37 years ago today, Steve Prefontaine passed away after flipping his convertible on Skyline Drive in Eugene. Most of the younger generation of Oregon fans know about Prefontaine due to his untimely death, but few seem to know his accomplishments on the track.

A prodigy out of Coos Bay, Pre landed on the Sports Illustrated cover as a 19 year old distance runner. He won seven NCAA titles in Eugene, three in cross country (the only three years he competeted in the sport) and four in the three-mile. In his entire Oregon career, he only lost three races, none in any distance longer than a mile. After faltering down the stretch to finish out of the medals at the '72 Olympics in Munich, Prefontaine was determined to make up for it in Montreal in '76, and at the time of his death held every American record in every distance between 2,000 and 10,000 meters and between two and six miles. He would have gone into the Montreal Olympics as a US megastar.

So take a moment today to remember the greatest athlete in Oregon history. We'll link up the quack in the comments, but, today, Pre gets the front page to himself. He's certainly earned that.

Tuesday means Tuesday Night Talks, and tonight Matt Daddy and I will get you covered for Oregon baseball's regional this weekend. Our guest is Aaron Fitt, national baseball writer for Baseball America. We also have some football topics to discuss as well, including the new playoff proposals.

Please note the 8:50 start time. As always, you can listen live or download the podcast via the Tuesday Night Talks page on Talkshoe or on iTunes.

Everyone remembers the hype that began Oregon's 2001 football season. Coming off ten wins and a Holiday Bowl victory over Texas the season before, Oregon landed the covers on the college football preview editions of Sports Illustrated and ESPN: The Magazine. A multi-story billboard of "Joey Heisman" greeted visitors to Madison Square Garden in New York City. Oregon, a team that hadn't won a major bowl game in 83 years, was a darling pick to play for a national championship.

It was gone in a flash.

On October 20, fifth-ranked Oregon had a 14 point fourth quarter lead over unranked Stanford, a seemingly insurmountable deficit against a team that hadn't lost a home game in almost five years. But, a series of unfortunate and bizarre events happened that made it a game. Stanford blocked a punt, then another. They recovered an onside kick. Stanford scored what seemed to be the tying touchdown, but a blocked extra point gave Joey Harrington and the Ducks a chance to salt the game away with five minutes to go. But Harrington got hit, his throw was intercepted, and a few minutes later, Stanford was dancing in the end zone with the go ahead score. Captain Comeback had 1:10 left to rally the troops, but it wasn't meant to be. The Ducks' national championship hopes died on the Autzen Stadium turf that day.

Making matters worse, the very next game was the one that had actually worried Oregon fans. Most fans figured the Ducks would handle the unranked Cardinal at Autzen. A late October trip to Pullman to play Washington State was another matter. Although projected to finish last in the Pac-10 in the preseason, the Cougars stood at 7-0. They hadn't exactly played a juggernaut of a schedule, but had already beaten Stanford in Palo Alto and a team that came into the season very highly touted, Oregon State, on the Palouse. An offensive juggernaut, Wazzu topped the Pac-10 in points, yards, and passing yards. They also lead the league in rushing defense. And, as always, a late October trip to Martin Stadium promised unknown weather adventures-whether it be rain, wind, or snow-and the coldest temperatures anyone could expect to play in all year. A loss to Washington State would not only put Oregon two games behind the Cougars in the race for the Pac-10 crown, but with UCLA undefeated, and Stanford and Washington with only one loss, a defeat would push the Ducks closer to El Paso or Las Vegas than to Pasadena or Tempe.

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Its been a season of dreams for Oregon baseball.

Coming off a disappointing season last year, our hopes were modest: that the Ducks could find a way to not blow leads late, and manage to sneak into a regional. We figured that the hitting had to improve, but that a pitching staff that had lost Tyler Anderson to the draft and Christian Jones to injury had to get somewhat worse. The hitting has been about what we expected--which is better, but still not good. Outside of Aaron Jones and Ryon Healy, there's not a lot in the lineup that strikes fear into opposing teams. Batting .266 with 27 homers as a team is the definition of meh, the key being that meh is a whole lot better than last season.

But that pitching.

Nobody could see that a soft tossing righty in Alex Keudell, a guy who struggles to break 86mph on his fastball, would become the best pitcher in the conference, with ten wins and a sparklng 1.80 ERA and a WHIP of about 1. That a freshman in Jake Reed would win eight games as one of the better Saturday starters in the conference. Or that Brando Tessar and Jeff Gold would essentially make a formidable four-man starting rotation on a team that lost numerous starters to elbow injuries before the season even started.

