This is just the humble opinion of a long time Oregon fan. For some context, I’m in my mid 20s and have been going to games at Autzen and road games all over the country since I was a kid. Memories of blue collar Oregon teams grinding out wins vs. ranked Illinois in the late 90s in what was a night game thriller with Autzen being as loud as I can ever remember, a win in ’94 vs. Desert Swarm Top 10 ranked Arizona in the game after “The Pick”, the ’97 win up at Husky Stadium and Pat Johnson’s heroics, double overtime miracle in Tempe in 2000, Byrd’s punt return TD vs. Purdue in West Lafayette at Purdue in ’08,  Musgrave years with big wins over Top 5 ranked BYU at the pre-expanded Autzen in early 90s and his early building blocks to our present success, and some exciting years with Alkili Smith and Saladin McCullough putting up huge numbers, to name just a few favorite memories that come immediately to mind.

I’ve been following this program closely for a long time, and like many of you don’t care how we get there, who’s there waiting for us, I just want to see my Oregon Ducks win these next two vs. ‘Zona and OSU and punch their ticket for the biggest stage by far this program has ever been on. I do have a thought on this though:  We don’t want to play TCU or BOISE STATE in the BCS National Title Game. It’s not a case of I don’t think we can beat them, because as objective as I can be taking a step back and looking at potential matchups with both teams, I like our chances. It’s all about national perception.

I won’t make a book out of this, I’m just curious if others agree with me or if I’m in the minority on this.

My fear is Auburn loses to Alabama in the Iron Bowl the same day we play Arizona, and even though they beat South Carolina in the SEC Title game it’s not enough to get them to Glendale. Therefore, TCU or Boise State hold of a conference champion-less LSU team, a Big 10 champ Wisconsin (or Ohio State, Michigan State) and another conference champion-less Stanford team. While it’s debatable, my gut feeling is TCU or Boise St. get into title game if AU loses and still knocks of USC in SEC title game, I just don’t see voters keeping an undefeated TCU or Boise St. out of title game. Ask me that 6 weeks ago, I would have said differently. (I’m hypothetically going to presume BSU gets by Fresno St and Nevada, and *gulp*, TCU beats New Mexico on the road)

So, on Jan 10th in Glendale, you’ve got the Oregon Ducks playing TCU or Boise St. for all the marbles. No SEC traditional power, no Ohio State, no U.S.C., no established penthouse level college football team. Sure Oregon is a national brand, and it’s growing to be a player in national recruiting and a name associated with not just NIKE, and gimmicky sizzle but good football; but let’s be honest with ourselves. Oregon is not a Penn St., Texas, an Alabama, or a Miami. There are no national titles or Heisman Trophies in the halls of the Casanova Center. These other “major” programs are down this year, many of them are, no doubt about that (see current records in Austin and Tallahassee just as a good example). I’m afraid come 1/10/11, when the whole country is watching, the Oregon Ducks run onto the field and then followed by the Bronco Orange or the Horned Front Purple you’ll have people saying, “Geez, 2010 was a down year for college football and that’s why the Ducks and fill in the blank, got into the game”. If Auburn is there, I think that image won’t be in the casual observer’s mind.

THIS IS NOT A KNOCK ON TCU OR BSU. Two very good football teams this year, and have built themselves very good programs. We should know as Oregon fans, all reasons aside and whatever excuses we want to fabricate, BSU beat Oregon the last two years in 2009 and 2008. I hate it, but it’s the uncomplicated truth. The problem though, is you have mentalities out there like Lee Corso, who still think TCU or Boise St. is their TCU or Boise State’s from the 70s, 80s, or 90s, and they don’t see them as ‘powers’ that deserve to be in the national conversation. The old mindsets see the Fiesta Bowl with BSU beating OU as a fluke, BSU’s current win streak is all vs. inferior opponents, TCU’s mighty “D” coming against soft offenses in a mid major Mountain West… I’ll stop there.

For this very reason, I want Auburn to beat the Tide in the Iron Bowl, and have them beat South Carolina in the SEC Title Game and then we’ll meet the SEC’s representative in the BCS Title Game. Let TCU and Boise State fight it out in other BCS Bowls, and see how they fair against Ohio St, LSU, Stanford, ect… 

This thought was provoked, when sitting in traffic after work here in Washington D.C., one of the ESPN Radio’s D.C. anchor said it’s a ‘down year in the college football world’ and that’s why you are seeing all these whacky polls, with UCF and Nevada in the polls and teams like TCU, BSU, and Oregon dominating the Top 5. He went on to back his argument up by looking at the last time USC, Penn State, Texas, and Florida State were all out of the Top 20 with none of them in the mix nationally. The other guys on the DC air waves went back on forth, but it’s old school exclusionist mentalities like this that really alarms me.

