This just in:

National champ: Oregon over LSU
Both teams return a lot of defensive talent from their top-five teams of 2011. Tailbacks Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas will lead the Ducks' attack. LSU's offense can be only better than last season, and Alabama comes to Baton Rouge this time. Oregon must play at USC, yes, but in the rematch in the Pac-12 championship game, the Trojans' lack of numbers will catch up to them.

Man, I hope they are right!

For more see http://espn.go.com/ncf/notebook/_/page/100daystillkickoff/100-days-kickoff

Oh, and just to make y'all mad, since we're under the 100 day mark now can we put the countdown clock back on?

Here's the link to Chip's interview with Chris Whatever.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6449034&categoryid=2378529

Like he said, we're young.

Like he said, LSU is big.

Like he said, the 2011 team is different than the 2010 team.

Like I said, with the spring game can we get the countdown clock already?  I got quite a bit of flack when I asked previously but we old guys have to look forward to something in our lives!

Hey, where's my clock?  All last season I could watch--sometimes quite anxiously--how many days/hours/seconds I had until I could get my quack on.

Where's my clock? 

Please put it back on the website.  Please.

The LSU game is the perfect opening game for us.  We pick up right where we left off:  on the National stage!  What could any program want more than that?  Oregon football is and will continue to be a NATIONAL story.  Schedule be damned!  I've always adhered to the adage "to be the best you have to play the best".  At home, on the road, in Arlington, beside Lake Washington, wherever!

But really, put the clock back, please.

I hate the Stoops.

Mike Stoops, Mark Stoops, Bob Stoops.  Stupid stoops.  Those characters definitely lack character.

But I am, and have always been, a Pac-8, Pac-10 and now Pac-Half Case Homer.

SO how do I root for AZ (and don't get me started about the wildcats, et al) in tonight's Alamo Bowl against Oky State?

Advice, please.

On another matter...did anyone catch Coach Chizik's handing us the National Championship during his interview on ESPN this morning?  In his glowing report on the Ducks he said, after watching the tapes, it was easy..."seeing how those guys went 13-0".  Hmmmmm...Foreshadowing, ANYONE?

After Saturday's less-than-perfect (understatement) performance against an over-performing Cal team, I found this nugget in the re-caps:

"It was ripe for the upset," Cal safety Chris Conte said. "We knew that if we came out and executed, this team was very beatable. Watching film,we saw their people making mistakes. We knew if we held them to no big plays, we'd be right in this game. We should have won."

The is a perfect assessment from a player getting ready to play the Ducks.  "Watching film, we saw their people making mistakes".  WOW, wait until they see the film of yesterdays performance!

The Ducks are making toooooooo many mistakes;  missed blocks, penalties, missed tackles, missed assignments. 

Don't get me wrong, I Love My Ducks, but this team has plenty of room available to reach their potential and if they continue to make mistakes they are ripe for a capable AZ team (if you thought Tedford was playing dirty wait until a Stoops comes to town!) or a hopped-up-ready-to-play-at-home Beaver team upset.

I loved K's post-game comment when Jorgey told him to enjoy his week off, "we don't have a week off we have lots of work to do!"

Get to work.  The NC is in sight but only if we eliminate the mistakes. 

Dennis Dixon has been named the starting QB for the Pittsburg Steelers.  We all know the story about how BigBen acts off the field and we all know well how Dennis acts ON the field.  It's nice to see another Duck QB make it in the NFL ranks.  Now I'm not saying I'm taking Dennis in the first round of my fantasy draft but he should be fine.  He's a sharp kid who will have his bumps along the road but should come through it with flying colors--even if there are black and gold..

He has character.  Take note Big Ben.

Join me in wishing Dennis all the best when he steps on the field next Sunday/

Here's the link:  http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10249/1085513-100.stm

Good Luck Dennis!

I very much appreciated the recent "Statistical study of Basketball Coaching Prospects" posted here recently by travissimmo.  Good job.  Additionally, some of the mentions of coaches with "Oregon ties" got my attention.  That being said, you're all missing the only statistic that really matters:

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