Blogging With B

A new plan for this blog

2008-05-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

I've been going through a bit of a blogging identity crisis of late. Do I want to focus everything at www.nimaha.com or keep that separate as a business entity? Do I even want to blog at all?

I finally decided nimaha.com will be kept for business purposes only and that I would give full attention into revamping this into my official personal site. That's good news for this blog - it's very much alive even if it hasn't breathed fresh air for most of 2008.

The new site will definitely incorporate my efforts to expand into the world of web design, but will maintain the Oregon football focus. GOTB will be back!

I have to work out a lot of details on how to make this work the right way so that I can have a fully devoted football portion without compromising the need to grow my business aspect.

This will happen by August.

And now, we turn to basketball

2008-01-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling a little better about life with Oregon's Sun Bowl victory, but for now, all my attention is squarely on the Pac-10 basketball season which begins this week. With the non-conference action over, here's how the season will play out. Keep in mind, this is 100% accurate so don't question me.

*Non-conference SOS comes from kenpom.com.

**Non-conference record listed in parentheses.

1. UCLA (12-1). What USC has become in football, UCLA is becoming in basketball. All the two respective programs require is the right coach. They both have their guy and are simply dominating the competition. Must be nice to cherry-pick talent. Will the Bruins break through for a national title this year? Well, they don't have to worry about Florida so it's a clear path.

2. Washington State (12-0). I don't believe in this team. I really don't, but I can't ignore actual results. They finished 2nd in the conference a year ago, had a great preseason and have everything back from a year ago. Still, I get the feeling Oregon will sweep them yet again.

3. Oregon (9-3). Despite recent troubles, I feel relatively calm about this team. There's a lot of experience back and they will overcome this bad stretch. I'll take Oregon's mix of talent and experience over the remaining teams. If I can just remember to stay calm until tournament time, I could have a relatively stress-free couple of months. History tells me I'm incapable of such a feat.

4. Arizona (9-3). The Wildcats have underperformed in recent years, but you have to admit, they are battle-tested. Their schedule to date ranks as the toughest in the country.

5. USC (9-3). Borrowing from a previous theme, USC basketball and UCLA football have their own similarities. Both programs play beside their legendary rival, but still have all the benefits of being a big-time school in LA. Neither can ever permanently overcome the shadow they play in, but can be a lot better than many teams. USC fits this to a tee this year.

6. Stanford (11-1). The record is glossy, but not all wins and losses are created equal when you look at a team's schedule. They took the easy road to 11-1. The Cardinal just haven't shown they can reach the next level with Trent Johnson as coach and I don't think this year will be any different. Now if Oregon can just get a stinkin' win in Palo Alto.

7. Washington (9-4). Could have gone with Cal or ASU, but I think the Huskies are a safer pick. They played the second toughest preseason schedule of any other Pac-10 team and seem like a team that could sneak up on the league. That will be all for positive comments about Husky athletics in 2008.

8. Cal (9-2). I have them eighth and that proves just how tough this conference has become. The Bears are not a bad team. It's hard to rank any of the top nine teams this low, but someone has to occupy this space and given that they lost to two teams Oregon beat - Utah and Kansas State - I think it's reasonable to put Cal this low.

9. ASU (10-2). Similar to Cal, they are better than any other ninth place team you will find. They are a young, talented team. In this league, you have to prove you can compete night in and night out and to this point, we just don't know if they can.

10. Oregon State (6-6). Teams 1-9 can compete against each other and get a win on any given night. Unfortunately, I don't know what to say about the Beavers that has a positive slant. They lost to some horrendous teams and boast just a 6-6 record despite playing the 7th easiest schedule in the country (that's out of 341 teams!). The Jay John era should come to a ugly end very, very soon.

Bowl PreNicktions v2.0

2007-12-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

Back without any actual demand, it's the second annual bowl PreNicktions!

PreNicktion: Best guess at who will win.
Wisdometer:* A scale of 1 to 10 indicating how much I know about the game.
Record Guesser: My best guess at the actual record of a team (first record is the guess, second record is the actual). For those of you scoring at home, I guessed correctly on 38 of 64 teams, a 59.4% success rate.

*The Wisdometer continues to have no affiliation with the Whizzenator.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 20, 6 pm, San Diego, ESPN
Utah Vs. Navy.
This bowl was designed to draw either Navy or San Diego State every year. Isn't there a committee somewhere that has to approve this kind of thing and if so, why is it okay to have this bowl game?

PreNicktion: Navy
Wisdometer: 3.1
Record Guesser: Navy (9-3, 8-4), Utah (9-3, 8-4)

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 21, 5 pm, New Orleans, ESPN2
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
Can't. Miss. TV.

PreNicktion: Memphis (PreNicktion rule 3.6.7: always pick against directional schools)
Wisdometer: 0.00
Record guesser: Memphis (7-5, 7-5), Florida Atlantic (6-6, 7-5).

Papajohns.com Bowl, Dec. 22, 10 am, Birmingham, ESPN2
Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati
I honestly don't know what to say about this. What am I supposed to write? This is just absolutely terrible that they are putting these games on TV.

PreNicktion: Cincinnati (rule of directional schools in effect)
Wisdometer: 2.7 (all I really know is the Bearcats destroyed OSU early in the season)
Record Guesser: Southern Miss (7-5, 7-5), Cincinnati (8-4, 9-3)

New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 22, 1:30 pm, Albuquerque, ESPN
Nevada vs. New Mexico
I wonder what happens to this bowl game when New Mexico has a losing record and is ineligible. Would anyone travel to it? Wouldn't they have to cancel the game?

PreNicktion: New Mexico
Wisdometer: 1.1
Record Guesser: Nevada (7-5, 6-6), New Mexico (8-4, 8-4)

Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 22, 5 pm, Las Vegas, ESPN
UCLA vs. BYU
I'm just ecstatic that Oregon is not playing in this game again. It's the one positive I am taking from the finish to the 2007 season.

PreNicktion: BYU (Back to the Bowl PreNicktion Handbook for rule 7.3.1: never pick UCLA in a bowl game. Ever. By the way, there's also a rule pending approval: always pick the team full of Mormons in a city as sinful as Las Vegas. All they can do is prepare to play football while the other team is out partying.)
Wisdometer: 10.0 (the above two rules are completely fool-proof, netting the only 10.0 for this year's bowls).
Record Guesser: UCLA (6-6, 6-6), BYU (10-2, 10-2)

Sheraton Hawaii, Dec. 23, 5 pm, Honolulu, ESPN
Boise State vs. East Carolina
On one hand, you feel for Boise State. This is a long way to fall from the Fiesta Bowl a year ago. On the other, they're in freaking Hawaii.

PreNicktion: Boise State
Wisdometer: 2.1
Record Guesser: Boise State (10-2, 10-2), East Carolina (8-4, 7-5)

Motor City Bowl, Dec. 26, 4:30 pm, Detroit, ESPN
Purdue vs. Central Michigan
Purdue is bowl eligible?!?! The things you learn doing this blog.

PreNicktion: Central Michigan
Wisdometer: .7
Record Guesser: Purdue (6-6, 7-5), Central Michigan (8-4, 8-5)

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Dec. 27, 5 pm, San Diego, ESPN
Arizona State vs. Texas
This is always an awesome game, but come on Pac-10. Either this game needs to be moved to New Years Day or demoted so that the Pac-1o third place team plays in this game. Michigan is playing on Jan. 1 and the Pac-10 can't get it's second place team a more prominent bowl?

PreNicktion: ASU (I think this is a West Coast homer pick)
Wisdometer: 8.7
Record Guesser: ASU (10-2, 10-2), Texas (9-3, 9-3)

Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 28, 2 pm, Orlando, ESPN
Boston College vs. Michigan State
Man, what happened to BC? Heisman-contending quarterback not even invited to New York? Number 2 team in the country fades to nothing by season's end? Sound familiar?

PreNicktion: Boston College (PreNicktion Rule 2.6.4: do not pick a Big Ten team if you can help it.)
Wisdometer: 5.2
Record Guesser: Boston College (9-3, 10-3), Michigan State (8-4, 7-5)

Texas Bowl, Dec. 28, 5 pm, Houston, NFL Network
TCU vs. Houston
In its everlasting need to make sure it can shut people out from viewing games, the NFL Network is broadcasting college football games as well. Fortunately, I don't care about either team. At all.

PreNicktion: Houston (saw them play Oregon this year, they have a legit athlete on offense but the name escapes me. Aldridge, I think)
Wisdometer: 7.5
Record Guesser: TCU (8-4, 7-5), Houston (8-4, 8-4)

Emerald Bowl, Dec. 28, 5:30 pm, San Francisco, ESPN
Maryland vs. Oregon State
Listen, Beavers. This is how things should be. Oregon should be in a better bowl. It's just the truth. You deal with that and I'll work on figuring out how to cope with what happened in the last three games.

PreNicktion: Oregon State
Wisdometer: 8.1
Record Guesser: Maryland (7-5, 6-6), Oregon State (8-4, 8-4)

Meineke Car Care Bowl, Dec. 29, , Charlotte, ESPN
UConn vs. Wake Forest
Hmm, still don't care about any of these games.

PreNicktion: UConn?
Wisdometer: 3.2
Record Guesser: UConn (8-4, 9-3), Wake Forest (8-4, 8-4)

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Dec. 29, 1:30 pm, Memphis, ESPN
UCF vs. Mississippi State
Nice to see Mississippi State back in a bowl game. Still not caring.

PreNicktion: UCF. I'm blatantly going against my directional school rule in favor of a running back that could potentially break Barry Sanders single season record for rushing yards. Can you blame me?
Wisdometer: 2.1
Record Guesser: UCF (9-3, 10-3), Mississippi State (7-5, 7-5)

Valero Alamo Bowl, Dec. 29, 5:00 pm, San Antonio, ESPN
Penn State vs. Texas A&M
Wow, I could have sworn Texas A&M had about three wins. I always enjoy this game because every year, it features two teams from power conferences that absolutely want to be somewhere else.

PreNicktion: Texas A&M (was going to pick Penn State until I remembered my rule about the Big 10).
Wisdometer: 5.7
Record Guesser: Penn State (8-4, 8-4), Texas A&M (7-5, 7-5)

PetroSun Independence, Dec. 30 5:00 pm, Shreveport, ESPN
Alabama vs. Colorado
Alabama fan: "Yeah! We fired our loser coach, landed Saint Saban and we're...in the same crappy Independence Bowl we lost in a year ago."

PreNicktion: Alabama, I guess
Wisdometer: 5.1
Record Guesser: Alabama (6-6, 6-6), Colorado (6-6, 6-6)

Blue Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 31, 9:30 am, Fort Worth, ESPN
California vs. Air Force
Nothing like rooting for a team on the cusp of attaining the #1 ranking in all the country only to find yourself two months later cleaning the junk out of your eye, putting some coffee on and watching your team play in Forth Worth at 9:30 a.m. against Air Force. Mmmmm, you can smell the fresh-roasted quitting.

PreNicktion: Air Force
Wisdometer: 5.2
Record Guesser: Cal (6-6, 6-6), Air Force (8-4, 9-3)

Roady's Humanitaria Bowl, Dec. 31, 11 am, Boise, ESPN2
Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State
Do you think the fine residents of Boise, ID miss watching their beloved Broncos play in this bowl game every year?

PreNicktion: Fresno State
Wisdometer: 6.2
Record Guesser: Georgia Tech (8-4, 7-5), Fresno State (9-3, 8-4)

Brut Sun Bowl, Dec. 31, 11 am, El Paso, CBS
Oregon vs. South Florida
A marketer's dream! "They both used to be #2 and now they're playing each other. Shh, don't tell anyone about the train wreck that followed." Actually, there's a huge bonus to this game. We all get to watch South Florida coach Jim Leavitt for 3 1/2 hours.

PreNicktion: Oregon (you didn't think I was cynical enough to pick against them, did you?
Wisdometer: 9.1
Record Guesser: Oregon (8-4, 8-4), South Florida (9-3, 9-3)

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, Dec. 31, 1 pm, Nashville, ESPN
Kentucky vs. Florida State
Last year, Kentucky was ecstatic to be in a bowl game. This year, a bit of a let down. Still, I think I'll pick the team that isn't suspending 20 active players.

PreNicktion: Kentucky
Wisdometer: 6.9
Record Guesser: Kentucky (8-4, 7-5), Florida State (7-5, 7-5)

Insight Bowl, Dec. 31, 3 pm, Tempe, NFL Network
Indiana vs. Oklahoma State
The Hoosiers? Congratulations! It's always neat when a down-trodden program qualifies for a bowl game. Still not picking a Big Ten team.

PreNicktion: Oklahoma State (You don't like my pick? Come after me! I'm a man! I'm 40! I'm not a kid!)
Wisdometer: 4.3
Record Guesser: Indiana (7-5, 7-5), Oklahoma State (7-5, 6-6)

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31, 4:30 pm, Atlanta, ESPN
Clemson vs. Auburn
Go Tigers! Okay, that was lame. Wasn't everybody talking about how Clemson had arrived a month ago? Doesn't that get said every year, only to never happen?

PreNicktion: Auburn
Wisdometer: 6.2
Record Guesser: Clemson (8-4, 9-3), Auburn (8-4, 8-4)

Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, 8 am, Tampa, ESPN
Wisconsin vs. Tennessee
Every year, the Big Ten seems to have some team playing in a game on New Year's Day and every year, I swear I can't believe the strength of the conference's bowl tie-ins. The Badgers are not a good team.

PreNicktion: Tennessee (by a lot)
Wisdometer: 8.2
Record Guesser: Wisconsin (9-3, 9-3), Tennessee (10-3, 9-4)

AT&T Cotton Bowl, Jan. 1, 8:30 am, Dallas, FOX
Missouri vs. Arkansas
Can you believe Nebraska played in this game last year? Wow. Missouri is the annual "screwed-out-of-a-BCS-bowl" team that we've all become accustomed to.

PreNicktion: Arkansas (never really thought Missouri was any good)
Wisdometer: 8.0
Record Guesser: Missouri (11-2, 11-2), Arkansas (8-4, 8-4)

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, Jan. 1, 10 am, Jacksonville, CBS
Texas Tech vs. Virginia
What!?! Neither of these teams are any good. Seriously, they are playing each other on New Year's Day? Hey Tom Hansen, are you seeing this!?! On another note, we have a Konica Minolta copier/scanner/fax at work. I don't particularly like it. Just thought you should know.

PreNicktion: Texas Tech (I can't believe one of these teams gets to say it won a New Year's Day bowl game).
Wisdometer: 7.9
Record Guesser: Texas Tech (9-3, 8-4), Virginia (10-2, 9-3)

Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1, 10 am, Orlando, ABC
Michigan vs. Florida
The good news for Michigan is that they will get a front and center view of what its program could soon become with the spread offense. The bad news? It's going to be really, really painful to watch.

PreNicktionPreNicktion: Florida (record-setting blowout)
Wisdometer: 9.5
Record Guesser: Michigan (8-4, 8-4), Florida (9-3, 9-3)

Rose Bowl presented by Citi, Jan. 1, 2 pm, Pasadena, ABC
USC vs. Illinois
Rose Bowl, I have to say it. I love you. I really do, but you're a moron. Listen, what you had was great. Everyone thought it was great, too, but you have to move on. Consider me a friend looking out for your best interests. The Big Ten can't give you what you need anymore. The sooner you realize that, the better off both of you will be. You can get a better date and the Big Ten can find someone more in their league.

PreNicktion: USC (easiest pick of the year)
Wisdometer: 9.9
Record Guesser: USC (10-2, 10-2), Illinois (9-3, 9-3)

AllState Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, 5:30 pm, New Orleans, FOX
Hawaii vs. Georgia
This has to be entertaining. It can't ever top the Boise game a year ago, but it's guaranteed to entertain.

PreNicktion: Hawaii (risky, but what the hell)
Wisdometer: 8.9
Record Guesser: Hawaii (12-0, 12-0), Georgia (10-2, 10-2)

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 2, 5 pm, Glendale, FOX
Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
The Sooners are back to avenge the wild defeat to Boise State a year ago. The Mountaineers have no future and are trying to salvage one last moment of glory. Good luck to both of you.

PreNicktion: West Virginia (Rule 7.2.5: Never pick Oklahoma simply out of spite)
Wisdometer: 9.3
Record Guesser: Oklahoma (11-2, 11-2), West Virginia (10-2, 10-2)

FedEx Orange Bowl, Jan. 3, 5 pm, Miami, FOX
Virginia Tech vs. Kansas
I never thought Kansas was that good this year and I have a feeling more proof is on its way.

PreNicktion: Virginia Tech
Wisdometer: 7.5
Record Guesser: Virginia Tech (11-2, 11-2), Kansas (11-1, 11-1)

International Bowl, Jan. 5, 9 am, Toronto, ESPN2
Rutgers vs. Ball State
Worried you'll have nothing to watch between the BCS games and the national title? Never fear, the Canadians are putting on a bowl spectacular airing at 9 am on the West Coast! Enjoy!

PreNicktion: Rutgers
Wisdometer: 2.7
Record Guesser: Rutgers (8-4, 7-5), Ball State (7-5, 7-5)

GMAC Bowl, Jan. 6, 5 pm, Mobile, ESPN
Bowling Green vs. Tulsa
And if Canada doesn't put on the show you were hoping for, well, neither will Mobile, AL. Sorry.

PreNicktion: Bowling Green (only because I once drove through there)
Wisdometer: .01
Record Guesser: Bowling Green (7-5, 8-4), Tulsa (7-5, 9-4)

Allstate BCS Championship Game, Jan. 7, 5 pm, New Orleans, FOX
LSU vs. Ohio State
Plans were made. Nothing could stop this trip from happening - well, nothing except for 239,978 injuries. Moving on.

I can't believe Ohio State gets to do this again after last year's debacle. They're two seasons away from Michigan beginning to dominate them with the spread (not to mention Illinois), so they better find a way to win this thing. I think a rule should be drafted that if Ohio State gets outclassed again, they aren't allowed to play for a national title until they admit they're not that good and they play in a weak conference.

PreNicktion: LSU
Wisdometer: 9.9
Record Guesser: LSU (11-2, 11-2), Ohio State (11-1, 11-1)

PreNicktion Thursday, one last time miserable time

2007-11-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

There's no way Oregon can lose this game. Their last loss was understandable and I'll let it slide, but the Ducks need this win badly. I think they can do it. Sure, the pesky opponent isn't receiving a lot of votes in the polls right now, but they are dangerous and may, at the end of the year, be a nationally ranked team. A win for Oregon could go a long way toward building national credibility.

PreNicktion: Oregon 89, Kansas State 83

What? You thought I was talking about football? That's so two weeks ago. We gotta' move on. It's time to throw our hat into a new ring and find the next big let down.

Oh, fine, one last hurrah for 2007 on the gridiron, but - for the record - I don't like it. Perhaps if we could fast forward to 2009 when this scout team offense is going to be ready for live action, I'd be a bigger believer. The quarterbacks are likely to be career backups. One of the wide receivers was playing defensive back two weeks ago (and he's a true freshman). The healthiest running back is still another season away from getting significant carries and is taking snaps at quarterback! On defense, is there even a healthy linebacker available? Yep, can't wait to see how this one unfolds.

Hey, here's a fun fact. Because this season has been blown up, I decided to check out how recruiting is going - a favorite past time of any team who has only next year to look forward to. Turns out the one quarterback that has committed missed most of 2006 with a - yep, you guessed it - torn ACL! He'll fit right in.

Normally, this is a fun week, one where I can spar with my Beaver-loving family. It's especially great when the game is at Autzen Stadium given that the Ducks haven't lost at home in this rivalry since 1993.

Wow, I need to take a moment here and divert your attention to something else. As I researched that last statistic, I found some ugliness in Oregon State's past. We all know about the 28 straight losing seasons. That's well-documented, but have you ever looked at some of the seasons they had? Yikes! From 1979 to 1982, the Beavers had three wins including an 0-11 dandy in 1980. From 1990 to 1992, they had three straight one win seasons and another in 1995. I think the accomplishment of what the current Oregon State program has become may be the most amazing sports story ever. Don't you think around 1992, after a third straight one win season and 22nd straight losing season, someone in the athletic department would have said, "ya know, maybe football isn't such a good idea anymore?" It's a modern day miracle that that program was allowed to even exist.

Anyway, as I was saying, I usually enjoy this week. It's fun and in recent history, there has usually been something of significance on the line. This year is no different as the two teams are likely playing for a trip to the Holiday Bowl, the Sun Bowl at worst. In this rivalry, for this game to mean that much to both teams is rare. And yet, I just don't care. I don't feel like it matters. It's as if we spent all year dating a supermodel, but when it came time to show her off, we were left with someone from a J.C. Penney's ad. Not bad, but come on, we had a super model!

Couple the disinterest with my steadfast belief that we're dead in the water and Saturday isn't shaping up to be the exciting coronation it was made out to be three weeks ago.

I guess it's not completely hopeless, though. That '95 Beaver team that finished with one win almost beat a vastly superior Oregon team. I mean, if a one win Oregon State team can be competitive with the 1995 Cotton Bowl-bound Ducks, couldn't the 2007 Oregon scout team Ducks put up a fight? Hmm, maybe I need to rethink this. Ah, what the hell, a die hard, idiotic homer to the end.

PreNicktion: Oregon 2, Oregon State 0

Yeah, I'm alive, but in no way am I well

2007-11-27T20:19:00.000-08:00

In response to the comments below, yes, I am alive. No, I'm not well. And no, there was no warning, though if I had read all my text messages, I think I could have figured it out. Still, I was smart enough to utilize the 4x fast forward button to move through the fourth quarter.

I am, however, happy to report that it is possible to have Thanksgiving dinner with your toes in the sand as I had wondered earlier. I did just that and it was fantastic. Not only that, but I watched overtime of the Kentucky-Tennessee game from a pool just off the beach, so while you were all suffering through the performance of Oregon's scout team offense, I at least had that going for me.

So what do we do now? I've gone from checking news sites and fan message boards almost hourly to trying the install a parental block on the sites so that I never have to see them again. We've gone from watching the best offense in Oregon history to viewing the biggest trainwreck of all time. From #2 to possibly unranked with a Civil War loss. All in two weeks time.

This was, no doubt in my mind, the best team in the country at its peak (sorry LSU fans, I'm biased). It was the best team Oregon's ever fielded. Some say they should have had better depth or a better plan at quarterback. I'd argue the depth is as good as it's ever been. This team went a long way missing numerous key players, but you can only withstand so much. There's not a team in the country that could win with the injury problems Oregon has. There's a reason guys are 4th and 5th string quarterbacks. They're not supposed to see the field.

That's probably what hurts the most. Oregon didn't get a fair shot. You can stomach a loss that comes because you just weren't good enough but to know you were the best and not get a chance to prove it? I guess no one ever said it was supposed to be fair, but it was such a rare opportunity and to not get to see the results of what could have been is just hard to take.

Ah, sports. There's always next year.

A few points and predictions before I delve into Margaritaville

2007-11-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

Two games left for the Duckies of Oregon. Talk is cheap and wins are needed. I'm headed to Cabo and if all goes as planned, I won't know a score until I finish watching the game on my DVR when I get back Sunday. I need complete and total removal from football, if only for a few days. But before I go, some points have to be made.

That guy that writes columns for that paper in Portland - yeah, you know the one - is officially nothing more than a muckraker. Being a talented writer is one thing, being a good journalist an entirely different matter. The bald one fails in the latter. Of course, he sells papers and radio ad space, so what does it matter, right?
Do you realize that if this thing shakes out the way we all want it to, Brady Leaf will be on record as the only living Oregon Duck quarterback to win a Rose Bowl (not to mention the only Leaf to claim that accomplishment)? I just think that needs to be said.
No excuses whatsoever this weekend. UCLA is down to its fourth quarterback. Granted, losing Dixon is a much bigger deal, but if this team is a champion, it needs to get it done no matter what.
Fight on, Trojans!

Enjoy your Turkey everybody. I don't suppose you can get mashed potatoes and yams with your toes in the sand, huh?

PreNicktion:
-Brady Leaf, 300 yards, 3 TDs, 0 picks, Heisman consideration.
-Jonathan Stewart doesn't play, actually had a broken leg, arm and foot all this time.
-Zero torn ACLs (this only happens in Autzen or during practice)
-Bellotti found to have caused every cancer ever known
-Oregon 23, UCLA 17 (I miss the days of 53 to -7)

Time to move on? I guess we have no choice

2007-11-19T00:52:00.000-08:00

I keep trying to tell myself, Rose Bowl. Win out, be Pac-10 champs. Play for pride and show everyone that a "team" went 8-1, not a player. And sometimes, that works. Still, it's hard to let go of everything that was rightfully Oregon's. I still want that Heisman for Dennis and a trip to New Orleans and nothing's going to simply wash that disappointment away.

Yet, you live to play another day. It's up to Oregon if they take advantage or not. Even if ASU wins out, the Ducks are likely headed to a BCS bowl with two more wins as they sit just three spots away from an automatic bid.

How amazing is this opportunity for Brady Leaf? He now has a chance to quarterback his team into a Rose Bowl, just ten years after his brother did the same at WSU. I know, we all saw what he did on Thursday and complained about the fact he has a Division I scholarship, but this is our guy now and I'm going to support that. And if that sounds sarcastic, I swear it's not.

This season may not go down as that "once-in-a-lifetime" moment we all hoped for, but it can still be one of the greatest years in Oregon football history. 11-2, Rose Bowl champs and a victory over storied Ohio State? What's not to like?

The before and after of being a fan

2007-11-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

If you're a Duck fan, you feel the hurt right now more than ever before. As such, I thought I'd share a private exchange of emails that took place over the course of the last week. I think it sums up everything there is to know about being a sports fan. The names have been changed to protect the guilty. Some content has been edited for professional reasons.

Note: I know it's long, but worth your time. It's the only thing that's made me laugh since the Arizona debacle.

Hey everyone,

Hows it going? OK - now on to business. The Ducks are #2 in the BCS and are likely heading to New Orleans barring some travashamockery. I'm going. I already have a plane ticket purchased and will be there from the 5th-8th of Jan. I'm headed down with the GF, Courtney Mustachio - So I know of at least one thats coming with me. But I figured if there were more of us maybe we could band together and work with tickets, hotels rental cars and that kind of stuff. But the first step is finding out what is % of you making it down.

Odds of this being an awesome trip VERY VERY HIGH... so get on it and lets figure this out.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 13, 8:30 a.m.

Does the pope shit in the woods?

My liver is already hating me. Just working on details.

- Rufus Manhelm, Nov. 13, 8:33 a.m.

Come on guys, one game at a time... Still a lot of football left to be played... Arizona is a tough team.... blah blah blah...

That said, I look forward to sharing one of these delicious treats with you all in '08:
www.patobriens.com/hurricane.html

I would be able to help with being a bad influence. This could be our annual GNJKOHF day (minus the shots of vodka secretly poured into a microbrew. That was just cruel.)

- Bryan Queef, Nov. 13, 1:40 pm
p.s. As for the pope's shitting habits, well, I have no clue.

Uh, duh.

Between this, Christmas and a trip to Cabo next week, I'm going to be utterly broke. But if there's an opportunity to get any of you back for the aforementioned secret Vodka shots, well, I'll be there, tickets or not.

Sterling Cocktoasten, Nov. 13, 8:57 p.m.

P.S. What's the over/under on Dean Killigan replying? Still waiting to hear if he's going to be at the Team A-Team B game. Oh, what? That was two weeks ago? Damn.

I'm in, though I don't have the testicular fortitude to purchase tickets quite yet. I'll see what shakes out. I hope that everybody will be just as pumped if the Ducks head to Pasadena for the first time since we were all students there. None of this National Championship-or-bust bandwagon bullshit.

- Dean Killigan, Nov. 13 9:37 p.m.

PS-Hey Cocktoasten, what's the line on you bringing your own ID instead of your girlfriend's to the bar on a given night? I don't cover that Team B team any more, but I did just apply for a job at (Place of Work), so there might be more shark tacos and ultimate frisbee in our future. Don't fret. I'll keep you posted. Bitch.

