And he wants to be on your national TV and/or radio show. Ambitious, this one. Still, none of this would bother me if the argument wasn’t so completely, you know, terrible.

Naturally, I feel compelled to respond. Let’s just skip right to his recap of Oregon and Boise State’s seasons-to-date.

Oregon has victories against New Mexico by 72 (UNM lost to New Mexico State, a team BSU beat 59-0, but could’ve beat 100-0 if the first team played out), Tennessee by 35 (Vols have a horrible defense and are a SEC bottom-feeder), Portland State by 69 (BSU doesn’t play a FCS team this season), Arizona State by 11 (Ducks gave up 597 yards to the Sun Devils), Stanford by 21 (Good win, but had to come back in the second half) and Washington State by 20 (WSU’s only win this season is against Montana State by 2). Is this resume worthy of a a No. 1 ranking in the AP and USA Today Coaches’ Poll?

Boise State has victories against Virginia Tech by 3 (Sure, VT chocked versus James Madison, but the Hokies likely will win the ACC), Wyoming by 45 (The Cowboys never get beat that badly at home), Oregon State by 13 (Played a vicious schedule and lost James Rodgers, the best player on offense), New Mexico State by 59 (NMSU beat UNM and BSU could’ve beaten the Aggies 100-0), Toledo by 43 (Toledo isn’t a bad team as it proved by beating Purdue on the road) and San Jose State by 48 (Alabama beat SJSU by 45 in Tuscaloosa and Wisconsin only beat SJSU by 13 in Madison).

Wow! When you put it like that…go Boise! Ok, in fairness, let me just do a quick rewrite and see how this goes.

Oregon has victories against New Mexico by 72 (largest defeat any team has administered to another foe all year), Tennessee by 35 (traditional SEC power that beat LSU except for a math error and everyone knows there’s no math in football!), Portland State by 69 (didn’t even score in the 4th quarter), Arizona State by 11 (Pac-10 team that only lost by 1 at Wisconsin who just beat #1 Ohio State), Stanford by 21 (highest ranked opponent beaten by either Boise or Oregon. Ducks outscored Cardinal 49-10 to end the game) and Washington State by 20 (WSU has improved every week this season). This resume is worthy of a a No. 1 ranking in the AP and USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

Boise State has victories against Virginia Tech by 3 (a team that also lost to an FCS school a week later), Wyoming by 45 (2-5 this year, 0-3 in MWC play), Oregon State by 13 (Lost James Rodgers to yet another cheap shot administered by a Boise player. Also, OSU just lost to UW, so you know they’re good), New Mexico State by 59 (2 point win over New Mexico who UO beat 72-0. Using a perverse version of the transitive property, this means Oregon is 9 points better than Boise), Toledo by 43 (Arizona beat them 41-2 and Oregon beat Arizona in 2009. Last year’s results count!) and San Jose State by 48 (1-6 on the season).

Hmm, maybe Boise’s body of work isn’t so good after all. Let’s move on.

BSU junior quarterback and Heisman Trophy hopeful Kellen Moore has only played two entire games this season versus VT and OSU.

So what you’re saying is, your quarterback plays full games against teams the caliber of which Oregon has to play every week in conference play? And he gets pulled early in the rest? Strength of schedule duly noted.

Let’s get into what has quickly become my favorite argument in 2010… 2009!

BSU has the nation’s longest winning streak at 20 games

Six of which are this year, you know, the year currently being evaluated. Hey, we’ve done that, too!

The “experts” say Oregon’s offense can’t be stopped. BSU held the Ducks without a first down last season in Boise for two and a half quarters. It doesn’t matter if it was last season. That is a huge stat that no team can claim it has done to Oregon in the Chip Kelly or Mike Bellotti era! What’s scary is the fact that BSU’s defense this season is better than last year’s.

Well, technically it does matter. You’ve spent so much time proposing to Kellen Moore in other parts of your open letter, I’m not sure if you noticed LaMichael James didn’t really play much in last year’s game. That’s kind of significant seeing as how he leads the nation in rushing this year. The quarterback is sort of different, too. This one can pass the ball. And the offensive line? First game together that day. Now, they’ve played 19 as a unit. Makes a small difference.

But let’s humor your argument for a moment and say last year does matter. If that’s the case, 2010 Oregon is 30 points better than its 2009 self given the 21 point win over Stanford, a team that beat Oregon by 9 in 2009. It’s only logical that the Ducks would do the same to Boise this year. No need to yell at me, I’m just working with the cold, hard facts here.

