A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Oregon opens its season at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, and the Ducks should win – but it won’t be easy.
The opponent, defending Conference USA champ Houston, features 16 returning starters, but not the most important one: quarterback. A redshirt freshman and a sophomore could see action, and the Ducks and the crowd should feast on the newbies.
Barring injuries and turnovers, the UO offense could be downright scary. Quarterback Dennis Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart have transcendental talent.
Then again, the defense also could be downright scary – in a bad way. Expect the secondary to be among the Pac-10’s best, but the front could cave in unless it comes up with some hearty performances against the run. Oregon coaches like the unit’s spirit, but will the defense be soft?
Oregon could do very well with the Pac-10’s most advantageous schedule. The Ducks have been looking forward to 2007.
It starts Saturday, a game the Ducks should not blow, à la the 2004 Indiana debacle.
THE PICK: Oregon 38, Houston 17
– Jason Vondersmith
Well Fisch, I guess the Ducks underperformed when they trounced the over-acheiving Beav's 56-14 at Autzen. And yes the Beav's escaped with a win in Cheese Stadium last yr, due to the Ducks missing 3 chip shot field goals.
I would predict the Ducks will be pretty good this yr, probably good enough to crush the Beav's again at Autzen
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 01:24 AM
Rory, you obviously forgot the 50-21 pounding the Overrated Ducks received in 04. By the end of third quarter the Ducks were dropping 7-8 guys into coverage and still couldn't stop the pass.
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 03:37 AM
Rory,
Escaped with a win? Well that may be true but what is your excuse for your Bowl performance??? Not just last year but the last 5 or 6. Ducks are underachievers plain and simple no other way to spin it!!!
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 03:38 AM
As a Duck fan I can admit that the OSU staff gets more out of their talent than the the UO staff gets out of theirs. I don't think that athletes and assistant coaches are held accountable for their failings at Oregon.
Hopefully, that has started to change with the turnover in the coaching staff and Chip Kelly's more demanding demeanor. Now if only something could be done about Nick Allioti...
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 05:40 AM
Typical Beaver BS. OVERRATED? Last I read we're rated 6th in the Pac 10. Geez, the media is just jocking us and how good we are. The Beavers showed a lot of heart last yr and got themselves a 10 win season. Hey, even Golden State makes the playoffs once a decade. We tanked with more talent on defense than we have this yr but don't underestimate the value of a seasoned, senior QB. Remember Moore's Junior season? Yeah, nuff said. An extra yr under Dixon's belt, a better grasp of the system, and the mental capacity to overcome adversity (ala Oklahoma, controversy or not) in addition to our bi annual PacTen HOME schedule will net us AT LEAST 3 more wins this yr and a possible Conference Championship. See you losers at Autzen December FIRST!
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 05:49 AM
You're right SUXA$$, i don't remember losing to Beav's by 50-21. Doesn't matter though cuz I was responding to Fisch's position that Ducks are overated, yet we still POUNDED the CRAP out of the Beavers 56-14 in 05 at Autzen. I think we will likely B'Slap them again in 07. I'll even through out a final score, something like 48-14. Ducks may score more than that, but Beav's will likely not.
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 10:02 AM
You may win the game at Autzen but to say that Pathetic Ducks defense will hold us to 14 points is just STUPID!!!! Unless we have MAJOR injuries to our O-line and Bernard, we wont score less than 21 on the Ducks Defense. This game will come down to Beavers Defense versus Oregon Offense, and as most football commentators say, I would take a good Defense over a good Offense any day.
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 10:56 AM
Much ado about Nothing! How many 10 win seasons in Oregon's History? I believe two or three. How many 10 win seasons in Michigan's History. I believe 4 or 5 this decade. Need I say more. Oregon is nothing but a bunch of wana-bees who can't make the jump to the bigtime, but run around like they just won the national title. I see another 7-5 or maybe even 8-4 if Stewart stays healthy. Once again, Much ADO about Nothing!
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 03:44 PM
over rated we where 1st in yards per game at 421 per game. we had a bunch of injures on defense also gary crowton did not give the ball enough to jon stew and j johnson. we are the most under rated team in the nation
we will be the most improved team in the pac 10 i say we will be 10-2 and go the holiday bowl. plus we will blow the beavers out at home and they will not go to a bowl because of the loss to us.
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 06:02 PM
Didn't anyone see the recent ESPN study looking at the last ten seasons? They compared pre-season polls to post-season polls. It showed Oregon was the 3rd most UNDERRATED team in the nation. The PAC-10 was by far the most underrated conference.
(email verified)
Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 12:55 AM
David Reeve, 421 yards a game accounted for a 7-6 record and a blow out loss to BYU. You don't deserve respect after a season like that. And when did you start playing for the U of O? Can we make a calling on saying "we" with teams we root for?
I will never call the ducks "overrated." The more accurate word is underachieving.
You are all smoking crack if you think that U of O will blow out OSU this year. I'm not going to say that the Beavs will win this game (its still 12 games away) but it won't be like that debacle in 2005. OSU may have the same defense playing that visited Autzen that horrible Saturday afternoon but they are better. I'm not sure about the ducks.