Dean Killigan ladies and gentleman! I'm just so happy right now.

Game tickets definitely optional at this point. Monetarily, I'm rooting for Pasadena.

Sterling Cocktoasten, Nov. 13, 10:49 p.m.

Like Sterling Cocktoasten, I am also broke. (Damn that trip I just took to Vegas.) But here's hoping that the Oregon tax refund kicker and company Christmas bonus give me enough pocket cash.

I'm not committing just yet.

IGBQKOHFD2008!!!
International get Bryan Queef kicked off his flight day, 2008!!!

- Harley Bloodstone, Nov. 13, 11:28 p.m.

While I'm more than happy to accept Mr. Bloodstone's challenge, I'm pretty sure if we all somehow found ourselves in New Orleans for this epic occasion it would be:

IGWHABQAHBARMADKASCAWEIDETJUKOO FD2007/08

(International Get Wilford Harden And Bryan Queef And Harley Bloodstone And Rufus Manhelm And Dean Killigan And Sterling Cocktoasten And Whoever Else Is Dumb Enough To Join Us Kicked Off Our Flights Day 2007/08)

2005: Bar 1 (with STEVE!!)
2006: Bar 2 (with nice, but cruel waitress, who shockingly suggested the secret vodka shot)
2007/08: ???

- Bryan Queef, Nov, 14, 12:39 p.m.

I'm so proud of everyone!! I will say that since im not a 100% fool that I purchased my tickets on southwest so they are 100% transferable.

We will have no need to add shots to micros in the big easy the hurricanes, hand grenades, 57 chevys, shark attacks, flaming doctor peppers and voodoo daiquiris will do the damage for us on bourbon street. And odds of us all making it back are slim to none.

We'll make this our own mardi gras. i liiike

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 14, 6:57 a.m.

Like Sterling Cocktoasten, football I'm rooting for the trip to New Orleans. My wallet is rooting for the trip to Pasadena. If that happens, I'm planning one hell of a tailgate party on the 4th fairway outside the stadium. The golf course/lot opens at 4 am. Speaking of which, will we get a chance to have a IGETODFLSGIOWERUTHOWERTHUWEOREW RWIGNJLOSDFIOSDFIJSDIOUIERW day in Portland this year?

- Rufus Manhelm, Nov. 14 7:44 a.m.

I am so in. Guarantee it. I like everyone else however, am too scardy to buy tickets just yet. I'll get in either way. I'll probably have a crowd of LSU folks with me, it'll be nice to rub it in all of their faces when its over.

- Wang Hungfarlow, Nov. 14 8:06 a.m.

Ok becuase I am crazy and I partially blame the GF for this (she loves to plan) ... but we have booked a place to stay for the Title Game. It's at the Baronne Plaza New Orleans: http://www.baronneplaza.com/ - We got a decent rate and its in between the Superdome and the French quarter. Don't worry I haven't completely jinxed us because we can still cancel this by dec 6th. So i've got outs.

But we booked a big room with 2 large beds and wanted to throw it out to my hesitant but faithful friends to anyone that wanted to stay with us you could (limit 5ish in the room) and we could split the cost. The cost for three nights is about $230/person (based on 4 people staying there it goes down if we get one or two more squeezed in the room obvs). I'll let people chime in now if they are interested in joining this bandwagon...

Remember... get on now or you are going to be staying under the levees for twice the price... you heard it here first. And you are close enough to the quarter to stumble home from a night of debauchery.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 14, 11:12 a.m.

Jan 5-8 are the dates...

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 14, 11:12 a.m.

Let it be known across the nation who jinxed the Ducks.

Wilford Harden.

- Harley Bloodstone, Nov. 14, 11:24 a.m.

I have outs nothing is booked solid... so im jinx free.

I pre-checked the jinx-opedia and it appears as long as you can cancel everything then you are not a jinxer... just an awesome planner.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 14, 11:27 a.m.

I repeat, let it be known across the nation that Wilford Harden is a duck jinxer.
I will hold this over your head for years, you bastard.

Enjoy your hotel room.

- Harley Bloodstone, Nov. 15, 9:42 p.m.

It cost me no $ Dixon's phantom acl tear is not on me... this is on the trainers at oregon that would allow 9 of its top 11 best players go down in an election year. it's un-american.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 15, 10:22 p.m.

Just curious, on a scale of 1-10, what is everyone's depression level? Personally, I'm reaching suicidal. I don't think I've ever felt so lost.

And Wilford, while everyone will blame you, I do not. There's no such thing as a jinx.

- Sterling Cocktoasten, Nov. 15, 10:26 p.m.

Wilford Harden: You didn't jinx us, I was ready to do the same thing. I just had a feeling Dixy was going to get hurt again.

My depression level: 2. Fucking terrible.

However, I've always wanted to play Ohio State. May Arizona State get buried by USC.

- Wang Hungfarlow, Nov. 15, 10:33 p.m.

I'd change this to a "ya'll come down to Pasadena and hang out" email but I swear to God if I see Brady Leaf in at quarterback ever again, we may as well book hotels in Las Vegas.

- Sterling Cocktoasten, Nov. 15, 10:37 p.m.

Hey Wilford Harden-

Have fun at the Kansas-West Virginia game.

Jackass.

- Dean Killigan, Nov. 16, 6:24 a.m.

At least i made a stand.... you pansies! Im out nothing and had piece of mind had dixon not try to juke the air and screw up his knee.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 16, 6:38 a.m.

S'ok Wilford Harden. I had rooms lined up at Harrah's and a Continental redeemed ticket. Chelsea Nottingham was going to dress in her LSU gear and make fun of all of us. Now she feels bad because she only wanted to play us. The luster is lost with Kansas or any other Big 12 Team entering the picture.

- Wang Hungfarlow, Nov. 16, 6:59 a.m.

I call dibs on Sterling Cocktoasten's couch for San Diego! I blame you Wilford Harden, and I blame your anal girlfriend for making you plan everything. SCREW YOU GUYS. Oh, was it just me, or did it look like Chip Kelly had no backup plan for Brady Leaf at all last night?

- Rufus Manhelm, Nov. 16, 7:57 a.m.

You are right... I tore Dixon's ACL with my planning... what was i thinking...

not cool.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 16, 8:00 a.m.

The proof that Wilford Harden jinxed all of this (halfway down). And a recap of this email thread:

Wilford Harden is confident (too confident?) from the beginning:
"The Ducks are #2 in the BCS and are likely heading to New Orleans barring some travashamockery." I didn't know what a travashamockery was before the air and grass hurt Dixon's knee. I do now.

Then Bryan Queef tried to unjinx it with this:
"Come on guys, one game at a time... Still a lot of football left to be played..." It was only half sincere, though, with the "Arizona is a tough team.... blah blah blah..." at the end.

What got lost in the mix is when Sterling Cocktoasten said:
"Between this, Christmas and a trip to Cabo next week, I'm going to be utterly broke." Somehow Cynthia Stockholm tricked Sterling into swimming with dolphins and sipping strawberry daiquiris. Luckily for Sterling, they don't check IDs down there. So he's safe, even if he accidentally brings Cynthia Stockholm's ID instead of his own.

Then Sterling's wallet and Rufus Manhelm's wallet started rooting for the Rose Bowl.

Here's where it gets interesting. Wilford Harden partially throws his GF under the bus and blames the crazy hotel booking on her. Then he admits to jinxing all of us:
"Don't worry I haven't completely jinxed us because we can still cancel this by dec 6th." Don't worry, folks, Wilford only partially jinxed us. Notice that this is the first reference of jinxing in the email thread.

I then accused Wilford:
"Let it be known across the nation who jinxed the Ducks. Wilford Cocktoasten." None of this email thread felt right at all. When has pre-planning for an Oregon football away game every worked in our favor? Seattle Bowl anybody? Sterling's disastrous trip to USC last year? Every Civil War game I've ever been to at Reser Stadium? I think I've only been to one Duck away game where they have won, and that was against Cal before Tedford left Oregon.

Afterthoughts:

Why should spending money have anything to do with verbal or written jinxing? In my opinion jinxing is a mindset, not a credit card swipe.

How does Sterling Cocktoasten, the guy who burns unlucky Duck shirts to hell, not believe in jinxing?

I haven't heard from Dean Killigan in a while, but I like that he called Wilford a jackass. I laughed.

Brady Leaf's only job is to be ready to step in and be the man. He doesn't have to be the man on a day to day basis. He just has to be ready, on the off-chance. And he wasn't. Dixon doesn't practice all week, is wearing a knee brace. Use your head, throw up before you leave the locker room, man up and be ready on the off-chance.

That's all I've got. Maybe Wilford isn't completely to blame. He did only partially jinx us. Maybe I'm grasping to find a partial scapegoat.

- Harley Bloodstone, Nov. 16, 9:48 a.m.

Someone here needs to be thrown under the bus. And I pick Wilford.

- Rufus Manhelm, Nov. 16, 9:54 a.m.

Like I said... there was no jinx here because guess what.. I am out no $ and all plans are off. poof. gone. wallet is still in good health. I am not required to still stay at the hotel in new orleans or am i required to fly there.

I was being a good planner and i didnt have to share any of that info with you but i did.

What I have learned from all this? You are all assholes.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 16, 9:58 a.m.

"You are all assholes."

Hey now, I'm on your side.

Is anyone else at work right now and completely miserable and doing everything to give off the vibe, "don't fuck with me"?

Anyone?

- Sterling Cocktoasten, Nov. 16, 10:13 a.m.

One of the partners at my (work) is a Duck season ticket holder. A big fan. He hasn't come into work today, and he's usually the first one in. Right now, he's two and a half hours late. I'm not sure if it's a coincidence, but to everyone's knowledge, he wasn't planning on being gone. We've decided not to call him to see what's up. Just let him be.

- Harley Bloodstone, Nov. 16, 10:22 a.m.

I am. I actually had to restrain myself in an email to an account rep. My office door is closed. I just want to go back to bed. I had 3 (!) beers last night during the game and I feel like I'm in the midst of a 4 star hangover.

- Rufus Manhelm, Nov. 16, 10:24 a.m.

Im completely worthless at work today... i feel sick to my stomach and its not from my taco bell lunch or the 9 giant beers i had last night.

This should be a national day of mourning.... like when gerald ford died and I got the day off... but this should just extend through thanksgiving.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 16, 10:25 a.m.

Remember everyone. We are a basketball school.

I've already been looking into San Antonio and I think we could all meet there for the Final fo.... kidding.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 16, 10:36 a.m.

Wilford-

All I'm saying is, you're awefully defensive for a guy who "doesn't believe he jinxed the Ducks." I don't think you should ever be able to set foot in an Oregon sports arena again, not even Pape Field. And now you're trying to throw the hoops team under the bus? Sheesh. Where are the limits to your jinxiness?

Sterling, to answer your question, I actually got a stomach virus last night. Felt terrible the whole game, threw up for the first time right after the Wildcats fans started climbing over the wall, haven't stopped puking since. Taking the day off work. And yet, there's always time to call Wilford a jackass.

- Dean Killigan, Nov. 16, 12:08 p.m.

I'm defensive because I feel just as sick as all of you and I don't want to be your scapegoat on top of it.

So I take back my statement before that you are all assholes... that was mean.

I meant to write: Manhelm and Dean are Douchetastic blame-hungry whores!

Good day.

- Wilford Harden, Nov. 16, 12:13 p.m.

Now I don't see where name calling can help get Oregon the win last night.

- Rufus Manhelm, Nov. 16, 12:24 p.m.

Great stuff, everyone. Gotta love the passion of sports...

It's weird being in Eugene today. It seems like everyone here shares your day-after depression. And the lovely rain and dark conditions definitely fit the mood.

This photo was blown up huge on the front page of this morning's R-G sports section. Tears streaming down the cheeks of Dixon:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/port_popup.html?mem_id=849&i_id=665435

Wouldn't book any flights or hotels in Pasadena. Take it from a lifelong Chargers fan, nothing good can ever happen with a Leaf at QB.

This from a 1998 NFL Draft article:

Beathard said the Chargers will be happy with Leaf or Manning, but it's believed they favor Leaf, a junior who left Washington State after leading the Cougars to their first Rose Bowl in 67 years. Leaf and Manning are both big and come from successful programs. Leaf is a little bigger and the Chargers like his arm strength. "There just aren't many guys who come along with any stronger arm than a Ryan Leaf," Beathard said.

"What else can I say? He's the future," Chargers owner Alex Spanos said of Leaf. "Quite frankly, this man will solve all those problems for the next 15 years, and I told him that."

- Bryan Queef, Nov. 16, 2:05 p.m.

Bryan, If it's any consolation, the entire bar I was watching at booed everytime they showed Ryan on TV. Hell, I'm guessing 90% of America did too.

- Rufus Manhelm, Nov. 16, 2:21 p.m.

My cathartic oasis, the blog must go on

2007-11-15T22:40:00.000-08:00

Two days ago, I spoke with my dad. I told him, right now, the Oregon Ducks are essentially the 2000 Portland TrailBlazers. It's the fourth quarter, it's game seven and you're up by 15 points. All that's left is the party.

Well, you know the rest of the story. On Thursday night, the Ducks were on the national stage. Dennis Dixon was going to make his case for the Heisman Trophy and he did just that showing perfection until disaster struck. A misplanted left foot now takes its place beside so many oh-so-close moments in Oregon (the state) sports history. The story always ends the same.

Others won't understand. They'll say it's just a game, but it's different when you grow up in Oregon. It's the underappreciated state on the west coast and the light rarely shines it's bright national beam in our direction. When it does, there's a sense of pride that I feel is unrivaled anywhere else. Teams from Oregon don't lead ESPN with their Heisman Trophy candidate and get shots at national titles in a sport that is so geared toward rewarding the most traditional schools. It just doesn't happen.

And that's why this hurts so much. This was our chance and we didn't get a fair shake. Will destiny shine it's light so bright ever again? Hard to say. The Rose Bowl can still happen and hopefully it will. It should never be anyone's consolation but in a year where the Ducks had the most to lose, it feels empty.

There are two games left, a chance to play for pride, for a Pac-10 championship. Go out and do it Ducks. Stand tall and persevere. Even in a time of hurt, a champion can reveal itself. It's Pasadena or bust.

Oregon the frontrunner takes center stage

2007-11-15T01:20:00.000-08:00

It's weird, being a native Oregonian. You go through life looking for any sort of attention, however stupid or remote. Somehow, Tonya Harding still makes you smile. Hey nation, we're Oregon! Over here! Hey...aw, they're ignoring us again. Stephen Colbert refers to us as California's Canada or Washington's Mexico. It's an underdog state, sure, but a place that wants to shine bright if someone will just take notice.

Well, for the Oregon Ducks, it's happening. Our football team has invaded the most traditional of sports - one where only the blue-bloods, the ones with a history - are supposed to get noticed. Yet, here we stand, three games from the end of a season and our quarterback is the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. Our running back is up for all the awards that matter. The team is an odds-on favorite to play in Louisiana for the national title and - GASP! - the nation says that's okay. The Rose Bowl is a consolation prize!

It kind of makes all those years clamoring at the nation's talking heads about east coast bias seem like it never happened. It renders time spent trying to convince your distant relatives, friends and co-workers that Oregon is in fact one of the 50 states seem utterly pointless.

The day has finally come where Oregon is a front-runner, leading the pack, not having to chase from behind begging someone to show some appreciation. The three game stretch to prove the accolades are warranted begins tonight, nationally televised on the only station that matters in sparkling high definition. There will be a whole nation of fans watching, rooting for the Ducks to lose. Nobody likes the favorite. Not tonight nation. Not next week, not the week after that. Opportunity has arrived, the stage is bright and it's time for the star of the show to shine.

PreNicktion: Oregon 48, Arizona 17

Cheer up, it's already Friday

2007-11-13T21:36:00.000-08:00

If you're like me and count the days according to when the next football game is played, today may as well be Friday. Tomorrow is game day. And who is that lurking on a weeknight in the cooled-off desert? Ah, raging Mike Stoops and his band of paper champions, the Arizona Wildcats. For the gridders of Tuscon, the off-season is nearly over. Two more games and the real drama begins to unfold as recruiting season heats up. Stoops will be trying to right the ship after a subpar 2007 finish. Sorry, must have been the Ducks riding out of town on a midnight horse with his best prospects. Careful, you visor-wearing lunatic, if you pay too much attention to the games on the field, Oregon may just grab another prized blue-chipper.

If it all seems just a tad inflammatory, well, you're right. Something irks me about Arizona. Well, it's not something, it's Mike Stoops. I mean, it can't be Arizona. Not a team Oregon's beat 11 out of the last 13 times the two have matched up. Certainly not the only team in the Pac-10 never to play in a Rose Bowl. And it most definitely can't be a team that hasn't had a winning record since 1998. Nope, it's just Mike Stoops (technically, it's the entire Stoops family, but we'll leave Bob out of this until the inevitable BCS matchup that everyone outside the state of Oregon would like to see).

Stoops of the Arizona variety always puts on a show. He stomps, he yells, he grimaces, he pouts (not a lot unlike my own game day behavior I suppose). You might find him 15 yards out onto the field fighting an injust whistle. You'll most certainly see him pull that visor up and down his head. A sideline warning is all but guaranteed. Here's to the Ducks rolling double nickels while Stoops perfects greatest meltdown in college football history.

GOTB goes on strike (and she's just a tad mean)

2007-11-08T21:34:00.000-08:00

You have to understand that for GOTB to work on a weekly basis, you have to get her in the right frame of mind. If not, it's terribly difficult to execute. As I sat down during the second half of West Virginia and Louisville, it quickly became apparent...my timing was off.

GOTB: First off, West Virginia's uniforms are the ugliest I've seen in my entire life.
BB: Ever?
GOTB: Ugliest ever.
GOTB: And why are they wearing white socks? Why didn't they wear something that goes with it?
BB: That doesn't go?
GOTB: Not at all.

(At this point, I begin searching for something in the Oregon game my dad mentioned to me. I think GOTB will like it. She becomes impatient and decides she doesn't want to do this, gets up, declares she's not saying anything until someone tells her why all quarterbacks have a green sticker on their helmet. She declares a boycott. Ever hopeful, I record the fourth quarter and await her return from a half hour bath.

During the break, I managed to find what I was looking for from the Oregon game and show it to GOTB upon her return.)

GOTB: He's (the ref) got a pink whistle. So what?
BB: So what? After all you've fought for to promote the unity of pink and football, you're on the record saying, "so what?"
GOTB: What's the big deal?
BB: What if your pink crusade is catching on?
GOTB: You think too highly of this blog.
BB: I'm just trying to give you credit. There's been thousands of visitors here in the last few months. You never know how something might catch on.
(The blog doesn't actually have this much ego. The blog is just playing along.)
GOTB: Listen, until someone can tell me why quarterbacks have green stickers on the back of their helmets, I'm boycotting this blog.
BB: You're on strike?
GOTB: Yep.

(Long pause)

GOTB: You know why they have pink whistles, dummy? It's breast cancer month.
BB: That was October.
GOTB: Did you Google it?
BB: No.
GOTB: Oh my gosh, you're gonna' write your stupid blog and it's gonna' be wrong. You're such an idiot.

(GOTB Googles)

GOTB: Yep, that's it. All Pac-10 refs for the last two weeks of October (not sure how the first week of November fits in) used pink whistles. Gaaawsh.

(More game watching and silence as I try to bait her in.)

GOTB: That guy looks like T-Pain.
BB: T-Pain?
GOTB: Yeah, the backup quarterback looks like that rapper, T-Pain, that just got arrested.
(The blog - a big DMX fan at one point - is shocked that a rapper was arrested.)
BB: Isn't it Lil' Wayne?
GOTB: Maybe. You want me to Google it?
BB: Yes.

(GOTB Googles)
GOTB: Yep, there's photos. He just got arrested in Florida.
(For the record, both Lil' Wayne and T-Pain have been arrested. For the record, part II, T-Pain is short for Tallahassee Pain. For the record, part III, the blog has officially lost touch with pop culture.)

(Some guy for West Virginia beats himself senseless with his own helmet.)

GOTB: He has blood on his helmet.
BB: Really?
GOTB: No. You honestly believed that? You're so gullible.
BB: You always observe things I don't notice during a game.
GOTB: I'm not doing your stupid blog tonight.

GOTB: That backup QB (alleged T-Pain look alike) is so little.
BB: T-Pain? Really?
GOTB: Maybe he does look like Lil' Wayne.

(Some player with the last name "Dingle" appears on screen. We both laugh.)

BB: So are you still on strike?
GOTB: Mmm, hmmm.
BB: For how long? If we get this answer for you, do you promise to come back?
GOTB: Yep.

(Green stickers and quarterbacks? Anyone?)

Anyone up for a national title hunt? Here's what's left standing.

2007-11-04T23:18:00.000-08:00

It's official. Oregon is in a race for the national title. Currently sitting at #3 in the BCS, the theory is that the Ducks merely need to win out and have LSU or Ohio State lose. Simple, right? As a certain former coach with a penchant for donning Duck head gear would say, not so fast my friend.

This race is wide open. The top nine teams all have one loss or less and all may have a legitimate shot. From week to week, those computers do wacky, unpredictable things. The humans - as a group - tend to be more consistent on a week to week basis, but aren't immune to a change of mind. In a year where predictability is an uncommon Saturday attribute, something tells me we should expect nothing less of the final votes.

Here's a look at those still standing - even if only on one leg:

Ohio State
Games Remaining: Illinois, @ No. 12 Michigan
Clearly, the frontrunner, the Buckeyes have only two games left, though the game at Michigan figures to be difficult.
The case for: They're undefeated, a traditional power that voters trust, and finish with a statement game on the road.
The case against: The Big 10 hasn't shown much in the way of quality this season and Ohio State's out-of-conference schedule was so poor that it's impossible to tell how they fit in nationally. Skepticism remains from the Buckeyes basically following the same formula last year before getting trounced in the national title game.

LSU
Games Remaining: Louisiana Tech, @ Mississippi, Arkansas, SEC title game*
The Tigers would appear to have the inside track, but after weeks of big games, the strength of schedule weakens before the SEC title game.
The case for: Every week, it's another big game. Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, Alabama. The only loss was on the road in triple overtime. They were also a preseason favorite which usually creates voter bias.
The case against: Hey, every team needs a little luck to get to the end, but isn't this a bit much? Gutsy play calls and stellar execution have worked so far, but will it last and have they been convincing enough to stay ahead of other zero and one loss teams?

Oregon
Games Remaining: @ Arizona, @ UCLA, Oregon State
The Ducks have poll position, but it may not last if they don't win the final three games convincingly. Style points are going to matter.
The case for: Much like LSU, they've been on the big stage - even if the stage the games have been played on has been mostly impossible to view nationally - all season and have come through with only one loss. Also like the Tigers, the schedule gets simpler now. As for appealing to voters, they have the Heisman guy and the national presence despite being off the radar in September.
The case against: With other one loss teams and undefeated Kansas finishing with huge games, the Ducks may get passed over if they don't win big in every game. Memories are short and votes can be influenced by one game. If it comes down to the Ducks and two or three other one loss teams, it will be anybody's guess.

Kansas
Games Remaining: @ Oklahoma State, Iowa State, No. 6 Missouri, Big 12 title game*
The Jayhawks have cruised to a 9-0 record and have the schedule to thank for that. The non-conference slate was as bad as any in the country.
The case for: Hey, undefeated in a BCS conference? That has to count for something. Ultimately, with the schedule so far, you'd have to leave them out, but with a win against No. 6 Missouri and a victory over No. 5 Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship to finish the season, they could easily jump all other contenders.
The case against: At the moment, it's the schedule but that won't hold as much water if they finish with two top 10 victories. In the end, it will all depend on if they lose one of the final games. Of course, voters have a predisposition to discount teams they aren't used to seeing succeed so it's conceivable that even an undefeated team in a BCS conference could be dropped for a one-loss team.

Oklahoma
Games Remaining: Baylor, @ Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Big 12 title game*
There are a lot of games left to be played for the Sooners, but it's the last one that will do the most for their case.
The case for: Oklahoma is another one of those traditional teams that can benefit from voter bias. If they sit at 12-1 to end the season, there are a lot of voters who will be glad to include them in the top 2. Not to mention, they will have defeated three ranked teams on the season.
The case against: There aren't any big time games left on the schedule. Even though the Big 12 championship game is likely to be between two top 10 teams, neither of the North representatives have that big time name and in college football - and only in college football - that seems to matter. Also, they don't play well on the road and Texas Tech could be a trap game.

Missouri
Games Remaining: Texas A&M, Kansas State, @ No. 4 Kansas, Big 12 title game*
The Tigers were left for dead after losing to Oklahoma, but here they are at No. 6 in the BCS with a legitimate shot given a few breaks.
The case for: Once again, it's all about future opportunities. On it's current resume, it's not worthy, but with a win over No. 4 Kansas and No. 5 Oklahoma, they could be right in the thick of the discussion.
The case against: Voters will lean toward LSU or Oregon before taking Missouri. Both those teams probably need to lose unless two big wins convince the humans and machines to jump two teams that have similar if not better resumes.

West Virginia
Games Remaining: Cincinnati, No. 13 Connecticut, Pittsburgh
The Mountaineers don't seem to be getting much love. They keep getting jumped in the polls and their conference isn't doing them any favors.
The case for: They were a preseason favorite, finished strong a year ago and have a lethal offense. They also have a chance to assert themselves with a win over No. 13 Connecticut.
The case against: Really, it has to be the Big East itself. South Florida, Rutgers, Cincinnati and Connecticut are nice stories, but those programs haven't established themselves as legitimate foes. Voters don't view those programs in the same light as they do teams in other conferences. The one team with credibility - Louisville - fell on its face this year and damaged the Mountaineers perception as well.

Boston College
Games Remaining: @ Maryland, @ No. 21 Clemson, Miami, ACC title game
It was probably one loss and done for this team. Perfection was a necessity.
The case for: Well, for argument's sake, they only have one loss and have a win at Virginia Tech.
The case against: It's a long list now. Worst loss of any remaining contender. Fewest style points. Barely escaped against the Hokies, a team LSU already demolished earlier in the year. No one ever truly believed they belonged and I think the clock struck midnight. Actually, it literally did so as the game finished at roughly that time on the east coast.

Arizona State
Games Remaining: @ UCLA, No. 17 USC, Arizona
This team may not be as dead as some may think. A chance at redemption still looms.
The case for: There's no shame in losing at Oregon. A win over USC could legitimize their claim and the Cal win still counts for something. You also have to include the win over Colorado given that Oklahoma lost to the same team. The computers still like the Sun Devils and if they can win over a few more voters, who knows?
The case against: No. 9 is a distant position this time in the year. Teams in front will need to lose and they have no argument against Oregon.

What's the hype? It's just ASU

2007-10-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, I've done a poor job of participating this week, but until I make more than $0.00 doing this, I get to make the rules, so deal.

And come on, does it really matter? It's just ASU, right?

Well, maybe not. These Sun Devils led by king of zip codes Dennis Erickson are a bit different. They got that swagger, that fierceness, that confidence that any Erickson-led team seems to have. It's always amazing the way his teams find an instantaneous amount of speed and size upon his arrival. Are these the same players from last year? Where did those guys come from at Oregon State in 2000? As my dad wondered tongue-in-cheek, does Erickson bring the 'roids with him or does he just tell players where to get them?

Folks, the Sun Devils are legit and a win this weekend ain't gonna be easy. In my first ever attempt at an actual football analysis this season (ever?), here's my thoughts on what Oregon needs to do to win.

Harass the hell out of Rudy Carpenter
WSU gave the Sun Devils quarterback fits by blitzing him and generally making life miserable. As a result, the Cougars were a badly missed field goal at the end of regulation from taking Arizona State to overtime.

Get a really, really, really big lead in the first half
When you consider the mind-boggling statistic of ASU outscoring opponents 153-39 in the second half including four (four!) shutouts, any team will need a big lead to feel safe down the stretch.