But the biggest surprise of all has been Jimmie Sherfy, who emerged from complete obscurity to become one of the most dominant closers in the sport. With a whopping 81 strikeouts in 52 innings, nobody touches the guy, and the blown leads that haunted Oregon last season have yet to make an appearance.

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"Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."

--Napoleon

Onto the Quack:

• Really fun episode of Tuesday Night Talks last night, as Matt and I were joined by Charles and Kurt of Fishduck.com. We don't talk a ton of Xs and Os on ATQ, and it was fun to just wonk out with these guys. Remember, Tuesday Night Talks is now on iTunes, so please rate and review us.
• George Schroeder points out something that we've been saying for a couple of weeks: Oregon is having an aboslutely amazing spring. Mens and womens track are both conference champions, with the women favored to win a national title, softball is in the super-regionals, baseball is on track to win the Pac-12 title and host a super-regional, and golf is in the NCAA championships. Add that to a Rose Bowl win and an NCAA trip for volleyball, and you're talking about the most successful season in the history of Oregon athletics.
• Baseball plays their home finale tonight against Portland at PK Park. If you're in the Eugene area, get out to the park and support your Diamond Ducks.
• One of our man crushes is Ashton Eaton, and he;s part of the one of the most impressive hurdling fields ever at the Prefontaine Classic.
• DeAnthony Thomas is on the preseason watch list for the Jet Award, given to the nation's best kick returner.
• Finally, Oregon State fan can rest easy, as the sportsbra jerseys have finally been topped in the realm of bad gear. As Matt Daddy linked in yesterday's comments, some UW students have designed giant purple onesies for their student athletes to wear. Giant purple onesies. My nine month old daughter thinks that ridiculous.

That's all the quack I found for today. As more is uncovered, be sure to share.

Its Tuesday, which of course means another episode of your favorite podcast on the internet. Tonight, Matt Daddy and I are joined by Charles Fischer and Kurt Liedtke (keeerrrttt1) of Fishduck.com, where we'll talk some Xs and Os, and project how the offense will evolve given the changes at the QB position. As always you can listen live or download the podcast after recording by visiting the ATQ page on Talkshoe.

For you iTunes users, Tuesday Night Talks is now on iTunes, so please rate and review us.

Its on like Donkey Kong:

RT @McMurphyCBS: Champions of SEC & Big 12 will meet in a bowl if neither team in natl semis, sources told @CBSSports & @MrCFB

— SBN College Football (@SBNationCFB) May 18, 2012

It doesn't take a genius to figure out where this is leading. The Pac-12 and Big Ten have maintained that they want a playoff, but only if they can maintain the integrity of the Rose Bowl. The only way to do that is for the Rose Bowl to become one of the national semifinals. This SEC/Big 12 Bowl becomes the other. Only four conferences really matter. They pick off the valuable properties that are left (Florida State, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, etc.). Those four conferences control everything, and college football is effectively split into two tiers.

It'll take a couple of years for all of this to play out, but its coming.

Viva la superconference.

Saw this as almost a throw away item in a Chicago Tribune story:

Delany hopes the model for the Big Ten-Pac-12 football series emerges in the "not-too-far-distant future," and when it does, the number of conference games in those seasons is expected to shrink from nine back to eight.

"The question is, are you going to play eight quality conference games and assure there's a ninth quality game in the mix, one way or the other," Delany said.

The jokes asking whether Indiana and Minnesota count as "quality" games aside, this whole attitude is a big problem with college football. We need fewer power conference games against the likes of the MAC and the FCS schools. However, with the way that the system is set up, it really doesn't benefit the conferences to play fewer cupcakes. Knowing that a Pac-12 team will be on every schedule, there is little incentive for them to have the extra conference game that only serves as a chance for a potential national championship team to screw up. So the Big Ten may be cowards, but that's because there is a lot of money in being so.

The Pac-12 has no plans to alter the nine-game conference schedule after the commencement of the series with the Big Ten. While this puts the league at a tremendous disadvantage with respect to the rest of the conferences, I enjoy seeing six extra quality football games per season, as opposed to more games against Idaho and Portland State. But if the conference is going to continue down this road, they absolutely must insist on the conference champions provision for the new four-team playoff. If they cannot get this concession, they aboslutely have to join the rest of the conferences and have eight conference games to protect their chances of getting a spot. Such a necessity would be a shame, serving only to further dilute the quality of the game we love.