None of this matters if we don’t take care of business at home vs. Stoops’ Cats, and then up I-5 in bean dip stadium. Win or lose these next two, it’s been one hell of a ride in 2010. Win the day. Go Ducks.

Rob Mosley in Eugene, for the Register Guard’s Oregon Football Blog wrote a good piece on the QB situation going into fall camp. I’m sure someone will post it, or maybe tomorrow morning it will be included in  the ‘daily quack.’ I just have to get this out of my system, because I’m getting really tired of hearing how everything will be just fine at the QB spot for Oregon, just plug them in and let them manage the game.

Am I the only one who watched last year’s UCLA game? The game Masoli had a bum knee, and the Ducks scrambled in the preparation week to get Costa ready and he absolutely sputtered in Pasadena.  The offense eerily reminiscent of Brady Leaf running around, looking about as fast as a tree stump in the backfield. I know I know, he’s had numerous reconstructive knee surgeries. “Nate’s a good guy”, “Nate has overcome a whole heck of a lot and it’s made him a seasoned leader.” Ok, I’m not trying to disprove any of that. From interviews, he seems like a all around good guy and kudos to him for what he’s had to deal with.

Chew on this, at UCLA (a team that barely had enough in the gas tank to beat Temple in the Eagle Bank Bowl in D.C. in December), Nate Costa was 9/17 for 82 yds at a 4.8 avg with one TD and one INT. He rushed 6 times for -18 yds, a 7 yard run was his longest. (L James was the only spark on offense, 20 car 152yds for a 7.6 avg)   As a whole, the Ducks nearly broke offensive historic records by netting 303 total yards, with 4-14 on 3rd downs and were 6 minutes behind in time of possession to UCLA… yes, the same Bruins whose offense more closely resembled your child’s pee-wee team that plays at Sheldon’s High School fields on Sunday mornings.  I’m surprised the 77,000+ in attendance didn’t all wait in line and get their money back. I remember being so frustrated watching that game because it was the same thing all afternoon long, as the Ducks just could not get anything going offensively.

Alright, this was the same UCLA team that put Brian Prince (DT 2nd round, 3rd pick in the round), Alterraun Verner (DB, 4th round) and two other guys as undrafted rookies into the NFL. They had a good defense, but this wasn’t the Steel Curtain. New Mexico has a nice defensive line with maybe the best linebacker you’ve never heard of west of the Mississippi (don’t laugh), the Lobos front seven is not going to lay down- the Autzen atmosphere will elevate their game.  And forget about Tennessee, those guys may have had some times the past few years but this is still SEC talent in their house, with 100,000+ screaming UT fans. The overall defensive speed of their entire unit will be faster, by a few notches I’d guess, than UCLA’s last year.

ALL I’M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT NATE COSTA IS NOT THE GUY WHO SHOULD BE STARTING FOR THE OREGON DUCKS COME SEPTEMBER 4TH. Simple as that.

Darron Thomas brings the size, the strength, and 2 years in the program, to lead this the team. He doesn’t need to be the Joey Harrington of the program (not this year just yet) where the guys really lean on him to make plays and rally everyone, rather, Darron needs to distribute the ball like Kenya Wilkins in a point guard role and let his playmakers do their thing, and occasionally make a few nice runs off the read option to keep defenses honest. Dennis Dixon was so good because he could stretch the field with nice long balls, but also get the ball to Stewart and company, and every now and then do it himself (see 80yd run vs. Houston in Autzen- that was SPEED).

For the life of me, I can’t see how Chip Kelly and his staff start Costa in front of Darron. There is that factor that I’m an ignorant fan that doesn’t know what he’s talking about and they are the paid coaching staff who eat and breath this stuff. In Chip we trust, I get it.

Let’s just hope whoever takes center come 3:30est Saturday 9/4 it’s the best QB, that gives the Ducks the best shot to win every game.

****NEED TO CLARIFY HERE****

I was never taking personal shots at anyone here on this site. There seems to be a close knit group on here that didn’t agree w/what I said. Cool, I’m fine with that. I watched the UCLA DVR over the weekend and didn’t like what I saw, had a few minutes free at work and put up some thoughts of reaction from that game and other spots I’ve seen Costa play. He’s a great kid, and I admire what he’s overcome. It’s my opinion that Thomas would be the best guy for the spot this year, right now. Obviously there will be disagreements, that’s what the posts are for, to stimulate some conversation. I’m a sarcastic guy and threw out some responses that seemed to not sit well with some. Now with the Cougar guy, yes, I did take a shot. All in fun, nobody here is going to blows. It’s another thing if some little Beaver or Trojan strolled in and mouthed off, but it’s a Cougar and I’ve got a good buddy who went to school there.