Make them taste life on the road
ASU is 8-0, but did you know they've played six home games? The only road tests for the Sun Devils have been at Washington State and Stanford, not exactly the cream of anybody's crop both in ability and in intimidating settings. In addition, they've played an abysmal schedule (the BC route to the national title) so I'm thinking it may be time to rattle the Devil's cage and see what happens.

Stay true to you
Statistically, ASU is solid in every facet of the game. They're in the top 3 of every major offensive and defensive category. To that, I say game on. Bring it. We'll line up and do what we do well and that's just better than anything you can bring. A steady dose of the multi-faceted running game with a penchant for going big in the passing game when the moment strikes as well as a patient defense that knows it will make the 3 or 4 big plays is going to win this game.

Don't let them dictate the tempo
Much has been made of the fact that ASU is running the football far more than they pass it. The more possessions for the Oregon offense, the better. If the Sun Devils are able to sustain long, time-consuming drives, they can take the crowd out of it and more importantly, the Oregon offense.

What happened? I blacked out. That's the way you do it! That's the way you discuss football!

PreNicktion: Oregon 34 ASU 20 (Satisfied, Matt? No cute score this week, just the real deal)

Rose Bowl? National Title? A bit early, don't ya think? Nah, dream away.

2007-10-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

It was just one Saturday, just one game. Hell, all it really amounted to was three hours in time. Yet, it changed everything. With a win over USC, Oregon has taken hold of its dreamy destiny and firmly planted itself in the national title chase. Fans like myself are now looking at the rewards of one big win - another visit from ESPN GameDay, a Heisman frontrunner, BCS ambitions - and getting a bit wide-eyed with January travel plans. If you think about it enough, you're already there. A flight to New Orleans, a place to stay, tickets, pregame parties, all the hype...my imagination (reality?) is running wild.

By next Saturday, the calendar will read November with Oregon in full control of its Pac-10 destiny, a scenario last seen in 2001. In the national chase, the Ducks need three teams in front of them to lose. They get to do the dirty work on one of them, leaving only two teams from a pool of three that Oregon cannot control. Sure, #6 Oklahoma and #7 West Virginia (maybe even #8 Kansas?) will ultimately factor in as well, but the Ducks have been building a pretty solid consensus that this team is deserving. Unlike 2001, they've left little reason to doubt their worthiness and those who have a direct impact on who gets to dance have grown more accustomed to the idea that it's okay to include Oregon on the center stage.

Yeah, I'm getting ahead of myself and yes, it'll likely lead to heavy boozing and an irreversible 10 year downward spiral that ends with my face firmly planted in my own vomit in some back alley. But I might as well dream. This week's most important truth is that ASU is now the most legitimate threat to Oregon's goals and the Sun Devils are after the exact same destiny, one that can't be shared. If the Ducks manage to get by this weekend with a win, every remaining team on the schedule will look at Oregon as an opportunity to make its season. The hardest part is yet to come, even if it feels like its in the rear view mirror. With determination and the right amount of luck, though, perhaps Oregon can save me from the countless interventions and therapy sessions and say, "Nick, how 'bout a trip to New Orleans?" That sounds nice.

GOTB's a little inquisitive and I'm short on answers

2007-10-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

It's a big weekend of football and you don't have to tell the GOTB that. She knows what's at stake and is back for another round, this time sans POTGOTB. Lotta' pressure, Jes. What do you have for us?

NOTE: As always, the conversation occurs during the course of ESPN Thursday night football, this time featuring Boston College and Virginia Tech (what the hell Hokies?!?!)

BB: We gotta' do GOTB!
GOTB: I'll do GOTB when you tell me what a Hokie is.
BB: No idea.

BB: Let's do something a little different to get started. How 'bout a little midseason trivia?
GOTB: Ok, I'm not very good.
BB: I'll start off with some softballs.
GOTB: Softballs are hard, too
BB: Hmm, I suppose they are.

(ESPN commentator Todd Blackledge says, "I agree, that's a hard play you gotta' make when your quarterback sticks it in between two defenders)

GOTB: Hehehehe.
BB: So mature.

Qeustion #1: Who's currently the #1 team?
(Thinks long and hard)
GOTB: Ohio State! I had to think. I knew it wasn't USC, it couldn't be LSU because you already said earlier they're #3 and it's not Boston College because they're #2 so I had to remember another team.
BB: How'd you remember Ohio State?
GOTB: I don't know. I'm a miracle worker.

Question #2: List as many teams as you can from #1 on down the BCS rankings.
GOTB: Ohio State, Boston College, LSU, Arizona State and Oregon. That's all I know.
BB: Come on, you can get more.
GOTB: No I can't! Stop it!

Question #3: What's the best conference in college football?
GOTB: According to who?
BB: According to the entire world.
GOTB: SEC?
BB: Of course.

How many losses does Appalachian State now have?
GOTB: 1.
BB: No.
GOTB: 4
BB: No
GOTB: 2

Who's in first place in the Pac-10?
GOTB: Isn't it tied between ASU and UCLA?
BB: Very good.
GOTB: YES!

Last place in the Pac-10?
GOTB: Is it tied between Washington and Arizona?
BB: Washington and Washington State.
GOTB: Ah, sucks to live in that state.
BB: That it does.

What did Pete Carroll say to Mike Bellotti on TV last year?
GOTB: EDITOR'S NOTE: This answer has been censored for your protection.

GOTB: What is that guy doing? I think I could be a special teams coach?
BB: Why would you think that?
GOTB: I don't know, why do they call it special teams? Usually when you call someone special, it means they're disabled. You know how some kids are disabled? Well, don't say disabled, that's mean, but they call them special.
BB: Wow.
GOTB: Really, though. Why are they special teams?
BB: I don't know.
GOTB: You're not answering any of myquestions. You didn't tell me what a Hookie is.
BB: Hokie
GOTB: Whatever, you still don't know what it is.

GOTB: How do you become a Tech school? Do you focus on technology?
BB: I guess. I don't know.
GOTB: You don't know much about your job.
BB: What's my job?
GOTB: Knowing stuff.

(They show the Hokies mascot picture)
GOTB: That must be a Hokie! Why are everybody's mascots a bird?
BB: Everybody?
GOTB: Yeah.
BB: Ok, realistically, what percent of teams would you say have mascots as birds?
GOTB: 70%. No, there's a lot of dogs, too. 50. Wait, 40.
BB: Pick a number!
GOTB: 40
(Blog fact checker says:14.16% of all Football Bowl Subdivision teams have a bird as a mascot.)

GOTB: Has anyone ever stabbed someone else in the huddle?
BB: What? Why are you even asking that?
GOTB: I don't know, just wondering.
BB: You need to watch one less episode of CSI a week.

GOTB: What's on that guy's arm?
BB: I don't know.
GOTB: Dude, honestly, the only answer you have to my questions is, "I don't know."
BB: You ask retarded questions (or should I say special).
GOTB: No I don't. I ask what the people want to know. No one else asks them because people like you say it's retarded.

BB: Okay, we need some full-on football analysis. What does the offense need to do this weekend to be successful?
GOTB: We have to put our tall receiver Jaison Williams on a short DB. We need Jones back because he's fast and we need the little man (Pflugrad) to catch everything. Dixon needs to throw the ball well. I'm a little afraid to have Stewart run. I feel like he's gonna' get hurt. I feel like the Trojans are going to pound Stewart harder than anyone ever has.
BB: Um...
GOTB: And we need to bust out some new trick plays.

(After arguing about a ridiculous point she made about our defense...)
GOTB: That's it, I don't want to do this anymore.
BB: Come on.
GOTB: If you can tell me what that thing is on the ref's belt, I'll finish.
BB: It's a beanbag to mark the spot of a fumble.
GOTB:Why didn't you answer that the last time I asked?
BB: You never asked that question.
GOTB: I did too. You don't pay attention to me. I'm done.
BB: Well, at least give us a score prediction.
GOTB: 48-31
BB: Who wins?
GOTB: We do. What do you mean who wins? Good Lord, you're dumb.

USC? Psh, what a mess

2007-10-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

And now, the season begins. The upper tier of the Pac-10 - Oregon, Arizona State, USC, Cal and UCLA - are about to get after each other. These five teams will combine to play 10 games against each other, eight of those still ahead on the schedule. Every one of them, save for Cal, controls their own destiny in reaching the Rose Bowl. ASU, USC and Oregon all have national title aspirations. In other words, yeah, it's getting to be a big deal.

When #6/#7/#8/#9/#12 USC strolls into Autzen Stadium Saturday, it essentially kicks off the race to the finish. One will be eliminated. Rather than fawn over the Trojans and their success this decade, I figure screw it. Winning's all about confidence. Let's just point out everything wrong in LA. The blog - like the Ducks - shows no mercy.

End of a dynasty. USC has four Pac-10 losses in the last two years and all the hard games on its schedule left. Nobody fears Troy anymore. Stanford lifted the final veil of invincibility. The flood gates are open. Get yours while you can.

Sloppy, sloppy. Always one to emphasize the turnover, USC's doing just that. Problem is, they're the ones turning it over. The men of Troy are minus-4 in turnover margin and 8th in the conference. Oregon on the other hand is plus-5.

Underdogs. Last time the Trojans weren't favored to win? Don't know. Last time they were ranked lower than the opponent? Not sure. Come on, people, I'm just a lazy blogger. It doesn't matter, though. Point is, it's been a long time and with an Oregon win Saturday, it's likely to happen again this season.

Remember the Cardinal. Yeah, that was USC becoming the second Pac-10 team since 2006 to lose to Stanford. That was the Palo Alto football juggernaut waltzing into the Coliseum and exiting with the first win for an opponent on the Trojans home field since 2001.

Pete Carroll under fire. The previously untouchable coach has been getting a few tougher questions this year (it happens to anyone that loses to Stanford, just ask Mike Stoops). He tries to play it cool, but when the losing starts - and it's about to - we'll see just how calm he remains. All you have to do is go back to last year's game against the Ducks to find an example of Petey losin' it.

Quarterback anyone? USC can't pick someone to throw the football. Sanchez or Booty? Show me a successful team that didn't have a clear direction at quarterback. Last year's Florida doesn't count. The roles of Chris Leak and Tim Tebow were clearly defined.

Speaking of making a decision. They can't seem to settle on a running back either. So much talent, but no real continuity at the position has prevented any one or two players from truly breaking out into a reliable, consistent threat.

Bitten by injuries. Both the offense and defense has been ravished by injuries. Even with some players coming back healthy, there is the problem of guys not in a rhythm and not used to playing with each other.

Yep, it's a regular crisis in glitzville. I have visions of a 35 point first half with Dixon dropping bombs, Stewart running a wrecking ball, Byrd cashing in on a pick six, fans roaring like a jet engine, Trojans broken (had to slide one condom reference in) and confused, and a USC band unable to play even the one song it knows.

Not worried at all. Not this weekend. The power of positive thinking. It's a great antidote for the nerve-wracking reality that awaits.

PreNicktion: Oregon 55, USC 2

We now return you to hating LA and its football love-child

2007-10-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Needing a break from the total takeover of fire coverage on the airwaves, I tuned in to a little LA sports radio this afternoon. I figured it was necessary to get a little perspective from this week's enemy, the USC Trojans. For what it's worth, there were no surprises.

The guys on the ESPN radio affiliate had none other than Jeff Sagarin on and were discussing (well, actually berating) his ranking system. This computer guru had the audacity to favor Kansas State at 4-3 over USC at 6-1. Forget using logic. The fact that USC has not played a good team yet was lost on them. The fact that in a game played where 117 teams compete at the same level, yet play only 11 others didn't seem to leave room for a 4-3 team to challenge the mighty Trojans. They were incredulous and flat-out called the system "dumb." Hello, USC lost to Stanford. I didn't say that loud enough. USC LOST TO STANFORD!!!!! It's okay for a sophisticated ranking system, halfway though a season with incomplete data to think your stinkin' Trojans aren't the Gods of Troy's gift to modern civilization!

Undeterred, they ran Sagarin off the show before spending the next 15 minutes discussing the likelihood of USC in the national title game. "All they have to do is win out." Well, duh, but can the rest of us give it a shot, too? I tell ya, all it takes for these people is one thrashing of the worst - yet most notable - team in college football and the wagon's back and rolling.

I'm still bitter about my entire experience at the Coliseum last year and desperately desire a victory this weekend. It hasn't happened against the Trojans since 2001, but it's time. It's time. More to come on the game Thursday.

Fire update

2007-10-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

Jes and I have received enough calls and messages that it's probably a good idea I mention the San Diego fire situation on here. We can get back to hating USC a little later. There's plenty of time for that.

We are not in any danger at all. We actually live in a really good spot where the air quality is the only issue. The fires seem to be north, south and east of us. They have been moving west, but all the damage is being sustained inland. I went north yesterday before I realized my company would be closed and it was a dark, brown sky with limited visibility and the air was just unbreathable. However, where we live, it's actually been pleasant save for the hazy smoke hanging around.

It's a pretty crazy scene here, as evacuations have been reported as high as 500,000 people with over 1,200 homes being destroyed. The situation is far from over as I understand it. A couple new fires got going today, one that is particularly concerning.

While the winds and hot, dry conditions have prevented making much progress (most fires are 0-5% contained), I've been impressed by the response of many agencies and individuals. We actually tried to take some donations to Qualcomm Stadium today but they've received so much stuff that they actually turned us away. You go out to Target or Vons and the stores are packed with people buying stuff.

With fires raging, the blog beats on

2007-10-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

The San Diego air is dark and smoky, utterly unbreathable in parts and evacuations are plentiful. They can close the doors at work, but the blog is not to be deterred. Not when 'SC is on the schedule.

My first order of business this week is to call on the University of Oregon to do the right thing this year. I don't want to see the athletic administration back down in the face of outside pressure. They must do what's fair. That's right, they must place bleachers on Pape Field so all our USC friends can view the game from a suitable distance. After all, the Trojans were kind enough to allow us to watch the game from a healthy distance in the Coliseum a year ago. The least we can do is respond in kind. I will not be happy if I see Trojans fans forced into seats with clear views of the field. If they can see a scoreboard (any scoreboard), we will have done them an injustice. If they can hear the PA announcer, we have failed in our hospitality. In fact, if they have any idea what's going on at any point in the game, I will have lost all faith in the Oregon athletic department. And, for the love of sportsmanship, someone find a ghetto that is charging $60 for parking. I don't want these fans feeling mistreated in any way.

Polls gone wild!

2007-10-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

I can't keep up with it anymore. There are, at last count, 12,353,111 college football polls being published. Somehow, mainstream media has been able to trim the number of commonly reported polls to a mere five (not counting computers which would push the number past 10). This means that if you are the USC Trojans, you are currently ranked 6th (Masters), 7th (Harris), 8th (USA Today), 9th (AP) and 12th (BCS). That's right, the #5 Oregon Ducks (whoa, unanimous across five polls!) are getting ready for a huge Pac-10 showdown against #6/#7/#8/#9/#12 USC.

Beyond the fact that I don't know what ranking to report to my San Diegan (RE: clueless about college football) co-workers on a weekly basis, it also brings up all sorts of historical problems. Reading the fabulous blog by Register-Guard beat reporter Rob Moseley, I've learned that this will be the first ever meeting between two top 10 teams in Autzen Stadium. Top 10 what? AP? BCS? My next door neighbor Joe's weekly Extreme Sixteen? If Oregon reaches #1 at some point this season, will that be reported as the first ever occurrence or does the fact that computer guru Jeff Sagarin's predictor poll (my God, even the individual polls have multiple versions!) currently places the Ducks #1 make it a case of been-there, done-that?

Let's chat about Oregon just a bit
Offense
The offense is incredible, probably the best I've ever seen in green and yellow (and black, white and grellow) but I'm a tad nervous about the passing game with all the injuries. It's clear to me that Jeremiah Johnson's role can be replaced, but I can't say the same about Brian Paysinger, Cameron Colvin and Derrick Jones. Without these three, there isn't a true deep threat on the field. Last year, there was no downfield passing game and it had a major effect on offensive production. Washington was so bad against the run that we didn't really get to see what the long-term effect is going to be on the passing game, but it's something to keep in mind against a balanced defense like #6/#7/#8/#9/#12 USC.
Defense
The defense is a more obvious issue to discuss, but I'm comfortable with what it is. Teams like ASU and #6/#7/#8/#9/#12 USC will be easier to defend with less mobile quarterbacks. I have a hard time believing either team will put up 34 on Oregon at home. The Ducks have generally been opportunistic with turnovers and able to get stops when needed. I'm not going to go all "educk.com forum guy" and freak out over one bad game.

TV for ASU?
I know I'm a week early and both teams could potentially lose this weekend, but what the hell, this has to be said.

Can anyone name me one other BCS conference (actually, name me any conference) that wouldn't have the flexibility to make sure a matchup between two top five teams is on national TV? ASU vs. Oregon should be under the lights in HD on ABC Primetime. Instead, it's on OSN (ESPN GamePlan for those out of state). Can you imagine not being able to find LSU vs. Florida or Ohio State vs. Penn State on a national stage? I guess it could be worse. They could have put the game on Fox or Versus.

The Huskies? On the road? Why?

2007-10-18T01:52:00.000-07:00

I was under the impression Oregon didn't have to play Washington in Seattle. Why is the Pac-10 letting this happen? I think in the eight seasons since I first attended Oregon, this is only the third trip the Ducks have had to make to the track and field venue otherwise known as Husky Stadium.

I suppose this lends a little extra intrigue to the game. After all, the Ducks haven't exactly made Husky Stadium their own personal playground, winning only twice in the last 25+ years. Add to that the fact that Saint Locker of the Seattleites is leading the charge and....wait, wait, wait. This is the Huskies we're talking about. They've beat a total of three Pac-10 teams in the last three years. Lost four straight. Haven't even come close to beating the Ducks in the last three tries. Oregon's BCS-bound. Washington's checking basketball schedules, hoping salvation can be found on the hard court....whoops, weren't quite good enough in that sport last year, either. Bummer.

I suppose I'm a little nervous about this Locker guy. I've watched him play and he's a great running back. No doubt about it. He's got a great future. He runs real physical and has a habit of shedding tacklers like Dick Vermeil sheds tears. Huh? He's the quarterback? No. The same guy I've watched sail throw after throw over the heads and beyond the grasp of his receivers? Oh, boy, they're in trouble.

So what do they have? They don't have any statistical standouts on either side of the ball. Perhaps, if we peruse the Pac-10 stats, we can find something good. Let's see, out of 30 team statistical categories, there's got to be something. Oh, here's one! #1 in punt return average, gaining a stellar 12.4 yards per return. Oh, my, here's another! First in both fewest amount of penalty yards per game and most penalty yards surrendered by an opponent! We're on a roll, let's see, last in kickoff coverage, last in pass efficiency, last in kickoff returns, last in total offense, last in run defense, no, no, no. This isn't really working.

I give up and so should they.

PreNicktion: Oregon 40, Washington 14

By the way, I'm concerned about the photo above. I'm running out of room on the T-shirt.

A rivalry in demise

2007-10-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Last year, I lamented over the fact that Oregon vs. Washington isn't the same when one team just, well, stinks. After the Huskies started 2-0 this season, I thought, perhaps the game will mean something again. And then the heroes of Seattle bothered playing four more games, all losses.

In a not-so-subtle poke at the puppies to the north, here's why the rivalry has lost it's flare.

- Since 2004, Washington is 4-24 in Pac-10 play.
- In the past three seasons, Oregon has won by an average score of 37 - 14.
- No winning seasons since 2002 and a combined 8 wins in the past three years.
- Washington's last three seasons have ended with the following Pac-10 statistical ranks

2004: Scoring Offense: 10th Scoring Defense: 10th
2005: Scoring Offense: 10th Scoring Defense: T-6th
2006: Scoring Offense: 8th Scoring Defense: 8th

- No Jim Lambright, no Rick Neuheisel
- All the drama between the schools is on the basketball court, a sure-fire sign that something is drastically wrong on the football field.
- All Husky invective is directed inward at the athletic director, at the coach, and probably even at the mascot, which happens to be a malamute (it's not even a Husky!)
- You can't even throw your urine bag at their fans without feeling bad
- Watching the video of Kenny Wheaton, while enjoyable, makes you think, "man, they must get tired of this."
- You actually spend time writing blog entries about how you wish the Huskies were a better team

College football. It's a crazy game, huh?

2007-10-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I couldn't come up with a proper opening sentence to describe the last three weeks so this is what you get. With that out of the way, how about it, huh? Every Saturday seems improbably more exciting than the last and any team ranked inside the top 20 has to feel it has an outside shot at the national title. Ok, slight exaggeration, but not totally out of the question.

Anyone wanna' take the Pepsi Challenge?
In the spirit of blind taste testing, here are the resumes of two college football teams. How would you rank them?

Team A
Game 1: W, 38-6 vs. Youngstown State
Game 2: W, 20-2 vs. Akron
Game 3: W, 33-14 at Washington
Game 4: W, 58-7 vs. Northwestern
Game 5: W, 33-7 at Minnesota
Game 6: W, 23-7 at Purdue
Game 7: W, 48-3 vs. Kent State

Team B
Game 1: W, 28-13 vs. Elon
Game 2: W, 26-23 at Auburn
Game 3: W, 37-10 vs. North Carolina
Game 4: W, 21-13 vs. West Virginia
Game 5: W, 35-23 at Florida Atlantic
Game 6: W, 64-12 vs. UCF

I think it's fairly obvious that Ohio State is Team A and South Florida is Team B. The point here is that if you strip away the team name, is Ohio State really the dominant #1 team as suggested by the voting? I don't think so. It probably doesn't matter at this point anyway, but it's something to keep an eye on.

Even though I'm always right, it may be time to rethink how I think
I've long maintained that undefeated teams (from power conferences) should be voted higher than those with one loss. I've always thought a team with a head-to-head victory over another team with an equal record should be given the higher ranking. This season, I'm not so sure. There's a lot of developing gray area with all the upsets. Is Cal better than Oregon? How about South Carolina vs. Kentucky? Is Ohio State better than LSU? Could Boston College beat Oklahoma? Only the Pac-10 and Big East play a true conference schedule that includes every team so there are some teams like Kansas that can go undefeated and never play in a big game.

Twelve games in a season, with 117 teams competing at the Bowl Subdivision/NCAA political correctness run amok/I'll never let this go level leaves a lot of room for interpretation when you try to pick two worthy teams to fight for a national title. This season is going to make the BCS process look insanely absurd, and that's saying something. There's going to be a bunch of one loss teams with a chain of they beat (insert team) who beat (insert team) who beat (insert team) and so on. In a year where literally 20 teams could all beat each other on any given night, we're going to watch two get picked from the hat. Again, I ask, playoffs anyone?

Hey Ducks, go ahead and panic, but don't panic
Huh? I'll explain.

Panic, because Oregon has now lost four starters to season-ending injuries and are becoming woefully thin at wide receiver. The one-two punch at running back is no more with Jeremiah Johnson's knee injury prompting a gut-wrenching loss to an offense that has been running roughshod over opposing defenses. Is the depth there to keep things operating smoothly? Two freshman wide receivers answered the bell with touchdowns against the Cougars, but future games won't be so easy.

Don't panic when you see Oregon at #10 in the BCS. I know the initial reaction is to look at those damn, putrid, moronic computers and say, "uh-oh, not again," but it's still early. Much will change with half the season left and two games against top 15 teams still on the schedule. The computer models are - to this point - an incomplete statistic. Still, it's hard to see the pollsters slotting the Ducks in at #6 and #7 and not think about 2001 when Oregon finished #2 only to be denied by the computers.

Oh by the way, it's Husky week
The Ducks are 1-0 in the chase for the all-important Northwest Championship. Can they make it two in a row versus St. Locker of the Seattleites? I'm pretty sure I'll be visiting this topic throughout the week.

GOTB: actual football analysis not included

2007-10-11T22:53:00.001-07:00

Missing in action for the past two weeks, Girlfriend of the Blog is back and she brought her crazy parents with her (I don't really mean that). As such, Father of the Girlfriend of the Blog (FOTGOTB) and Mother of the Girlfriend of the Blog (MOTGOTB) are making their debut during ESPN Thursday Night Football featuring Florida State vs. Wake Forest.

BB: So, it's been awhile and we need to address the biggest moment you've had in the three weeks you've done this.
GOTB: Oh yeah, pink flags, I was right!
GOTB: Where's Wake Forest?
BB: Take a guess.
GOTB: East coast. Maine?
BB: Uh, no.
GOTB: North Carolina.
BB: How'd you know that?
GOTB: Was I right?
BB: Yeah, how?
GOTB: 'Cause that's where Baronee was.
BB: Again, it wasn't Baronee.
GOTB: Oh yeah, Boone.
GOTB: Too bad for them, that's not the biggest upset anymore. How happy is Michigan that Stanford beat USC?

(TV announcer mentions a player with an injured spleen.)
GOTB: What's the spleen? Do you even need it? Don't people get that removed all the time?

(Conversation erupts about spleens. Focus, people. )
GOTB: Wake Forest looks like a high school team.
BB: Do you remember where we saw them?
FOTGOTB: Toilet Bowl
BB: Exactly, otherwise known as the Seattle Bowl.
(This is a good point to mention that the worst part of that bowl was not the game itself but sleeping on the floor of some Oregon lineman's (I can only remember the first name, Pat) hotel room hoping he didn't eat us all alive.)

GOTB: What's a Deamon Deacon? How come everyone gets upset about mascots named after Indians, but not this? How come Deacons aren't upset about this nickname?
BB: You could take that further and mention the Fighting Irish.
GOTB: Yeah, but Irish people are always drunk, so it makes sense.
(This blog does not condone the blanket stereotyping of any particular race of people, but it does find it funny.)

GOTB: Is the Hawaii quarterback doing good? I read an article on him. He has like 20 kids. Maybe not. Maybe he lives with 20 kids.
(Blog fact checker says: Uh, no. As far as we can tell, not even sure where that came from.)

(Watching the game still)
GOTB: Look, he's (a Wake Forest player) apologizing.
BB: I don't think that's what he's doing.
BB: You think all players should apologize after a tackle.
GOTB: I didn't say they should. I just asked if they did. It seems like they would.
FOTGOTB: Well, if they're gentleman, they'll at least apologize when they hit someone in the nuts.

(At this point, Jes goes into some diatribe about bands playing songs from the 90s, specifically Ludacris' "Move, Bitch, Get Out the Way.")
FOTGOTB: Your big fat ass is making my day, move bitch, get out the way.
BB: Huh? What did you say?
FOTGOTB: Well, I'm trying to figure out how the song would go.
GOTB: That's all it is, move bitch, get out the way.
FOTGOTB: Cool lyrics.

(Now, the family is in discussion about some lady FOTGOTB once yelled at while driving. Note to self, don't do this with a full family in attendance.)

BB: Moving back to football, are you happy USC lost?
GOTB: I don't care, you care. You're the one obsessed so if it makes you happy, I guess I'm happy.
(Isn't she the sweetest?)

(GOTB decides to get back on the pink flag issue. She's extremely proud that a writer took the time to mention that yellow flags can cause confusion.)
FOTGOTB: What about striped flags just like the ref's jersey?
GOTB: No, he'd lose it in his stomach and wouldn't be able to find it.
FOTGOTB: But if he ever loses it, he could throw his shirt.
MOTGOTB: I think yellow's effective. Just leave it alone.
GOTB: No.
FOTGOTB: Jes, men are not going out with pink flags on the football field.
MOTGOTB: Yeah, but how many pink ties did we see on the guys on that football show (College Football Live) last night...on the pretty boy (Jesse Palmer).
BB: Good point, but can we all agree pink flags are not happening?
GOTB: I think they will.

(Hmm, maybe we should attempt some sort of actual football talk)
BB: Who's gonna' win this weekend?
GOTB: Oregon
BB: How much?
GOTB: 20 points
BB: Score?
GOTB: 76-56
BB: Are you being ridiculous?
GOTB: Yeah.
(I probably shouldn't have even bothered)

The quest for the Northwest Championship begins

2007-10-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday marks the beginning of an important two game stretch as Oregon looks to put a strangle-hold on Rick Neuheisel's mythical NW championship starting with the Washington State Cougars.