I never cease to be enthralled by the shenanigans of conference realignment.

We know that the catalyst behind realignment is money-college football television money, to be exact. This was the reason for a seemingly illogical marriage between San Diego State, Boise State, and the Big East, was that AQ status, and access to a guaranteed BCS bowl, would maximize revenue potential for those programs that would make the travel worth it. While those arrangements are in jeopardy, they do bring to light a logical idea that should be getting more press than it is and that I will explore in another post: the breaking of the bonds between a school's football conference alignment, and that of a school's other sports.

But the issue at hand today is football alignment. We all have an idea of what we think stability will entail. The most common model discussed seems to be that of the 16-team "superconference," leaving 64 teams playing big-time college football, with some second tier between what we now call the FBS and FCS levels hosting the MACs, Sun Belts, and Conference USAs of the world. We are, essentially, seeing the professionalization of college football from a revenue-generation standpoint, and there is nothing to be gained from sharing the pie with the MAC schools, which aren't real players in the game, anyways. The "superconferences" also lead really nicely into an eight-game playoff, which we know would be worth beaucoup bucks to the 64 remaining schools.

I have serious doubts about this model. Not about whether this model is viable, or even about whether it will happen-because I think the answer on both accounts is yes. My doubts instead question whether this is actually the endgame. Remember, the game is about revenue maximization. College football doesn't need 64 teams-it only needs enough teams to secure the proper combination of traditional powers and large enough television markets to maximize the television contract for its biggest schools. That means getting your product on as many television sets as possible, and having the fewest number of players to share the pie with. Why should both Washington and Washington State get a piece of the pie? Why Iowa and Iowa State? Such redundancies add no TV markets, but create and extra piece of the pie that must be shared. Its only a matter of time before the battle that we're seeing now-big conference vs. small conference-turns into the battle of big program vs. small program. And we already know who wins.

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It is foolish and childish, on the face of it, to affiliate ourselves with anything so insignificant and patently contrived and commercially exploitative as a professional sports team, and the amused superiority and icy scorn that the non-fan directs at the sports nut...is understandable and almost unanswerable. Almost. What is left out of this calculation, it seems to me, is the business of caring - caring deeply and passionately, really caring - which is a capacity or an emotion that has almost gone out of our lives. And so it seems possible that we have come to a time when it no longer matters so much what the caring is about, how frail or foolish is the object of that concern, as long as the feeling itself can be saved. Naivete - the infantile and ignoble joy that sends a grown man or woman to dancing and shouting with joy in the middle of the night over the haphazard flight of a distant ball - seems a small price to pay for such a gift.

--Roger Angell

Onto the Quack:

• Matt and I recorded an excellent podcast last night with Jeff Nusser and Brian Floyd of CougCenter. The Mike Leach hire has brought the excitement back to Pullman. To me, Washington State is the most interesting team in the conference this season, and every Cougar game will be must-DVR television.
• Softball will be hosting a regional this weekend, and George Schroeder uses the occasion to tell us about the dilapidated state of Howe Field. Its the worst facility in the conference, and the once facility on campus that isn't brand new, yet there are no plans to replace or renovate it.
• Brock Huard likes the Ducks, and not the Trojans, to win the Pac-12 and make a run at the national title (warning: Insider link).
• With a four-team playoff all but certain, Andy Staples tackles an important question: How do you avoid a situation like last year, where Stanford was ranked ahead of Oregon despite the Ducks winning the conference and destroying the Cardinal in Palo Alto?
• Finally, Avinash over at Pacific Takes looks at Pac-12 athletic revenues. Only one department is operating in the black. Guess who?

That's all the quack I have for today. Remember, its been 3,120 days since the washington huskies have beaten the Oregon Ducks in football.

It is Tuesday Night, and we all know that means you have your alarms set for 9:00 when you can listen to Matt Daddy and I pretend that we know things about the Oregon Ducks. Tonight, Matt and I continue our tour of the Pac-12, as we talk with Jeff Nusser of CougCenter about the Cougars' new direction under Mike Leach. What kind of changes are in store on the Palouse? Is the talent in place to win now? And what do Cougar fans expect this season? Hear the answers to those questions and more. You can listen to the live show, or download the podcast by visiting the Tuesday Night Talks page on Talkshoe.

Remember that the Miracle Wolf auctions are ending at 8AM this morning. Please consider a cash donation if you do not win the item you were bidding on.

