Whatta ya thinkin'?
UO has won 4 of last five in Pullman, but all 4 victories have literally come down to the last play. I have followed both teams for years and I have never been so unsure about either team this far into the season. Still don't know exactly how good/bad either is. Oregon is deeper and has a much better O Line (when they play well) but WSU has a better D I think. WSU hasn't really beaten anyone of significance (though turns out the Baylor team they squeaked by is probably better than the Fresno State team UO squeaked by) but was with Auburn for three quarters, USC for 4 and despite only scoring 3 against Cal in 21-3 loss, was more competitive against the Bears that UO was (Cougs were still in game late in 3rd, 1st and goal at 5. Got nothin). If Oregon plays their best they probably win, but if they don't I think it's up in the air.
I will be at the game, how 'bout you? Have you put together an expedition team to make the trek to Pullman?
Jay, UO @ WSU
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Q, West Coast Style
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My lead sled dog suffered a nasty cut on her paw and my Eskimo trail guide isn't returning my smoke signals so, no, I don't think I'll be able to find my way up there this weekend.
Fresno State turned out to be a dog, but its mental more than anything. They went in the tank after they lost to us (remember, they started off with a 10 point win at Nevada), and I don't care how bad they are, a Pac-10 team playing at Fresno gets their best effort.
But, Oregon is clearly the better team this year. I wouldn't think that "hanging with" Auburn or USC, this year, is anything worth hanging your hat on. Auburn was pretty much controlled by Arkansas, and SC hasn't put away ANY Pac-10 opponent before the 4th quarter. That includes Washington, Arizona, and an Arizona State team that we beat by 35 in their own place.
Oregon laid an egg at Cal, but it was pretty much an aberration. Cal was jacked to the moon, and we turned the ball over for a TD on our first possesion. 4 turnovers and a punt returned for a TD against us, and we lost by 21. We never matched their intensity and couldn't get anything going.
Coming into this year, the first half of our schedule looked brutal. Stanford, @ Fresno State, Oklahoma, @ ASU, @ Cal, UCLA. Most pegged us for 3-3, or 4-2 if we played our best. Well, say what you want about it, but we came out of it 5-1.
I know you follow UO a bit, so I'm sure you also know about the ridiculous number of injuries we've had this year, on defense. Our D has been paper thin all year, and really doing a pretty good job overall. We've been weak against the run, but strong against the pass, but I don't think WSU has the ground game to take advantage of our depleted D-line (which might be getting some needed help soon).
Honestly, this game and USC look like the last games we could possibly lose on our schedule. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried that we could lose this game. But, I still expect us to win.
I don't know that beating you 4 of the last 5, up there, really means all that much. We just happened to have the better team most of those years, just like you had a better team than us the last time we played in Eugene.
But, it does seem like your record and the lack of offense has had an effect on your attendance. Sounds like you had a pretty poor crowd showing for a highly ranked Cal team, last week. You think you'll have a good crowd there on Saturday?
Fresno State turned out to be a dog, but its mental more than anything. They went in the tank after they lost to us (remember, they started off with a 10 point win at Nevada), and I don't care how bad they are, a Pac-10 team playing at Fresno gets their best effort.
But, Oregon is clearly the better team this year. I wouldn't think that "hanging with" Auburn or USC, this year, is anything worth hanging your hat on. Auburn was pretty much controlled by Arkansas, and SC hasn't put away ANY Pac-10 opponent before the 4th quarter. That includes Washington, Arizona, and an Arizona State team that we beat by 35 in their own place.
Oregon laid an egg at Cal, but it was pretty much an aberration. Cal was jacked to the moon, and we turned the ball over for a TD on our first possesion. 4 turnovers and a punt returned for a TD against us, and we lost by 21. We never matched their intensity and couldn't get anything going.
Coming into this year, the first half of our schedule looked brutal. Stanford, @ Fresno State, Oklahoma, @ ASU, @ Cal, UCLA. Most pegged us for 3-3, or 4-2 if we played our best. Well, say what you want about it, but we came out of it 5-1.
I know you follow UO a bit, so I'm sure you also know about the ridiculous number of injuries we've had this year, on defense. Our D has been paper thin all year, and really doing a pretty good job overall. We've been weak against the run, but strong against the pass, but I don't think WSU has the ground game to take advantage of our depleted D-line (which might be getting some needed help soon).