Admittedly, I am finding it a bit hard to muster up any sense of disdain for this week's opponent, but given what is at stake, well...no, no, I still don't care that much.

What we're most likely looking at here is a blowout win. Oregon has won 11 consecutive games coming off of a bye (so why can't they win a bowl game with a month to prepare?). Washington State is suffering badly at 0-3 in the conference and hasn't found much in the way of defense this season. That's probably not a good thing for the Cougars given the potency of Oregon's offense. Granted, Wazzu managed nicely on defense against Arizona State, but that was largely predicated on effective blitzing of immobile quarterback Rudy Carpenter. I could be wrong (I'm not), but that probably won't work against Dennis Dixon.

This is the part where we all say, "hey, if Stanford can beat USC on the road..." No, people. No. It ain't happening.

I'm calling a timeout before I get to the prediction.
How do I get a job like Tom Hansen's? Ya know, the kind of employment where you can be woefully ineffective at securing the best opportunities for those you represent and continue to take home a salary. Because of the brilliant television agreement in place that doesn't allow any Pac-10 game to compete with another for air time on TV, it is - beyond finding a bar with the right satellite equipment - impossible to view this game live. For the second time in three games, the #9 team in the country is invisible to all but those in attendance and the groups of signal stealers. This doesn't happen in the SEC and it doesn't happen in the Big 10. Does it? Am I wrong? I don't even want to get started on the ridiculousness of the bowl alignments. Now I'm upset. Time-in.

PreNicktion: Oregon 49, Washington State 17

Up and down the best coast, a look at the Pac-10 to date

2007-10-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

There's a LOOONG way to go in the Pac-10 yet, but what the heck, let's take a look at the progress so far.

1. California - Legitimate national title contender? I have to say yes. It's a little weird thinking about the Bears in this respect, but they've earned the number two ranking. I'm curious how they will handle the pressure of being in control from here on out. The pressure exists beyond the Pac-10. They are front and center on the national stage from here on out. I think they have what it takes, but for Oregon's sake, I wouldn't mind a loss or two.

2. Oregon - In the top 10 for the first time this year and all it took was a one game losing streak and a bye. Go figure. At the end of the year, I don't know if we're going to look at the couple of inches Cameron Colvin needed against Cal as the moment that deterred perhaps the greatest opportunity in school history (i.e. a shot at the national title); I don't know if it's going to become the moment that kept Oregon out of a BCS game; I don't know if it will even matter. I just hope they respond well and make the voters think long and hard about their worthiness in the national scene.

3. USC - All dynasties eventually fade. I remember thinking Miami looked unbeatable in the early 2000s. Nebraska had an incredible run in the mid-90s. Florida State finished 14 straight seasons in the top 5. The list goes on, but one thing is universally true - all dynasties die. Following a loss to Stanford, I'm left wondering if this is it for USC. The invincibility is gone - not completely, but three losses in the last seven Pac-10 games leaves them vulnerable. Even the saintly Pete Carroll is getting a little heat from the LA media. It'll be very interesting to see where they go from here, especially considering the hard part of the schedule is ahead of them.

4. ASU - No, it's not at all unfair that two teams with a loss are ahead of them. Perhaps USC is getting the benefit of reputation, but at least they are somewhat of a known quantity. ASU has yet to face anybody of any stature and I'm fairly certain they'll lose all the games that matter. USC, Cal and Oregon seem like certain losses. I'm scared of the Devils under Erickson, but not this year.

5. UCLA? - This is where things start to get tricky. At the beginning of the year, I felt that spots 2-6 were toss-ups with USC being an obvious number 1. As is ALWAYS the case, there's a reason they play the games. In the case of the Bruins, they still control their own destiny in the Pac-10. They just happened to look terrible against Utah and Notre Dame. Sitting at 3-0 in league play is a great place to be. They have talent, but are so schizophrenic that you have no idea what to expect on any given day.

6. Oregon State - Did someone say schizophrenic? Talk about unpredictable. It's not just game to game with these guys. It's minute to minute. They've held a 19-0 lead at Arizona State and a 14-0 lead at home against the UCLA Bruins. They got blown out in both games. At some level, I feel like they can beat all but three teams in this league. Of course, I also feel like they can lose to everyone as well.

7. Washington - Perhaps they could switch spots with Oregon State. The problem with the Huskies, though, is that they just aren't good enough. They're playing with a ton of heart and making a game of every contest, but they clearly lack playmakers that can affect outcomes of games. Jake Locker has a great future, but he repeatedly sails his throws. He's not an accurate passer and the offense can be contained by forcing him into throwing the football. He needs some guys around him to rise up as well. I just don't think it's a complete product yet.

8. Stanford - Three really bad Pac-10 losses put them squarely at the bottom. And then they did the impossible in beating USC. AT THE COLISEUM! Just incredible. Now, all remaining opponents have to fear the Tree. I still think they'll finish in 10th place, but for one shining moment...

9. Arizona - What a mess. They have to stop saying this is the year. It's never going to be the year. I've been fooled enough on this. It's over. No more high expectations. And will all these supposedly stud recruits stop buying in? How many more good classes can they bring in? Can Stoops continue to win games on paper or will it begin to matter that they always lose them on the field?

10. Washington State - Cougar fans can't be happy. The team has fallen to 0-3 in Pac-10 play making them the only winless team left. No wait, I take that back. The Huskies are 0-2. Okay, I admit, I just wanted to highlight the fact the Huskies are 0-2. Does anyone remember when the balance of power shifted to the northwest schools? In one year (2000), three teams from the region finished ranked in the top 7. Nationally. Now, it's becoming a chore to get more than one team in the top 7 of the Pac-10. Guess winning the Northwest Championship has lost its luster, eh Neuheisel?

More bye weeks, less actual games

2007-10-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

Who knew sitting out a week would move the Ducks into the top 10 and right back into the national title hunt? All it took was one Saturday and my hope is renewed. Now, all I can do is stare at the polls and think, wow, we should lose and not play games more often. With poll position so heavily on my mind and the BCS release looming, I've got a few things to sort out about these stupid, stupid, highly entertaining ranking devices.

There is a bias in the polls
Wow, what a revelation, huh? At the beginning of the season, I complained about how everyone was anointing four teams as the chosen ones. USC, LSU, Oklahoma and Florida were all in an elite class and everyone else was playing catch-up. At the time, I said that putting such a strong label on teams so early created biases that provide an unfair advantage to the chosen four. Now we have proof as only LSU remains undefeated. Check out where these teams stand in polls used by the BCS (Coaches and Harris):

USC lost to Stanford, a 40 point underdog that was coming off a 41-3 loss to Arizona State and had been blown out of every Pac-10 contest this season. Now at 4-1 with the worst loss of any top team, they remain at number 7.
Oklahoma lost to Colorado, also a big underdog and a team that was struggling. They are number 5.
Florida has now lost twice, once to an underachieving Auburn team and this past Saturday on the road to LSU. Even with two early losses, they still sit at #14 and #13. There's only three other teams in the rankings with two losses and they are all in the low 20s. Florida, though, gets to retain an outside shot at the national title.

Comparatively, Kentucky dropped 10 spots for losing to a top ten (AP) conference opponent on the road. Wisconsin dropped 10 spots following its first loss, this one against an underappreciated opponent that now sits at #19. As soon as Boston College and South Florida get their first losses - and it's only a matter of time - you know the voters will penalize them heavier than the chosen four. My own biases tell me that Oklahoma, Florida and USC would beat these teams. But still, it doesn't jive with actual results on the field and the chosen four are allowed to stay in the hunt while the unexpected upstarts are pushed to the back of the line.

Ok, there's a bias, got it. What about east coasters? They're probably holding the Ducks back, huh?
I wasted about 20 minutes of my time looking up how individual AP voters cast their respective ballots. Yeah, it's sad. I wanted to see how the so-called east coast bias was affecting voting in relation to Oregon. I've become more and more convinced that there is no such thing so I wanted to put it to the test. I used the western-most SEC state, Arkansas, as my divider line for east and west. I added up all the votes and averaged them out. Keep in mind, this is terribly unscientific (remember, this is a blog so accountability doesn't mean much). I'm sure the results could vary if you divided the country up another way.

That said, the result was that eastern voters put Oregon at an average ranking of 9.66. The west coast voters gave the Ducks an average vote of 10.59, almost a full point higher.

Perhaps even more telling is that of the four listed national voters (five if you count Ohio resident and orange-tanning lotion man Kirk Herbstreit), all but one has Oregon in the top 5 and two of them placed Oregon 4th.

It would be interesting to run this test on other Pac-10 teams, but I've wasted enough time on this mostly pointless endeavor.

I'm putting to rest the concept of east coast bias and elevating traditional power bias.
It's not some guy on the east coast that's keeping Pac-10 schools from greatness. Whether the voter is in Idaho or Connecticut, they seem to lean toward giving favors to more traditional schools and easily discounting those with little history. South Florida has no chance. Florida, on the other hand? They're not out of it. Who wants a playoff?

When everything goes horribly wrong

2007-10-01T22:37:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I complained about the cursed life I live. Well, not the life I live - more like the life I vicariously live. For those of us who can't, we must root for those who can - or in this case, almost can.

The reminder of what it's like to be oh-so-close came oh-so-fast in a stretch of three miserable days. First, it was one inch from a national title run as Cameron Colvin came as close as you can to creating a house of euphoria in Autzen Stadium only to instead leave 59,000+ fans - and so many more watching on TV - replaying everything in their collective heads, trying in vain to mentally change the outcome (that couldn't have actually happened the way it did, right?)

Just minutes later, I watched the San Diego Padres lose in extra innings after Trevor Hoffman had come one strike from putting his team in the playoffs only to blow the critical save (hold onto that thought).

One day later, the San Diego Chargers entered into a free-fall, dropping their record to 1-3. Perhaps it would not have been so bad if at the same time, the Padres hadn't blown a 3-0 lead en route to losing the final game of the season, forcing a one game playoff for the wild card.

By the way, at what point should I mention that the Blazers kicked off the new season with media day today sans franchise savior Greg Oden, out for the season with an injury? Is now good?

Pretty miserable, right? Well, all could be erased for the time being with a Padres victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday. I mean, Jake Peavy was on the mound. What's not to like?

After 12 1/2 innings, I finally had found my happy place. The Padres had dug it out in a way that makes all the other losses worth it. For one moment of thrills, I'll suffer a thousand losses. And then it happened. The best closer in the history of baseball with a two run lead and, poof, it's gone. I should have known. I've seen it too many times before. Lost in the bottom of the sixth in little league. Lost in the semis of state in soccer twice. Watched the Blazers lose in two finals and epically tank one measly fourth quarter in 2000. Saw the Ducks get robbed of a shot at a national title in 2001. Even got started off right with the San Diegos last year, both the Padres and Chargers having their 2006 title hopes dashed.

Any moron with these experiences would have known that save was getting blown. But still I believed. And next time, I still will. But how many more of these can one person suffer before he gives up? I'm capping it at year 80. If the championship drought hasn't ended by then, I'm calling Dr. Kevorkian's great-grandson for an appointment.

Upon further review...I'm still depressed, but hopelessly optimistic

2007-09-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

I came to the unfortunate realization late last night that Oregon would be ranked no worse than fifth, potentially fourth had they just done one or two things differently Saturday. Instead, they fall to 14th in the AP Poll, 13th among the coaches. I watched the stupid highlights on ESPN. This morning, I read through every damn word the Register Guard wrote. I even went against my own advice and visited educk.com, home of some real winners who can't seem to get their mind around a sensible thought.

Ever the optimist, though, I have answers to a question or two.

14th in the AP Poll means what to Oregon's season?
Here's a look at the teams ahead of Oregon:
1. LSU
2. USC
3. California
4. Ohio State
5. Wisconsin
6. South Florida
7. Boston College
8. Kentucky
9. Florida
10. Oklahoma
11. South Carolina
12. Georgia
13. West Virginia

I looked through the schedules of those teams and it's brutal. Nine of those teams still have to play at least one opponent from that list. My point? If Oregon still wants to do something special, they can. The rankings are like a row of dominoes and they're going to start falling. In three weeks, when USC comes to town, Oregon most likely will be ranked in the top 10.

But, Nick, Oregon has to play USC, at UCLA, home with ASU, and at Washington? How do they get through all that?
Every team has multiple tough games left. A few will emerge, many will fall. All I'm saying is that Oregon can win those games. It may not happen, but they are capable.

Why are you so optimistic?
Because I like pain. I like the feel of the crushing blow. A punch to the gut of my stomach is so much better than not caring at all.

How to step away from the ledge and other things I think about Oregon vs. Cal

2007-09-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Actually, I don't know how to get back from this ledge. I've been standing on it for 40 minutes debating myself. Now, I've turned to the blog as some sort of last ditch effort at therapy.

1. Cal, I think, is just a tad better than Oregon. On the road, they played a crisper game - in a hostile environment, no less - void of critical mistakes. If the talent is even - and it looked to be so - Cal's discipline is what makes them a superior team.

2. Besides turnovers, I think, the difference in this game was Cal's offensive line in the second half. Oregon could not get to Longshore until they finally put a hit on him the left him injured. This made it easy to complete passes because he had the time to survey the field, let routes develop and check down when needed.

3. The first quarter, I think, was where Oregon lost this game. Two touchdowns were missed by bad throws from Dixon. 21 points at half, rather than 10, may have made turnovers and offensive line play a moot point.

4. Lots of character, I think, is evident in this Oregon team. Would anyone argue that last year's team could have held it together in the face of fourth quarter turnovers and missed opportunities?

5. Overtime, I think, would have favored Oregon. Unless Cal put in backup Kevin Riley, they clearly would have been one-dimensional. And even then, they would have ran the ball. Longshore wasn't strong enough to do anything but hand off.

6. That was the most devastating loss I can remember enduring. Ever. I don't even think that. I know it. Not the 2005 Holiday Bowl, not the 2003 Sun Bowl, not the 2001 Stanford game, not even the 2000 Civil War (though watching the rose in my hand wilt on a sunny day in the Willamette Valley comes very close). My frame of reference is best suited for when I attended Oregon starting in 1999, so there very well could have been something worse in prior decades. To see that ball one inch from the goaline, it just...it just...hurts.

7. This is not, I think, the end of the season. Last year, we learned after a 4-0 start that the season is, in fact, 12 games long, and every one of them counts. At 4-1 now, the same lesson looms in a more redemptive fashion. A lot of great seasons have been had by teams that fell in heartbreaking fashion at some point. Florida won a national title last year with a crushing loss to Auburn on its resume. Closer to home, Oregon didn't let a home loss to Stanford impede it's mission in winning the 2001 Pac-10 crown. This stuff happens and even though it's gut-wrenching, it's just part of the process.

8. Every game, I think, matters. I've been telling people all week that too much was being made of this game in terms of what it means to the season. I've never seen a team in the Pac-10 waltz into January by winning two big games. Washington State is - and always was - on the schedule in two weeks. Washington comes after that, then USC and right on down the list. When you play nine conference games, anything can - and will - happen. At some point, Cal is going to find itself staring at a worthy challenger not named USC or Oregon. The Ducks are going to have a gut check versus a team no one thought worthy. Even USC will get mighty scared by some team seemingly incapable of inducing fear. It happens every year and seasons are made - or lost - in such games. Okay, Cal's driving the bus and maybe you have to give up your New Orleans hotel reservation to another school. Just remember, though, that Oregon's ranking fell to the mid-teens in 2001 after that loss to the Cardinal - and they climbed back to #2 by season's end.

9.That last paragraph, I think, is the best I can do in beginning to repair the absolute devastation I feel.

10. My collection of video, I think, from today's events may get deleted. Oh, what joy replays of GameDay, the game and ensuing highlights could have brought. Oh, of what sadness they now remind.

11. Fans, I think, need to lay off the usual freak out. First off, internet message boards are never a smart environment to enter for the rational mind. Just stay clear. There should be no talk about firings or benchings and don't start talking about a collapse. Keep your head on straight, try to calm down and enjoy the greatness yet to come.

12. No, I think, I'm not going to jump. I'm coming in off this ledge. Well, I think, but I don't really know.

Rich, Cool and 4-0 Poor, Lame and 0-4

2007-09-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

EDITOR'S NOTE: Nick has decided that being cute last year and waking up the ill-fated Sports Illustrated headline of "Rich, Cool and 4-0" from 2003 was a bad idea heading into the Cal game. This is his attempt to atone for that mistake.

NICK'S NOTE: When did I get an editor?

I have ~~the utmost~~ no confidence in Oregon this Saturday. The 4-0 start to the 2007 campaign is ~~the start of a national title run~~ merely an illusion. After the contest with Cal, ~~it's just a matter of time before a matchup of top five teams when USC enters Eugene~~ we'll be lucky to still be ranked when USC comes to town at the end of October.

Cal's got a ton of offensive playmakers and we ~~can't defend them~~ can defend them. Oregon's weapons on offense will need to step up, ~~and they will to the tune of 50+ points~~ but they'll wilt under the pressure.

Jeff Tedford ~~gets too much credit for Oregon's best years~~ was the reason for Oregon's best years. Berkeley's hero ~~has no answer for Autzen Stadium~~ is due to break through in Eugene. Saturday, he'll ~~get run out of town with an old-fashioned whoopin'~~ win in the Emerald Valley for the first time since calling plays for the Ducks in 2001.

Sure, Dennis Dixon has looked good so far and I am dead certain he'll ~~pass for 200, run for another 100, compile 4 touchdowns and flat out spank Cal~~ come back to reality and play quarterback like he hits curveballs.

Last year, Jonathan Stewart had an ~~awful~~ horrendous game against the Bears. This time around, Stewart will ~~get revenge and have his name added to the Heisman watch~~ again play poorly.

ESPN GameDay's in town? ~~That's awesome!~~ It's ~~worth camping out for~~ just hype. Regardless of the extracurricular activity the end result is still going to be a ~~huge win~~ crushing loss.

PreNicktion: ~~Oregon 56, Cal 31~~ Oregon 7 Cal 63

I'm comin' out swingin'!

2007-09-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, it's go time. Oregon vs. Cal is about to happen and I couldn't be more excited. You've got Oregon south (Cal football program) vs. Berkeley north (city of Eugene). We don't have people living in trees, but give us a cause and we'll be up there as fast as we can pack our granola bars.

It's a matchup of two teams that don yellow in brighter (and uglier) fashion than the sun ever could.

Mike Bellotti's jealous of Jeff Tedford? What does that make Cal's five year duplication - and in many cases, theft - of Oregon's program? Sounds to me like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with infatuation (Ken Kesey, Oregon alum and I'm sure a once-honored guest in Berkekey).

Cal, you list Chunk from the Goonies as an alum? Are you kidding? The Gooni es is Oregon. Maybe more Astoria than Eugene, but how are you going to compete with Animal House? Okay, okay, apparently Jack Bauer has a Masters of Science in Criminology and Law from Berkeley and to that end, I can only applaud. After all, the guy has pulled five all-nighters in the name of saving the freaking world.

Ya know, I kind of like Cal. I even took a trip there for a basketball game once (we beat you). I appreciate your spunk, but it's time to be a real, grown-up football program. Is there another top ten team that can't sell out its stadium for every game? Low blow? Not really; you have a population over 7 million and an enrollment that far exceeds the one in Eugene. Then again, the Bay Area is just a tad better than everyone else and not all can be bothered with such trivial matters as football.

Now, you want to stroll up north along the I-5 express and beat Oregon? In Autzen? I don't think so. I notice your history department ranks #2 among programs in the country so surely, you can find someone on campus to tell you it's been 20 years since Cal beat Oregon in the only other city to so happily warm its feet in Birkenstocks.

Sorry Oski lovers...wait, Oski? That's what you're bringing? A Bear dressed in an old-man cardigan sweater? I don't know if you've heard but the Duck kinda' kicks ass when he feels like it. Anyway, as I was about to say, thanks for filling in the cracks during our down times. But this ain't last year and you're about to need to get Nancy Fleming-Johnson-Whitaker, your self-important psychiatrist, on speed dial. Tell her about the horror of green and yellow running rampant over your football team. Tell her you wanna' go back and hide in the tree you came from. And most importantly, tell her about the Ducks. She'd like to hear something positive.

And then there were 21

2007-09-24T23:12:00.001-07:00

Ya know, I may just have to thank Les Miles for his disparaging off-season remarks about the Pac-10. It seems the west coast is getting a lot of attention as a result this year and is standing up in the face of it all in impressive fashion. Four members of the conference remain undefeated, while the SEC boasts 3. Between the two conferences, that's 33% of the remaining 21 undefeated teams (all together now, "wow, you're amazing at math!" Thank you.). Both the SEC and Pac-10 boast a 2007 signature program (LSU, USC), both have surprising upstarts (Kentucky, Arizona State) and both have a team that may just be national title worthy if they can beat the top dog (Florida, Oregon/Cal winner).

They're up, they're down, they're up again, they are the Oregon Ducks
Saturday's game against Stanford (Stanford!) gave me my first heart attack of the season. Luckily, it didn't come until the fourth game, so I've got a few in reserve. By my count, I can withstand about four more before I have to dial 911. I guess I'm a little embarrassed as I did predict Stanford would score -7 points, but who among us really thought they could get a positive number on the board? Anyone? It's on to Cal, now, and it's taking every ounce of will power not to open up a new credit card with a 235% interest rate, charge up some game tickets and a flight to Eugene and camp out for three days prior to ESPN GameDay's appearance. Fortunately, Jesse performed an emergency intervention, sat me down with the doctor and we worked through it.

I asked it last week and now I'm certain, Kirk Herbstreit is washing himself in orange tan lotion.
I adjusted the contrast levels, played with the color, even tinkered a little with the brightness and he's still orange. Will somebody in Eugene please ask him if you get the chance this weekend? Tell him Nick wants to know.

Really, Pac-10, this is your policy?
The Big Ten sometimes has three games on TV at once. The SEC always has local broadcasts while a national game is being played. The Pac-10? They won't allow two games to be televised at the same time. In an age when I can watch people act out Donkey Kong via YouTube (thanks Andy) on an iphone, I can't watch the #13 team in the nation play one of 12 football games they will participate in for the entire year. There's a TV crew in place doing the game for replay and you have to have a large satellite dish with specific coordinates to hope you get something more than fuzzy snow. And could I even watch the Pac-10 game on Fox that denied me the right to Oregon vs. Stanford? Nope. San Diego cable companies don't carry the Fox Sports channel that airs Pac-10 football games. Ugh.

You gotta' admit, watching Syracuse beat Louisville just makes you think West Virginia could sleepwalk into the national title game.
It's officially up to Rutgers and South Florida to derail these guys. Now that's a power conference.

By the way, the Cardinals loss to the Orange was technically a bigger upset than Appy State over Michigan.
Louisville was a 36 point favorite. There was a line on the Michigan game at about 28 points.

This is a Notre Dame-free zone
For some reason, media outlets insist on covering a losing team ad nauseam. Ok, it's the TV ratings, dummy. Well, I'm not beholden to advertisers (though I'd sell out in a New York minute if I could) so I won't utter their name anymore.

Dude, where's my rankings?
Dude, why are you using a seven year old pop-culture reference? There are no more rankings. They were pointless and I'm taking a stand.

No one reads this blog, I'm to blame for the 2001 loss to Stanford and Miami looks like sumo wrestlers

2007-09-21T00:54:00.000-07:00

Jesse's back and just a tad ornery this week. Luckily, my brother Kevin is in town to support me. This week's conversation took place during ESPN Thursday night football between Miami and Texas A&M. As always, Jes is represented as Girlfriend of the Blog (GB) while I stick with Blogging with B (BB). Newcomer Kevin, Sibling of the Blog (SB) also makes an appearance.

GB: Miami's outfits have a sumo-esque look.
BB: Huh?
SB: What?
GB: You know, sumo wrestlers?
(We don't get it)
SB: Is it the tailbone pad?
GB: Look! (She points and I'll be damned if she doesn't have a point. It's an entirely different experience watching these games with her).

BB: Okay, real quick, recap your thoughts about last week's game, Fresno vs. Oregon.
GB: It was boring.
BB: Why?
GB: I hate when you ask stupid questions.
BB: What's stupid?
GB: I'm not in the mood right now.
BB: Get in the mood. You have fans that depend on you.
GB: What fans? No one reads your blog.
SB: Why are you so mean to him?
GB: Do you read his blog?
SB: No.

BB: Ok, great, now about the last game...
GB: I wish we'd score more in the second half.
GB: Does Texas A&M realize their helmets say ATM?
BB: Sigh.

SB: Nick, who are you betting on this weekend?
BB: Not sure.
GB: He's not allowed to bet. He has no money.
SB: Ok, who are you not betting on?
GB: He can't bet. He loses. He's not fun to be around when he loses.
SB: Nick, do you ever feel like you never get support in this relationship?
BB: All the time.

BB: Ok, let's try another football question. Preview the Stanford game for us.
GB: I know nothing about them other than their mascot is a tree.
BB: We went to the Stanford game last year. You've seen them play.
GB: I'm not like you. I can't remember every team.
BB: Well, Let's go back a few years to the 2001 season, the last time Stanford beat Oregon
GB: Oh, you know what that game was?
GB: My back went out on me and Nick wouldn't leave the game to take me home (Kevin says, "nice" and has me pound it out). I had to walk home by myself and have my mom come pick me up. He stayed and we lost the game. That was his punishment.
BB: You're putting the one loss that cost Oregon a shot at the national championship on me?
GB: It is because of you. You had awful karma.

BB: So what's your prediction for this game? We're gonna' win easy, right?
GB: You say that, but what if we go in there and lose?
BB: We won't.
SB: They're not losing (and he's a Beaver fan).
GB: Every game's a game. You gotta' compete.
GB: I want it to be 72-4.
SB: Two safeties, huh?
GB: No, a field goal and an extra point.
GB: I think it'll be 50-something to 14 because Bellotti will put the second string in.

BB: All right, we're done.
GB: No, we're not done. That whole interview sucked. You never asked any questions.
SB: You don't even know what's happening. You're just talking and talking and giving material.
GB: Whatever.

It's not a bye week, it's Stanford!

2007-09-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

You may have heard that the Stanford Cardinal held an opponent to 0 points last week. They even scored 37 of their own. The Tree got you shaking yet? Didn't think so.

It's interesting to look back a few years to a time when Stanford, along with UCLA, were the only teams Mike Bellotti had a losing record against. Since sporting a 1-4 mark against Stanford following the debacle of 2001, Oregon has won five straight by scores of 42-14, 35-0, 16-13, 44-20 and 48-10 (worry not, Stanford, you still lead the overall series 43-26-1).

Stanford has been so awful since Tyrone Willingham left that it's hard to remember the threat this team used to be. My God, they went to the Rose Bowl in 1999!

Now, we find out that Stanford will be without starting middle linebacker Fred Campbell and last week's leading rusher Toby Gerhart who ran for 140 yards in the win over San Jose State (amazingly, this was the first 100 yard rusher for the Cardinal in three years. Wait? Three years!?! You could realistically figure there have been close to 100 such performances by the rest the Pac-10 in that time. No, I'm not looking it up. I'm just a blogger, short term for "no accountability").

Well, you get the point. The Oughts (I'm really making a push to make sure we remember this decade as the Oughts. I want to be 80 and say, "back in ought seven...") have not been kind to the Cardinal. And with that, it's prediction time.

Rushing
Oregon 378 yards
Stanford -79 yards

Passing
Oregon 297 yards
Stanford -2 yards

Turnovers
Oregon -1
Stanford 13

Score PreNicktion: Oregon 52, Stanford -7

Try not to cry. 25% of 2007 college football is over

2007-09-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Let it be known that 9/15/2007 was the first Saturday of the season that I literally watched football from 12:30 p.m. until the TV ran out of games. Given this effort, I have some opinions I'd like to share with you all.