• Ken Goe of the Oregonian was our guest on Tuesday Night Talks last night. I know the thought of a track and field podcast scares some people who usually download for our football and basketball talk, but Goe was a really insightful guest. The conversation wasn't an in-depth breakdown of the track team, but a discussion on the state of collegiate track and field, Oregon's unique place within the sport, and the potential for the sport to grow. You can download that conversation here.
• The ninth-ranked baseball team took a non-league contest from Oregon State 3-2 at PK Park. Tommy Thorpe pitched four shutout innings in his first start, and Jimmie Sherfy shut down Beaver threats in the 8th and 9th to get the save and run Oregon's record to 13-4 against ranked teams. Oregon baseball is also the lead story on the Baseball America podcast.
• The Ducks swept the Pac-12 track and field athlete of the week awards, with DeAnthony Thomas and Dakotah Keys earning the mens' awards, and Becca Friday and Brianne Theisen taking home the womens'.
• Rob Moseley has some football notes, and some quotes from Chip Kelly.

GO DUCKS!

Tuesday Night Talks takes a bit of a break from football tonight, as Matt Daddy and I are joined by Ken Goe, track and field beat writer for the Oregonian. We'll talk about a bevy of topics, including the state of collegiate track and field, the lack of scored meets, the impact of the Pac-12 Network, the impact of Oregon's use of football players on the track, and Oregon's prospects in the upcoming Pac-12 Championships. As always, you can listen live, or download the podcast after the show here.

The major conferences may have largely stablized, but conference realignment continues to be a dominant offseason theme in college football.

The past few days have seen major shifts in the college athletics landscape. While these haven't been driving the news cycle as they involve the smaller conferences, they are very significant nonetheless, as they have essentially led to the death of the WAC as a conference, and have the potential to send one school (Idaho) back to 1-AA, for lack of having a conference to play in.

The biggest current news involved the raiding of the WAC, as Utah State and San Jose State have agreed to join the Mountain West; Louisiana Tech and UT-San Antonio will leave the WAC for Conference USA, who will also nab North Texas and Florida International from the Sun Belt, among others. Meanwhile, to make up for its poached members, the Sun Belt has taken Texas State from the WAC before that school ever plays a game there, and there are rumors that New Mexico State could be a Sun Belt target as well. This would leave the WAC with only one football member (the aforementioned Idaho), as well as two non-football members (Seattle and Denver). The two basketball members are in big markets and will find new homes. Idaho stands to be the ultimate team left behind, as their lack of a market or notable success, as well as a poor stadium could leave them crawling to the safety of the 1-AA Big Sky conference, unless the NCAA is somehow able to step in and persuade the Mountain West to throw the Vandals some charity.

Further complicating things is the rumored new college football playoffs, a big element of which would eliminate the concept of 'AQ' status. Rumors are circulating that this could have Boise State and San Diego State rethinking their jumps to the Big East, potentially choosing to return to the Mountain West. There are very real ramifications for Boise State, as their non-football sports were supposed to return to the WAC, which may no longer be a possibility.

These moves are happening over a period of a couple of years. After the jump, we have some charts to track conference realignment over the next couple of seasons, and try to answer the questions of who is playing where. Note that the MAC is not included, as they stay in their current alignment, with the exception of losing Temple to the BIg East. I am also ignoring basketball-only teams, although there is some realignment going on among basketball only schools as well.

Continue reading this post »

A moment ago there had been no Yossarians in his life; now they were multiplying like hobgoblins. He tried to make himself grow calm. Yossarian was not a common name; perhaps there were not really three Yossarians but only two Yossarians, or maybe even only one Yossarian - but that really made no difference! The colonel was still in grave peril. Intuition warned him that he was drawing close to some immense and inscrutable cosmic climax, and his broad, meaty, towering frame tingled from head to toe at the thought that Yossarian, whoever he would turn out to be, was destined to serve as his nemesis.

• If you didn't listen to Tuesday Night Talks last night, make sure you download it today. We had a great interview about Arizona State with Brad Denny of House of Sparky. We also had a few callers, and found out that FromAutzenWithLove is very English.
• As Noah noted last night, Dana Altman secured a commitment from Houston SG Fred Richardson III, who chose the Ducks over Georgia Tech, Kansas State, and DePaul. The commitment is Oregon's 5th of the class, but still leaves the Ducks with two open scholarships.
• Oregon baseball continues to be hot, coming from behind to get a 3-2 win over Gonzaga in Spokane. Kyle Garlick tied the game with a two run homer, then Oregon scored on a squeeze play for the win. The Ducks play one more against the Zags today, before headed to Tucson for the battle for first place.
• Some kid named De'Anthony has joined the track team, and he'll anchor the 4x100 at the Oregon Twilight this weekend.