(email verified)
Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 01:35 AM
Well, since there has not been a live game snap yet, I will add my unwarranted two cents to this argument.
I am sure that U of O will be better than I want them to be, that is for sure. I don't think Stewart was hurt much last year, he just didn't get the ball much. Plus, their other running back, Jeremiah, is pretty dang good as well.
Also, as a Beaver Fan, I have to stand up for this truth, even it if is terms of the Ducks. The Ducks have had good talent the last decade, and recruiting classes tend to take a few years to be stars, even at USC and UO. Many of those guys that were in the recruiting class two years ago are just now getting their chance to play and contribute. So before we make fun of any drafting... I mean recruiting classes, we should wait until their gone as seniors.
As for the Ducks defense, unfortunately that is what wins games. If they have a soft front, especially in the Pac 10, there will be a lot of struggles they will have to deal with and their Defensive Backs, though talented may not look so great as they will be burdened with way to much of the load.
I personally hope that both the defense and the offense are pedestrian at best and that they lose every game by 40 points (and the Civil War by 80). I am also not that dumb. I think the Ducks will be scary this year and that besides breaking the home team Civil War victory streak (Go Beavers!) they will probably win most of their games.
And Houston probably has no chance, unless the Duck defense is beyond poor.
But I guesS I can only dream...
(email verified)
Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 02:01 AM
And apparently I should spell check what I write.
(email verified)
Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 02:06 AM
Can there be a Beaver out there that can just keep there mouth shut and not jump on any chance to trash talk the Ducks. Please, just mind your own business, focus on your own team and don't interupt Duck fan who want to be excited about they're team with some short man syndrome, chip on your shoulder BS, I'm just tired of it! Get a life!
(email verified)
Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 06:43 AM
To Beav 415 and other Beav's, "WE" Ducks will always speak in teims of 'we" when discussing "our" team, if you guys don't like it "TUFF SHEEP DIP". It's our team, we'll adress it anyway we wish.
As for whoever above said defense wins games, not really. Scoring more points wins games. "We've" won a lotta games over the years with just mediocre defenses. Besides, a lot of scoring on both sides makes for exciting football.
And you Beav;s must be smoking sheep dip if you think you're going to hang with the Ducks at Autzen. This is potentially the best offense the Ducks have ever had, talent all over the field. I just don't see it being close in Dec. In the mean time, I actually pull for the Beav's the rest of the season, have many friends who are Beav's. So I hope you have a good season. I just like to tweak the Beaver crazies that come to these forums spouting off as if your Beav's are God's gift to football. HAVE FUN!!!
(email verified)
Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 09:57 AM
Come on Rory, read your last post again and don't tell me how cheesy it sounds. I love the sheep joke though. I haven't heard that one before.
Why are some of you duck fans so sensitive to Beaver fans giving you such a bad time about an article that is proclaiming the "UO offense too good?" Is the UO team (the fans being the team) so sensitive that they can't take a ribbing from their kissing cousins to the north? Your team of fans is really turning into Huskies really quick. Arrogant, thick headed and no sense of humor.
My outsider opinion (which no duck fan can stand because they can't take criticism) is the ducks have always had the talent on offense but what's more important is team cohesion which got off to a pretty bad start when your coach (your right Rory, it does sound better giving your fans the ownership of this team, especially its classy head man) throws your most talented player under the bus for missing summer workouts. What your team has to do this season is get over its ego problem before they will ever be a force in the Pac-10. Maybe it will happen and if it does your team will be scary good on offense. Hopefully the duck team will keep its team of fans separate from its actual players so the arrogance doesn't rub off to the guys playing the game on the field.
And I never root for UO and I am proud of that.
(email verified)
Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 12:52 PM
A recent Sports Illustrated article ranked the most overrated and underrated teams as well as conferences over the past 10 years. This was based on media predictions vs. how the team actually fared. The PAC-10 was the #1 most underrated conference while the Big-12 was the most overrated. The Ducks were #3 most underrated (that's 'under' Beavo Nation). Wash. St. was the #1 most underrated.
Our friends in Seattle were in the top 5 for most overrated.
Utah 24, OSU 17
(email verified)
Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 05:50 AM
Chris Fischer is a H O M O riffic M an beaver lover
(email verified)
Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 10:10 AM
I've grew up in Oregon and really miss the duck and beaver sports there, which brings me to this point.
"when are you duck and beaver fans ever going to grow up and quit fighting like little children? You should be cheering each other on and be proud to be from the great state of Oregon. I am and cheer for both sides.
(email verified)
Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 10:33 AM
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Re: UO offense too good
Wasn't their offense good last year, too? Dixon, flakey, Stewart, fragile. OVERRATED! How is it that the Ducks have had arguably the second or third best recruiting classes in the past few years( certainly the best in school history) and fall flat on their faces, while OSU has far less distinguished classes, yet rises to the occasion? What were the ducks offensive stats for last year, where did they rank(nationally and PAC 10), and what was the end result? How much talent is returning this year? OVERRATED!
"Chris Fischer"
(email verified)
Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 12:11 AM