Ok, we can move on now.

As a freshman in his first ever road game, Moore torched Oregon in Autzen Stadium for 386 yards and three touchdowns. By the way, BSU won 37-32, but nobody wins at Autzen. Except Moore and BSU!

No, I said move on, as in forward. You’re going backward. That’s, uh, from 2008. I already told you 2009 isn’t relevant to the argument so I’m not sure why you’re bringing up 2008.

But if you’re saying that year matters, you just disproved your previous argument about 2009. In that 2008 game, Darron Thomas lit up your defense for a quarter. He wasn’t the quarterback in 2009 so if I’m hearing you right, you’re saying with Thomas at quarterback over a full game, Oregon would abuse the Boise defense like Facebook treats MySpace. Right?

I feel like these are huge arguments that nobody wants to bring up because BSU isn’t Oklahoma or Oregon. Having me as a guest on your show would give your listeners/viewers a new perspective that they might have not seen or heard before.

Perhaps we haven’t heard many of these argument before because they make absolutely no sense in evaluating what is happening in 2010? Just a thought.

In closing, I would also like to make myself available to any media outlet that would like to hear a different perspective to the different perspective being offered by the Boise State student newspaper sports editor. Twitter me. I’ll blow your mind.

Today’s Cause For Hope:
The Oregon Defense

It’s quite possible the Oregon defense may be, uh, good this season (excuse me, I hesitated). Holding Boise State to 19 points on the road is an ideal result. When you dig deeper and realize the defense was on the field for nearly 75% of game time and 67% of all plays (89-44 total plays in favor of Boise), it becomes a hell of an accomplishment.

In last year’s home loss to the Broncos, the Ducks defended 15 fewer plays and were on the field for 10 minutes less. They were torched for 37 points and 386 yards passing.

On Thursday, in a hostile (I guess) environment, Oregon managed to hold Boise State to 4.05  yards per play. For perspective on that number, only ASU (against Idaho St.), USC (against San Jose St.) and Arizona (against Central Michigan) had a better defensive average last weekend. Teams like Portland State, San Diego St. Maryland and Washington State all managed to rack up more yards per play against Pac-10 defenses.

To top it off, the defense came up with three turnovers and spent the entire second half putting the offense in position to succeed.

I know the arguments against this defense and I’ve made them outside the blog (hey, it’s all positivity this week). Too many 3rd and 7s where the DBs play soft coverage and give up easy conversions. Boise State’s turnovers were more self-inflicted than anything Oregon was doing. The Broncos missed two field goals.

In the end, though, the result was 19 points, a number every single one of us would anticipate being good enough for a victory. Ultimately, I have to ask the question, did the defense put the team in position to win? In this case, they did. If they can just get the offense to record a first down in the opening half, the Ducks might be on to something.

Saturday, Purdue comes to town for the second of a two-game series. The Boilermakers, much like the Ducks against Boise, would love to avenge a home defeat from a year ago. For Oregon, it’s an opportunity to start anew and redefine not only the season’s promise, but the program’s newly minted reputation in the wake of their trip to Boise.

The first step was taken by Chip Kelly on Friday who swiftly punished Blount and removed him from the team for the season. It was a necessary move for the program, the university and blood-thirsty moralists everywhere.

If Oregon is to still make a run at the top of the conference, they’ll need to start with their play at the line of scrimmage. Oh, and everything else, too. Boise State was a debacle, plain and simple. I’m not convinced the problems are easily fixable, but I do know there are some talented players and dedicated coaches that are better than what they showed in the season opener.

On talent alone, Oregon should beat Purdue, but if the offense can’t establish a running game, make better decisions in the passing game and find better play-calling from its coaches, talent won’t matter. Defensively, improvement is needed, too. 3 and 7 to 3rd and 13 shouldn’t be so easy. Not being able to line up correctly is inexcusable. Tackling requires more than arms.

It’s almost like you scrap it and start all over. This is game 1. The goal doesn’t need to be changed, it just needs a shot of confidence. Regroup, work out the kinks (more like giant, complicated knots) and make that run for the roses.

Sports will humble you fast. It’s a constant roller coaster and there are moments like Boise State, 2009. You can doubt what you saw a year ago, but there is no getting around what happened tonight. Boise State dominated Oregon. The argument will be left on the table for a later date whether or not that makes the Broncos a BCS-worthy team. Tonight, duck fans, you’ve got to take it on the chin like a blow from LeGarrette Blount. The team from the WAC controlled the line of scrimmage limiting Oregon to 31 yards rushing while racking up 164 of their own.

