• I have to strongly disagree with one writer’s contention that fans and media saw Chip Kelly as an underwhelming replacement for Mike Bellotti. Way off. I even nervously wrote that I thought Kelly would become a coaching legend, this while his record was still 0-0.
• Academics are going to get in the way of Oregon’s preparations what with school starting on Monday. If the NCAA has taught me anything, it’s that you can do whatever you want and not get punished for a BCS bowl game, so I say hire someone to do all the course work for these guys and let them focus on the game (OTP has gone morally bankrupt in its pursuit of a win).
• West Virginia’s Noel Devine has torched Auburn in the past and Tiger players say LaMichael James is a reminder of that. I’ve always thought of Devine as more of a speedster that goes east-west a lot, but lacks the inside power game. I could be wrong, but that’s been my impression.
• I never even considered Oregon houses divided between Ducks and Tigers, but they’re out there. Makes you wonder if there are similar families in Alabama.
• Oregon ain’t the favorite, what with there being an ESS EEE CEE team on the other side. But Ducks, you’re still the favorite in OTP’s heart so you got that going for ya.
• Football teams make a lot of money. This we already know. But to be fair, it’s the equivalent of a contractor using undocumented workers and paying them $2 an hour. Anyone can make money under those circumstances.
• The Wall Street Journal notes that black quarterbacks are having a banner year. I hadn’t even noticed or thought about it until this article. That’s the way it should be, of course, but given the history of the position, this title game does have some cultural significance.
• The Bud Light Fiesta will be held all week leading up to the game and is staged by an Oregon company. ESPN will broadcast from the site as it goes through its 4 billion hours of coverage (95% of which I will watch).
• Mike Bellotti says most players in the game were recruited by him and that Chip Kelly was a hand-picked successor. He also would like to think he’d be coaching a national championship team if he were still there. Bellotti loves Oregon and there’s no reason to try and knock him down, but I just don’t see it.
• Eddie Pleasant could be an important player in containing Cam Newton. I’d agree with that. Pleasant has never really impressed me in pass coverage, but as a run stopper, he’s right at home. He seems like the right kind of athlete to keep an eye on the Heisman trophy winner.

• Yes, the mysterious case of Lee Corso’s disappearing head was indeed solved yesterday afternoon and a couple UO dropouts now face felony charges. Is this really that serious? Sounds like some people need to lighten up just a little.
• Holy crap, Oregon has the play against the best player in the history of the greatest conference ever known to man! So screwed.
• Chip Kelly received one prestigious coach of the year award yesterday, but not the one that pays him $25,000 so that payday still lingers. In other news, I am seriously starting an activist group to consolidate all these awards. We’ll call it, “The Awards Are Too Damn Many” party.
• Heisman ballots continue to be updated at stiffarmtrophy.com. As of this writing, LaMichael James is narrowly holding onto second place. And oh by the way, you already know this, but James is going to be in New York as a finalist.
• How about this piece of news from yesterday? The final BCS standings were wrong. The error effected the 10th and 11th ranked teams so no big deal, but it speaks to the greatergianthugemonolithicextreme joke that is this system.
• Wow. Wisconsin’s student newspaper is not afraid to name names when it comes to students buying Rose Bowl tickets for a quick profit. It’s so Old Testament in a gentle, no one gets hurt kind of way. I like it!
• George Schroeder chased down some perspective from Mike Bellotti. One wouldn’t blame Bellotti for feeling a little left out right now, but he seems happy for all his old colleagues and players.
• Oh Eugene, I love you. Some dude in Lane County changed his name to Captain Awesome.
• Double jinx! Cam Newton and LaMichael James grace regional covers of SI. After the game, one fan base will say it was the SI cover jinx that beat them because people like to believe in crazy things that take the light off bad performances.
• The always entertaining list of bowl game swag is out. Sign me up for the Sun Bowl’s Helen of Troy hair dryer, which I thought was funny. But then WOTB says, “That’s a good brand.” So maybe it’s not so ba– no, that’s a terrible gift.

Duck fans were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of Glendale danced in their heads.
With coaches done planning, Kelly in his visor
Had settled his mind, knowing he was the wiser.

