falcons 36-0. The 17-0 Miami Dolphins shut out the Colts twice, and beat the New England Patriots 52-0, achieving the only perfect season in NFL history, most of it with a backup quarterback. In fact, neither of the two most dominant teams in NFL history had a great quarterback. Darron Thomas is easily a better athlete than Jim McMahon or Earl Morrall.

In the college ranks, the '71 Nebraska Cornhuskers scored more than 39 points a game and allowed 8.2. They clubbed Alabama in the Orange Bowl 38-6 for a perfect 13-0 record, number one in the country. Coach Bob Devaney's powerhouse featured a devastating running game, a middling quarterback with good game management skills, an electrifying kick returner, and a stifling defense. Does that sound familiar to anyone? They opened that season with a 34-7 victory over hapless Oregon, traveling across country for a paycheck. Times have changed.

These were Nebraska's scores on the way to the Game of the Century, a titantic Thanksgiving Day battle with Oklahoma people still remember: 34-7, 35-7, 34-7, 42-6. 36-0, 55-0, 41-13, 31-7 (versus #9 Colorado), 37-0, 44-17. Then on Thanksgiving Day they faced #2 Oklahoma, in front of a TV audience of 55 million on ABC. Keith Jackson called the game, Nebraska scoring first on a 72-yard punt return by Kenjon Barner, er, Johnny Rodgers. Oklahoma pulled ahead at the half. The Huskers struck back with two touchdowns in the third quarter. The Sooners surged back. Down by three with time winding down, Nebraska drove for a deciding touchdown, tailback Jeff Kinney plunging over for the win, 35-31.

The 1972 USC Trojans went 12-0. That team had Sam "Bam" Cunningham, Anthony Davis and Lynn Swann. Some slouch named Pat Haden played quarterback. They beat Ohio State 44-17 in the Rose Bowl, beat Oregon 18-0, Washington State 44-3, Oregon State 51-6, Michigan State 51-6. They annihilated people. They ran and passed the PAC-8 silly. They beat Notre Dame by three touchdowns. Notre Dame won the national championship a year later.

Why am telling you this? Because I think the 2010 Oregon Ducks will make a bid for greatness. We're entering a new golden age of sport, like the '20s and '30s, the era of Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey and Sea Biscuit and Red Grange. The economy is in ruins, so people's focus naturally turns to diversions and athletic mastery. The Ducks can fill the void. They are fast, exciting and deep, a team with no apparent weakness, a team with imposing strengths. They play a fast, dynamic style of football, with playmakers of dazzling skills. I watched Johnny Rodgers run. I saw Anthony Davis. LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner are better. James runs for 227 yards and he isn't happy with himself. Neither one of them has played four quarters in a game this year, and their starts are already eye-popping.

On the field and in practice, Chip Kelly and the Ducks won't voice thoughts like this. Of course they won't. But I am telling you with cold-eyed sober seriousness, that the 2010 Ducks could be the greatest team in Oregon history, a team to be remembered forever. It isn't just the early scores and the stats. It's the way they win, the purpose they show on every snap and in every practice. They have incredible talent and fierce resolve. They have great senior leadership and a deep bench. They have a coach with an intelligent scheme and a rare gift for teaching and motivation. They will be as good as any team you will see in your lifetime. Save your Sunday papers and a couple of videotapes. You are going to need them one day.