Enjoy your Wednesday. If you find more quack, please share.

Its Tuesday, and that means another episode of everyone's favorite podcast, ATQ's Tuesday Night Talks. Tonight, Matt Daddy and I will recap the spring game, and tell you why you shouldn't be so quick to hand the quarterback job to Marcus Mariota. Then we'll be joined by Brad Denny of SBN's Arizona State blog, House of Sparky, where we'll fill you in on all the off-season happenings of Todd Graham's Sun Devils. We have had an outstanding turnout for the liveshow the past few weeks, so don't be shy to join the chat or even call-in. And, of course, you can download the podcast the following morning. The link to both the liveshow and the podcast archive is here.

LaMichael James is a San Francisco 49er! Its an interesting place for many reasons, as he will now be coached by Jim Harbaugh, and still terrorize fans in Seattle. He should make an excellent compliment to Frank Gore.

Congratulations LaMichael James!

You all realize that we have football this weekend? Yes, its fake, contrived, meaningless football, but when you've been deprived this long, you'll take anything. Now, onto the quack:

• Matt and I had a fun conversation with Dan Rubenstein of the Solid Verbal on Tuesday Night Talks last night. Download that conversation, or any of our other podcasts, HERE. Michael Clay was also a guest on John Canzano's show.
• It was a rough day for the injury riddled baseball team, as they dropped their third game in a row, 7-1 to Oregon State. Jordan Spencer got hit pretty hard, and the Ducks are short four starters in the field due to injuries.
• Oregon will be auctioning off player used jerseys, and Mark Asper doesn't like it. Asper makes a great point, and its further proof that the NCAA is a total joke. Players aren't allowed to keep their jerseys, as it somehow is an "extra benefit," but the school can sell them and keep the profits. You stay classy, NCAA.
• The NFL Draft starts this week, and Oregon should have several players drafted.

I know you all will find more quack out there. Make sure to share.

Its Tuesday, and that means another episode of ATQ's weekly podcast, Tuesday Night Talks. Please note the special 6:00 PM start time, as Matt Daddy and I are joined by a guest on the east coast, Oregon graduate Dan Rubenstein of the Solid Verbal and SBNation.com. As always, you can listen live, or download the podcast after the show here.

UPDATE: Just got an email from Dan, and need to change the time back to our normal 9:00 PT time as he had an unexpected conflict. Again, episode is at 9:00 PT tonight.

No, this post isn't written by Takimoto. But I'm calling it Tako Tuesdays because its Tuesday, and its what you expect.

Obviously, we talk a lot about sports here on ATQ. That conversation usually revolves around watching games on television. Bitching sessions about lack of replays, shoddy camera angles, lack of HD, horrible announcing, and overall poor broadcast quality often ensue, especially if the game happens to be on FSN. However, what we have failed to mention is the role of the theme song. The importance of the theme song is often underrated, but it sets the mood for your whole sports viewing experience. A good theme song has you pumped and into the game, while a poor theme song is a message that the event is going to be underwhelming from the get-go. With the theme song being so important, it brings up the obvious question:

What makes a good theme song?

To put it briefly, a good theme captures the essense of the sport in song, while building excitement at the same time. That isn't always easy to do, because it has to rope you in while going with the flow of the game. CBS' March Madness Theme is a great song that clearly works for a fast sport such as basketball. However, make it a baseball theme, and it goes on the bad list. Its far too fast for a slow paced game like baseball (slow baseball themes are generally superior to fast ones). The tone of the music also has to go with the sport. The rhythm should generally match the speed of the game, and the power should as well. Don't break out the heavy timpani for a tennis match.

For your entertainment, I've identified the worst theme songs in sports, as well as my five favorites. Discuss away in the comments.

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Washington State Cougars at #8 Oregon Ducks

6:00 PT, PK Park

TV: Comcast Sportsnet Northwest

Starting Pitchers

UO: Alex Keudell (5-3, 1.92) | WSU: J.D. Leckenby (4-3, 3.44)

AN OREGON BASEBALL GAME IS ON TV! AN OREGON BASEBALL GAME IS ON TV.

GO CRAZY!