Saint Locker of the Seattleites
I actively rooted for the Washington Huskies in their effort to upend Ohio State (what, I wanted Oregon to move up in the polls). With that filthiness gone from my system, I have to say Washington has something with this Jack Locker fella', just not yet. He's not a great passing quarterback. As a runner, amazing, but as a passer, he was consistently off the mark throughout the game and it cost the Huskies. But he's only a freshman and I get the feeling it's going to click eventually.

The easiest bet ever made
Seriously, who thought Nebraska could get within three touchdowns of USC? The Trojans feed off the limelight and when the opponent is obviously inferior, they dismantle them. As confident as I am in Oregon's offense right now, that is the one defense that has the athletes to stop the Ducks.

So I guess they are who we thought they were
I was sure UCLA was legit this year. And may lightning strike me from above if I didn't think this was the year Arizona would rise up. Instead, both got crushed by Mountain West teams. The Utah players literally called the Bruins soft. The Wildcats are 0-2 against teams from division I-A/Bowl Subdivision/politically correct NCAA can kiss my (yoohoo).

Is Kirk Herbstreit tanning or have I just not appropriately adjusted the color on my new TV?
I'm not sure guys from Ohio should look that orange.

I don't know about you, but I think Notre Dame and humiliation make a cute couple

Who gets to determine that four teams stand out above the rest?
I keep seeing that USC, LSU, Florida and Oklahoma are clearly separating themselves from the rest. How? Because each school dismantled a big-name program? Didn't Oregon do that? Cal? I don't see the point in trying to separate certain teams from others this early. It creates unfair biases. For example, let's make the outrageous claim that Oregon goes undefeated. Let's also say that LSU and Oklahoma finish unblemished. Guess who's getting left out?

On that note, time to rip the polls a new one
With 25% of the season in the books, certain beliefs have changed. Michigan isn't the fifth best team in the country. Kentucky is good. So why do we have preseason polls? Look at the top 10. Based on what has transpired in 2007, do you honestly think it would look the same if the first poll was released today? Would Texas, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State all be in the top 10? Will I set a blog record for number of statements posed in the form of rhetorical questions? It's hard to say how much the polls would change as all the aforementioned teams are 3-0, but haven't other teams looked better doing the same? How is it justifiable that Kentucky, who just beat a consensus top 10 team, would be ranked 21st, sitting at 3-0? I hate polls.

Uh, here's my poll (now brought to you in diet form with just the top 13)
1. USC - Back on top
2. LSU - Sorry, the Trojans did their spanking on the road
3. Florida - Wow
4. Oklahoma - Yeah, I just put the same top four together that I complained about earlier
5. Oregon - We're all just getting ready for the big fade
6. Cal - Dude, three Pac-10 teams in the top 6? Is this the SEC?
7. Alabama - Oh okay, there's the third SEC team
8. Ohio State - Not entirely impressed so far, but did go into a hostile environment and win
9. Kentucky - Didn't you get the preseason memo that all undefeated SEC teams are supposed to be in the top 10?
10. West Virginia - They play in a weak conference (don't care what the records show) and have an atrocious nonconference schedule and I'm supposed to put them higher?
11. South Carolina - Oops, missed one of the 3-0 SEC teams.
12. Boston College - Who needs the Red Sox and Patriots when you have the Screaming Eagles?
13. Penn State - Might just lose to Michigan this weekend.

Less High School Musical 2, more Jesse

2007-09-13T21:46:00.001-07:00

I seriously hope you all enjoy Jesse's presence here and appreciate what I've gone through to make sure it's possible. I just finished fulfilling my obligation to watch High School Musical 2 in exchange for this little appearance. First off, I'm thrilled to have missed HSM 1. Secondly, that was excruciating. Thirdly, let's move on. I don't want to talk about it anymore.

Once again, I (BB) sat down with Girlfriend of the Blog (GB) Jesse during ESPN Thursday night football for a little one on one.

GB: What mascot is that?
BB: A terp. A terrapin.
GB: What's that?
BB: A turtle.
GB: That's not a turtle. Aren't turtles green or brown?
(ESPN is interviewing Darryl Hill, first African American to play in the ACC)
GB: That guy looks like the guy from Goonies! Heeeey yoooooou guys!! Ah, so sad. I'm so mean. Ha! He totally looks like him, though!
(My sincere apologies to Mr. Hill. This blog does not wish to go to hell.)

BB: Ok, first question, give me your impression of the Oregon-Michigan game.
GB: I thought we looked sharp in our uniforms. Dennis Dixon looked amazing which scares me a little bit.
BB: Why?
GB: Because he started good last year and then faded off.
GB: I thought the coaches were genius. I said that like 5 million times during the game. A couple drives were disappointing because we didn't score.

BB: I can't keep up with you.
GB: That's why you failed at journalism.
BB: Most people have tape recorders.
GB: What did they do in the olden days? Do you think they had tape recorders? No, they knew how to write fast.
BB: I hate you.

BB: What do you think about the Duck mascot and his fight (which I still say was staged)?
GB: You know what's really weird? Why didn't the Cougar fight back?
GB: That guy's fast (West Virginia RB Noel Devine)! His legs are crazy like the roadrunners.
GB: The fighting wasn't so bad, but he was pervetedly graphic. Is that the right thing to say?

BB: What mascot fight would you most like to see?
GB: I don't know. That's a stupid question. I'm sorry I'm not you and don't know every mascot on every team. The Stanford Tree and this turtle would make a good fight.

BB: How about this Oklahoma fan that gave a Texas fan 60 stitches in the crotch while at a bar?
GB: How drunk was he? What a dumbass! Did Oklahoma and Texas just play? Are they rivals or something? I don't get it. Did he rip it? Seriously, how do you get 60 stitches there? Boys are so territorial about their teams. They're like cavemen.

BB: Are you happy with Oregon's #19 ranking?
GB: I don't care. I like being underestimated. We're better being the underdog. I don't like it when we're the overdog.
BB: Overdog?
GB: Well, what do you call it?
BB: I don't know.
GB: Yeah, exactly. I'm right.
(and apparently, she is, so says dictionary.com)

GB: Wouldn't you have to be in shape to be ref? This guy's really fat.
GB: Why are flags yellow? They should be pink. You know why? No team wears pink. If a yellow team had a piece of the jersey torn, a team could think it's a flag and stop playing.
BB: I'm pretty sure that's never been an issue.
GB: Well, it could be.

BB: Okay, Oregon vs. Fresno. What are you thinking?
GB: I know nothing about Fresno. I know that they hate us because we always beat them. I think we'll win. It'll be a great test since it's not a big game.
BB: Your offensive MVP of the game?
GB: Someone is gonna' be an amazing receiver this week 'cause we haven't had a kickass receiver yet.
BB: Defensive MVP?
GB: I want to see someone on the d-line step up and do good. Hardcore.
BB: Hardcore?
GB: Don't write that. Please? Nick, please?
(Pinches me)
BB: Okay, I won't, I'm just catching up.
(Stops pinching me)

BB: Score prediction?
GB: I'm gonna' say 27-14 (in favor of Oregon).

Fresno State again? Get out the defibrillators

2007-09-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

I don't have to remind anyone that the last time Oregon scored a monumental win over Michigan, they followed it with a 55-16 home loss to Washington State, do I? Okay, good. I won't bring it up then.

This week marks yet another skirmish with Fresno State, or as they called them on ESPN, the fighting Pat Hills. A recent newspaper article (either the Register Guard or Oregonian) mentioned that the Bulldogs have defeated a multitude of Pac-10 teams in the last decade including Washington, Oregon State and Cal. Not on the list? Oregon, but it's never been easy and given that the series goes on hiatus after this year, Fresno has extra incentive to get after a win in Eugene.

Given that the last five contests between these two teams have been decided by a total of 20 points, I pretty much know what I'm in for. Here's a look at how Saturday will shape up.

1:23 p.m. - I eat lunch, relax and enjoy a stress-free game of college football played by someone else's team.
3:45 p.m. - Can we just start the damn game!?!?!
4:07 p.m. - Ball's been kicked off, Oregon drives quickly, gets an early TD, I'm smiling and relaxed.
4:53 p.m. - Why can't the f-ing defense stop anybody?!?!?
4:59 p.m. - Ya know, I like this defense. They sure can cause turnovers.
5:19 p.m. - Screw you Allioti! Learn to coach a defense!
5:42 p.m. - Why can't Jaison Williams catch the stinkin' ball?
5:53 p.m. - Wow, this offense is probably the best I've seen at Oregon.
6:01 p.m. - I swear Dixon, if you do that one more time
6:02 p.m. - JStew, are you kidding me?!?! You're the best back out of high school! Act like it.
6:03 p.m. - Damn JStew is amazing! Easily a first round draft pick. Really gonna' miss him when he declares early.
6:17p.m. - Seriously, Bellotti's time at Oregon is over. I need to buy www.firemikebellotti.com. I think we need some fresh blood.
6:18 p.m. - I hope we have Bellotti forever. He's clearly the man for the job, he wants to be here and he can deliver a championship.
6:38 p.m. - Hat's been thrown to the other side of the room, sulking on the couch, not talking anymore, Jesse's scared of me and I've declared the season a waste.
7:23 p.m. - Ya know, I really like the way we battled today. That was a tough, trap game and to pull out a win...I think we're gonna' go far this year.

PreNicktion: Probably 1-2 premature heart attacks at the age of 26 (and a 34-28 Duck win).

Thank you Appy State and other musings from the world of college football

2007-09-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

I've got access to four sports talk radio stations in San Diego; one in LA, one in Orange County, another in San Diego and ESPN radio. I browsed each one of them on the way home from work and found that the only thing that mattered was how bad Michigan is. If Oregon was mentioned, it was just to say, "Oregon's good, but..." For a brief moment, I thought to myself, "man, if Appalachian State hadn't defeated Michigan..." Then I snapped out of it. This is a good thing.

A little notoriety is always nice, but after a few too many years of getting noticed only to respond with flat performances, I think one of those "no one respects us" cliches could fit the season well.

LSU? Not bad.
I have a new dream. Ducks. Tigers. Superdome, say early January. Any Tigers out there willing to roll out the welcome mat? Ok, it's only week two, but I'm just sayin' (pst, airfare's around $350 right now).

Perhaps I've been hard on the Big East
Apparently, a conference with West Virginia and Louisville as its top tier and Rutgers, South Florida and Pittsburgh as your contenders can be legitimate. Really, though? I just can't do it. Not yet.

On the flip side, shouldn't the SEC be better?
As the chosen conference, I'm not sure what a member like Auburn is doing losing at home to South Florida. It's not like the conference as a whole has been terrible, but come on SEC, aren't you better than this?

Because everyone likes a good riddle.
What two teams are missing from this list and what do they all have in common?
Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Duke, Iowa State, Syracuse, Marshall, UAB, Rice, Temple, Colorado State, Utah, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Nevada, San Jose State, Utah State, North Texas, Lousiana-Lafayette, Florida International, Lousiana Monroe, Troy, Middle Tennessee.

You get bonus points for naming the two conferences not to populate this list, though if BYE beat Stanford on Saturday, you might have to include them.

The most logical top 25 ever - Week 2
1. LSU - Proven it more than any other team.
2. Oklahoma - Clearly, Norman's got something here and I don't like it one bit.
3. USC - Gets a chance to show its stuff in Lincoln.
4. Florida - Could make the case for third position, but USC just feels more logical.
5. Texas - Moved 'em up big because you get credit for beating teams that matter.
6. California - Can't wait for their trip to Eugene in three weeks.
7. West Virginia - The defense will let them down eventually.
8. Georgia Tech - This could be a really good team.
9. Wisconsin - Almost lost to UNLV, so probably higher than deserved at this point.
10. UCLA - Beat a conference foe and a tough BYU team. Deserving, I say.
11. Louisville - That defense had better improve.
12. Rutgers - They don't play anybody non-conference. I'm not even sure why I ranked them this high.
13. Nebraska - Like USC, time to prove it.
14. South Carolina - Spurrier + Defense. Psh, I give it six months before divorce.
T-15. Penn State, Oregon - Both impressive, both just wins over 0-2 teams.
17. Clemson - Waiting to see if they are legit.
18. Ohio State - Why do they get auto top 10 status?
19. Michigan State - Someone from Michigan needs to be ranked, right?
20. Boston College - Um, I really have nothing to say about this team.
21. Arkansas - I dunno, an SEC team with a 1-0 record. Wouldn't you rank them?
22. Alabama - I dunno, an SEC team with a 2-0 record. Wouldn't you rank them?
23. Washington - Admit it Duckies, it intrigues you what this game could mean with higher stakes.
24. Hawaii - Got past the La. Tech trip with a win.
25. South Florida - Can't believe they aren't actually ranked. If you're a voter, what integrity do you have putting Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Georgia ahead of these guys? The Bulls are 2-0 with a road win at Auburn. Why can't people vote based on what has happened?

Football is back!

2007-09-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

What a weekend of football, huh? South Florida wins at Auburn. Oklahoma rolls Miami. LSU smacks Virginia Tech. Fresno State falls in 3OTs at Texas A&M. Hawaii, ala Boise State last year, barely survives a trip to Louisiana Tech. BORING!

The story of the day as far as this homer blog is concerned came out of Ann Arbor. I've already watched Oregon win that game twice. I saw the Ducks lead Sportscenter and capture the #1 play of the day. I heard the GameDay Final crew at ESPN give out the superlatives. Yeah I'm kinda' reveling.

After all that, I still can't figure out my favorite part. Was it the two statue of liberty plays? Perhaps bomb number one, two or three from Dixon to his receivers? The stiff arm of death from Jeremiah Johnson? Countless shots of depressed Michigan fans? I just can't choose.

For Michigan, it's a complete disaster and that's mostly what the media will focus on. Most won't see yesterday's game as what Oregon did as much as what Michigan allowed. Mitch Albom in the Detroit Free Press highlights this point:

"With 39 points, with 624 yards of offense, with its top two running backs averaging more than seven yards a carry, with its quarterback making his own personal highlight reel, with a rollicking, celebratory attitude on the sidelines, Oregon sent a message to a national football audience:

Come on down. You can beat these guys, too."

That's right. The message wasn't "Watch out for Oregon." Rather, it was that anyone can beat the Wolverines.

And that's okay with me. Oregon's been here before, right on the precipice of putting together a special season and they haven't taken advantage.

2002: Oregon started out 6-0 and ranked in the top 5 following a #2 finish in 2001 only to fade into 7-6.

2003: The Ducks roared to a program-defining type win over Michigan to push the record to 4-0 and a top 10 ranking

2006: You might remember a win over Oklahoma and a 4-0 start that ended in a disastrous 7-6.

Of course, none of this diminishes what happened yesterday.

Worst loss for Michigan since 1968
21 yards shy of the stadium record
Out-toughed (one of those made up football-only words) the mightiest of the mighty Big Ten
Punctuated the worst home start to a Michigan season ever and its longest losing streak in 40 years.

It was an amazing display of football, one that marks right up there in the top five performances of all time for the Duck program. Dennis Dixon, in just two games, looks like a Heisman contender. I just hope we can revisit this game two months from now and still smile.

The premier of Jesse

2007-09-06T22:55:00.001-07:00

Every once in awhile, something so important comes along that you just have to stop and take it in. This is one of those moments. Q&A numero uno between Blogging with B (BB) and Girlfriend of the Blog (GB) starts now.

BB: Give me your thoughts on Michigan
GB: I didn't see them play. Hey, you misquoted me. I said I didn't watch the game. No wonder you quit journalism. You suck at it.

BB: Okay, well, how do you think Oregon will do against Michigan?
GB: These are stupid questions.

BB: (Just staring at her)
GB: You're awful.

BB: Name the school that beat Michigan
GB: It was two words...Abernathy! Is that right?
BB: No
GB: But you know where they're from? Baronee, North Carolina!
BB: No (I give her a chance and some time to think about it)
GB: Ooh, Appalachian State!
BB: Nice!
GB: You know how I got that?
BB: You looked at the cover of SI on the table.
GB: Yeah, 'cause I'm smart like that.

(Watching the Oregon State game as this is going on)

GB: You know who the Cincinnati coach looks like. He looks like a little man that came out of the Notre Dame coach.
BB: Speechless (Judge for yourself).

BB: Ok, so we figured out it's Appalachian State.
GB: Appal-ay-chian State.
BB: No, it's Appal-a (as in apple)-chian State
GB: Oh, that's dumb.

BB: You wanna' take another shot at where they're from?
GB: It's Baronee (thinks for a moment) Yeah, (to the tune of the Petey Pablo song) North Carolina!
BB: No, it's Boone.
GB: Oh yeah, I knew that. But I got North Carolina!

BB: Give us your thoughts on switching I-A and I-AA to bowl subdivision and championship subdivision:
GB: That's retarded. Seriously. What is it, racist or classist to call someone I-AA? You know what that is? That's like giving a blue ribbon in a fifth grade science fair to the kid that stuck a piece of moldy bread in the fridge just for showing up. It's like when I gave Nate Jolly a ribbon for most improved dancer.

GB: Dude, if I was gay, I'd play football. You'd get to feel up all these guys. How could you not love it?

BB: Oregon vs. Houston last week, your thoughts?
GB: I saw no defensive line. Wait, I don't want to be serious. Don't write that. Hey, you can't put that.

BB: A prediction for Oregon vs. Michigan?
GB: To be honest, I don't know. I haven't seen Michigan play. Our defense sucks, the D-Line is awful. Patrick Chung is good, though. Dennis Dixon is hot and cold. I don't know if you can have a quarterback that throws poorly. He can run but aren't the running backs supposed to do that? Michigan is pissed losing to some teeny-weeny team so I feel like they'll kill us, but who knows, maybe they actually suck.
GB's Pick: 52-48 Oregon. I'm a sucker. I always think my team will win (don't we all).

Oregon vs. Michigan, here we go

2007-09-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

It's the game circled brightly on all Duck fan calendars. A trip to the Big House. 100,000+ fans in maize and blue. National attention. A chance to sweep the home and home series. Last weekend carried the moniker of season opener, but this is the official weekend football is back.

Of course, there is the little matter of Appalachian State. The Mountaineers of Boone, NC changed things just a tad. Oregon has gone from having nothing to lose, everything to gain to just the opposite. After all, the team that loses to the team that loses to Appalachian State can't be too highly regarded.
Let's quickly recap what Michigan accomplished last weekend:

First ranked team to ever lose to a "I-AA/college football championship subdivision/was the NCAA high when they came up with this idea?" team.
First team ranked in the top 5 to not be ranked the next week.
Gave ESPN a story to beat to death in the absence of any new Michael Vick developments.
Officially allowed all Buckeye fans to declare, "My life is complete, I am happy, I can die in peace."
Legitimized the cause of college football junkies like myself who otherwise feel guilty for watching games like this

Ebay does it again
In case you're interested, there are about 65,165 items on ebay from that game right now. T-shirts, programs, tickets, pictures, a freaking cartoon drawing, scoreboard pictures, newspapers, a signed football and the SI cover. Believe it or not, five morons have bid up to $14.50 plus $4.25 S&H for a magazine cover that you can get at any store for a few bucks. Ah, Americans. Ever the enterprising group, we are.

Alright, time to lay off Michigan and get to the game
Michigan's defense against the spread offense stinks. Who among us can't see Dennis Dixon running up and down the field? How are they going to repair that in one week? Sure, Oregon couldn't defend the spread either, but they get to play, as Cole Linehan loosely stated, good old-fashioned American football. If Oregon surrenders huge yardage Saturday, then I guess the defense just stinks against everything, but I feel somehow comfortable knowing they won't have to defend against misdirection and trickery.

Michigan's coming out swinging, no doubt, but who cares? Oregon should be on high alert to that and there's no reason they can't match everything Michigan brings.

Go ahead and take the sucker bet that is Michigan on the faulty logic that if a team is awful one weekend, they won't be bad the next (I've lost a lot of bets thinking that way), but problems like the ones the Wolverines had against Appy State don't just disappear. They have fundamental issues and I don't think they can handle Oregon's spread.

PreNicktion: Oregon 35, Michigan 28 (and the nation atESPN agrees)

And we're back!

2007-09-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

Admit it, you missed me. I've got much work to cram into the next few days. Today will be a recap of last weekend, tomorrow a look ahead to a new set of games and Friday, Jesse's premier.
I kicked off the 2007 college football season with a trip to an old stadium I know well - a place I've watched football more times than I can remember. Yep, that's right, I started off at Reser Stadium, home of the Beavers. In town for the week, my parents with season tickets, I thought, what the heck, it's football.

It was a sloppy game for the most part, but the Beaver defense looked pretty good. They've got a great running game and big questions at quarterback. Perhaps the return of Sammie Stroughter will help. But that's not what we're here for. Let's move on.

Oregon vs. Houston
I'm not a complainer by a long shot, but since Bellotti always says the most improvement comes between games 1 and 2, let's look at three things that need to get better.

1. Oregon's run defense. It may be historically bad. I hate to draw conclusions from one game, but it was ugly. Sure, Anthony Aldridge is as fast as they come and the Houston offense is tricky, but you just can't give up 300 yards on the ground to anyone. The quarterback has to be contained as well. I believe there were eight first downs gained by scrambling Houston quarterbacks.
2. The offense needs more balance. Clearly, the running game is the strength of the team and we need to see more out of Jonathan Stewart, but to be successful, the passing game has to be more viable. 49 runs to 15 passes won't cut it. Dixon can't be hidden. The coaches are going to have to let him loose.
3. The Duck mascot needs to stop staging fake fights. It's funny how many people thought the Duck got into a real spat with the Houston Cougar. Folks, it was fake! It's done all the time.

Around the country

Did Michigan lose or something?
Please put "Notre Dame" and "losing season" into a complete sentence.
Cal's offense looked pretty incredible. Lots of playmakers. Still think they can't win in Autzen.
That's it, I'm waaaay off any sort of developing Arizona bandwagon. They stink and always will.
Hawaii's goal is clearly to get Colt Brennan the Heisman. They didn't employ a running play until the fourth quarter and Brennan amassed 416 yards and six touchdowns - in the first half!
Hawaii didn't want to play Northern Colorado to start the season. They wanted to go to Michigan. The Wolverines declined, opting to send tiny Appalachin State a not-so-tiny paycheck in exchange for the right to slaughter them in murderous fashion. I checked ESPN. I couldn't find how that one turned out.
Outside of Cal-Tennessee, not a very interesting opening weekend.

Most Logical Top 25 Ever - Week 1
1. USC - Listen just because a team chooses not to win 79-10 doesn't mean there's a problem.
2. Florida - I'm leaving the defending national champs here until given a reason not to.
3. LSU - Bonus points for opening the season by shutting out a conference opponent.
4. Cal - Not really a top 5 defense, but I don't play voter games. They beat a ranked BCS opponent (from the hailed SEC no less). They deserve to be here as much as anyone.
5. Oklahoma - I hate myself for being impressed by 79 points against a bad team.
6. Wisconsin - This early, teams with wins over BCS opponents deserve more credit than those with wins over teams from Div. I-AA/College Football Championship Subdivision/Stupidest act of political correctness the world has ever seen.
7. Georgia - See above
8. Louisville - Gets credit for 73 points over quasi-directional school, Middle Tennesse State.
9. Auburn - Not really sure, but gets the nod for beating Kansas State.
10. West Virginia - Really think they'll stumble because of defense
11. Ohio State - Kinda' like USC with an unimpressive score but they have more to prove.
12. Penn State - I have way too man Big 10 teams ranked high, but a shutout is always impressive.
13. Nebraska - Pounding Nevada was good. Beating USC is all that matters, though.
14. UCLA - Sorry, beating Stanford, no matter what they margin is, does not impress.
15. Boston College - Deserve better from the major polls. Just beat a 2006 BCS bowl team.
16. Texas - Not sure if they deserve it. 21-13 over Arkansas State isn't cutting it.
17. Rutgers -
18. BYU - This team deserves a ranking. If you're going to base these early polls on the previous season, after what they did to Arizona, there's no reason to leave them out.
19. Boise State - Down this low only because it's easy to be skeptical of a non-BCS team.
20. Georgia Tech - Based on previous logic, should be higher. But they beat Notre Dame and this blog hates the Irish, so they'll have to do more.
21. Hawaii - It may be blatant promotion of a Heisman trophy candidate but who doesn't want to watch a team throw on every down?
22. Arkansas - Great running back means they'll be in the hunt.
23. Clemson - Also probably should be higher, but 100% of the world knew Florida State wouldn't win.
24. Missouri - Probably won't last, but it's all a guess anyway
25. Oregon - Wanted to get them in before it was too late. Things could get ugly at the Big House.

Let's get this thing started

2007-08-30T08:34:00.001-07:00

Vacation has set me back from the blog pre-Houston so I haven't got much going just yet. Game weeks will be busy here every week after, though. I promise. We'll get Jesse going, get some game previews, some weekend wrap-ups and whatever else.

In the meantime, Ducks take this one against Houston by about two touchdowns. Here's a reminder of Jonathan Stewart's first ever game as a collegian against...Houston.

Time to exorcise some demons

2007-08-22T22:45:00.001-07:00

When we last saw Oregon football in a competitive game, it wasn't so competitive and I was drinking PBR - a loss all around. So what do you do to get the taste out of your mouth? For starters, you drink a better beer.

As for the football end of things, you have to go back to Autzen Stadium, Sept. 16, 2006. Against Oklahoma, the Ducks caught, shall we say, a little break and escaped with a win. Pandemonium ensued. Oregon was a legit contender, undefeated and on the national radar. And instead of saying thank you, we thumbed our noses at all of football and tried to justify our little gift. Come on, all at once now, raise your hand and say, "guilty."

The rest of the season was a difficult lesson in karma as we all watched the terrible slide into 7-6 culminating in a disastrous trip to Vegas (show me a trip to Vegas that doesn't lead to disaster financially and/or personally).

So today, with hopes of a big season, I say to karma, "thanks, we got lucky." Now can I have some wins, please?

Big Announcement!

2007-08-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

Not to flood you with excessive content in one day, but this is huge.

Jesse (girlfriend of the blog) has agreed in principle to take part in a weekly Q&A during the football season.

There is one stipulation. I have to watch High School Musical 2. I know what the people want (more Jesse) so I'm taking one for the team on this. By the way, she tried to throw in the movie Hairspray, but I held my ground.

Terms of the deal:
Jesse gets: One viewing of High School Musical 2 with me (how bad can it be?)
The Blog gets: Entire season of Jesse Q&As.

It's California's world, but not today

2007-08-20T19:11:00.001-07:00

Should I even ask why so many of you have just blatantly ignored my request for Pac-10 predictions? Probably not. On with today's topic.

I'm not dumb. I know the Pac-10 is anchored by the state of California. I know that's where the population is on the west coast. Heck, I live in the state. That said, does everything have to be about the Golden State this year?

Everyone is focused on Cal, USC and UCLA. I guess it's as it should be. The three teams in the two most populated metro regions are getting all the attention. The media is a business, too.

Because I'm all about justice, though, this post is dedicated to the other seven. I took a spin through the world wide web to see what's up.

Arizona
At the Arizona Republic's website, there is a poll asking fans which home game they are most anticipating. UCLA is running away with it while Oregon is third, trailing NAU. NAU?!? Would Oregon fans anticipate a game with Portland State more than all but one Pac-10 team? Are NAU fans stuffing the ballot? Are there NAU fans?

In actual football news, the talk of Tuscon this year is whether or not the offense will break out under former Texas Tech offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. In the only public scrimmage of fall camp, the unit didn't show much.

Arizona State
No, Dennis Erickson hasn't found another job yet.

Oregon
The Ducks have been making all their news in other sports. Phil Knight is set to donate $100,000,000 for a basketball facility (I think my problem is that my bank account has all those zeroes without the 1). The Ducks may or may not have contacted Beaver baseball coach Pat Casey. As for the football team? They held a secret scrimmage on the Nike campus in Beaverton. By all unseen accounts, the offense flourished and may be getting primed for a big 2007 season.