Again, they were sarcastic remarks, intended to poke fun.  

Where do the Washington State faithful see the Cougars getting a few wins this year, and begin to turn things around? I like what the Cougars have in the backfield, and while I’m not thrilled with the overall talent level there seems to be some playmakers, especially on defense in the front seven with a few guys who can disrupt things. Defensively, you always want to opposing team and their offensive coordinator losing sleep before they play you because you’ve got playmakers who will create havoc.  

The opener at Oklahoma State is a really interesting inter-sectional game. It’s a 6pm kickoff local time in Stillwater, and could be hot and sticky September 4th- that could play a part in the game. The Pokes are in a transition right now, and could be caught napping on a team everyone expects them to beat. If Washington State can come out early on and be physical, set the tone at the line of scrimmage and establish the running game that might be their formula for success. I don’t see this as a real lopsided game, Wazzu should be in it if they don’t shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers, penalties, and lack of composure in a hostile environment.

Montana State is no pushover. Yes, it’s D-II (or whatever they call it these days) but Washington State should take them seriously. With Wulff’s time at Eastern Washington, he’ll know that. That’s a good W for WSU though.

Getting back on a plane, down to Dallas will be tough. This is June Jones 3rd year at SMU, and they have some great team speed and that offense will begin to click like it did in Hawaii. He has some serious offensive threats. Washington St. should be able to run the ball at the belly of the Mustangs defense all game though. Again, it’s still technically summer (9/18) and it could be hot and sticky muggy weather, not weather you see in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon has some issue when visiting Houston in ’05, now Dallas is not as sticky as it’s gulf neighbor but the heat in Dallas can be really sultry.  As a cougar, you have to like the Cougs chances against SMU.

Road trips to UCLA and Arizona State are nice. Those stadiums are not what they used to be, and are not as hostile as an Autzen Stadium or packed Husky Stadium. UCLA and ASU are reeling, we’ll see what they are like when WSU rolls into town but those are certainly winnable games.

The home schedule is great for Washington State fans, in terms of seeing some ranked and very talented teams come to town. With USC, Oregon, and CAL/Arizona coming too town that’s a good reason to grab season tickets.

And of course, the hated Dogs in the annual Apple Cup. For WSU’s sake, hopefully there is 3 feet of snow by 12/4 and a nationally televised audience can see the swarming Wazzu defense ruin any Heisman chances for Locker and keep UDUB out of a bowl game.

Good luck getting through the dog days of summer, Go Ducks...

Sitting at work listening to ESPN's Cowherd and he’s ripping apart Seattle and their passive fans.

I can picture it now, some moron Husky fan up on I-5 pissed off and all offended. He said they are passive aggressive and just don’t care. I actually disagree a bit, because the core Washington faithful are pretty loyal, and Seattle Seahawks are pretty loud and rabid. They just don’t care about basketball, supported by the fact they kept voting down a tax funded new arena. Can you blame them? Crazy in these times when you cant afford teachers and basic fundamentals of government, and they want to build a multi-hundred million dollar arena on the backs of tax payers.

Aside from that point, hilarious that Cowherd ripped apart Seattle. I hate everything up there, and hope they go 0-12. I wish Washington State goes 6-6 and goes bowling just in spite of UDUB (ok, not going to happen, Bo Thran will win the Heisman before that happens this year).

I just wanted to jump on here quickly to those I presume die hard CU fans, who read this “Ralphie Report”. I’m sure there is a lot of anxious feelings out there, and a little sadness as well. I always loved watching you guys play Nebraska the day after Thanksgiving, and hope that continues, but it was always a great Big 12 matchup that until recently meant for key positioning in the Big 12 North. Oh well, that’s life- things are always changing.

The Pac-10 is a great football conference, and in my opinion the much more crazed, passionate fans lie in the Pacific Northwest (zero biased of course). I’ll look forward to a future road trip out west to Boulder for a good matchup of the Buffalos and Ducks.

Now if this move is going to happen, lets finalize it and leave Baylor in Waco and bring the rest of the Big 12 south. I guess we’ll have to wait and see…

The Bleacher Report, which comes out with some good stuff every now and then had it’s “Top 10 College Football Fan Bases” and Oregon was plugged in there at #8. (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/397086-getting-rowdy-the-ten-best-college-football-fan-bases-in-the-country#page/4) Respectable, and while I’d love to see them in the Top 5 it’s nice to be recognized. The only pick in there that is downright laughable is USC being tabbed at #10. That’s the biggest bandwagon, wine and cheese tailgating crowd I’ve ever seen. LA is soft, and their fans will disappear in the flick of a switch when things go south. 1994 when Oregon went down there and won that place was empty. When Harrington went down there in the early 00’s the Coliseum was empty as Paul Hacket couldn’t hack it.