Overview:

Oregon loses two starters from the offensive line in Mark Asper and Darrion Weems, but with as many players as they rotate, return a ton of experience. Sophomore Hronnis Grasu is excellent at center, while Nick Cody returns at right tackle. Guard Carson York also returns, and is projected to be fully recovered from his Rose Bowl injury by the home opener. Senior Ryan Clanton was the top reserve last season, and figures to slide into one of the vacant spots. Everett Benyard, Jake Fisher, Karrington Armstrong, and Hamani Stevens all saw significant playing time last season. Oregon will need to figure out their last starter, and also replace the depth that was lost with Asper and Weems graduating. Redshirt freshmen Tyler Johnstone, Andre Yruretagoyena, and Jamal Prater, incoming senior transfer Kyle Long, and veterans Trevor Fox and Mana Greig are all in the mix.

Questions:

Not many. This is the most solid group on the offensive side of the ball going into the season, which is very comforting. When the offensive line can protect and open holes, I feel very comfortable that Chip Kelly is going to put talent in positions where they can makes plays.

Clanton was solid last year at a number of positions, and the transition to him starting should be seamless. I think where he starts will depend on who wins the other starting job. Benyard and Fisher played mostly at tackle last season, while Stevens played mostly at guard. If Stevens wins a spot, look for Clanton to start at left tackle. If its Benyard or Fisher, Clanton could easily play at right guard. Also, don't sleep on Kyle Long, who wouldn't have been brought in with one year of eligibility if the coaches didn't think he could play.

The one thing that could be an issue would be if there were some sort of setback with York's injury recovery. However, the redshirt freshmen, especially Johnstone, are drawing raves at spring practice, and the Ducks could be left with the luxury of surplus depth.

Projection:

I expect this position to be a major strength of the offense. I don't see any glaring holes. I do look for Oregon to play more guys at OL this season, especially in blowout wins, to gain experienced depth as Clanton, Cody, York, and Long all graduate after the season.

Overview:

This was the most inconsistent unit on Oregon's team last season, and its nothing but question marks headed into the next. Josh Huff returns has a starter, but he has never shown to be a #1 type guy. DeAnthony Thomas will also see some time there, though it is unknown how much. Justin Hoffman's career is likely done due to concussions. After Huff and Thomas, its a mix of guys who were inconsistent last season and unable to hold down a permanent spot (Daryle Hawkins, Rahsaan Vaughn, Will Murphy, Eric Dungy, and Keanon Lowe), redshirts who have never seen the field (Devon Blackmon, Tacoi Sumler, and BJ Kelley), and incoming freshman who won't be in until fall (Dwayne Stanford, Chance Allen).

Questions:

Everything. Even the known quantities have question marks (will Huff be punished for his DUI incident? How much receiver will DAT play?) But the fact is that, even if those two guys played the vast majority of WR snaps this season, you still need three other guys who can play and produce. And given that they all had the opportunity last season but failed to do so, its a cause for concern.

While legitimate information from spring practice is little, the names that keep popping up are Vaughn, Hawkins, and Blake Stanton. Vaughn and Hawkins aren't a huge surprise, and both had their moments last season, but struggled catching the ball. If they can solve that problem, they are both big, fast receivers who can cause huge matchup problems for opposing defenses. As for Stanton, I have no idea if his performance holds, but Chip Kelly certainly has no problem playing walk-ons a lot of snaps, as Hoffman and Murphy did last season. The other guys were all very highly touted coming in, so we can't dismiss them as possiblities either.

Prediction:

Everything is a guess at this point, but Vaughn and Hawkins really did show the most promise last season. They also have legitimate size that could cause a big problem for defenses. If they keep up the performance that they are reportedly having this spring, they'll get every opportunity to seize those spots. But you have to figure that given Oregon's schedule, most of the candidates will get some run in the first three games, giving opportunity for the cream to rise to the top. Looking at the talent on hand, you have to think that this unit will be much better than last season, because with another year of experience, it becomes more likely that the talent wins out. And it better, because while its one thing to be a one-dimensional offense, its quite another being that without LaMichael James.

Overview:

Oregon loses veteran David Paulson, a big play threat with 55 catches and ten TDs over the past two seasons. Sophomore Colt Lyerla, the former 5* recruit with seven catches and five TDs as a freshman appears more than capable to take Paulson's place in the starting lineup. The question is who will back Lyerla up, with three freshmen being the leading candidates.

Candidates:

Redshirt Freshman Christian French was an elite recruit from Iowa. At 6'5", he showed elite speed in the 4'4" 40 range, and has the benefit of having been in the system the longest. True freshman Evan Baylis is in Eugene for spring ball, and has reportedly been impressing there. Pharaoh Brown was one of the best high school tight ends in the country, but won't be in Eugene until fall.

