FALL APPROACHES
Fall approaches! I know this because I am beginning to get excited about college football. My Oregon Ducks look to have a pretty good season.
The teams to beat in the Pacific-10 Conference this year look to be USC (as usual) and Cal-Berkeley, with Oregon and Oregon State not far behind. Arizona isn't bad, and Stanford brings back a lot of players from last year. UCLA and Arizona State look to be competitive as well. That kind of leaves the two Washington schools (UW and WSU) fighting to stay out of the cellar? Who knows! We'll just have to see what happens.
What I like about Oregon's Pac-10 schedule this year is that they get USC, Cal and Oregon State on their home field in Eugene (Autzen Stadium).
What I don't like about the schedule is that they have two extremely difficult non-conference opponents in Boise State and Utah... in fact, those might be two of the Ducks' toughest opponents all season!
But I like Oregon's chances for having a good conference season and for getting to a high-profile bowl game.
Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli got into a great groove last year and started gaining some national attention as a multi-faceted athlete who can run and throw with the best. Running back LaGarrette Blount is incredible; he simply mows people over, pushes them out of his way, or hurdles them. It will be fun to see what new coach Chip Kelly can do this year; he was the offensive coordinator last year before taking over as head coach when Mike Bellotti stepped down.
Oregon has enough defensive backs returning to make their pass defense pretty good, and they have added a transfer linebacker named Littlejohn who is supposed to be very good as well. Their question marks are on the offensive and defensive lines, but if either or both of those turn out to be any good at all.... the Ducks will fly in 2009!
Predictions? Blount will run for over a thousand yards, and he will have at least a dozen touchdowns. Masoli will end up getting Heisman Trophy consideration; he won't beat out the media darlings like Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow, but he will be noticed. Oregon will finish the season with a 7-2 record in their conference, and a 9-3 record overall. They will be third in the Pac-10, and they will go to a good bowl game.
And best of all, they will crush the OSU Beavers in Eugene! Heh!
First things first, though... they have to play Boise State on the hideous blue turf of Bronco Stadium. I don't think UO is going to get out of Boise with a win. But after wins at home against Purdue and a tough Utah team, they will be ready for Pac-10 play.
And right here in La Grande we have the Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers, who play at the NAIA level in the Frontier Conference. EOU is the only non-Montana school in the league, so the road trips are long and brutal. I will be at the home opener September 5 against Rocky Mountain College of Billings, MT. And I believe J. Marquis will be there too! 8-)
Go Ducks! Go Mounties!
15 Comments:
And I will definitely be rooting for the Boise State Broncos to beat Oregon State.
I would comment, but since I know squat about college football, I would just feel like an idiot if I said something like "The Buckeyes will beat your asses!"
So I won't say it.
I'm psyched for my Nebraska Cornhuskers. After a few years in the wilderness, I think we're poised for a really good season this year. Not sure about conference championship, however...
Mr. Snave! You are killing me! My beloved OSU Beavers will surely hand you a defeat just like they did to the evil USC Trojans when they were #1 in the nation last year. The quack attack dies this year! :) I agree that Boise State and Utah look to be tough too though.
Oops, I was given bad info. The Ducks are the ones playing Boise State. I'll be supporting U of O in that contest.
Paine, Paine... it figures you would be a Beav. Are you an alum? And aren't all people who went to OSU hardcore conservatives?
Just kidding, LOL! The only time I cheer against the Beavs is when they are playing Oregon. I loved it a while back with they crushed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. That was a great moment for the state of Oregon and for the Pacific NW!
Just remember, those tough teams the Ducks play, with the exception of Boise State, are coming to Eugene. OSU gets all those tough games... on the road! This year I am LOVING the schedule makers. Now if it will just work out the way things like that should... Heh!
What will beat Oregon in Boise next Thursday is the absurd blue "smurf turf" of Bronco Stadium. The Duck players will be so appalled by it, they will simply stand on the field slack-jawed as the Broncos run wild in the first quarter.
I know what you mean, Dave. The 'Huskers will be better this year and they are going to kick a few teams' butts!
Snave, my engineering responsibilities include Salt Lake and Boise. Accordingly, I was in Boise all last week and all they can talk about is the impending decimation of the evil Ducks! Everywhere I went, the talk was of this upcoming event. I think if U of O happens to pull out a win, Boise State fans may commit mass hari kari! :)
As for my beloved Beavers, we Corvallis conservatives fear no rabid commie water fowl! :)
Splash, my mother-in-law would love you for your Huskers, if not your politics. Last time they came to visit, she had a Huskers bandana on her German Sheperd. Amusing but twisted, in my opinion!
No, no mass harikari in Boise... it is far too nice a town! Even though Republican candidates win elections in Idaho by about 70+% to 30% or less, in Boise things aren't quite that unbalanced. Boise has lots of good people, and it is a friendly small city. I wouldn't mind living there. Paine, I think you are lucky to be able to work in the areas you do!
The blue turf? That's something else... Like former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling and like Reser in Corvallis, the smurf turf is part of a vast right wing sports conspiracy. 8-)
One of my favorite bands of all time, Built To Spill, is from Boise. I've never been there, but it can't be all bad if BTS still lives there after all these years.
And Paine, yeah, your mom-in-law's dog would not be alone in wearing Husker attire. I have seen some Nebraska dogs in some very weird Husker garb.
It won't be long, will it. I just hope the Mizzou Tigers do well this year. I think they will. Seems like sports commentators always want to favour Oklahoma or the Texas teams (and sometimes Kansas--why I don't know....), but Missouri had surprised them the past few years....
I don't follow sports much, but I agree about Fall. Whatever the calendar says, sometime around mid or late August it starts to feel like Fall.
Go Utes! (From your old pal T&A)
Scheise! The Utes!! How you been, by the way?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ouch!It must suck being in weak conference like the PAC-10! Isn't time to abolish the BCS? :)
Post a Comment
<< Home