Oregon State
The big question in Corvallis is who is going to play this year. Already, star punter (oxymoron?) Kyle Loomis has decided to leave school, #1 wideout Sammie Stroughter has personal issues that are leaving his future in doubt, backup RB Clinton Polk is out with academic problems and, still, no word on a starting quarterback. Could the two-headed monster be making an appearance north of Eugene this year?

Stanford

Washington
I'm feeling polite, so for now, I'll just say the Huskies continue to get ready for the 2007 football season. Here's an article on the latest scrimmage if you care (which I don't).

Washington State
According to all reports, the Cougars are well ahead of schedule in figuring out how to lose the Apple Cup this year.

When Alex Brink receives his diploma in June, I'd bet half of Pullman boos. The other half will cheer. It's the nature of being Alex Brink. As for the coach, he's got some critics, too, and this season could be make or break time. This list isn't flattering and neither is this one. Oh, and this one's not good either.

While searching for Cougar news, I did finally get an answer to just what the hell I'm doing all the time. From the Spokesman Review website:

"What's a blog?
"Blog" is an all-purpose term that describes a format for publishing on the web. A blog generally consists of short entries displayed in reverse chronological order, which often include links to other sites. If you have any questions about our blogs or blogging in general, email us."

Fun with Google Analytics

2007-08-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

I use Google Analytics to keep an eye on all of you who visit. It's an awesome tool and is completely free. Currently, the analytics report shows 17 search phrases that people have used to enter this lovely little space on the web. Save for one, they're not that interesting. The one?

Scantily covered Beavers.

The most recent search puts me at #30, the bottom of page 3. Google says I average #17. While I feel sorry for those who enter such a term and accidentally happen upon this blog, it's with great pride that I hold this ranking.

I think with a little keyword stuffing, I may just rank again for scantily covered Beavers. That's right, scantily covered Beavers.

Promises for 2007

2007-08-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

Before I begin, let me remind you to post your Pac-10 predictions as a comment to this post. I know I was gone for 4 months and no one knows I'm here again, but do not disappoint me!! No lurking!! I want your picks in identifiable 12 point, Times New Roman font!!

Whew, okay, on with the post.

I have a few promises to make about 2007 that I plan on keeping.

If Oregon wins its first four games, I will not make a reference to "Ric h, Cool and 4-0."
I will never go back to the Sports Coliseum. Ever. Period.
...I will recognize the SEC as the best football conference to ever exist whether it's true or not.
I will accept whatever the replay official says as fact. They clearly know what they're doing.
Right now, I will definitively answer the question, "if a Big East team wins its conference and no one respects them, does the Big East still suck?" The answer is yes.
I will spend at least one Saturday - from the time Kirk Herbstriet's pretty little face greets me at 7 am to the time Lou Holtz stutters his last words sometime after 11pm - watching as much football as I possibly can. Wait, just one day?
Because I know an inordinate number of LSU grads, I will root for the Tigers above all SEC teams (I'm just pandering to the readership. I'm a sad man.).
I will drink beer and watch football...brace yourself...AT THE SAME TIME!!
...But I will not drink during Oregon football games unless I'm doing a running diary of the Las Vegas Bowl.
I will gamble on football (of course, only if I'm in Las Vegas where it is legal to do so. Ahem.).
I will acknowledge that ESPN personalities actually have their own opinions, not just some copywritten material meant to make for better TV.
I will not feel sorry for my family when Oregon State loses to Oregon and finishes 5-7, bowl ineligible (come on, why the cheap shot?)

And now for the Pac-10 (play along)

2007-08-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is a decidedly pro Pac-10 blog. Les Miles isn't welcome here (but all my "Tahger" friends may stay), we waste no time laughing at the Big East, we still believe in East Coast bias and, I think, we hate USC as much as the rest the country.

As such, it's prediction time on the best coast. This is your chance for a public display of prognosticating prowess. Come December, we'll know who to make fun of and who to celebrate. I even promise a prize, though I'm not sure what that'll be (2 tickets to the BCS championship game? Uh, no. More like 2 all-day tickets for MAX).

I'll start.

1. USC
Listen, I may hate them, but I'm not stupid. Anytime a team coming off a dominant Rose Bowl win returns 17 starters , it's pretty much a lock for the top spot. Add the fact that it's USC and it's a no-brainer. Remember the stretch of years where every team but Arizona won or shared the Pac-10 title at least once? Please, God, somebody make it stop.

/*Begin toss-up picks. All have flaws and strengths that make them interchangeable.*/
2. UCLA
It's sick and grotesque to think of the two LA schools taking the top two spots, but it just seems right. Let's face it, the Bruins return 10 on offense and defense. That's a lot of continuity from last year and even though they are wildly inconsistent, 2005 showed that a Karl Dorrell team can put together a great record.
3. Oregon
Screw it. I don't care what anybody says. It's my blog and I'm putting them here. The offense is loaded with playmakers and this has to be the year Jonathan Stewart goes crazy. Right? It just has to be. I don't care if the quarterback situation is screwed up. I don't care if the linebacking unit is weak. I just don't care!!! Besides, look at the years Bellotti teams have done poorly and then look at the follow-up. 7-6 in 2002(8th in Pac-10) followed by 8-5 in 2003 (3rd in Pac-10). 5-6 in 2004 (6th in Pac-10) followed by 10-1 in 2005 (2nd in Pac-10). The Ducks always do better when nothing is expected of them.
4. Cal
Tedford, blah, blah, blah. USC's main competition, blah, blah, blah. Top ten material, blah, blah, blah. Maybe I'm a little irritated that in the Tedford era, Cal has essentially replaced Oregon's spot in the national consciousness, but I don't see it. They lost a superstar running back, a superstar cornerback and the best linebacker. They only return five on defense. When was the last time this team beat Oregon in Autzen Stadium? 1753? Has it ever happened?
5. Arizona
Ugh, I think I only detest USC more than this team and it has everything to do with head coach Mike Stoops. The guy is an arrogant, loud-mouth, disrespectful crybaby. He complains about everything. Hey Mike, you think you should have been invited to a bowl game last year? Try not choking against your rival in the last game! Rant aside, they return 19 players. Sure, the offense is pretty bad, but the defense is really good. I wouldn't be surprised to see them finish in the top 3.
6. Oregon State
Come on, Nick. Do you have to be so transparent? You say 2 through 6 is a toss-up and conveniently make OSU the sixth place team? Yes. That's exactly what I did. Yvenson Bernard is awesome. Totally underrated. Probably will run for 1,300+ yards for the third straight year without anyone noticing. I've got five teams that I feel are on par and somebody had to go sixth. Mom, dad, brother - don't call me.
/*End toss-up picks. The rest of the teams aren't that good*/

7. Arizona State
Ah, the first year of Dennis Erickson. This will be the building year before a huge breakout in 2008. We all know it's coming. For now, though, the team is weak on defense. An offense with 10 returning starters helps, but won't be enough. Next year, though, next year.
8. Washington
I feel kind of bad about this. For me, football was more fun when the Huskies were good. You marked your calendar and knew it would be a battle that neither Oregon nor Washington could stand losing. I look at this roster, though, and it's just devoid of playmakers. There's not one player that stands out as an obvious star. On top of that, they return six on offense, six on defense. Ho hum all the way.
9. Washington State
I could have put Washington here, giving the edge to the Cougars because they return starting quarterback Alex brink. However, this is the Cougs and inevitably, they will lose the Apple Cup as they always do, which will give Washington the moral victory it will so desperately crave.
10. Stanford
Easy and obvious, there's really no way I get this wrong. In fact, I'd say #1 and #10 are locked up more than any other spots. If everything in between were only this easy.

I hate top 25 polls (but ask me again in two months)

2007-08-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

Can we all agree that preseason top 25 polls are the most meaningless, worthless, pointless, brainless invention of the last 100 years (except when your team is ranked)?

One month before the season starts, the majority of teams are already eliminated from consideration for a national title (or BCS at-large consideration) regardless of whether or not they have an incredible season simply because of a ranking based on...what's it based on again? Anything?

Lucky for me, I got ahold of the AP/coaches poll pamphlets and the criteria that is to be used.

Step 1 - Picking 1-10:
Pool all the teams that either (1) went to a BCS bowl the previous season or (2) won a bowl game. From there, your top 10 must consist only of teams from BCS conferences that finished really well the previous year.

Step 2 - Picking 11-20:
You may have teams that were surprisingly good the previous year but no one would dare make top 10 (Rutgers), traditional powerhouses that were worse than expected but couldn't possible be down again (Penn State) and Pac-10 teams not named USC (rule 4.3.1: no two Pac-10 teams may start a season both ranked in the top 10). Only in rare cases may you place a non-BCS team here.

Step 3 - Picking 21-25:
You may now add your lowly upstarts. Boise State, Hawaii, TCU, Fresno State, BYU, Utah, Colorado State and Marshall are all fair game here. You must pick two of these teams in the final five.

Using this formula, here's my meaningless, worthless, pointless, brainless preseason top 25 and my reasoning:

1. USC - The ballot actually states: "USC is No. 1. You do not have a choice."
2. Florida - Won the national title, automatic top five.
3. Michigan - Uh, duh, it's Michigan.
4. LSU - Another stipulation states the SEC should have two top 5 teams because they are the greatest football conference man has ever seen)
5. Texas - Don't dare mess with Texas.
6. Auburn - Rule 7.2.8 states that the SEC must have 3 teams in the top 10 and that when archaelogists study the ruins of ancient America 2500 years from now, they will all agree the SEC was the greatest football conference of the Global Warming Age.
7. West Virginia - Regardless of merit, all BCS conferences must be represented in the top 10.
8. Ohio State - The Buckeyes and Wolverines may never be separated by more than 5 ranking spots so as to preserve the integrity of their rivalry game at the end of the year.
9. Virginia Tech - With the ACC represented, all six BCS conferences are accounted for.
10. Georgia - Rule 7.2.9 states: "You may, at your discretion, add a fourth SEC team to your top 10 because even the remote, indigenous tribes of the deep Amazon rainforest would agree the SEC is deserving."
11. Oklahoma - They may have lost to Boise State, but come on, it's Oklahoma
12. California - It just feels better keeping Pac-10 teams out of the top ten.
13. Louisville - So they won a BCS bowl and return 21 starters. You do realize I'm legally prohibited from placing two Big East teams in the top 10, right?
14. Wisconsin - They had a great year, they won a bowl game, they're in the Big 10 but not one of the conference's historical powers. 14 is perfect.
15. Tennessee - I spent all summer bringing aid in the Darfur region and when people discovered I am an American, they would all say the same thing: "we love SEC football!"
16. Penn State - Perfect candidate for traditional power incapable of two down years in a row
17. Miami - Teams from the state of Florida with a history of success shall be in the top 20 regardless of logic and reasoning.
18. Florida State - See above.
19. Notre Dame - Here's what the ballot states: "We understand you will be skeptical of placing Notre Dame in the top 25 after being burned so many times, but some of you need to do it. For God's sake, it's Notre Dame!" I obliged.
20. UCLA - Per the ballot rulebook, two Pac-10 teams should be between 11-20. The Bruins were randomly selected from a pool of Pac-10 teams and won out because people east of Denver couldn't find the northwest on a map.
21. Boise State - Is it safe yet? #21? Perfect.
22. Hawaii - Trendy and sexy, would have put them 7 spots higher if it was allowed.
23. Arizona State - the Sun Devils should always be at the end of the top 25 because one of these years, they're actually going to be as good as people say.
24. Southern Miss - I know I'm only required to place two non-BCS teams but they won a bowl game and the more underdogs I put in the 21-25 range, the better the chance I have of getting one to stick at the end of the year.
25. South Carolina - True story: I won one of those trips to outer space usually only available to the ultra-rich. We made a stop at the Andromeda Galaxy and all the beings could talk about was how this was going to be the Ol' Ball Coach's year.

Note to Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Mississippi State: I apologize for excluding you, but look on the bright side. If you win your first couple games, I promise to rank you.

Is this what Bill Simmons' wife means by "League of Dorks"

2007-08-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Before I get into previews of college and pro football, I have to alert everyone to the dorkiest thing I have ever seen. My friend and co-worker was participating in a fantasy mock draft this afternoon on ESPN.com.

A fantasy mock draft.

If you already knew about this or have already participated, let this be confirmation that you are a fantasy dork.

Here's what the site says:
"Prepare for the big day with our exclusive Mock Draft Lobby. Hone your skills and refine your draft strategy so you'll be ready for your run to fantasy glory when the real draft comes around. PRACTICE NOW! "

Really? Does anyone else find this as shocking as I do?

I asked my co-worker what happens at the end. Is there a winner? No. It just ends. He was shying away from Frank Gore because of a broken hand, to which I say, "so?" I mean, I could draft Akili Smith as my starting quarterback and you know what it would mean? NOTHING!

I don't get it.

Mic check, mic check...is this thing on?

2007-08-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's a bit dusty in here, huh? We're gonna' have to clean out a few cobwebs, but I think we can get this place cleaned up in time for football season. After all, what's a fall without a little B?

This lovely little blog's been on my mind for a week, an old love ready to be rekindled. The people say, "are you ever going to blog again?" The tone of the question comes in many forms. Sincere, nervous, angry, incredulous. I hear you. I really do.

In many ways, my feelings toward the blog mirror those of my feelings toward football in general. I needed a good long break, but there's no escaping it. You can't rid yourself of something so deeply rooted in the fabric of your being.

A short 7-8 months ago, my long-lasting relationship - Duck football - ended with me throwing Oregon's belongings into the street, my hot and torrid affair with the Chargers ended with "it was fun, but there's someone else." But hey, time heals all wounds. Whatever tears were shed are easily forgotten and I'm ready to love again.

And what do you know, hope springs eternal. As I sit and write this, the Padres Milton Bradley sends one yard to complete a four-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth against the D-Backs. Yeah, this is gonna' be my year.

I'll see you out there.

Somehow, NBA basketball seems more relevant now

2007-05-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

I am more giddy than a 45 year old Oregon Duck fan meeting Joey Harrington. I'm more giddy than an Ethiopian in Costco. I'm even more giddy than a 13 year old boy realizing for the first time why Sports Illustrated sends him a swimsuit issue.

Portland got the #1 draft pick in the most important draft to happen in years. Portland is going to pick first in the NBA Draft and choose between Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. Portland has the first pick. Oh, it feels good.

Don't think I'm the only one either. My phone lit up with calls and messages as it happened. My brother said the bar he was at erupted in cheers and you can bet that was happening all over the city. His friend who works for the Blazers ticket office said they didn't have a chance to pour the champagne because the phones lit up instantly with ticket requests. Kevin said he's looking for someone to get season tickets with. I'd be the guy if I lived there. Hell, I might still be the guy.

You'll have to excuse me a moment. I'm so used to finishing with the also-rans that this whole first pick thing has kind of blind-sided me. Had Portland got last year's #1 pick when Oden was unavailable due to an NBA change in eligibilty rules, that would have made sense. I would have believed that. But the Blazers getting the first pick in this draft?!? I feel a little change in the winds of fortune.

Suddenly, the Ducks may beat USC and win a Pac-10 title. The university may actually build a basketball arena. My adopted San Diego loves seem a little more viable. The Chargers might win a Super Bowl and the Padres in the World Series? Could happen.

My outlook has gone from "loveable loser" to "anything's possible." No really, anything's possible. I actually believe that. I've been believing in things that buck the odds for as long as I've lived. It's just that it never happens. I come from an underdog state. I moved to an underdog city. The whole world changed, though, with one pluck of an unlikely ping pong ball.

Sure, there's a chance this is 1984 all over again. It's possible Portland could draft Yi Jianlian just to conjure up images of Sam Bowie and we could watch Durant (Jordan) and Oden (Olajuwon) dribble all over our hopes and dreams for the next 15 years.

But it ain't happenin.' Here's to the NBA's new dynasty, the Portland TrailBlazers.

This is very important!

2007-05-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

Good news! Lemonyourwidmer.com has gone live!

Friend of this not-so-active blog Matt Graffe and his crew of Widmer pimpers have launched a site with videos featuring various ways to get the lemon into your delicious Widmer Hefeweizen.

Videos were shot both here in San Diego and in Portland.

Jes and I both have one on the site, though I admit, there are way cooler videos to be seen. My favorite is the chip shot. I also make a cameo appearance in another video, though I won't say which.

I suggest you make your own video and submit it. I'm thinking I might try something using my mountain bike.

Spread the word, make a video, change the world.

This was April

2007-04-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

I realize I missed all of April (what, a guy can't take a month off?), so here's what happened.

Florida won another national title.
Bleh, moving on.

Jesse went to the Playboy mansion.
You send someone to a place they can't fully appreciate and you get an unsatisfactory review. I was underwhelmed by Jesse's account of her adventure into Bunnyland. She explained that they (the bunnies) really weren't that "impressive," downplayed the whole thing and unloaded a ton of SWAG. The "Girls Next Door" have a 10 pm curfew, so they were nowhere to be found. Akon no-showed, but 3-6 Mafia filled in. How hard is it out here for a pimp if you're doing last second fill-ins at the Playboy Mansion? Psst, are you over 40? If so, please consult wikipedia for details on just what the hell that last line meant. Thank you.

Sure, she had VIP and didn't have to bother with lines, but apparently that doesn't mean you get to bring home stories worthy of the location. I continue to be thoroughly disappointed in every way.

Here's one of those gossipy accounts of the event, which according to Jesse and those she went with, is nothing like the party they were at.

My birthday cake was interesting. Here's the picture:

I've been using a personal trainer
Either I'm really committed to improving my health or I'm really committed to giving someone money to oversee my temporary health kick before the inevitable fade back into bad habits.

The NFL Draft happened
ESPN has its work cut out. With the draft over and no story to beat to death, the good people of Bristol are going to have to make something up. Perhaps they can exploit the Barbaro angle as we near the Kentucky Derby.

By the way, say what you will about each team's off-season, but no team is as stacked as San Diego. I would expect no worse than 19-0.

Oregon released a video for its new basketball arena.
I think it looks great and I'm glad they're getting things going again, but it seems a tad underwhelming. I just don't see how building a stadium with only 12,500 seats fits the future needs of a growing university and city.

I continue to be a Will Ferrell fan.
He hasn't hit a home run since Anchorman (Stranger than Fiction was good, but in a different sort of way), but little gems like this keep me going.

Dude, who stole my modeling career?!
Tell me this guy isn't cashing in on my looks! And he thinks he can grow the hair out to hide what he's doing. For shame!

Spring Football is over
When did it start? And what happened? I don't know and I don't care. Seeing Alabama get 92,000 for its game does not impress me. It actually confirms a lot about that state. There really has to be more to life than spring football. There just has to be. We can address Oregon in the fall when it actually matters.

I am a Golden State Warrior fan.
The crowd for Golden State's game 4 on Sunday was awesome. It reminded me why I used to love the NBA. I thought my interest in the game was on life support. Watching that game, though, I knew I still cared just a little. When Portland gets back to the playoffs, it's going to be fun. For the next three weeks, I'm putting all my energy into believing the Blazers will land the #1 or #2 pick in the draft, ensuring no less than three championships in the next 10 year. An ambitious dream from a fan stilling waiting for title numero uno? Perhaps, but in my situation, its what you do. You dream.

Best of the month
There were some definite winners this month.

Best TV show: This isn't even a contest, Planet Earth has been some of the best TV I have ever watched. It took five years of filming to put together the most spectacular look at the globe you will ever see from your couch. Though I don't have HD, it was still amazing camera work. It's hard to pick an absolute favorite moment, but this shark attack has to rank right up there. The money shot comes right around the 2:20 mark. It would be an injustice not to mention the birds of paradise as well, though the female comes off a little picky.

Best Commercial: Not sure if this is a national campaign or not, but it should be because he is the most interesting man in the world. Stay thirsty my friends.

And finally...on April 30, I got a letter in the mail.
The envelope read:
Dear Jesus, We pray that you will bless someone in this home spiritually, physically & financially. And please, dear Lord, bless the one who's hands open this letter. Make good changes in this one's life and give them the desires of their heart. We pray over and bless this letter in your holy name. Amen.

Okay, this should be interesting. I open the letter and...instant papercut! That's got to be a sign.

Once the letter is open, I discover that it is a prayer rug. I am to use this prayer rug tonight and tonight only. Once finished with the prayer rug (which, by the way, happens to be a fancy piece of paper with a picture of Jesus, eyes closed, though if you stare at it long enough his eyes are supposed to open, but I'm not seeing it), I am to return it to the church with my needs checklist using the self-addressed, stamped envelope. My favorite needs, in no particular order, are:

confusion in my home
pray for God to bless me with this amount of money: $______
Enclosed is my seed gift to God's work of $_______

This is by far the coolest junk mail Jes and I have ever received so here's what we're gonna' do. First person to respond to this post with the line, "Send me the prayer rug" will get the rug and the checklist. Sure, the letter is explicit in its instruction that the rug is to be returned to the church (re: scam office), but this will be more fun.

And that's April.

Oregon losing was bad, but this is worse

2007-03-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

That headline is what I like to call a tease. You wanna' know what could possibly be worse than Oregon losing in the Elite Eight, don't ya? Well, I'm not ready to talk about it yet, so let's go over these 2006-07 Oregon Ducks final tournament games first.

Sweet Sixteen
What a fantastic Friday! The bar was packed with over 100 Duck fans including Mr. Matt Graffe and company as well as Jesse's parents. We had a sunset-over-the-ocean view on the boardwalk, downed some beers, ate some pizza and watched my favorite little player just...go...off. Every Tajuan Porter three-point attempt was greeted by a bar full of cheers. Sure, the ending was a bit nerve-wracking, but who cares? Elite Eight, baby!

Oh, crap, not the Elite Eight again
I don't think I had been this hyped for a game since the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. It'd been a long time since Oregon athletics had got this far on the national stage. In 2002, when Oregon played Kansas in the Elite Eight, the pregame felt more like making funeral preparations. You went over the pictures and the memories, but knew the actual game was going to make you cry.

Not this year, though. Not with these Ducks. I was (and still am) convinced that Oregon could play with any team in the nation and was every bit as worthy of a national title as any other team. Sure, Florida was a formidable opponent, but the Ducks just had a swagger all year that said, "can't beat us." They fought admirably and were just a couple TP threes away from winning the game. They were also a few horrible calls away, too. You know, calls that can only be explained by conspiracy theories. Call that carry zero justification. Calls that should get referees and their bosses fired. Yeah, those kind of calls. Not that I'm a whiny, bitter fan or anything.

Aside from some tough calls and a cold Tajuan Porter, I thought the biggest thing that went wrong for Oregon was the inability to convert buckets at the right time. They would get the second half lead down to 4, 5, 6 points and get the ball with a chance to make it a one-score game. They never could convert on those possessions and a winning outcome always stayed just out of reach.

Looking Beyond
There's no shame in the result of the final game or the season, but it's time to build some continuity. There's no reason for this program to miss the tournament more than 1 out of every 4 years. There's a ton of momentum going right now and with 4 of 5 starters hopefully returning next year as well as a promising Joevan Catron developing off the bench, you have to think the expectations should be high in 2007-08. Put together back-to-back years on the national stage and the ball's rolling downhill. Money will pour into the program. The arena will get built. Recruits will be back knocking on the door.

Now here's the part that gets a little dicey. Ernie Kent. He's a somewhat polarizing figure, but after all that's gone on, I think it would be a huge mistake to let him go. This team has finally bought in and they are on the verge of something bigger. If he was going to leave, it should have been after the previous season. That was a chance to start fresh and go in another direction. Now, the program actually has a direction and if it moves off course, it could be like starting all over again.

Wait, isn't there something else I'm supposed to mention?
Oh yeah, so I mentioned something worse than Oregon losing. Maybe you read all the above, maybe you didn't, but here goes:

Jesse (the one I refer to as girlfriend, which would make her a female, thus ensuring that she cannot possibly appreciate what she has been given) is going....

....to

....the

....Playboy Mansion

The FREAKING PLAYBOY MANSION!!! Guess who's not invited?

Sweet Sixteen grab bag

2007-03-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

Still two days from the start of the Sweet Sixteen, here's 16 things (in no particular order) on my basketball-loving mind:

16) I found these "One Shining Moment" montages at Bob Rickert's Ducks Blog on oregonlive.com who in turn found it at the AOL Sports Blog so I'm not breaking into new territory here, but if just one more person gets to watch these videos, it'll have been worth it.

15) Another big thumbs down to CBS. Perhaps it was the Pac-10s fault for being so good and creating scheduling problems, but couldn't USC and Oregon have played at opposite times on Friday? Now, USC-North Carolina will be shown to about 95% of the country while Oregon-UNLV may or may not exist within the universe. And you wonder why no one is paying attention to the Ducks.

14) No Gus Johnson. The Sports Guy did a good job of defending the honor of the best play-by-play guy college basketball has. Unfortunately, CBS has put James Brown into his spot, assuring us of a slightly more boring experience. I'm going to miss the excitement of Gus Johnson.

13) Ohio State and Tennessee. Of non Pac-10 games, I find this one the most compelling. Did Ohio State just complete it's own Tyus Edney moment, or are they on the way down? In 1995, UCLA was a #1 seed playing a second round game just as Ohio State was last Saturday. Both teams made improbable escapes. Now, the Buckeyes face a Tennessee team that seems a little underappreciated but fully capable of beating just about anyone.

12) How ugly will UCLA-Pitt be? Neither team conjures up images of high-flying fun. First one to 50 wins.

11) Conferences. The Pac-10 has three representatives. So does the SEC. ACC? Big-10? One each. The emotion to describe the poor representation of ESPN's favorite conferences is happiness.

10) The mid-major path to victory. Oregon is the only team left in the tournament that can actually win the national title without ever playing a major conference team.

9) My four favorite players still playing (Pac-10 not included).

Acie Law IV, Texas A&M - He's got the name and the game.
Derrick Byars, Vanderbilt - I have an affinity for unknowns. SEC player of the year is a game-changer.
Greg Oden, Ohio State - You just don't get to watch a player like this in college anymore.
The guy I don't know about yet, but will when he plays insanely over his head and carries his team to victory. I love that guy.

8) The remaining mid-majors. UNLV, Southern Illinois, Butler, or Memphis? Who's got the most staying power? Uh, no clue.

7) It's official. Joakim Noah is the ugliest - and most annoying - player to ever suit up in NCAA basketball history. I welcome your submissions, but this is pretty much indisputable.

6) Why is everyone so shocked that Texas went down? Sometimes, I think the media gets its collective head so far up the most powerful athletic department's rears that it can't see teams for what they really are. The Longhorns were never that good. They relied on spectacular performances from one player more than any other team. They weren't built to last. Let's move on.

5) Here's a link that made me really happy and it all relates to Oregon. Not only are the Ducks "reseeded" lower than UNLV, but the first line states: "Can anyone outside the Pac-10 and the Pacific Northwest name me two Ducks starters? One?" Are the media purposely handing Oregon bulletin board material? It seems like it.

4) Then again, how many remaining teams can you name two players for (credit for full names only)? I can do this for seven teams. On seven other teams, I can name one player. For Butler and Southern Illinois, I'm clueless.

3) YouTube is just good fun. Go there. Search for old games. You won't be disappointed.

2) Florida or Butler? Be honest. As a Duck fan, who would you rather play in the Elite Eight? Playing Butler feels infinitely easier, but I'm choosing Florida. I just want to take a shot.

1) UNLV. I've pretty much written off this week of my life. I don't really care if anything cool happens. No, I'm not living for the moment, I'm living for Friday. That makes me two things: (1) pathetic and (2) a sports fan

Are-uh-gon? They're still in this thing?

2007-03-19T20:53:00.001-07:00

Hey Ducks fans! Feeling underappreciated? A little unloved? Perhaps a little overlooked? Yeah, I got that feeling, too.

The Ducks have returned to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in the program's history. They've only been apart of March Madness five times in the 22 years of the 64 team format. They've got a total of 5 wins now. If that's not an underdog story, I'm not sure what is. But don't tell the media, they don't even know Oregon's still alive.

Excited to read some fun, respectful articles in the national media following the "upset" (just ask any prognosticator) of Winthrop, I've struck out. Found plenty of press on UNLV, but can't seem to locate the Ducks.