So my question is, if you were to rank the Pac-10 fan bases as you see it- where would they fall? My criteria would be how rabid is their fan base, their loyalty and ability to pack the house on Saturdays during the fall.  I’ve got:

10. Stanford: That is a fan base more concerned about the next tech gadget rather than how many yards and touchdowns Andrew Luck will chuck in 2010. Not saying it’s a terrible thing, shoot their grads pull in $100k jobs left and right but when it comes to football followings they are pretty weak. Unless a Top 25 team, Notre Dame, or CAL rolls in there they have trouble putting people in seats at their new scaled down stadium. (Palo Alto might be one of the nicest campuses though)

9. Arizona State: I’ve seen a ton of games where the students pack the lower bowl on one side, the die hards/donors on the other 50yd line behind the teams sideline but the upper bowl is absolutely empty. At one point, Snyder has ASU football a hot ticket in the Phoenix area but it doesn’t appear to be that way anymore, especially with the emergence of the Cardinals (well, before Warner left). I know they’ve got a big stadium, but Phoenix just isn’t a college football town and their fans seem to be pretty fickle.

8. CAL: In 2001 I was down there as the Top 10 Ducks rolled up a 42-3 halftime lead; at kickoff there were more Oregon fans than CAL fans, seriously. Memorial Stadium is a dump and their fans are the clear definition of bandwagon. Look at their spring game attendance just last month. Tedford has done a great job of injecting some energy into that program, no doubt, but they still have trouble in getting season ticket holders and selling out on a regular basis besides USC/Stanford visits. I’ve been down there since, and it seemed like after the opening kickoff and a few series into the game, all the fans sitting around us sat on their thumbs and talked about things other than the game- it was bizarre. I definitely place CAL’s fans in the bottom tier of the conference in terms of rowdy atmospheres on game day, on a consistent basis.

7. UCLA: The Rose Bowl is a great place to see the game. UCLA has some great tradition, I think of Aikman and JJ Stokes off the bat; but has anyone been to a game there recently? During the regular season, the Rose Bowl is anything but an intimidating place for visiting football teams. I realize the place holds a tad under 100,000 people but a billion people live in LA, and doesn’t that school spit out thousands of alums every year- and they can’t even come close to filling the Rose Bowl for home games. Again, not an daunting place to play. Great tradition, LA’s beaches are great, as a fan its awesome but anything but a radical student section and devoted fan base.

6. Washington State: This is tough, because these guys have been so bad lately. During the golden years of Leaf and Gesser they had some raucous crowds at Martin Stadium, but as things have gone sour so have the atmospheres in Pullman.  I think they drew less than a 1,000 people to their spring game (ok, a ton of their alums live in Seattle, Boise, Portland or all over but the number that I think they had was around 500, that’s pretty pathetic).  Their stadium holds less than 40,000 – and it’s more like the mid 30,000s and it’s been pretty quiet in Eastern Washington.

5.USC: I’d place them higher, but they have such a bandwagon following. It’s the “cool” thing to be at a Trojan game on the sidelines, “who’s going to show up?”. Roll through their tailgates 3 hours prior to a home game, it’s pretty weak. Ever been to an LSU, Florida, Michigan, or an Auburn tailgate and the subdued mood around the Coliseum is pretty feeble.  They do fill that place with 90,000+ and it can get pretty loud and wild during the night games but this place will empty out rather quickly if Barkley were to go down and they started 1-3. Just think of the 1990s. They like to think of themselves as the Ohio State or Alabama of the west; not even close. Look north up I-5 for some rabid fans.

4. Arizona: The “Zona Zoo” is pretty wild. Stoops has really made a push for Tucson to be a football town, and now that the basketball program has really stumbled the past few seasons and besides getting shellacked in the Holiday Bowl by Nebraska they had a spectacular ’09 campaign. I know they can be a classless group of dirt bags, and I’ve heard some nasty stories out of Oregon’s last two visits in the desert, but they’ve got something going and a real home field advantage. During the early 90s and the Desert Swarm was in full swing, Tucson was a nasty place to visit. I think  being the only show in a decent sized town like Tucson, and tasting some success, Arizona deserves an upper division pegging as one of the more crazed game day environments.

3. Oregon State: I can’t get over the fact that when a #1 ranked USC comes to town on a Thursday night ESPN national telecast, you still can’t sell out Recer Stadium. Other than that, I can’t think of any other good reason why they shouldn’t be ranked of all the teams below them on this list from 4-10. When Recer is packed, that place really rocks. Just like their counterparts in Eugene, it’s really the only show in the state and people show up in great numbers and scream their heads off for three hours. They still lack that real loyal, rabid nature that will put 25,000 in the stadium at a spring game and regardless of the D1-AA school visiting (look at the attendance numbers when Northern Arizona, Portland State or Eastern Washington have visited Corvalis, they’ve got some sagging attendance numbers) they will sell out. I hate the Beavers with a passion, but come game day they’ve got a pretty good thing going in Corvalis.  