UPDATE: I enjoyed the first few lines of that so much, I went and wrote some more.

• If you turned off the Oregon basketball game at halftime, I’m not blaming you. But you did miss a fun second half. This is the part where I overreact to one game and begin to believe that the Ducks are back. Yep, I’m in, Dana Altman. You got me.
• Larry Scott, along with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, is concerned about the Cam Newton ruling. That sounds like someone is advocating for a certain school on probation that is currently hoping for a successful appeal.
• With all the frustration some have expressed over the Pac-10′s nine game conference schedule, you have to love Chip Kelly waving his hand and effectively saying, “shut it.” Winning six games isn’t that hard. Oregon State knows it should have beat teams like WSU and UCLA. Teams like Cal and ASU could have easily won one more game. Don’t blame your schedule.
• Speaking of ASU, the Sun Devils got their sixth win last night but have to petition for a waiver to be bowl eligible. Everyone says it has little chance of success, but they’re all forgetting that Tom Hansen doesn’t run this conference anymore. There’s actually an effective advocate at the league office now. Sure, there are enough eligible teams to fill all bowls, but the Pac-10 has a lot of tie-ins not getting what they expected. I wouldn’t be surprised if the money people made something happen.
• The Maehl man delivers. You’ve got…Maehl. Next year, the Maehl comes on Sunday. Maehl me a touchdown, I want one. Oh, you get the point. The man’s name is punny. Hahahahaha. See what I did there? Aside from a useful name, Jeff Maehl is going down as one of the greatest receivers in Oregon history and already owns some impressive school records.
• Dwight Jaynes and I agree. It’s hard to find a way Oregon State wins this game. Since we’re both so smart, you can start calling me The Godfather, Too. Oh my, that was really pathetic, Nick.
• There is little chance LaMichael James wins the Heisman. If they’d just read my case for LaHeisman, they’d all change their minds.
• Apparently, the Cougars need to win on Saturday to save Paul Wulff’s job. That’ll be a national story.
• Thought this Forbes articles was interesting. If Oregon and Auburn play each other, it’s Nike vs. Under Armour.
• Good ol’ Mike Bellotti. There isn’t a job he won’t talk about. Everyone else shrinks into a corner when their name gets mentioned. Bellotti runs to a podium and asks for a microphone.
• Wow, I just realized how little I miss the student fan experience. That was freaking awesome for four years. And only those four years.

(Photo courtesy of the Twitter account @justindyoung. The original was posted here. Hopefully, he doesn’t mind my usage.)

• The Duck is in a battle with Brutus the Buckeye. Go vote for him and feel slightly better about that Rose Bowl loss.
• Coach Kelly says no turkey on Thanksgiving. What a slave driver! Pst, thanks coach. Make sure they don’t get any potatoes either. We want lean and mean on Friday!
• Make sure you get in to Autzen a little earlier than usual to honor the winningest class of seniors in school history.
• Guessing this writer at the Oregon Daily Emerald will get some feedback for calling out apathetic student fans. I can’t blame students for not going to every athletic event. I doubt I ever went to a volleyball match. But no one should be leaving a football game early. That’s some spoiled behavior, if true.
• At least the organizer of this black and yellow effort is enthusiastic. Completely going to fail, too. But thanks for trying.
• Would the Rose Bowl take TCU over Stanford if it’s an option? Yikes, that would not please the Pac-10.
• ESPN’s college football rumor central page (Insider) connects the dots and sees a potential 2012 marriage between Arizona State and Mike Bellotti. Funny, that’s where my dots connect, too.
• Ted Miller went ahead and tried to convince himself that Arizona has a shot. It reads like one of those articles where someone takes up a point that they don’t really believe in. You know, kind of like anything ESPN does on TV when it has two analysts argue a topic. That’s not to say Miller doesn’t do a good job. I’m just not convinced he believes it and I know I don’t.
• In the land of awards, Chip Kelly is a finalist for coach of the year, LaMichael James for the Doak Walker award. Notable omissions were Cliff Harris not making the cut as a Jim Thorpe finalist and James being denied a shot at the Maxwell which is given to the overall best player.