Don't despair, though, my fair-feathered friends, our Quackers are getting attention. Why, just look at ESPN. It says there that Florida has the easiest path to the Sweet Sixteen. In that same article, six of seven "experts" list Oregon as a possible upset victim.

Digger Phelps is already on record as believing UNLV will win. An ESPN SportsNation poll shows that all 50 states (et tu, Oregon?) believe Oregon to be the most likely upset victim.

In perhaps the worst analysis I've ever read, this (reporter?) lists Oregon as the 15th best team remaining. UNLV is ranked 5th and that team the Ducks dismantled to win the Pac-10 tournament only one week ago? He's got USC 2nd.

Basically, all I'm saying Oregon is that you stink. You don't belong. Nobody wants you here so just lose already! (Now take that giant chip ingrained deep into your shoulder and prove everyone wrong).

NEXT: I'll give you a litany of reasons why I think UNLV is already done.

Wow, that was a lot of basketball

2007-03-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

Four days of basketball (a lot of it) has come and gone. I think I've finally broken in the new couch. From 64 teams, only 16 remain. Next week, the tournament gets serious. No more Cinderella stories, just a select few fighting for a title. Here's a look back at the first weekend:

CBS Coverage
I can't speak too highly of CBS coverage so far. Here's one shining example of a job poorly done:

When Oregon broke open a lead on Winthrop, the San Diego affiliate switched to Florida-Purdue. Understandable. That was a close game with about five minutes left. Following the conclusion of that game, they moved to Wisconsin-UNLV. Okay, another close finish, I'm 1,000 miles from Oregon, I get it. My complaint is that if you are going to make games available online, make them available! I tried to use the online feed and got a message that the game was blacked out in my market. What?!? Hello, I'm 1,000 miles from Portland. If the game is considered a local-market game, then it should stay on CBS. If you're going to switch to other games, though, and put me in the dark for most of the second half, make it available online!

Will I watch any programming CBS promoted?
No, I don't care about watching Simon Cowell "get his."

And the winner for "Commercial most likely to send me jumping off the cliff my apartment sits on" goes to...
...Buffalo Wild Wings! Congratulations, you've slow-clapped me right into submission. Hooters and Dick Vitale is a close second. I especially liked the way they shot the commercial with the same quality of a local car dealership.

Impressive Bracket
I have 14 of the final 16 still alive having only lost Washington State and Nevada.
EDIT: Just noticed I'm holding down first place

Team most happy to see gone?
Texas, in a runaway. Anyone who reads Bill Simmons has got to be excited knowing that his Kevin Durant man crush will have to continue in the NBA now. May Boston get the third pick.

Team most happy to see in the Sweet Sixteen?
Duh, UNLV. I'm going to steal (and adapt) a line I read on educk.com (I think posted by former Pit Crew wild man, Canada) prior to the Winthrop game. If you'd told me Oregon's trip to the Elite Eight hinged on beating Miami (OH), Winthrop and UNLV, I would have punched you in the face.

Team least excited to still have around?
Double duh, Florida. If Oregon does make it to the Elite Eight and Florida is still alive, that will be one scary matchup going against the defending national champion. That, and I think I hate Joakim Noah. I know, hate's a strong word for someone you don't even know, but I'm pretty sure I hate him.

A little quack chat
Miami (OH) was a tough matchup for the Ducks. It was very similar to games against Arizona State in which you knew Oregon would win, but it never got comfortable enough to relax. In the end, a good win and nice to get challenged and pull it off.

Moving to Winthrop, I thought Oregon showed good activity defensively. They got in the passing lanes, pressured shooters on the perimeter and did a great job of hassling big man Craig Bradshaw down low. The rebounding wasn't as great as you'd like. There were too many instances where Winthrop forced a tough shot late into its possession only to get an offensive rebound. The Ducks also need to commit themselves to playing their game for 40 minutes. For the few minutes I saw of the second half, they did a much better job of dictating tempo and getting into the open where they are most dangerous.

A lot of people say Oregon lives and dies by the three, but I strongly disagree. I think they actually live and die by their own activity. When they push the ball, drive and dish and make their cuts, they get great looks. An open three is an easy shot for any of the five starters. When they get lackadaisical, the shots are more easily contested leading to lower percentages and the perception that they're living and dying on the three ball.

All in all, a nice win today, especially considering all the talking heads on CBS and ESPN picked Winthrop. My dad's theory is that the execs gave the order to hype Winthrop to generate ratings. There's probably some truth to that, but it doesn't make it any less annoying.

With the victory, Oregon moves on to face UNLV. Here's one potential national title scenario that still exists:

Def. Miami (OH) (1st round)
Def. Winthrop (2nd round)
Def. UNLV (Sweet Sixteen)
Def. Butler (Elite Eight)
Def. Southern Illinois (Final Four)
Def. Memphis (Championship)

Um, no need to rush to the sportsbooks, though.

A new appreciation for the high seeds and a look at Winthrop

2007-03-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

Before today, I rooted for the little guy in the NCAA tournament. I pulled hard for those 13, 14, 15, 16 seeds. Everyone loves Cinderella. Who didn't cheer for #15 Hampton to beat #2 Iowa State or #15 Santa Clara take down #2 Arizona. Who didn't want to see Bryce Drew's last second three to propel #13 Valparaiso over #4 Ole Miss?

Really, who doesn't want to see David slay Goliath? You know what? I don't.

Not after today. Not after feeling the pain of the slayed giant. You see, in my enthusiastic excitement for the impossible upset, I forgot how much it hurts for the favorite. These underdogs come in expecting to lose. Most don't have enough firepower to make it any further than the second round. The favorites, though, have high expectations. Elite Eights, Final Fours, Championships.

A first round loss is devastating. Sure, Oregon didn't lose, but that didn't stop me from feeling the crushing pain as Miami (OH) pulled within one point late against the Ducks. A couple of Aaron Brooks free throws and one great final defensive stop saved me from the ultimate heartache and now I can only say sorry, David. I'm over you. Now give me your rock and go home.

As luck would have it, though, Oregon's right back in the Cinderella story on Sunday, playing America's newly beloved, Winthrop. This year's George Mason. ESPN's sweetheart. Champion of the little guy's cause.

In case you were wondering, yeah, this game's going to be a battle. The Eagles start three seniors and two juniors. Their center, Craig Bradshaw, goes 6-10 and can knock down the three. They employ three point assassins on the perimeter in 6-3 guard Michael Jenkins, 42.6% from beyond the arc, and Torrell Martin, the Big South preseason player of the year who scored 25 and 31 in narrow road losses to North Carolina and Wisconsin. And did I mention they've won 19 in a row?

Say what you will about this team's schedule - Old Dominion is the only tournament team they defeated prior to the win over Notre Dame - but once you've won a tournament game, you've proven yourself a legit threat.

Oregon needs to bring it's intensity last seen in Los Angeles at the Pac-10 tournament. Aaron Brooks needs to know he is the fastest player on the court and a matchup nightmare for any team. Maarty Leunen needs to remember holding 7'-0" Roy Hibbert to 4 points in a road win over Georgetown. Malik Hairston and Bryce Taylor need to attack and get to the rim. The tempo must be controlled by Oregon, start to finish. Frenetic activity on the defensive end is a must.

And if all doesn't go well, Oregon, just win anyway. Ok?

2007 PreNicktor unveiled

2007-03-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

For the third straight year, I am using my not-so-good mathematical model to predict the NCAA tournament results. This year's version was only tweaked in a few minor spots and is comprised of the following:

Season Stats (compilation of numerous stats)
Season Results (various winning percentages in certain situations)
Ratings (derived from SOS and RPI)
Upset Factor (score added to lower seed based on that seeds success against specific higher seed)

These four scores are arrived at through flawed mathematical practices and pretty poor attention to detail. For someone who employs actual rocket science and is on top of his game, visit www.bracketscience.com.

For those of you who just want some calculus flunkie to deliver a mathematical prediction (also known in corny fashion as a "prenicktion") that was totally made up with only minor reasoning, well, here I am.

Still, though I do mock myself, this system has proven successful. Let's look at past results and how many correct picks were made by round:

2005
Sweet Sixteen: 10
Elite Eight: 6
Final Four: 4
Final Two: 2
Champion: 0

2006
Sweet Sixteen: 10
Elite Eight: 4
Final Four: 1
Final Two: 0
Champion: 0

2006 was rough for a lot of people as the final four included a #11 seed, but no #1s. Even so, 2007 could be considered the rubber match to see which year was a true indicator of the predictive capabilities.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I'm at odds with this year's bracket in some key areas. It's predicted a solid final four of Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina, and Ohio State with the Jayhawks defeating the Buckeyes in the final. You could make an argument for three of those teams, though I don't like Wisconsin at all.

What really irks me, though, is that my beloved Ducks have been ousted in the second round at the hands of Winthrop (come on!). Furthermore, the model hates the Pac-10 as no teams advance past the sweet sixteen (actually, I've found this to be true in a lot of statistical models done by people a lot smarter than me).

The final four is heavy on 1 seeds as near upsets were avoided in the elite eight. Thee #12 seeds advanced past the first round with two of those making the sweet sixteen. No seed higher than 3 made the elite eight.

The closest matchup was in the first round as Illinois edged Virginia Tech by 1/1,000th of a point.

As for regional comparisons, the Midwest was the runaway winner as the toughest region with the average score easily exceeding the other three. The South was second, followed by the West. The lowest scoring region - by far - was the East.

The full computer and personal brackets are available below (click the brackets for the enlarged view):

PreNicktor

Personal

Giving it up for Ernie Kent and Oregon

2007-03-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

The last four years have been rough on Duck coaches, players, fans and anyone else attached to the program. There have been some really ugly moments yet the team stood tall and found vindication in three days of the greatest stretch of basketball I've ever witnessed from an Oregon team.

Last year, I was certain Ernie had run out of chances and I thought he should have been let go. This year, during a bad stretch that saw the Ducks go 2-6, I saw what looked all too familiar and panicked. Oregon had just hired a new AD who just so happened to be really good friends with Gonzaga coach Mark Few and it seemed logical to think this could be it.

I just want to say for the record that I was wrong about Ernie and these players and I couldn't be happier for what they accomplished this year. I don't know if it was bad coaching, immature players or unreasonable expectations, but this group has arrived. It doesn't always happen right away for everyone. Some of them had thoughts of leaving, but to their credit stuck it out and are reaping rewards for their hard work.

Today, Oregon will be a 3 seed with two games in Spokane. They are on a roll right now unlike any I can ever remember. This team is extremely capable or reaching the elite eight and I won't rule out anything beyond that either. But no need to dissect for now. I'll wait until after the brackets are unveiled. Until then, let's just revel in our domination.

Great stories following the Pac-10 tournament and everything else you need to know
Oregonian game story
Oregonian on Oregon's redemption
Andy Katz on Ernie Kent and Oregon's turn around
Sports Illustrated on Oregon's dominance and a few other notes
My personal favorite: San Diego UT columnist on the front page of my morning sports section
Oregonian beat writer blog on rumors of Kent's demise
Perspective from the other side: LA Times article
ESPN Bracketology
Highlight video from CBSSportsline

Check out the Eugene Register Guard, too. They always have great content (my post is prior to noon, when its stories go online).

This is an NCAA basketball only zone
As of today, I'm making the next three weeks a basketball-only blog (screw Bill Simmons and his basketball-only efforts. He knows as much about college basketball as I do about modeling). I'll be focusing on Oregon basketball as well as other interesting things about the NCAA tournament. And of course, the third annual Madness PreNicktor will be unveiled.

Now sing with me....It's the most...wonderful tiiiiiime oooooofff the year!

Sports television producers: film student dropouts or just really dumb?

2007-03-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the conference tournament week and on the cusp of all sorts of madness, I need some help.

Why are sports television producers so retarded?

I love having all these games on TV. I think it's fantastic, but I can't figure out why the producers are trying to win some sort of artistic achievment award.

Crowd shots, cheerleader shots, family shots, cutaways, overhead shots, floor shots....just show the damn game!!!

Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Producer, are you reading? I SAID ARE YOU READING?!? Pay very close attention. The 100 level sideline camera is your friend. This helps the viewer at home watch the game in the best possible manner. Here are some guideline to follow:

The family shot:
When it's ok:
-The game is boring and you need a storyline
-An extraordinary circumstance demands it. I'm talking, dad hasn't seen his boy in 15 years due to a kidnapping and torture, but dad managed to go Jack Bauer on them and escaped while saving the entire world in the process.
When it's not:
-Every other time. Everybody has parents. I don't watch sports to see them.

The crowd shot:
When it's ok:
-During a big run and there is no live action
-Fading in or out of a commercial
-After a crucial play/ending to get the emotion of the moment
When it's not:
-After made baskets when you know a team likes to push the ball up the court. Inevitably, a fast break or quick steal always gets missed.

The player shot:
When it's ok:
-During any stoppage of play. This includes fouls, out of bounds, timeout and anything else that guarantees the play won't start right back up
-The only live action shot that is ok is after a big (I mean big) play that demands the moment be captured on the player's face.
When it's not:
-After made baskets, you better make sure that if you cut away to a player's face, there's absolutely nothing happening. Nothing at all.

The overhead shot during game action:
When it's ok:
-Never, ever, ever. You are not going for an achievement in artistic sports filmmaking. If you want that, go film an indy and submit it to Sundance. This is a sporting event. Just let us watch.

The floor level shot during game action:
When it's ok:
-If the overhead shot should never happen, then this one not only shouldn't happen, it should result in the production fool that approves it being fired from all future sporting events.

Fast food math, part II

2007-03-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

A year ago, I told the story of my trip to Quizno's and the employee who apparently failed second grade math. Leave it to the fast food industry to do it again.

I made my way up to the little speaker box at the drive-thru of a local Mexican fast food chain called Santana's (fantastic place, by the way. I recommend the 1 lb. California burrito). Here's an approximation of the conversation that took place:

Voice in the box: Can I take your order?
Me: Can I get the California burrito?
Voice in the box: Is that all?
Me: Yes.
Voice in the box: That'll be $4.25

I arrived at the window, flashed a friendly smile and wisely handed $10.25 to the drive-thru attendant. She took the money, gave me my burrito and let a few awkward seconds pass before I said, "I gave you a 10, can I get change?" "You did?" she said. "Yes, I did." She opened up the cash register removed a five and handed it to me. A few more awkward seconds passed until I said, "Thanks, but I should get six back. 10.25 minus 4.25 is 6." She flashed me a look that either said, "No, that's wrong" or "My English ain't so good." I'm still not sure which. Either way, she pulled out the dollar and I told her to put it in the tip jar. She earned it.

The next day, Jes finds my receipt in the car. On it, it says (1) California burrito and (1) lemonade bringing the total to 5.60. Sometimes, I think I might need to learn Spanish.

HTS and you. Know the facts.

2007-02-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

Folks, I know I usually reserve this space for sarcastic comments, silly stories, and sports-related rants, but I need to take today to talk about something serious.

Home Turf Syndrome (HTS) is a serious medical issue* that afflicts myself and - I have to assume - many others**. I want to give hope to those that suffer in silence. I want them to say, "I have HTS and that's okay."

What is HTS?
HTS is a result of leaving town or even just the friendly confines of your daily routine. You lose your regularity and develop no need whatsover to use the bathroom for ol' #2.

What do I do if I have HTS?
You wait it out. When you get back onto home turf, your body will know it. Nobody really knows how, but the body just knows.

What if I don't want to wait it out?
There are some things you can try:

Foods that are high in fiber
Laxatives.
Drink more water

If you are on a vacation longer than 3-4 days, your body will eventually realign its home turf coordinates and prompt you to find a new - albeit temporary - home turf location.

Will HTS affect the way I live?
Amazingly, no. Your body is able safely to store the waste until you safely return home.

How do I know where my home turf is?
Wherever you are comfortable taking care of your daily duty on a regular basis. This can be multiple places. For instance, your home turf may be at work, at home, and/or maybe just a comfy stall in a public building.

How long do I have to wait once I get back on my home turf?
No more than 7 seconds. Your body will make an instant recognition of where it is at.

Does anyone know why HTS happens?
Sadly, no. Scientists*** have been looking for a cure for years to no avail. There have been some promising developments with stem cell research**** and you should contact your local congressman to encourage him or her to back funding for this important project.

Case study
I recently took a trip to Santa Barbara, CA. I left early Saturday and returned late Monday. Saturday, Sunday and most of Monday went by with a heavy case of HTS. Upon taking my exit toward home off the freeway, my body went into instant recognition mode. Within the aforementioned 7 seconds of walking in the door, my HTS was over.

*I have no idea if this is a medical issue or not.
**If no one else knows what I'm talking about, this is going to make me look like a nut.
***No scientists have looked for a cure. If one has, that's just weird.
****I think some promising things have been found through stem cell research. I'm 99.99% certain this isn't actually one of them.

Oh my God! Is that...is that rain?!?

2007-02-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

The residents of San Diego recently got a huge scare, victimized by a downpour of rain totalling .67 inches in one day. The foreign water crystals created havoc throughout the county and the fear was widespread. In spite of the difficult weather, I managed to stay calm and got through a rainy Monday having only been hit by a few rain drops. I was the lucky one. The California Highway Patrol (CHP), which is no longer patrolled by Eric Estrada, reported 301 accidents on the county's highways, roughly a 500% increase over normal activity.

At one point, while the clock was still moving through the AM portion of the day, a newswoman finished her report by saying, "If you still plan on going out today..." Wow. I really had to think. Should I try and brave the weather? Would I get washed away and put out to sea? Would I be able to control my vehicle and keep four wheels on the road? Between myself, Jesse and her parents, we all decided to give it a shot. We got out on the road and it was mayhem; people drowning in puddles, small children being beaten into submission by the relentless rain, cars unable to avoid crashing.

Perhaps I exaggerate, but literally, the people of this city lose their mind when it rains. It's like watching the Portland media when 2 inches of snow may or may not fall. Everyone breaks out into "Storm Watch 2007" mode. When the rain does hit, the city is so unprepared for such activity that the streets flood, sewage gets so bad that no one can get in the ocean for 72 hours, and the painted roadway lines become invisible making it difficult to even see your lane.

The worst part is that I've fallen victim to some of this behavior. I don't freak out, but I've gone 16 months with bad windshield wipers that handle the rain as well as Britney Spears handles lice in her hair. I actually cancelled a golf round two weeks ago due to a light mist in the air.

But fear not, loyal readers, I and so many others have survived this assault on our way of life. Just two days later, we are back on our feet, calmly handling a cool 62 accompanied by sunshine.

PS: Matt, you're a swell guy. Thanks for the shirt. Long live Widmer.

The beginning of one era, the end of another?

2007-02-15T23:02:00.000-08:00

As is common knowledge by now, the University of Oregon has hired big-time donor Pat Kilkenny to take over duties of athletic director. The news has been greeted with positive reviews and seems to be a hire that will finally give the athletic department a touch of accountability. While Kilkenny's lack of experience in athletics will be met with skepticism, there is little debate that success has followed him every step of the way. His insurance company in San Diego became a major success, propelling him into one of Oregon's biggest donors.

It is his status as a major contributor to Oregon's athletic department that has given some a reason to question the sanity of the university, though. Okay, by some, I mean John Canzano. Leave it to the jaded columnist to be the one voice to rip into Oregon's hire. His arrogance shines in every word he writes, always thinking he knows better than you, I and anyone else who dares to exist. The problem for me is that it's not that I think he doesn't get it, but that he just likes being the voice of dissent. I mean, this is the same guy who followed Oregon State's World Series title with a column on how the Beavers needed to stop being small-time and pony up for coach Pat Casey to stay. With Conzano, even the greatest positive has an exploitable negative. In Oregon's case, Conzano must know how much the donor base had been alienated by Bill Moos. Surely, he can see that the department had become a rudderless ship and, certainly, he can see that Moos' unwillingness to make tough personnel decisions had put him and the programs he represents in difficult situations.

Canzano seems to think the university needed to hire a big name from inside the collegiate athletic community. Certainly, an argument could be made, but what about Kilkenny is wrong? He has the passion, he has a history of success, he has the right friends, he has the ability to make tough decisions and oh, yeah, he's doing it for free. I think Canzano lives in an idyllic vacuum where donors don't matter. Well, guess what? When your funding has been cut to nothing by the state, your donors are everything. How can you compete without them? No, you can't let their zealousness rule the day but you have to understand how to work with them and ensure they are on your side. Moos failed to do that and reality in college sports says that won't work in any university setting.

Canzano says the decision smacks of small-town thinking. To me, it's out-of-the-box thinking that is sorely needed. Ernie Kent has allowed the basketball program to erode while Mike Bellotti has been unable to capitalize from the success of the early 2000s and turn the football team into a true power. With Moos, I have no doubt this would go on forever - mediocrity with occasional success. Hiring Kilkenny is a bold move with ambitious intentions. Hiring someone with traditional credentials would have been small-town thinking. The days of roll-over clauses and pats on the back after poor performances are at an end and that is a welcome possibility.

The hiring has been greeted with glowing reviews from faculty, coaches, fans and other media. What's not to like about a wildly successful, passionate Oregon fan working for free?

The end for Ernie?
I've been rooting for Kent to succeed the whole way. I wanted it to work, but I'm facing facts. He is a mediocre coach who consistently gets exposed as a bottom-tier leading man by an increasingly improving conference. The hiring of Kilkenny may finally spell doom for Kent. His basketball team is again fading down the stretch, unable to put away inferior teams and unable to pull out wins against the top 25. Since Oregon's 2002 run to the Elite Eight, Kent's teams have been underachieving every year. His off-court preaching has been proven fraudulent, his coaching proven inadequate and his attitude in the community arrogant. Yet, he's continued to get a free pass. With Mike Montgomery available this off-season and Mark Few a good Kilkenny friend, the time is right to get rid of Kent and look to an option that is capable of sustaining high levels of success. I take no pleasure in suggesting a coach be fired, but sometimes, you have to look at things the way they are and make difficult decisions for the betterment of the program.

Let the countdown begin

2007-02-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

This post is brought to you by a therapy session at the "Center for Positive Thinking About Sports Even Though They Suck."

We are but one month away from Selection Sunday. It's the premier sporting event of the year. 65 teams, 64 losers and, yet still, so many winners. Stake your life on it, there will be upsets to remember, defeats that will live in infamy. Stars will come to the stage looking to build a legacy. Unknowns will arrive to make a household name, if only for one shining moment. We will witness improbable buzzer beaters that will raise some to heights of unknown joy, bring others to melancholic states of sadness. Sure, there will be the little engines that couldn't (but sure tried) and the behemoths that unapologetically stomp and turn their foot on the helpless. But the Cinderellas will carry the show, winning over the hearts of all who watch. On George Mason and Gonazaga, on Valporaiso and Vermont! Who will take the underdog torch of those before and raid the castle-in-the-air of the biggest dreamers?

Yes, for every up, there is a down, for every soaring joy, there is a plummeting sadness and for every fortified legacy, there will surely be one that is broken, but it's the difficult times that lead to renewed hope and spawn stories of redemption but one short year later.

There are six rounds in all. Having a date at the Dance is truly an accomplishment, but doing something Sweet so much tastier. To be Elite is to know you belong, to Finalize your plans a fantasy come true. But to unleash a simple pair of scissors on an unexpecting net is the ultimate desire, an aspiration only one can ever pull from the fire.

It's coming. It's only one month away and 336 is soon to be 65. For some, it's crunch time, one last chance to find solid footing away from the fragile bubble. For others, it's the final month of a long wait and time to fine tune the well-oiled machine. Sure, some are playing for next year but don't yet despair; the conference tournament could still be won. Ah, the conference tournament, that temptuous siren offering one last chance at salvation for some, that only chance at glory for others. Butler, Winthrop and a pack of Salukis have packed their glass slipper. Goliath, are you listening? Florida, North Carolina and UCLA are bringing their banners. David, are you quivering? It's almost time. Just one month to go. Who is coming, who is staying, who will leave all others behind?

What good are sports? Shouldn't I just let it all go?

2007-02-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

I've been following a lot of Oregon basketball lately and I'm going to have a heart attack soon. At age 25, I don't need that. I just don't. It's killing me. Anytime Oregon plays, I am a nervous wreck. I pace, I shout, I swear, I jump, I sit, I stand, I hide my face, I just completely lose control. And this is just for regular season games. Soon, the Pac-10 tournament will be here and then the NCAA tournament and I know the inevitable result is that the season ends with a loss. For 64 of 65 teams, this is a fact. It would be a miraculous dream for Oregon to be that one survivor so somehow, I need to come to grips with the fact that losing is inevitable. And all this has got me thinking on a grander scale. This is going to go on until I die. Losing is inevitable for every team I root for. At this point, I'm resigned to the fact that I will perish never having rooted for the ultimate champion in any sport.

Portland TrailBlazers? Ha! I once thought so, but they are turning into a real Boston Red Sox situation with their best years always ending in unreal defeats (hello, 2000 Western Conference Finals). Of course, if this is a Red Sox situation, I could see myself being one of those 85 year old men you hear about sobbing in joyous disbelief.
Oregon football? Once thought so here, too. Then, I realized few teams outside of the elite bloodline win a BCS title. The cards are stacked against the little guy. For that matter, it's stacked against many of the bigger guys, too. Look at the BCS champions since its inception. Tennessee, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Florida, USC, LSU, Oklahoma. There's just not room for an Oregon in a system that give only two teams a shot.
Oregon basketball? This may be my best chance. There is true parity in this sport with a tournament that rewards the hot team, not necessarily the best. If they ever get the right big men, I could see it happening.
San Diego Chargers? I hitched myself to this wagon since moving to the area. I've since learned that this team is every bit like the others I root for. Always the underdog, always the loser. Perhaps that's why I've fallen so hard for them. One thing I know about this team is that they will let me down in one of two ways: (1) they never win it all or (2) they win it all and I realize that it's nice but doesn't stack up with the other three on an emotional level, thus leaving my soul untouched and unable to feel for anything. Pretty much, I would be dead inside.
San Diego Padres? Uh, yeah, the city of San Diego really is the perfect complement to my already sad collection of rooting interests.

Let me leave you with this. In the history of time, the cities of San Diego and Portland along with the University of Oregon (football and basketball) have accounted for...drumroll please...2 championships. Oregon basketball claims a national title from 1939 and the Portland TrailBlazers were victorious in 1977. I wasn't even an illegitimate glimmer in my parent's eye for either of those.

Interesting side thought: is there another city with at least two teams (out of the NBA, NFL or MLB) that has never won a championship? I think San Diego may be the saddest case of all.

Only a Super Bowl as boring as that could bring me back from a three-week hiatus

2007-02-05T22:26:00.000-08:00

I am fresh off ignoring the most boring Super Bowl I can remember. I can't really explain it, but even the ones that were blowouts kept me watching to the end. Maybe it was the poor quality of the commercials, perhaps it was the inevitable fact that Indianapolis would win. Either way, here's what I'm taking away from LXI:

Peyton Manning has won a Super Bowl. In addition to Barbaro finally being put down, this will leave a huge void in ESPN's reporting. Luckily for the worldwide leader, they are resourceful and will now devote 97.4% of their NFL coverage to how Manning's legacy compares to Montana, Elway and Brady instead of Marino. Let me say this, though. The Manning debate has always been stupid. You've got all these schmoes who couldn't dream of accomplishing what he has done sitting around spouting off about how his career would be tainted without a Super Bowl. Whatever, he never had to apologize for anything and he should be proud of everything he's done. I'm happy he got his ring and perhaps now we can move on.
Some guy named Prince performed at halftime. Personally, I've never understood the obsession with this guy but the 80s pretty much never happened as far as I'm concerned so perhaps I'm a bad judge. I do want to know how I can become one of those excited "fans" that run onto the field and jam to the music. How much do they get paid? At least Prince was better than the abomination that was Billy Joel's National Anthem.
Poor Rex Grossman. Has there ever been a more tormented quarterback? If this were 1855, they would actually have a public hanging of this guy. I don't think it's fair to write him off yet. This was his first full year. He has had some awesome games and can hit the deep ball pretty well. I don't see why he couldn't become an asset with more seasoning and practice. What Chicago (the city, not the team) is doing to him is awful and will only serve to hinder his growth by killing what confidence he has left. Sure, he gets paid well and should take his blame for what was a poor performance, but I'm not sold that he's as worthless as many make him out to be.