2. Washington: Ok, maybe other Oregon fans would despise this but can you really debate this? UDUB have some of the more loyal and passionate football fans in the country. Even when things were terribly bad, they still put in respectable attendance figures. Washington has not only one of the more scenic sights in the nation and conference, but with the steep incline of those grandstands- when full that house shakes. They’ve got a loyal fan base that understand the game and will get louder situations call for it, like their defenses defending 3rd downs. If Oregon were to have a winless season, I doubt we’d keep that Autzen sell-out streak, so I can’t blame some of the enthusiasts losing steam after some absolute awful years.  Even in a large metro area like Seattle, they are a hot ticket when competitive, like this coming fall, and Husky Stadium is as hostile as they get in the Pac-10.

1. I claim zero biased here. This is not debatable. Oregon fans have turned Autzen Stadium into a national “bucket list” of college football fans as places you have to see a game. The Autzen game day experience, everything from pre-game tailgating, partying and live music in the Mo Center, to the Harley entrance is truly a unique experience. Eugene is a smaller town, and being in that stadium is absolutely the hottest ticket in the city and the state. People make the drive from all over Washington, Idaho, northern CA and the state to be there Friday night and get to the stadium hours before and enjoy Oregon’s football culture. The decimal level inside come kickoff is as loud as they get, per person, in the country. ESPN’s Game Day would not visit as frequently as they have without recognizing the electricity in Autzen on game day.

I’m sure a lot of you will disagree. That’s fine, this is how I see it and from visiting most of these stadiums in the past few years, and comparing to previous visits 10-15 years ago. Husky Stadium rocked like no other in the late 80s, early 90s and obviously is a light whimper the past few seasons. Oregon State used to be a doormat, but now has evolved into a pretty nice program with a rowdy crowd. I think the Pacific Northwest, just has evolved into a real rabid college football area. Places like the Bay Area, Phoenix, LA, have so much other things to take your attention away, which if fine and I’m not bashing it- but the Pacific Northwest is where most of the more crazed football followings occupy. With that said, being back east now for a number of years the west coast deffinatley has a greater following of college football. The mid-Atlantic and northeast is NFL country.   

So as an avid Oregon alum who’s been intimately following the team, traveling the country to see them play for more than 20 years I have to say our looming road trip into SEC country is one of the more exciting road trips in recent memory. Recent road trips to Ann Arbor and Madison have topped my list but this trip should be a lot of fun as we get to experience Neyland Stadium and all the pageantry of Rocky Top football. Before I say anything, I think most Oregon fans have the utmost respect for the tradition of UT and it’s conference. Oregon fans recognize we don’t have hats to hang on national championships or Heisman Trophy winners, that we are still shooting for that.

• I want to know where Tennessee fans see this game, is there an excitement at getting a shot at the defending Pac-10 champions who will probably be ranked in the Top 10? Or is this some no name team from all the way out in the sleepy Pacific Northwest with ugly uniforms, swaggering into Neyland Stadium only to get slapped back to Eugene because the mighty SEC is that good?

I’ll be at the game, and we’ve got a few houseboats where we’ll be starting Thursday afternoon 9/9, establishing the ‘Oregon Navy’. We hope to have a large contingent of Oregon fans greeting our team as they leave Friday’s walkthrough. Should be a great intersectional matchup on national TV.

Having grown up in Eugene, and attending Autzen since back in the Bill Musgrave days (no I’m not so old that I went to games at Hayward field- late 20s here) I can think of memory after memory in Autzen and the crazy scenes. Of course, being in the stands for “The Pick”, or the overtime win over USC with Siegel kicking the game winner to beat Carson Palmer’s Trojans, last year’s Halloween win w/Game Day in town over USC, rushing the field in 2000 after beating highly ranked Washington, or maybe the craziest downpour I’ve ever been in was when Keenan Howry broke up a low scoring defensive battle with Oregon State in the 2001 Civil War and returned the punt for a TD and tipping the momentum as we secured the Pac-10 Title. Those are just a few that come to mind.

WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE’S FAVORITE ROAD TRIP MEMORIES? What’s the best away stadium you’ve ever been too?

Having been to every pac-10 venue but U of A’s in Tucson, I’d have to say Washington’s is a good place to visit when they are relevant. In 2000 I thought I was going to get killed walking out of Recer Stadium after Harrington threw 13 INTs and they beat us to secure a BCS bowl. That was one crazy atmosphere; people were paying hundreds to get in and no joke a friend and I walked right in the visitors entrance. Decked out in Oregon gear, we walked right in- didn’t pay a penny. Nice job OSU on securing those gates.