• The University of Oregon athletic campus is just getting better by the year. After they complete the Casanova Center renovation, they’ll need to start inventing new things to build. Seriously, what’s left? Ah…that’s right, half a football stadium. Let’s do that.
• Whenever there’s a great discussion on football strategy, I always send you far away from this blog. Head over to eDuck and read this post about Cal’s defensive strategy and what it means going forward. Personally, I think it’s overly alarmist. When I rewatched the game, it looked to me like Oregon had plays to make, but didn’t execute. You can take a team out of man coverage real quick by winning a few one-on-one battles.
• Scout.com broke some big recruiting news last night when 5-star linebacker Anthony Wallace committed to Oregon. For the Ducks to go down to Texas and snag a player of this caliber says as  much about the program as does the No. 1 ranking. Very impressive.
• You know the NCAA scared the poop out of USC’s athletic department when they are declaring a player ineligible due to a quick golf cart ride.
• Sorry Aaron Fentress, but this is the worst article ever. The worst, I tell you! Oh sure, it’s all factual, but the last thing I want to be reminded of right now is pain and suffering. Now get back to your laptop and make a sacrifice to whatever Gods you have angered.
• Mike Bellotti withdrew his name from Colorado’s coaching search and blah, blah, blah. He was just doing that job-hunting dance he does, getting his name out there.
• All I can say is thank everything you can think of that LaMichael James is going to play on Friday. Bummer about Lavasier Tuinei potentially being out for the year, but that’s a position more easily replaced.
• For the Oregon football lover in your life, make sure every day is a Duck day! June 13 will never be the same with this page-a-day desk calendar. (If WOTB actually does read anything, this will be a blog asset as of Dec. 25.)

Thomas and Burfict: "Where's our media attention?"

Vontaze Burfict and Chase Thomas just called. They want to know why no one cares about their ouchies. Said Burfict: “Man, I faked seven injuries on my own! Do you hear me? On my own!”

• Injury faking is all the rage after Tuesday’s weekly Pac-10 coaches’ call yielded answers from Mike Stoops, Jeff Tedford and Chip Kelly on the topic. The Oregonian has an unnamed Cal source stating that it was part of the game plan which goes contrary to Tedford’s claim that they didn’t try the tactic. Kelly defended Oregon fans for booing and even though he says it’s not a big deal, his answers reveal at least some level of perturbance. Of course, EDSBS has the story from an Italian soccer player’s perspective and it’s all completely true made up.
• I’m certain this is the year of the Duck. Why else would Puddles be included in a Wall Street Journal video featuring “The Dougie?”
• Mike Bellotti does not want the Colorado job. That’s not what he’s actually saying, but we’ve seen him do this dance before. It’s just leverage for a better job at a more well-funded program.
• Oregon makes the list at No. 3 in the worst BCS snubs of all time (ESPN Insider). As bad as you might feel for TCU and Boise State, if there are two teams that are owed a BCS title shot, it’s Oregon and Auburn. The Tigers 2004 snub after an undefeated season is the second biggest snub of all time.
• ESPN Stats and Info puts Auburn’s defense next to Oregon’s and it’s not even close.
• Oregon-Cal set a record on Versus for most watched program in network history. It broke a record previously held by…Oregon. Three million people watched at its peak.
• The Oregon Daily Emerald has a Q&A with Cliff Harris. I find him best digested in carefully selected sound bites. Otherwise, you might catch him being humble and thoughtful. Who wants that? Either that or whoever told him to tone it down needs to reverse course. Free Cliff’s swagger!

• oregon football twitter (Google Search in Eugene, OR)

Haha, oh you know me too well. But I’m off that train now. @OregonFootball died and on the 12th day resurrected as @Duck_Feed. Go ahead and follow. Just don’t forget me along the way.

• “scott woodward” forum (Google Search in Gaithersburg, MD)

Are you looking for this guy? He’s an Australian and probably resents all the shame the UW version is bringing to his name.

And when I say “shame,” that has nothing to do with the comments Woodward recently made about Oregon. His football program is the real embarrassment.

• i hate the huskies (Google Search in Portland, OR)

Thank you, Scott Woodward, for reminding us all.

