I wouldn't normally give a rip, but curiosity led me to look at Oregon's 2013 schedule and how the ducks had performed up until the speckeled egg they laid in Palo Alto on Thursday evening. I'm sure none of this is news to you doogs who are duck obsessed believing the foul birds walk upside-down underwater as well as float along on top of it, but what tough competitive opposition tested Oregon before they ran up against an average Stanford team? The duck's schedule before running into their annual tree or pothole was mostly cupcakes and air:
Cupcakes: OOC's Nicholls State and Virginia; and Pac-12's CAL, Colorado, and WSU..... all gave up 55 or more points to UO while scoring 16 or less with the exception of the sodbusters who lost to the ducks in Pullman 38-62.
Hunters:: OOC Tennessee and Pac-12's UW and UCLA - it can possibly be said that these three teams were in the hunt to bag some ducks, but showed up at the blind with not enough deeks and shells poorly loaded and bought cheap. The Vols (4-6) were blown-off the scoreboard 14-59 by the ducks in Autsen, but can still get bowl eligible by beating Vandy and Kentuk. UCLA also lost at Autsen and were competitive for a half before smothering in feathers by four TD's 14-42. Amazingly, it was the SarkDawgs in Husky Stadium that gave Oregon it's stiffest test prior to Palo Alto (quack like The Alamo) before losing by three TD's 24-45. I watched that game on TV and it didn't seem that close, but those of you who saw it live can testify better than the mini-view I was allowed by TV moguls.
Air: Oregon had two Byes (same as UW) on their 2013 schedule with the second coming just before their loss to Stanford. Obviously, the Bye before Palo Alto didn't seem to help, but would the ducks of had their Heisman candidate QB on that trip without it ? More important I think than Byes are the absence of South Division powers USC and ASU from the duck's schedule, especially given the way both teams are performing late in the season.
Oregon has three games remaining with Utah and OSU at home in Autsen sandwiched around a road trip south to play Arizona. It doesn't seem possible, but the ducks could drown in the desert. As we know all too well, the Wildcats at home can be difficult and even though we still have two conference brethren in the BCS top-10, the Pac-12 is again shaping up to be a weak West Coast sister and the kind of football conference where the second year guy at ASU and/or whomever the new guy hired at USC might be...... could dominate in the near future.
So what makes Oregon duck football,..... or for that matter Stanford Tree football so special? I know that this may be my opinion alone, but the football programs of both schools are overrated by the so-called national experts and the reason for that is clear. Compared to the past, even just ten years ago, the Pac-10 (turned -12) is weak..... weak..... WEAK! This is the only explanation for how collegiate football programs such as those at Oregon and Stanford can somehow rise to the top. I've said it before and I can't say it enough...... the Pac-12 can only return to it's former prominent standing in major college football to challenge the SEC, ACC, and Big-12 when the traditional football schools USC, UCLA, UW, ASU, and now CU rise and take back control of our gridiron domain from the flighty and gimmicky. The time to rise again is now,...... but it's been NOW for at least a decade.
Cupcakes: OOC's Nicholls State and Virginia; and Pac-12's CAL, Colorado, and WSU..... all gave up 55 or more points to UO while scoring 16 or less with the exception of the sodbusters who lost to the ducks in Pullman 38-62.
Hunters:: OOC Tennessee and Pac-12's UW and UCLA - it can possibly be said that these three teams were in the hunt to bag some ducks, but showed up at the blind with not enough deeks and shells poorly loaded and bought cheap. The Vols (4-6) were blown-off the scoreboard 14-59 by the ducks in Autsen, but can still get bowl eligible by beating Vandy and Kentuk. UCLA also lost at Autsen and were competitive for a half before smothering in feathers by four TD's 14-42. Amazingly, it was the SarkDawgs in Husky Stadium that gave Oregon it's stiffest test prior to Palo Alto (quack like The Alamo) before losing by three TD's 24-45. I watched that game on TV and it didn't seem that close, but those of you who saw it live can testify better than the mini-view I was allowed by TV moguls.
Air: Oregon had two Byes (same as UW) on their 2013 schedule with the second coming just before their loss to Stanford. Obviously, the Bye before Palo Alto didn't seem to help, but would the ducks of had their Heisman candidate QB on that trip without it ? More important I think than Byes are the absence of South Division powers USC and ASU from the duck's schedule, especially given the way both teams are performing late in the season.
Oregon has three games remaining with Utah and OSU at home in Autsen sandwiched around a road trip south to play Arizona. It doesn't seem possible, but the ducks could drown in the desert. As we know all too well, the Wildcats at home can be difficult and even though we still have two conference brethren in the BCS top-10, the Pac-12 is again shaping up to be a weak West Coast sister and the kind of football conference where the second year guy at ASU and/or whomever the new guy hired at USC might be...... could dominate in the near future.
So what makes Oregon duck football,..... or for that matter Stanford Tree football so special? I know that this may be my opinion alone, but the football programs of both schools are overrated by the so-called national experts and the reason for that is clear. Compared to the past, even just ten years ago, the Pac-10 (turned -12) is weak..... weak..... WEAK! This is the only explanation for how collegiate football programs such as those at Oregon and Stanford can somehow rise to the top. I've said it before and I can't say it enough...... the Pac-12 can only return to it's former prominent standing in major college football to challenge the SEC, ACC, and Big-12 when the traditional football schools USC, UCLA, UW, ASU, and now CU rise and take back control of our gridiron domain from the flighty and gimmicky. The time to rise again is now,...... but it's been NOW for at least a decade.