Prediction:

I've heard tight end and running back mentioned in the same breath as far as depth problems, but they are two very different situations. Running back simply has a lack of bodies for a position that is the feature of Oregon's offense, and is also by nature injury-prone. Tight end has a lack of proven depth-Lyerla is the only one who has played in a game-but three players who, when recruited, were considered amongst the most elite tight ends in the country. I have no idea who will win the second spot on the depth chart behind Lyerla. But the advantage of having three 4* tight ends is that it is almost a lock that one of them will work out. It may take some time to figure out which one of the three that will be, but the Ducks will have a lot of blowout wins early to make sure they see plenty of reps.

Sorry the Quack Fix is late. I was delayed as I found an amazing Applebees.

• First off, if you missed Tuesday Night Talks last night, we had a great conversation with Joey Kaufman of the Daily Trojan and Pacific Takes about USC Football. Download that podcast here.
• The newspapers continue their barrage of football articles. Aaron Fentress looks at the two walk on running backs, Ayele Forde and Kenny Bassett, who are trying to earn a spot on the field next season. Tako will be happy that the article teaches him how to pronounce Ayele. Meanwhile, Rob Moseley has some notes about Tuesday's scrimmage, where Daryle Hawkins again drew mention at receiver. Meanwhile, could schools start facing other college teams in spring games?
• For those of you in the Salem area, the baseball team takes on the Portland Pilots at 6:30 in Volcanoes Stadium tonight. Bob Clark takes a look at the team in midseason, and how they have managed to surpass expectations.
• Jordan Kent was one of the most impressive athletes in Oregon history, lettering in football, basketball, and track in his time at Oregon. Freshman Liz Brenner, who already competed on the volleyball and basketball teams this season, has just joined the softball team, and will be eligible to play today against Portland State.
• Acrobatics and tumbling were victorious in their season finale against Azusa Pacific.

That's all the quack I could find this morning, but if you spot more, please share.

The narrative taking place for next football season is that Oregon's reign atop the Pac-12 is coming to an end at the hands of USC, who is poised to come off thier two year bowl ban with a national championship run. The Trojans had their spring game last weekend, so on tonight's episode of Tuesday Night Talks, Matt Daddy and I will talk to Joey Kaufman of the Daily Trojan and SBN's Pac-12 blog Pacific Takes. We'll talk about the expectaions for SC football this season, how they'll deal with the coming scholarship reductions, and what (besides the Ducks) can derail their season. As always, you can listen live HERE at 9:00 PT, or download as a podcast after the show.

Overview:

There is no controversy at the RB position, where senior RB Kenjon Barner gets his chance to step out of LaMichael James' shadow and become the feature back. De'Anthony Thomas figures to see increased carries as the backup, while true freshman Byron Marshall also figures to be in line for significant playing time. Depth behind those three is scant, but sophomore walk-on Ayele Forde had moments last season, albeit in walk-on duty.

Questions:

The depth chart is pretty defined, the question is about depth, and it may be the question that makes me more nervous than any other. Barner is a legitimate stud, and there are no doubts about his ability to put up huge numbers. His durability is a different issue, and he has sat multiple games the last two seasons due to injuries. While DAT should see increased snaps at the RB position, durability questions remain about his body, and significant snaps at WR is still likely part of his future. Indications are that Marshall will be ready to contribute right away, but the fact remains that he's a true freshman who isn't at spring ball.

If this group stays intact and plays up to potential, the RB unit has the chance to again be among the most spectacular in the nation. However, what if an injury forces DAT or Barner to miss games? What if Marshall for whatever reason isn't ready? We could be seeing Ayele Forde getting significant carries. And I don't even want to talk about the depth chart beyond that. Its an issue of depth, not talent, and there is a reason that rumors persist of Oregon continuing to look for a JC guy that has maybe been overlooked and can come in next season.

Prediction:

Barner is going to have a monster season. I think Kelly will look to utilize the wideouts a bit more this year, but that unit has issues of its own. The QB should also be more of a factor in the running game this season. Its likely that a RB misses time at some point this season, so I think we are looking at significant snaps for Forde. If that comes against Colorado or Arizona State, it shouldn't be much of an issue. If it happens against USC, the Ducks could be in trouble. To have a great season, you need an element of luck. Bad injury luck derailed a potential national championship season for Oregon in 2007. Good injury luck propelled them in their 2010 run. Whether Barner and Thomas can stay healthy could mean the difference between a fourth straight Pac-12 title, or whether the Alamo or Holiday Bowl is our ultimate destination.