• what happened to the oregon duck modern mascot? (Google Search in Stockton, CA)

You mean this abomination? —————————— >

Like with everything Oregon does, I gave it a try. But in the end, it was like trying to appreciate McDonald’s for its contributions to the hamburger. Just doesn’t add up.

As for what happened, I can only speculate, but I believe the suit was placed in a furnace where it will be burned for the rest of eternity.

• herbstreit moving to eugene oregon (Google Search in Eugene, OR)

This is true. Well, actually, he probably already did. It was in 2007 that he said, “If my wife and kids are watching, pack your bags – we’re moving to Eugene, Oregon. This is heaven.”

So unless Kirk’s a liar, you’d think three years would be plenty of time to follow through. You weren’t just pandering to us, right Kirk?

• offthepond.net loves rachel bachman but won’t admit it (Google Search in Beaverton, OR)

I see what you’re doing here, but I won’t be baited into a kerfuffle. For the record, I appreciate investigative journalism. It keeps people and organizations honest (or at least tries to). Have I been satisfied with the way The Oregonian went after Oregon? Not so much. But that’s all you’ll get out of me, you rabble-rouser.

• “matt barkley is an idiot” and “matt barkley smokin hot” (Google Search in Portland, OR and Yahoo Search in Portland, OR)

Sigh, it’s always the pretty ones, huh?

• oregon puddles andy (Google Search in Medford, OR)

At first, this search confused me. So I thought reeeeallly hard about what it could be.

[INSERT JOKE ABOUT ME THINKING HARD HERE]

It popped in my head that you could see the name Andy written on the bottom of Puddles’ webfoot in this video (skip to about 1:15).

What does it mean? I don’t know. Not everything in SearchBag gets answers. Sometimes, the mystery endures.

• “bellotti linked to sun devils”, “cougars bellotti”, “bellotti hearts Colorado”, “Mike Bellotti can say yes to UCLA this time”, “wait no, bellotti to Minnesota” (Google Searches in Scottsdale, AZ, Vancouver, WA and San Diego, CA)

Okay, so the last three are my searches, but Scottsdale and Vancouver only did 2/5 the job. Someone needed to fill in the blanks.

One thing I’ve become certain of is that Mike Bellotti will coach somewhere soon. ASU feels like the right fit, especially now that it’s in a different division and Oregon would only be on the schedule twice in four years.

• pac-10 on fsn terrible coverage (Google Search in Raleigh, NC)

Given that I have cable in San Diego, it’s 99% impossible to watch Pac-10 football on FSN. If the actual coverage is terrible, I have no idea. I guess the best thing I can say about FSN is that I can’t watch it. So there’s a ringing endorsement.

• cliff harris lock shit down (Google Search in Newberg, OR)

Just in case you forgot…

• mike stoops facial expressions (Google Search in Roswell, NM)

It's a small sample size, but I hope this helps.

• kindcop@nate.com (Google Search in Gwachon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)

Congratulations. That is officially the first search I have no idea how to answer. Not even my creative side can access a response.

• oregon california pick (Google Search in Savannah, GA)

I think Cal’s defense is going to be a little stingy and will lead to Oregon’s lowest offensive output of the year. However, what Cal does with the ball can hardly be called offense. The Ducks should still get a healthy number on the board while limiting the Bears to a couple field goals.

Oregon 38, Cal 6.

If you don’t mind, the blog has a plane to catch and football to watch. You can and should follow Off The Pond on Twitter. Why? Just because. Happy football everyone!

Yeah, but have you heard the thing bark?

An avid reader (there’s at least a couple) has this direct quote about my links. “You have a good laptop and a good internet connection. Other than that, you’re really not that good. But you can do the linking. I’ll just go out there to the internet and show that I can find better content.”