Football season is over and, frankly, I'm relieved. I'm burned out, I can't take it anymore and I give this feeling about a month, tops.

Sports. I love thee, I love thee not

2007-01-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

The greatest Sunday of the new millennium came and went recently and I'm happy to report that despite two heart attacks and a broken collar bone, I am still alive.

New England @ San Diego, NFL Divisional Playoff round, 1:30 p.m.
Well, the good news is, I finally answered the question, "How much do I really care about this team?" The answer? More than I thought. All season long, I've felt like I was in a no-win situation with the Chargers. If they went on to win the Super Bowl, it was the sports Gods laughing at me, throwing me a championship bone for a team that I only "sorta'" cared about. If they were to lose in the playoffs, well, it was just another in a long line of playoff disappointments for teams I root for.

For all who saw the game, you'd be hard-pressed to say the Patriots were superior in a football sense but they were mentally tougher and had the resolve to win a game most teams would have lost.

I guess the good news is that I don't feel that gut-punch soreness on the day after that I do with Oregon losses.

Oregon @ Arizona, Pac-10 conference play, 5:00 p.m.
Had I wagered on this fine Sunday, my bets would have looked like this (and I would have been 0-3):

San Diego to beat New England
Arizona to beat Oregon
Jack Bauer to mutilate the Chinese in a daring transcontinental escape

Watching the Chargers go down at home to the Patriots suddenly put added pressure on this game. San Diego was supposed to be the security blanket. In no way was I counting on a road win in Tuscon. Imagine my surprise when Oregon withstood the home team rally, locked down on defense and came up with the clutch shot to defeat a top ten team for the second consecutive week. I guess my chips are all in on this team and you know what that means. Yup, it ends up with me silently sobbing into my pillow after a bitter, unexpected tournament loss.

Jack Bauer back on U.S. soil, 24, 8:00 p.m.
Having gone 1-1 in nailbiters, I knew I could count on Jack in the day's rubber match. Suffice it to say, satisfaction was guaranteed. Jack managed to kill a guy by biting his neck, escape from certain death, rescue a man that the U.S. was about to wrongfully kill and thwart a terrorist attack (oh yeah, all this with two stab wounds and fresh off a two year stint in a Chinese prison). Can you imagine if this country didn't have Jack Bauer? It's a bunch of bumbling idiots. No wonder terrorists are doing whatever they want. Jack's been in prison and they're all a bunch of buffoons without him. Can we just agree that the show hurts it's credibility everytime someone says, "no, Jack, I don't think that's a good idea." When has Jack ever been wrong and what human would ever defy his logic? Baffling.

Didn't enjoy the national championship? "Cry me a river."

2007-01-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

The date is January 9, 2007. It's a Monday and it happens to be the night of college football's national championship. Well, not so much national championship but rather a face-off between two finalists in the popularity contest that is the BCS. You are probably on a couch, perhaps a nice easy chair, or maybe on a bar stool drinking your favorite ale. But that's you. Me? I'm at a Justin Timberlake concert.

Your initial reaction - an exasperated exclamation of disbelief - is the correct one. Mine was more of a resigned sigh. After all, being a guy that has traveled by air, car, train, bus, bike and foot to witness all manners of sport leaves me with little leverage when my girlfriend - who I have drug to many a contest - expresses a desire to attend Mr. Timberlake's tour-opening concert in San Diego.

This is what many relationship experts would call an exercise in compromise (I promise, all rhyming is unintentional). I don't ask you to understand it; just know that it's apparently kind of a big deal (and yes, "kind of" is grammatically unnessary but I like its effect, ok?).

Need tickets.
This adventure in pop culture begins with a phone call. Having found tickets through craigslist.com, I am on the phone walking around the arena talking to a strange man, telling him what I am wearing. Yes, that is as odd as it sounds. With both of us on the phone, we eventually cross each other's path and exchange awkward glances before sort of simultaneously mumbling the other's name in a questioning manner. My hesitance to immediately identify the ticket seller is due mostly to his looks. It's not often you buy Justin Timberlake concert tickets from a man belonging to the baby boomer generation with physical traits including a beer belly, fully grown mustache and fully-receded hairline. Jes and I make some idle chit-chat as one is expected to do in this situation and learn that he is attending no fewer than four of Timberlake's California tour dates. Okaaay, we'll take the tickets and be going now. Thank you.

We're inside, there's no going back.
Before the concert starts, I am making it a point to take in my surroundings. One thing I am rather surprised by is the maturity of the crowd. My expectation is 14 year old girls everywhere. Not so. The crowd is mostly twenty-somethings and the ratio, from a guy's perspective, is quite good. But it's not the ladies that are fascinating me, here. It is, and I say this in a highly heterosexual way, the guys I am interested in.

Why? I want to know more about these XY chromosomes. I want to know just what in the hell got them here. What are their circumstances? Jes and I discuss this and I think we've come up with four categories that covers at least 99% of the men in this building:

Boyfriend/husband (here because, well, I think you know why)
Predator (Jes swears some of them are just dads taking their daughters to a show, but I don't know)
Gay Guy (it goes without saying this is a well-represented group)
Club Guy (here to look fly, dance, and pick up chicks)

I never manage to talk to another guy, so it's all conjecture, but I think I'm right.

Jes buys a shirt and we settle into our seats. This is when I learn that I will have to survive the opening act, Pink, before "JT" makes his way to the stage. Damn.

The clock strikes 7:30
Almost right on time, the lights go dark and the screaming begins. It's obvious by the many, many empty seats that Pink isn't a priority, but the show must go on. She gets up there, sings some tunes, turns in some nice energy, puts together a high-flying ending and exits. I'm pretty indifferent to the performance but I did learn some things. She hates George Bush, likes masturbation and has it out for football, calling the national title game "bullshit." Listen, Pink, I don't know who you think you are, but you lay off football. There are some guys in this crowd who happen to really appreciate that sport and wouldn't mind knowing what the score is right now except they might be recording it on the DVR so maybe we should just shut up about it because there might be some of us who would like to watch that recording when we get home. Man, I wonder what the score is. It was 21-14 when I left. Looked like it could be a shootout. Wow, did Florida come out strong! Looked like they were gonna' run away with it there until Ohio State got a touchdown to get back into the game. Too bad they lost Ted Ginn Jr. to injury. I'll bet that's gonna' really hurt their chan.....ow! What was that? Jes, why are you hitting me? I don't need to be reawakened into consciousness, I can do that just fine myself, thank you.

He's bringing sexy back
There's a lot of freaking anticipation in this building. Timberlake is about to make his grand entrance and this has the masses screaming. Loudly. JT, as a triumverate of girls so proudly display on matching t-shirts, comes up through the stage wearing a white suit and proceeds to put together a high-energy opening act that gets everyone into quite a frenzy. Once the opening number ends, he sits at the middle of the stage and says a few words to the crowd. I smile as he proposes a toast to Saint Diego (a reference to the film Anchorman) and, along with the rest of the crew, pounds a shot and gets on with the show.

What follows for the next hour and 45 minutes is a lesson to males everywhere. If you can dance, sing, play multiple instruments, possess good looks, dress snappily and generally control a crowd looking like one hell of a bad-ass yet still come off as a sensitive, caring guy, then you too will someday have thousands of girls throwing themselves at you without any hesitation whatsoever.

The performance includes song after song from his two solo albums. This ranges from club hits to smooth ballads, all with professional lighting and effects. He brings out Timbaland at one point and gets the crowd into even more of a frenzy. By the end, I'm just worn out, in utter awe that this one-time N'Sync punchline just entertained me for two straight hours. No way did that happen. No way did I actually enjoy this. Someone slap me hard, because I don't feel right about it.

After the final lights go down, the building literally erupts into the loudest sound I've ever heard. The screaming before this was pedestrian. They have taken it up a notch in anticipation of an encore. And they get it. Somehow, they scream even louder as Timberlake walks on stage in "casual guy" t-shirt and jeans. I'm actually thinking of covering my ears, but decide to be a man about it and let my hearing denigrate by at least 10 years. Timberlake proclaims this the greatest night of his life which he'll only have to say 6,234 more times before his tour ends. He sings a little love song, everyone adores him, the entire ensemble comes out and takes a bow and that is it. Lights out. On to Anaheim.

The end of a day
I get home, proclaim to Jesse that I actually enjoyed myself and sit down to watch the rest of the national title game. I fast forward between every play and quickly start to figure out things aren't going well for the Buckeyes. By the fourth quarter, I'm on "all-out, fast-forward to the award ceremonies" mode. At this point, all that's left to watch is the bowl season montage. Guess I didn't miss anything after all.

Oregon beats #1 UCLA

2007-01-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

What a glorious (and sickly, see below) Saturday! The last five years of Oregon athletics have brought few moments of joy. The basketball team especially, has lacked a defining win. Against the #1 team in the nation in an early Saturday game, the Ducks got its signature win and, hopefully, some of its lost swagger.

I can't tell you what the game looked like (I'm sure you saw it for yourself). San Diego is an unkind city when it comes to the Pac-10 and I was treated to Los Angeles high school basketball rather than this unforgettable matchup. Getting to the bar was out of the question (again, see below), so I made a date with Jerry Allen and let his infectious play-by-play deliver the game to my ears (in case you're wondering, I actually thought Jerry did a very good job).

Despite not seeing the game, I think I have a pretty good feel for what happened. Having been to Mac Court for countless magical moments sticks in your head. In my time at Oregon, there was the weekend in 2000 where the Arizona schools came to town. Darius Wright delivered a 30 foot miracle to beat the Sun Devils on Thursday (still the loudest roar I ever heard) and Oregon followed up with a 17 point second half comeback to defeat highly rated Arizona on Saturday. There were last second victories against USC in 2000 and 2002 and an all-out 30 point surprise blitzing of Arizona in 2002. How many times did we make that basket shake on opponents late free throws? How many times did we scream until it hurt? I can still see Freddie dunking, Rid pulling up for transition threes and Jackson filling in all over the court. But its clear to me that all this is small-time stuff compared to what happened on Saturday.

A win over #1 is a rare moment due both to opportunity and ability. The fact that UCLA is now 242-15 all-time as a top-ranked team shows just how difficult it is to beat the best. Interestingly enough, Oregon now owns three of those 15 wins over the Bruins. It happened in 1970 and again in 1974 when Ernie Kent was warming the bench as a player rather than as coach.

And how wonderful is it that these Ducks have inserted themselves so firmly into Duck history? It's a group that had underachieved and had been mercilessly attacked by fans and media alike. Yet, no one ever quit the team, nor did a single player transfer despite the exhaustive negativity flowing through the program. This moment is a testament to their character and is well-deserved.

Perhaps not everyone achieves what they are capable of on a timeline that fits what is expected. But now is a different day and a new opportunity. Many around the program are discussing what is needed to make the NCAA tournament and that's probably a fair goal given the lack of post-season appearances in the past two years. But it might be time to think a little bigger. An NCAA invite should be fairly easy to obtain at this point. Now's the time to seize momentum, push for a Pac-10 championship and move into the NCAA tournament with expectations beyond what was once thought imaginable. Dream big, Oregon. Your opportunity awaits.

WARNING: The following may contain vomiting

2007-01-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

I spent Friday and the early hours of Saturday morning hugging my toilet with what I can only assume was food poisoning. It's absolutely miserable and violent. And the day after? Forget about it. You're starving, but don't want to eat. Your weak and don't want to move. Your head hurts, but you don't want to take anything for fear of upsetting your stomach. Misery, misery. misery.

Ok, what's my point, here?

My point is that I am in awe of anyone that can function at any level. Laying in bed on Saturday, all I could think about was Michael Jordan dropping 38 points in 44 minutes in game five of the 1997 NBA Finals while suffering from flu-like symptoms or a case of food poisoning. Scottie Pippen didn't think Jordan would even be able to put on his uniform, let alone play.

And here I am, feebly yelling "JEEEESSSS!" hoping to get a glass of water or some saltine crackers delivered to my lifeless, bedridden position. Excited to watch Oregon play #1 UCLA, but unable to watch from home, I couldn't even get to a bar down the street to view the game. I mean, really, all you have to do is sit in a chair and watch a TV for two hours and I couldn't even do this? Jordan played 44 minutes of basketball in a championship game and hit a game-winning three? Why don't I feel so good about myself right now?

Greatest. Game. Ever.

2007-01-01T23:23:00.000-08:00

Just when I start coming to terms with the end of the college football season, Boise State happens, defeating Oklahoma 43-42. With about two and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter of the Fiesta Bowl, the game was simply a fun upset by Boise State. 29 points later, it had turned into one of the most miraculous finishes ever seen and what I would consider the greatest college game I had ever watched.

I know, we all tend to annoint what happens in the present as greater than anything that happened in the past. It's human nature to do so as time removes the emotional impact of events. But this game just had every ingredient to put it atop the list of greatest contests.

Huge underdog
A program from college football's royal class
Big game stage
Impossible finish
Trick plays
Personal dislike of Oklahoma for which I do not apologize*

If you don't believe my assertion, let's recap the game-ending events:

With roughly a minute and a half left, Oklahoma scores a touchdown to come within two.
After two attempts at the two point conversion were replayed due to penalties, Oklahoma manages to convert from six yards out.
With slightly over a minute left, Boise State quarterback (and Hermiston, OR native) Jared Zabransky and his wide receiver miscommunicate on a pattern that results in a pick- six for the Sooners giving Oklahoma an improbable seven point lead.
From just inside midfield with :18 left, the Broncos faced a 4th and 18. Zabransky connected on a pass for 15 yards and the receiver immediately ran the wrong way prompting me to yell at him, but only for a brief second because he pitched the ball to a teammate on the ol' hook and ladder play that would result in a game-tying touchdown with :07 left.
On the first play of overtime, Adrian Peterson ran 25 yards for the go-ahead touchdown (such a traditional, boring way to score.).
Boise State goes nuts with its trick play bag using 673,378 different versions of trickeration on its possession.
The Broncos score on a play in which Zabransky split left while WR Vinny Perretta took the snap and connected with TE Derek Schouman. Oh, did I mention this was a fourth down play? Again.
Knowing they were running out of trick plays, the Broncos figured it was time to end the game, good or bad, and went for two. Using a version of the "Statue of Liberty" play, Ian Johnson took the anything-but-traditional handoff from Zabransky and waltzed into the end zone untouched.
Inserting a personal exclamation point, Johnson proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend. Granted, I think it would have been greater theater had she said no, but that's her choice, so who am I to judge?

I know I don't have the experience around the game of shomeone like the shlurring analysht Lou Holtz, so I concede that perhaps a better game has been played outside my time. But if we limit our window of games to the last 25 years or so, what could compare?

For Oregon fans, sure we've seen some phenomenal games with wild finishes but never on such a grand stage. And really, when you remove the emotional element that comes along with rooting for your own team, nothing is going to stand up against the Fiesta Bowl of 2007.
There have been some fantastic Hail Marys that connected at the end of games. Colorado over Michigan, Boston College over Miami and LSU over Kentucky were all improbable, but it's just one play in games of lesser magnitude. Besides, the Boise State-Oklahoma game had a version of a Hail Mary.
Regular season games have ended in some wacky ways. Colorado once got a fifth down to defeat Missouri. Nebraska once scored the game winner when one receiver couldn't catch the ball but accidentally kicked it to another that could. Countless games have ended on the last play, others have featured impossible comebacks and certainly, David has slayed Goliath before. But then again, they're only regular season games.
Year after year, there are always great bowl games with wild finishes. This year alone has seen the greatest comeback in bowl history as well as another game that involved a two point conversion for the win. Last year, Texas and USC played what many called the greatest game ever in the national title game at the Rose Bowl. Four years ago at the Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State beat Miami in double overtime. I suppose an argument could be made for some of these games, but never have I had as hard a time scraping my jaw from the floor as with the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, here's to you Boise State! Well done and thanks for keeping me entertained.

*This asterisk exists only to allow me to emphasize how happy I am that Oklahoma was the loser of this game. The whining their fans must be doing right now... I can't even comprehend. How long before they let this one go? It took them 82 days to stop sending Oregonian columnist John Conzano diatribes and death threats following their controversial loss to Oregon. I love that the two most enjoyable games of this college football season were Oklahoma losses.

Do you like poking your eyeballs with a fork? Here's something slightly more painful: a running diary of the Las Vegas Bowl

2006-12-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

With apologies to Bill Simmons, king of running diaries, I offer you my account of the 2006 Las Vegas Bowl featuring the University of Oregon and Brigham Young University. I know it’s long, but I sat through this entire debacle so just read it, okay?

Cast of characters (affiliation in parantheses):
Nick: Me (Ducks)
Jesse: Girlfriend (Ducks)
Kevin: Brother (Beavers)
John: Jesse’s dad (Ducks)
Cheryl: Jesse’s mom (Ducks)
Dad (Beavers)
Mom (Beavers)
Grandpa (Brady Leaf - he's from Montana)

4:17 pm: I officially take my seat and watch Lou Holtz and Mark May pick BYU.

4:29 pm: Fashion show starts as ESPN showcases Oregon’s uniforms. This is really getting out of hand.

4:31 pm: Jesse informs us that her company’s PR person is being forced by her boyfriend to go to the Rose Bowl. What? Forced? I don’t get it.

4:48 pm: Of upcoming bowl games, one is displayed as "ECU vs. SFLA." The best anagram I could get from that is "Us Fecal"

4:53 pm: Finally excited for some football, I crack open my first PBR.

4:55 pm: Great, Brett Musberger is doing the play-by-play. Despite the fact I know he knows nothing about either team, I remember he did the last bowl win for the Ducks, the 2002 Fiesta Bowl, and decide this is okay.

4:57 pm: Oregon takes the field. For some reason, I find myself actually liking these helmets

4:58 pm: Why do they let these el stiffo CEO types from the sponsoring company talk to us?

5:00 pm: I notice two scantily clad showgirls taking part in the coin toss. Is this okay for BYU players to see?

5:04 pm: Game on and we are literally glowing like some sort of reflector vest because of the diamond tread.

5:07 pm: Brady Leaf eschews passing to Jordan Kent on the opening play for a sack. Apparently, he couldn’t see the primary option for the play running free for an easy touchdown. Is Leaf on the take?

5:15 pm: We have our first diamond commercial. This one is by Kay. Cheryl mentions that it would be nice to have one. John says he doesn’t see the utility in them. He asks: “How do they help dinner get cooked?”

5:17 pm: Well, they’ve already shown Ryan Leaf and he is wearing some sort of urban cowboy outfit. What happened to this guy?

5:19 pm: Sign of things to come? –5 yards in first six plays for Oregon.

5:26 pm: With six combined possessions and no points, the only highlight I can find is that Oregon has successfully fielded three punts.

5:29 pm: Just had to rewind the DVR to check and see if I saw that commercial correctly. Yep, that was a Daytona 500 fragrance. If you’re wondering, it’s available at Target.

5:30 pm: So says Jesse: “Haha, Jeremiah so just denied Brady Leaf a high five!”

5:35 pm: BYU WR drops another pass. If they ever catch these, they may rack up 500 yards of offense and 30+ points. Hmmm.

5:39 pm: We have a senile head referee. He’s pointing the wrong way and indicating the wrong penalty.

5:42 pm: I’m into my second PBR.

5:45 pm: Axe body spray has a commercial with two people rolling all over making out. Mom says, “ Oh my gosh, this is icky!” Icky? Definitely a “mom” word.

5:47 pm: Finally, some points. BYU 3, UO 0

5:50 pm: Jonathan Stewart returns the kickoff. Is this the only way he is going to get to touch the ball?

5:51 pm: They put Dixon in! Yes!

5:54 pm: Another punt coming up. John asks dad if he needs any help with the prime rib being cooked. He says no. John says, “Are you sure? This game’s real boring.”

5:56 pm: Now, they’re talking to Ryan Leaf. I can’t hear the announcers for the most part but I’m pretty sure they said he’s been made a golf coach. I don’t know what to say.

6:02 pm: Touchdown BYU. The score is now 10-0. Oregon employs “don’t touch the guy with the ball” defense.

6:03 pm: Time to ponder. Are we really getting shut out by a Mountain West school?

6:06 pm: Wow, Stewart returns the kickoff about 50 yards. We should really run some plays for that guy. I’ll bet he’s pretty good.

6:09 pm: FIRST DOWN! FIRST DOWN! FIRST DOWN!

6:11 pm: After standing in the pocket and then running around, Leaf manages to take a sack. Apparently, 30 seconds isn’t enough time to make a decision. Seriously, I think Leaf is transferring after this and found a bookie to get rich on the way out.

6:12 pm: Matthew Harper makes a nice hit on special teams and dances and parades around like he just won the game prompting me to say: “Get off the field you little bitch!” I am not happy.

6:14 pm: Conversation between John and I turns to basketball. We’re #1 in the Sagarin ratings you know (well, we were when this game was being played).

6:15 pm: Oregon can’t tackle. At all. If this is as tough as we can be, we might as well have Nike design us some pink uniforms with some nice frilly edges. Hey, they’d be talking about us, right?

6:17 pm: Alliotti, based on years of success (cough, cough), uses his three rushers on 3^rd and long, dropping eight into coverage. 17-0 Cougars. BYU QB John Beck, when he has time, can actually see the open receivers. But Brady’s on the take, so that’s not really his fault. This diary is headed toward a tirade.

6:21 pm: Dixon comes back in the game. Oh joy. Hey, what about that Costa guy?

6:22 pm: This senile ref is back at it. I think he just indicated a timeout and first down, then second down and no timeout.

6:24 pm: Cheryl says: “If I have a good dancer, I put them out there and say, ‘do your thing.’ On 3^rd and 1, Oregon splits 5 wide emptying the backfield and loses a yard on a Dixon sneak. Apparently, Jonathan Stewart has died.

6:26 pm: Kevin has a great point. BYU has an unfair advantage in this bowl game. While Oregon is breaking curfew drinking, gambling, and buying hookers, the Cougars are playing board games, drinking milk, and getting tucked in before sundown by one of their wives. Yay, stereotypes!

6:27 pm: Seriously, no one can figure out what Oregon is doing. Down 17-0, Oregon punts on 4^th and 1 at around its own 40. Some theories: Mafia is involved or Bellotti gave each coach one of those cards handed out by the Mexicans on the Strip last night. John doesn’t know why we’re trying to figure this out. He says, “Give up already.”

6:30 pm: John says that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas so maybe the Ducks will not bother to come home.

6:32 pm: Jes says, pull a Mighty Ducks and change helmets at halftime.

6:33 pm: Bellotti is asked about his philosophy of playing both QBs and going with the hot hand. Everyone in the room screams, “Costa!”

6:34 pm: Jes is insistent that you can change uniforms at halftime. Kevin and I say no. She says, “Haven’t you seen Mighty Ducks?!”

6:35 pm: It’s halftime and I need a break. Be back in 20.

6:49 pm: This note is on my pad when I return: “Nick is pouting and refuses to give Jes any credit even though she looked it up in the rule book and it never says you can’t change uniforms.”

6:54 pm: 2^nd half starts. I realized my efforts we’re lacking and put away PBRs three and four during the break.

6:56 pm: ESPN shows Oregon’s drive chart. Six punts. Kevin says at least there are no turnovers. Sadly, I agree.

6:57 pm: Cheryl says: “We got over the yellow line!”

6:58 pm: Just…I….Well…Brady Leaf is mentally retarded.

7:01 pm: Kevin says it’s going to take the defense to win this game. John says, “We’re screwed.”

7:07 pm: BYU gets its first penalty and John shouts, “They’re Mormons for crying out loud.”

7:11 pm: Cameron Colvin drops a pass. I’d say he’s really living up to his hype, no?

7:12 pm: Finally, Leaf does something positive. He throws an interception on fourth down that nets us five yards in field position.

7:15 pm: I think I’m on PBR #5, but I’m not sure.

7:18 pm: Well, I think we’ve given up all hope. We’ve paused the game to eat dinner. Dad did make a nice prime rib. I’ll be back in a bit.

7:49 pm: And I’m back. I moved from PBR to wine.

7:52 pm: Well, that didn’t take long. 24-0 BYU

7:55 pm: Jerry Tarkanian is still on with the announcers in an attempt to boost ratings. He called out Oregon saying they didn’t want to be there. Duh.

7:57 pm: This senile ref just said: “Offsides false start, Oregon.”

8:03 pm: We actually go for it on 4^th and 1. Stewart? No, it’s Dixon and he miraculously gets it.

8:05 pm: Fast forwarding through the commercials now. Whoop, stop here. Yikes, Dixon threw a pick.

8:09 pm: BYU breaks a huge run. John says: Doc, where’s my tourniquet!?”

8:11 pm: Broken play results in a good-sized run by BYU’s QB for a TD. 31-0. We might lose.

8:14 pm: Holy Mormons! Dixon threw a deep pass on the money for a TD. Our second longest streak in the nation of avoiding shutouts continues (can't confirm this stat, but I know we are in the top 5 and I believe it dates back to the 1980s). This is what we call a moral victory.

8:15 pm: Remembering it doesn't have a kicker capable of making extra points, Oregon goes for two rather than kick the extra point and gets it.

8:17 pm: Oregon appears to recover an onside kick, but it’s BYU ball. No one in the room dares to complain.

8:21 pm: BYU TD makes it 38-8. Looking for moral victories again, I noticed that one of our defenders managed to brush the shoulder of the scoring player.

8:23 pm: Oregon just got a first down by taking a sack but falling forward. This is our offense.

8:26 pm: UO receivers defined. Jaison Williams drops a touchdown pass in the end zone.

8:27 pm: Paysinger follows Williams’ drop with one of his own. Dixon huddles the offense and says: “Sorry guys, I really don’t mean to hit you in the numbers like that.”

8:30 pm: Moving to 5x on the DVR fast forward function. I’ve managed to get from five minutes to 42 seconds left. This is a much easier way to watch. The announcers are talking about Brett Favre. This is seriously over.

8:31 pm: Bob Davie suggests Oregon hold a flea market and sell the Oregon helmets.

8:35 pm: BYU players are really excited about winning. I think I am, too. Maybe we can fire some dead weight.

8:36 pm: That….totally…sucked.

Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl, here we come!

2006-12-21T00:19:00.000-08:00

Am I a bad fan? Is it bad that I can't get excited for Oregon vs. the Fighting Decaf Drinkers of BYU? I never read any pregame articles, never watched a pregame show, and still don't know more than one player from BYU. Last year, before the Holiday Bowl, I soaked up every bit of media attention that I could find. This year? Eh.

Don't get me wrong, it's still an Oregon football game and I'll be watching intently hoping for a win to spring the Ducks into 2007 on a positive note. It's just that coming off of three consecutive losses and having a bowl game prior to December 25 leaves an empty feeling.

On paper, I don't see how Oregon can be beaten. The weapons on offense continue to be potent. A soon to be 1,000 yard running back and wide receiver along with an experienced offensive line should be able to overpower the O'Douls Chuggers. The defense is a lot more athletic than what the Mountain West Conference sees week in and out. It really should be a two touchdown win.

BUT.............this is Oregon circa 2006, post-September. Poor special teams play, an abundance of turnovers and a rash of penalties have a way of negating a team's superior ability. I don't think BYU's excellent quarterback, John Beck (see, told you I knew one player) is going to throw for huge numbers. Oregon hasn't allowed a 300 yard passer all season. I do think, however, that if Oregon falls victim to its same ol' issues, BYU will win.

Homerized Game PreNicktion: Oregon 38, BYU 24

Empty Promise Waiting to Happen: I have intentions to do live blogging during the game. It may be too hard to do, though, since I don't have a laptop. If I don't do a live blog, I will keep some semblance of a running diary to be posted later.