Matt Daddy and I have talked a lot in the podcasts the last couple of weeks about the current status of the depth chart, but haven't written much on the subject. Over the next week or two, we'll rectify that.

Overview:

Quarterback has been the most talked about position of the offseason, with the battle between Bryan Bennett and Marcus Mariota conjuring images of the Nate Costa/Darron Thomas battle of two seasons ago.

Candidates:

We've saw a bit of Bryan Bennett last season, and we liked what we saw. He was poised in leading Oregon to a comeback win over Arizona State, and was very efficient in games against Colorado and WSU. He has a cannon for an arm, but struggled with accuracy last season, completing only 54% of his passes. However, his reads were generally good, and his TD/INT ratio was 6-0. He is also a much greater run threat than Darron Thomas was, gaining 200 yards on only 23 carries. Most people I've spoken to about Bennett aren't worried about accuracy long term, and the thought is that Bennett's ceiling could provide Jeremiah Masoli's legs, Thomas' reads, and a better arm than either.

As Mariota has never been in a game, we know much less about him. He reportedly has a very similar skillset to Bennett, but I've heard that while mobile, he doesn't have Bennett's wheels. He has one less year of experience in the system, but ran a similar system in high school and is said to be picking things up very quickly.

Prediction:

I wasn't surprised to see a competition for the QB job, as it would be very un-Kelly like to hand Bennett the starting job. However, I also think its quite telling what Rob Moseley said on our podcast last week--that he's being told that Bennett's reps just happen to be coming when guys like Kenjon Barner and DeAnthony Thomas are also on the field. That to me says a lot. Mariota has a chance to win the job, but I think that in order to do so, he going to have to be clearly better than Bennett, a very high standard given what we saw out of Bennett last season. Given that, I would be fairly surprised if Bennett isn't starting against Arkansas State next fall.

Baseball is doing some serious work. Two weeks ago, they swept a top-15 Arizona State team at home. Last weekend, they took two of three on the road against a top five UCLA team. Now, for the second day in row, they have gotten a win in Palo Alto against #6 Stanford. I leave you with Adam Jude's recap:

Freshman right-hander Jake Reed scattered two hits over seven shutout innings, and Ryon Healy hit a three-run home run to power No. 16 Oregon past No. 6 Stanford 5-0 on Saturday afternoon at Sunken Diamond in Stanford, Calif.

UO reliever Jeff Gold allowed just one hit in two innings of relief to complete the three-hitter for the Ducks (24-9, 10-4 Pac-12), who have won nine of 10. It's the Ducks' fourth straight Pac-12 series win and third straight over a top-15 team during their most daunting stretch of the season.

The Ducks moved a half-game behind first-place Arizona, which plays host to UCLA tonight.

Oregon is 10-2 against top-25 teams.

If UCLA beats Arizona tonight, Oregon could finish the evening in first place in the Pac-12. If the season ended today, the Ducks would be a lock to host a regional. Oregon went down to Texas State three weeks ago and played an absolutely abominable series. But, since then, something has clicked, and this has become the hottest team in the nation.

It also bears repeating: it would be nice if we could actually see these games. I can haz Pac-12 Network yet?

While many fans will be basking in the glow of a Rose Bowl championship up through August, spring ball is still the natural time to begin thinking about next season. While there is much to be excited about, there is also a lot of change. Despite three Pac-10/12 titles in a row, the Ducks are once again NOT the offseason favorite to win the conference title next season in media circles.

The facts are that Oregon has won three straight conference titles. Chip Kelly has still lost only two conference games in three years. He i\s the hands down best coach in the league. The defense returns so much experienced talent that it could be among the very best in school history, even better than what the Ducks put on the field the last couple of years. Yes, USC beat Oregon last year and is extremely talented, but their depth is thin, and surely Oregon won't sleepwalk through three quarters of the game this season. And with an SOS schedule that Kansas State would be proud of, Oregon will have plenty of time to break in their new players before the real challenges begin.

But the facts also state that this is Chip Kelly's first season without LaMichael James. Depth is extremely thin at the RB position, where one injury could spell complete disaster. We'll be breaking in a new QB and WR is a giant question mark. Whether Chip Kelly can simply "plug and play" will be a question that will definitively be answered this year. USC is the obvious threat, but coaching upgrades across the conference will make the entire schedule more difficult. And the Pac-12 Title Game means that Oregon potentially must beat SC twice.

With that said, at this point in time, what are your expectations for the 2012?