This year’s Rose Bowl vs. Ohio State was pretty special, game sucked but it was a great environment. Never made it to Norman against Oklahoma. Ann Abor and West Lafayette were great. I’d say the Purdue game was probably the best actual game, as that school was so jacked up to beat Oregon and get a big non—conference win against a highly ranked team on national TV. They had a senior QB/RB, good D back and it was going to be a good year at Purdue. We had a huge tailgate w/other Oregon fans, and all the local radio talked about w/their fans was how much they needed and wanted that game. It was a loud venue, and for 3 ¾ quarters they outplayed us- by a large margin. We came through, they botched a game winning FG and we won in OT.

I’m planning on our D.C. Ducks visit to Knoxville for a 7pm ESPN kickoff as maybe the best place we’ve ever been. The Oregon Navy on the Tennessee River will have a strong presence.

Well, it was a little less sizzle than we all thought it may be but it feels very right. After watching the press conference, I felt good about the guy and his ability to change to culture in Eugene. Oregon, speaking of the state, right now is a college football crazed state. With the success of Oregon State, and Oregon (and even Jerry Glanville shaking things up in Portland with PSU) and the success of some lower tier teams, Oregon is certainly a college football state. It’s not even close.

When the Ducks had Kenyon Wilkins running the show, or Terrell Brandon and more recently with the two Elite 8 teams and what they brought to Mac Court and the Pac-10 year in year out, college basketball was a real challenge for the attention of people in Eugene / Lane County and the entire state. I think with so many years of loosing, and just the bad taste in the mouths of boosters, Oregon alums, and the overall contingent of Oregon followers people are borderline apathetic towards Oregon basketball. Maybe I’m wrong, I’m on the east coast so what do I know. Granted, I do fly home for a football game a year, and always go to 1 or 2 road games and an occasional basketball game, plus with family there in Eugene I think I’ve got my finger on the pulse of Oregon basketball in Eugene, and the state.

Dana Altman built a real strong program in Omaha. Just go look at the Q-West Arena they have in downtown Omaha, and the 13,900 people they average in attendance there. It’s an NBA arena, almost $300mm built in ’03 and it’s a great venue that Altman really was the catalyst to get that done for the city and university. I think the key for him will be keeping Kenny Payne (that’s HUGE), and putting together a staff that can recruit the west coast and certainly nationally as well like we’ve done well.

So with that said, welcome Coach Altman and his family. It sounded like his daughter would finish her sr. year of H.S., then maybe enroll at U of O? Regardless, I really hope we can bring the excitement back to Oregon basketball and capture again the attention of the entire state. His brand of basketball, with an emphasis on full and ½ court traps, dribble drive penetration, and overall team brand basketball should be fun. Ernie Kent was great, and will always have the respect of many Duck faithful, but sometimes change is not such a bad thing. Kudos to Pat K on the hire and his hard work.

Now let's work on getting Duke to come to the Rose Garden, for Kyle Singler, and then maybe I'll fly out and see my first Altman coached Duck squad.

Ok, a diehard Oregon Duck fan that lives and works amongst a ton of Steeler fans here in the Washington D.C. area. Being out here for a few years and being able to follow Pittsburgh’s organization for a while, I can’t but help wonder how Steeler fans feel about Dennis Dixon coming in for up to 6 games while Ben is sitting out his suspension. Now, I really doubt he gets the whole 6 game suspension, if I had to bet it would be 2 or 3 max.

So that leaves you with the veteran QB you just picked up, Dixon and a few other scraps on the table. Charlie Batch doesn’t really count because he’s in bed by 7pm anyways after his pills. (not to bang on Charlie, he’s been a great leader in that locker room, and provided Dennis probably a ton of great advice- he’s just old!)

How do Steeler fans feel about Dennis Dixon? He played pretty well against Baltimore, and if the playbook hadn’t been so tied down I think he goes for more runs like he did on that long TD scamper in Baltimore. Dixon is a very high football IQ kid, works hard, was an Academic All-American, showed up with a smile and I think could hold the ship down just fine while Ben is out and start 2010 off in the right direction. Last thing Steelers need is to go 0-2, 1-2, or 0-3 and get bogged down early in the thick of the playoff race.

So this is coming from a Duck fan, yes a diehard Duck fan who’s curious about something. Before I say anything, kudos to last year’s performance and win against a good TCU team. The Fiesta Bowl was a good game to watch, and a ton of talented athletes who will play on Sundays were all over that field. You guys got us in Eugene, and then in Boise fair and square. I have a lot of respect for what Peterson has continued to build after Hawkins left to Boulder, and he’s a classy guy who’s built something special on the Blue Turf. I hope you guys can put another 20,000 seats in that place, remove the track, and add to the hysteria of your crazed home crowd. I live back east, and attend one or two home Oregon games a year and always go to two away games and I’m always amazed at the smallish nature of our stadium (Autzen, will fill 59,000) but how loud it gets- as I’ve been to places like the Rose Bowl and it’s just not that loud and eclectic like it used to be for UCLA.

