Saturday is Utah v. Oregon. You remember these teams, right? Last year’s #2 and #9 ranked squads? September 19th was supposed to be something of a titanic clash between two teams that have risen from college football’s scrap pile over the last 15 years. But in just two weeks, a couple of confident fanbases have become a sad sight of uncertainty.
We’ve seen Oregon twice and the results make us nervous. Utah stumbled their way into less-than-spectacular wins over Utah State and San Jose State leaving Ute Nation (is it nation? Do you guys consider yourself a nation?) slightly unimpressed with themselves.
The unnerving events of weeks one and two have dropped expectations for both sides and we’re just trying to grasp what it all means. We’re even saying the same things (from Utah fan site blocku.com):
There was just too much turnover on the offensive side of the ball to justify extremely high expectations. But I’m not sure we expected it to be this bad. Yes, they’re undefeated and hold the nation’s longest winning streak, but it feels like the other shoe is about to drop on the season.
Okay, the whole winning streak/undefeated thing doesn’t apply to Oregon, but don’t you kind of feel the same way?
Still, the results of Saturday are going to leave one group feeling a lot better. The other? Nothing short of Tony Robbins could rehab the collective psyche of the losing fan base.
It’s amazing how quickly moods can change. All it took was two weeks to unravel a mountainous level of confidence. Back and forth trash talk between schools is at an absolute minimum. Boise State, this is not. We’re all so worried about our own problems, who has the time to point out the faults of others?
Sure, Utah is bumbling around (5 turnovers in two games) shooting themselves in the foot, but so is Oregon. And if we try to point out that the Utes struggled with San Jose State, it’s not like the Ducks won anyone over with a two point home win over Purdue. Go ahead and highlight a key injury (RB Matt Asiata) to last year’s Sugar Bowl champions and they’ll point right back at TJ Ward.
Point is, we have two teams that need to prove something to themselves and to their fans. Only one is going to leave Saturday feeling a little more self-assured. The other, well, only Tony Robbins can unleash the power within.
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Last year was last year. This is college, not the pros. Kids go through college and then are gone. New kids come on and grow and become our new stars. That’s one of the best things about college football. People, forget our pre-season ranking. It was pure speculative hype. We were not the #16 team in the country. Embrace the team as it is.
My advice to Duck fans who are still hurting is simple. Let go of the top 10 dream for this year. Let go of the Rose Bowl dream for this year. We are not a top 10 team and we are not going to the Rose Bowl. Love the team for what it is. Root for the young players to develop. Hope we make it to a bowl game. Hope we upset somebody along the way. Imagine what the next three years could be like wth our freshman running backs!
The UO is not a football machine. The media told us it was and we believed it. That is our bad, not the players. It is all about mindset. If a person has the mindset that we are supposed to be great then this season will be very frustrating. If a person believes that we are a young team that will have to scramble for any wins then each game is an opportunity. Go Ducks!!
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I’m with you on resetting expectations…easier said than done, though.
I think if you asked Chip Kelly, the athletic department, Phil Knight and so on, they want those expectations. The money, the marketing and the attitude all suggest this is a program committed to being a football machine. It’s hard for fans to see all that and not feel a heightened sense of expectations.
More than anything, i thought it was an interesting scenario for this game given that two upstart programs coming off great years are both feeling a little unsure of themselves after rocky starts.
Here’s an interesting article on the rise of both programs and some of the similarities going back to 1994. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705330389/Utah-Utes-football-Win-at-Oregon-helped-Utah-finish-with-top-10-ranking.html
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Thanks for the article. Agreed that Phil Knight is a great force but we’re not USC, Florida, Oklahoma, etc. I mean look at USC. They have a freshman at QB and he is doing great. That is the level of talent that they get. Teams like USC really do reload, not rebuild. Uncle Phil may wish we were there, and he may try to spend us to that point, but we are not there *yet*. I’m as guilty as anyone. I was figuring we’d be top 10 for the showdown with Cal and then UO vs USC would be #3 vs #1. I fell for the hype. But if the players aren’t there – and they aren’t – then all that does is lead to disappointment. I’m going the realistic route and I’ll be happier that way.
Still, I think we beat Utah and continue to improve. Love your blog Nick!
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Agree all-around. What’s exciting is that we have people that want us to be there, will invest in getting there and are driven to make sure it happens.
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So what it comes down to is this [Ive been saying this a long time] on any given day any team can and will beat any other team regardless of any stats or hype put out there by the media or anyone else. And irregardless of what they or the opposing team have done in the past. Its all up to what the two teams do at the moment the game is played. GO!!!! DUCKS!!!! [I've been watching/playing this game since the early 60s]
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You played in a leather helmet, right?
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I wish I had been that smart. but alas I played with no helmet same with hocky I know. Im lucky to be alive.But so are most of the kids growing up in the 50s and 60s
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Go Ducks!!! Beat Utah!
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By the way we saw several people wearing T-shirts at the last game that said:
Don’t talk shit
Don’t get hit
Gotta love the Duck fans!
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That’s awesome. I hadn’t heard that. Good comment on a day where I got lazy.
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