• What in the hell is wrong with USC players? Did they hear Chip doesn’t have a bulletin board and decide to just mouth off at will? Defensive tackle Jurrell Casey literally said, “They have a good running back and a good quarterback. Other than that, they’re really not that good.” But it’s okay, because he later went on to say. “…but let them do the talking and we’ll just go out there and show that we can stop them.” To the poorly-formed contents within my cranium, it sounds like Casey is the only one talking (well, other than Matt Barkley).
• No wait, there’s this guy, too. Safety T.J. McDonald says he’s going to have bad intentions when he tries to hit Darron Thomas.
• __________________________
• Sorry if that last link was confusing. It ended up as empty space because that’s all I could find on Oregon players doing the talking. I did discover the Ducks have scheduled a presser at 5:15ish on Saturday to offer a rebuttal.
• Alright, moving on. Mostly because I am in fact a Star Wars geek, my favorite link yesterday comes from a Michigan blog. The Duck Star. File this under things I wish I had thought of first.
• What a great Tuesday in broadcasting. You had the audio from a Florida Atlantic announcer losing his mind during a game which could only be outdone by SEC Guy on 95.5 The Game in Portland (direct audio link).
• Mike Bellotti has completely blown the cover off the Oregon offense after telling USA Today how they can be stopped. It only took two paragraphs to do, but the blueprint’s out there, Kiffin.
• Ivan Maisel says Chip Kelly’s spread is like Bill Walsh’s west coast offense in that it changes the game by reinventing something that already existed. I’m sure many would quibble with this notion. Claims like this take time to prove valid.
• Plenty more ESPN from yesterday. Ted Miller talks about USC’s defense, UO offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich quickly breaks down a basic tenet of the Ducks’ system and an Insider article talks about matchup details for USC vs. Oregon.
• Other things are happening in other sports and I for one love this bar in Miami for paying the 1st round on everyone’s tab when the Miami Heat lose. Granted, I don’t need a free $5 beer to root like hell against Miami, but it’s a nice touch.
• Back to football and a radical thought. Eliminate kickoffs to reduce debilitating injuries. Never gonna’ happen, but it’s an interesting discussion. I would need to see more quantitative evidence. The article is a little too anecdotal to qualify as reason for major change.

Just give it time. She'll come around.

1. Oregon Ducks. Chip says pressure is something you feel when you don’t prepare. Coach, I’m reading the hell out of the internet for this USC game and I’m still feeling the pressure. What else can I do?!?

2. Stanford Cardinal. The Cardinal are the latest team to feel the almost-wrath of Washington State. A big game with Arizona looms in two weeks.

In other news, Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck should do great with the San Francisco 49ers next year.

3. Arizona Wildcats. Saturday night was a treat to viewers. Coach Mike Stoops and brother Bob simultaneously on my TV? Yes! Bob had plenty to scream about. Mike’s team, on the other hand, played Washington.

4. USC Trojans. USC made use of a bye week by mimicking the time and way Oregon practices. I like the move and for that alone, keep them ranked fourth. Well, that and no one else deserves it.

5. Oregon State Beavers. It’s no time to panic. The next three are all games they should win. As usual, it’s best to reserve judgment for a later date.

6. Cal Bears. Seriously?!? Come on, Cal. Home and away should not mean 60+ point swings. How can you hold a scoring advantage of 189-34 at home but a deficit of 110-54 on the road? It’s senseless. I don’t know why I’m so worked up about it. Perhaps I just don’t like having to feel nervous about Oregon playing at Cal.

7. Washington Huskies. Er, uh, eek! With Stanford and Oregon left, the schedule virtually guarantees six losses. Can they sweep the final three winnable games to end the losing season streak? Not looking good.

8. Arizona State Sun Devils. Mike Bellotti is starting to circle around the wounded animal that is Dennis Erickson. This conference is full of wild changes from week-to-week so I’m not calling it yet, but have the Sun Devils given up? We’ll see.

9. UCLA Bruins. Whoa, Bellotti’s everywhere. He’s circling Rick Neuheisel, too. It’s really just a matter of time with both embattled coaches. Just depends on which one Bellotti finds tastier.

10. Washington State Cougars. I’m pretty much rooting for these guys every week now. How can you not? They’re playing hard and not getting blown out by anybody. They have played Oregon, Stanford, USC and Arizona. Outside of USC, there hasn’t been a bad performance in those games. With the bottom half of the conference left, there’s a win left on the schedule. I just know it.

Image courtesy of http://www.marktoon.co.uk/people.htm (with an obvious personal alteration).

I’m so proud of the searches this week. I called you* out a week ago and you* just flat delivered a monster SearchBag.

* “You” of course being something I’ve made up in my head to convince myself people are actively trying to contribute to this feature.