Honestly, this game and USC look like the last games we could possibly lose on our schedule. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried that we could lose this game. But, I still expect us to win.
I don't know that beating you 4 of the last 5, up there, really means all that much. We just happened to have the better team most of those years, just like you had a better team than us the last time we played in Eugene.
But, it does seem like your record and the lack of offense has had an effect on your attendance. Sounds like you had a pretty poor crowd showing for a highly ranked Cal team, last week. You think you'll have a good crowd there on Saturday?
Bottom line is, that Fresno played one hell of a game, regardless what they've done since.JayDuck wrote: Fresno State turned out to be a dog, but its mental more than anything. They went in the tank after they lost to us (remember, they started off with a 10 point win at Nevada), and I don't care how bad they are, a Pac-10 team playing at Fresno gets their best effort.
And caused more than one of those teams to suffer a downward-turning-point in the process.Coming into this year, the first half of our schedule looked brutal. Stanford, @ Fresno State, Oklahoma, @ ASU, @ Cal, UCLA. Most pegged us for 3-3, or 4-2 if we played our best. Well, say what you want about it, but we came out of it 5-1.
Walter Thurmond has sure been a lifesaver. Dexter Manley Part Deaux has been having a great year, as well. And Blair Phillips...when Haberly went down, Blair just decided he'd play two positions at once...outstanding year so far.the ridiculous number of injuries we've had this year, on defense. Our D has been paper thin all year, and really doing a pretty good job overall.
Meant something to me.I don't know that beating you 4 of the last 5, up there, really means all that much.
Sin,
Onterrio Smith
:shocker:We just happened to have the better team most of those years
Sounds like you had a pretty poor crowd showing for a highly ranked Cal team, last week. You think you'll have a good crowd there on Saturday?
It's apple-picking season...they're busy.
I got 99 problems but the 'vid ain't one
Here's why I don't put too much stock into how crappy Fresno State has been this year, since our game.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2631604
Fresno State played us tough. And, we didn't play badly. I've seen all of our games and I know we played alright in that game. Fresno State, on that day, was a better team than UCLA was last Saturday, or ASU was a few weeks ago. They were a lot closer to Oklahoma, in fact, than to UCLA or ASU.
I'm not saying that they are great, or even good but they, clearly, packed in their season after that game.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2631604
That's the mentality they had, coming into the year."I'm more convinced of it now than ever," Hill said. "This BCS thing is a joke. Until the playoff stage comes to football, it's very unfair to see the playoffs start on Labor Day weekend. Everything is based on being perfect. TCU goes into the season 12-1. They've lost two games; their season's over. We lose to Oregon and our season was over, really, in the eyes of a lot of people.
Fresno State played us tough. And, we didn't play badly. I've seen all of our games and I know we played alright in that game. Fresno State, on that day, was a better team than UCLA was last Saturday, or ASU was a few weeks ago. They were a lot closer to Oklahoma, in fact, than to UCLA or ASU.
I'm not saying that they are great, or even good but they, clearly, packed in their season after that game.
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Vito Corleone
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One thing brought up that I think plays into a playoff series. When an elite team loses an early game it pretty much means they have no chance to make it to the BCS championship.
That can take away incentive for fans to go to games especially fans that have no ties to the school outside of love for the teams success.
The thing that bugs me about the season long playoff argument is that people know that a game in the NBA is 1/82 of the season and doesn't mean much, a MLB game is 1/132 of a season and means even less yet fans still go. A football game is 1/12 of the season and still means a lot. Not to mention a top 16 playoff still means that you don't have to be perfect to get in but you still have to win 8 games or better. The season is still extremely important and will keep the fans coming out during the season.
But the thing that will make everyone happy is that playoff will probably double or even triple what every conference takes home from the bowls games.
That can take away incentive for fans to go to games especially fans that have no ties to the school outside of love for the teams success.
The thing that bugs me about the season long playoff argument is that people know that a game in the NBA is 1/82 of the season and doesn't mean much, a MLB game is 1/132 of a season and means even less yet fans still go. A football game is 1/12 of the season and still means a lot. Not to mention a top 16 playoff still means that you don't have to be perfect to get in but you still have to win 8 games or better. The season is still extremely important and will keep the fans coming out during the season.
But the thing that will make everyone happy is that playoff will probably double or even triple what every conference takes home from the bowls games.
M Club wrote:I've seen Phantom Holding Calls ruin a 7-5 team's undefeated season.