But let me get to my question….

I’ve got some great tickets to see you guys come out and play a very good ballclub, in Virginia Tech. Are there a lot of Boise State fans traveling back east to Washington D.C., and filling FedEx field with Bronco Blue & Orange? It’s a long haul, but if you get the chance you should. V-Tech is fired up about this game, and their shot to take the ACC Title and make a run for the national title. They lost a heartbreaker to Alabama last year in the opener down in Atlanta, and their fan base is jacked up about Taylor coming back (their QB) and all the weapons. They have to replace a lot on ‘D’, so you guys should be able to get your savvy QB in rhythm early against the Hokies and control that game. It will be a bee’s nest in FedEx, meaning that place gets loud and it will be sold out and I imagine dominated by Hokie fans. I’m just curious how many Boise State fans will be there, and if there is a buzz among Bronco fans getting back east.  

MY WISH LIST FOR FUTURE OREGON NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS:

1. Maryland Ok, this one is selfish. Living here in the Washington DC metro area, I'd love to see the Ducks come and play in College Park, a decent ACC team. They've been down the past few years, but they did manage to beat CAL in 2008 at home. The Ducks want to recruit in this area and what better exposure. ESPN/ABC loves these inter-sectional games.
2. Virginia Tech Again, it's a team close to us D.C. Ducks (yes, we have a few hundred loyal fans here that gather for big watch parties). There is more to this than Maryland though, a team like the Hokies playing Oregon would garner lots of national attention and it's defense/special teams "Beamer Ball" as they call it in Blacksburg, against the flashy and high octane Ducks. A home and away series would be great; maybe even play the away game at Fed Ex field.
3. Miami/ Florida State/ Florida Any one of these schools would be a great home and away series for Oregon. This has some to do with Oregon's aspiration to recruit in the sunshine state, but also if Oregon could go into one of these places and grab a win, it would go a long way nationally in terms of perception. Much like the game this year in Knoxville, it's huge to be able not just schedule these games but go into vaunted venues and get wins.
4. Texas Oregon has recruited well in Texas (look at the current roster, and incoming recruits) but to be able to get Texas to Autzen stadium would be huge. The chance also, to get a game with the Longhorns in Austin would be a great showcase game.

Honorable Mention: Rutgers, Notre Dame, and Alabama.

I'm a big believer in scheduling one team that you know you will beat (well, not know... but you get the point - a team that your 3rd stringers should get the job done), like some teams from the Sun Belt, or the San Jose States, or New Mexicos of the world. Schedule a second game versus a solid team, a second/third tier program- go and play a Colorado St, or a Kansas. (now, these games are scheduled years in advance, no way to really accurately gauge a programs rise or fall in 3-10 years) And then you schedule a big time game that will surely be on national TV and will generate some national buzz. Get games close to big TV markets, where recruits can see these games and make sure your program stays relevant.

One thing to note is that Oregon is not taking "Pay Day" games anymore. Years past we'd play at Notre Dame, or at Nebraska for the paycheck; meaning- these teams never returned the trip to Eugene. (Rarely, maybe a few trips out there and they came here once.... depends on what teams we are talking about). OREGON STATE does still do these payday games, because athletic directors see no gain in coming to Corvalis, rather they cut a check to the Beavers and tell them to just make the trip to their place (ie: LSU, Penn St.). Kudos to Oregon for having some respect, and demanding teams make the trip back to Eugene on the home/away series.

THOUGHTS?

I can't believe the arrogance of Jim Harbaugh  to run up the score on USC. Did anyone catch the 2pt conversion that they tried with 6min to go in the game, even though they were crushing the Trojans. I cant believe the audacity of this guy.

Now, we all enjoyed the beat down of USC in Autzen (I was there and loved every second of it), but you didnt see Chip Kelly gunning for Pete's throat and keeping the 1st unit in there. This guy is a jerk, and I hope he joins his brother in the NFL.

The players he's got in Palo Alto seem to respond well to Harbaugh, but I really can't stand the guy. His brother is of the same mold (being here in D.C., I get a lot of local Baltimore Raven crap on TV). I hope we don't have to deal with anymore of Harbaugh's antics.