• mike bellotti bias beavers (Google Search in Portland, OR)

Tough draw on the announcers last Saturday. Bellotti (Duck) and Huard (Husky) isn’t exactly Steve Preece is it? But I’m sure it’s just a bad case of unrequited love. Bellotti adores you. Someday, your heart will let you know.

• im the cheese on top of the nachos (Google Search in Portland, OR)

No you’re not. That’s Cliff Harris and there can only be one “Kash.” Seriously, only one. No one else spells it with a ‘k’. That’s just retarded.

• where do you sit if your a visitor at autzen stadium (Google Search in Richland, WA)

Section 9, the lower the better. You’re from Richland? Load up on Husky* gear and wear it proud. Try and bring an attitude, too. Helps if you’ve been drinking.

Remember that, it’s section 9.

*As a commenter pointed out, I’ve lost all sense of my NW direction. Someone please find me a Husky fan in the greater Richland area so this makes sense.

• what is “bad about stanford” (Google Search in Claremont, CA)

Who ever had anything bad to say about Stanford? Maybe California Golden Blogs, but that’s not exactly a neutral party. Frankly, I got nothing. Where else can you get wine and cheese at a tailgate? I guess I just accidentally fell into something bad about Stanford. Try some red meat, guys.

• don james vs mike bellotti (Google Search in Tacoma, WA)

Technically, the two never faced each other as head coaches. James was 4-0 against Oregon while Bellotti served as offensive coordinator.

That’s it. That’s all I have on the subject. See, SearchBag can straight up inform your ass. Completely and totally versatile.

• nick ducks design website (Google Search in North Andover, MA)

Nick Ducks is the name I use to make hotel reservations. Starting now. Aside from that…IT’S A SHAMELESS PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY!

Nick Ducks will design your website. You just have to contact him. http://www.nimaha.com.

You, Google searcher in North Andover, are a blog favorite. Admittedly, business has been slow for me in NE Massachusetts.

• bars with 3d tv in portland, or (Google Search in McNeil, TX)

I wish I could tell you. I Googled and Googled and Googled…came up with nothing. Does anyone even own a 3-D TV? 60-13 looked pretty good in HD, though.

• boise state football+screwed (Google Search in Cary, NC)

Totally. But don’t tell them that. Trust me, you don’t want the drama.

• refs getting in the ay (Google Search in Seattle, WA)

Oh hot damn
This is my jam
Keep me partyin til the AM
Ya’ll don’t understand
Make me throw my hands in the ayer, a-ayer, ayer, a-ayer

Or did you mean way? Guess I’m just feelin’ a little Flo Rida’ right now.

• trojan ponds oregon (Google Search in Portland, OR)

I was all ready to go off on this Oregonian Trojan lover with poor typing skills. Then I found out there’s a Trojan Pond along the Columbia River. See, you learn things here.

• lamichael james addicted to (Google Search in Spokane, WA)

Hey, it's his addiction. Lay off.

I checked with the student health center, got around a few HIPAA laws and can present the following LaMichael James addictions:

1. 100 yard running games
2. Pirouettes
3. Girls named LaWanda, LaTisha, LaGretchen and Agnus (I know, that last one blew my mind, too)
4. Touchdowns
5. Fumbles. Except no one knew ’cause he quit that shit cold turkey (WSU relapse notwithstanding)
6. Garden walks. Even the great ones appreciate dahlias in the fall

• response to arbiter sports editor (Google Search in Los Angeles, CA)

Well, I tried that. If there was one lesson learned, it’s that the Juan de Fuca Plate is only the second biggest threat to the Pacific Northwest’s well-being. An Oregon-Boise State title game would be far more destructive.

• picture of rick neuhisel “wearing an oregon hat” (Google Search in Clackamas, OR)

Ah hell, it’s a friendly relationship now, anyway. Here ya’ go.

• chip kelly origins (Google Search in Eugene, OR)

Fantastic search. So good in fact that it couldn’t be properly answered in this space. You have to click here for the full story.

Um, well, if your mascot is some sort of devilfairyhuman, this link has just the 3 foot stencil you’ve been looking for. Frankly, I think you could do better.

myoffenseisbetterthanyours@gmail.com