First of all, I’m not here to talk smack or take cheap shots. I respect your football program a lot and it’s hard to come on here and talk trash when you guys have had such a long stranglehold on the conference. Regardless of rumors that football players have been recieving illegal benefits while students at the university, I think for the most part Pete runs a clean shop.  I’ve met him before, he was very cordial and I admire his success in L.A. I mean, for a good long time the Coliseum was destitute and played a really vanilla brand of football, and with Pete’s arrival you guys have been practically unstoppable.

I live back east, and I’m flying out to the game and as a Duck, I’m pretty amped up. The energy will be nuts at Autzen and I’m sure a good number of USC fans will put on a sweatshirt and rain jacket, and head north. (actually, there’s a good shot we’ll play in dry conditions)

I’m curious if any of you have been to Eugene for a game before, and what your past experiences have been like?

For those of you headed to the game, I wish you the best and may the best team that day win. Hopefully we both walk out with no injuries, and represent the Pac-10, and our two respective universities well as the nation’s eye will be keenly focused on this game. You COULD NOT GET any bigger attention than this game. Even when you guys played at Ohio State, there were still some pretty good ball games going on. (the OSU vs. Texas game is big in those two states, and that’s it. I feel like I’m pretty connected in the sport, and all major players will either be in Eugene or glued to a monitor watching Ducks/Trojans. From L.A. to Chicago to NYC this game is on ABC primetime)

I’m not sure I could be jacked for this game. Being in my mid-20’s, all I’ve ever known is USC. I was too young to remember the dominant days of Washington, or when UCLA was relevant.  I’ve been going to games at Autzen since I could walk, and all I remember is when “USC was coming to town with their cheerleaders in sweaters”.

I remember being a little old freshman when Carson Palmer came in and lit us up, I might have been personally responsible as he and I had nice brief of exchange of expletives during pregame warm-ups. And that double overtime win, that ended past midnight during the Joey years was real special.

Plane ticket = $600

Rented car at airport = $100

Game ticket = $200

Chance to heckle USC fans = priceless

 While watching Texas and Oklahoma battle in the classic Red River Shootout, it makes me wonder where exactly Oregon stands in the overall college football footprint, here in the middle of the 2009 year. While every Duck fans would like to think the Ducks are up there with the 1st tier of the college football penthouse, that's not the case.

As an alum, and a native of Eugene and Oregon years ago I've been there for the good and bad. Now, I'm an early 80s baby and I've been in Autzenwhen you could lay down comfortably and I've been there stuffed in the student section when you could barely breath because of how many students were jammed in there. We've come a long way as a football program since the days of Chris Miller and early success of Bill Musgrave. Coach Rich Brooks pushed the Ducks through the door, and they played their hearts out in '94 in the Rose Bowl against a stacked Penn St team, and then of course Coach Mike Bellotti took the program to unprecedented heights and flirted with national championship aspirations.

Bottom line, is that the Ducks are not close to cracking that 1st tier yet. They are more well known for funky uniforms and fancy facilities from Uncle Phil than anything else. Chip Kelly in August said it great, paraphrasing what he said- is that Oregon wants to be known for it's product on the field, not what they are wearing. The tradition is just not there, but it's going to get there with consistent winning. We are not Penn State, we're not Florida, ect... but there is space to carve out our own space in the college football upper echelon.

Being a mid-sized university of 20,000 hurts a little bit. Those bigger schools have much bigger alumni bases (Phil is one guy), meaning much larger donor bases with more resources.  Oregon is no hot bed for D-1 football recruits. Being close to California helps, certainly.  With the emergence of Boise State, and now competent leadership up in Seattle for UDUB will make getting 4/5 star guys a little tougher. Those are just two examples, but the point is that there are a lot of programs trying to pillage the Golden State.

The Ducks are close. They just need to win a Rose Bowl or two, and get to a title game. Look at Virginia Tech- a perfect carbon copy of how to do it. A staff that sticks around, add seats to the stadium, and find some fertile recruiting grounds that you can dominate or at least get your fair share of elite athletes, and schedule big time non-conference games to keep your name relevant. That's a rabid fan base that rivals any SEC school's and they are here to stay.

I'd say Oregon is in that second tier of schools that are just scratching at the chance to make a splash nationally. The loss in Boise hurt, it hurt really bad. But these '09 Ducks are clawing back and have regained the respect of national college football pundits. (lots of talk on the east coast back here of how the Ducks have shown a lot of resiliency)  Oregon sits in a great spot, depending on Masoli's health, to control their own destiny and smell some roses. Might be getting ahead of myself a bit, but on a bye week I guess that's alright.

In conclusion, just want to reiterate how far this program has come. Anyone remember the days of listening to Jerry on the radio because none of Oregon's games on the road were ever televised. I remember Some ugly games at Autzen growing up, but to have come as far as this program has- it's a special thing. Go Ducks, and let's meet up in Seattle to put those dogs in their place. GO DUCKS!