That was quite possibly the worst-played game by an Oregon team that I can remember (for young’uns like me, it all started in 1994). I’m staring right now at these stats: 8 points, 152 total yards, 17:28 time of possession and six first downs. Only the 2007 UCLA game featured a more inept offense, but that made sense following the loss of Dennis Dixon.

The worst part of it is how woefully unprepared the team looked. You listen to Kelly and you are impressed with his organization, his expectations and his cry for accountability. And then you see the results of game one under his watch and you can’t marry the two together. It doesn’t make sense. The defense was lost as they were constantly out of position. So much was made of Boise’s shifting and motion and being accountable for that, so what happened from paper to reality?

As for the offense, on exactly one drive, they used all the offensive weapons they are purported to have. LaMichael James, Ed Dickson and Jamere Holland all made plays. The result? Touchdown. Otherwise, it was run left, run right, force a throw to Jeff Maehl, punt the ball. It was an endless night of bad play calls and poor execution.

And then there’s the biggest story that doesn’t involve an idiotic fit of rage: Jeremiah Masoli. I said it a month ago somewhat tongue-in-cheek that Jeremiah Masoli had gone from underdog to overrated. His three game run to end the season perhaps created more hype than was deserved. After one game in 2009, there may be a legitimate quarterback controversy. He couldn’t make the right decisions on the read-option, his throws were terrible and on one play that resulted in an interception, he was so frozen, you were sure he’d been struck by Mr. Freeze (lame Batman reference, just go with it). He’s not done yet, but you can’t say it’s unequivocally his job to keep.

I don’t regret hyping Chip Kelly. I get a good feel from the way he talks about running a program. I think he gets it, but it’s become clear there’s a lot more to it than just having a plan. At the end of the day, it’s just 0-1, but it might be so much more. Being a head coach just go real, Chip. What do you do?

Say goodbye to your wives, your girlfriends, your husbands, your boyfriends, your FOTBs. Put the home repair projects on ice. Postpone weddings as necessary. Employ the full arsenal of personal, sick and vacation days. Make sure your home theater system isn’t overly quiet. Get the new 60″ properly hooked. Work that groove into your couch. Stock the fridge with plenty of beer, barbecue something meaty and for God’s sake people…Chant her glory, Orrrrrregon!

Week 1 Picks

• PreNicktion: Oregon 41, Boise State 27 (Haven’t felt better about a game this big since 2007 which, of course, makes me extremely nervous)
• FOTB Prediction: All black uniforms because they should look like Warriors although she admits the stormtroopers is likely due to the blue turf.
• Bonus Pick: 1 failed attempt at a late hit by Boise State (forgot at first, but I got it in there)
  

Feel free to leave your prediction in the comments. I’ve seen a lot of confidence out of Duck fans so I’m expecting some bold prognostications. The person closest to the outcome wins absolutely nothing, so you’ll have that going for you.

What it all adds up to for Boise on Thursday is a mountain-sized load of pressure settling in Treasure Valley. The Broncos have just one early September night to complete an unplayed season and everyone knows it. After all, it’s the first ranked team to play a regular season game on “The Blue.” Ever. The hype is everywhere:

• Fans have been camping out for tickets.
• It seems like there is a daily police update on how to enjoy football and avoid injuring others at the same time.
• The local media has been covering it like The Beatles just discovered the U.S.
• Lawsuits have been filed against companies daring to sell unlicensed T-shirts.
• Reportedly, press will be filing in from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, the New York Times and other national media outlets.

So, yeah, they’re going a little nuts in the land famous for potatoes.

Add to the fact that the Broncos have Oregon’s full attention (to quote Ed Dickson from The Oregonian, “Ready’s not the word.”) and I’m guessing there’s a few knees shaking under cubicles in Idaho today.

While it’s not those knees that matter at kickoff, it’s impossible for the Boise players and coaches to not be feeling the immense pressure being put on them by its fans and media. Some teams implode when the light shines too bright. Others rise up to a level of greatness they may not have otherwise achieved. Which will it be for Boise? Pressure’s on.

I made my contributing debut today on another site for an online magazine called Norman Einsteins (a nod to the famous Joe Theismann quote). It’s published monthly and I contributed a piece for the Civil War (let’s just say, my obsession with Markus Wheaton continues). There’s some great contributions from a variety of fan blog authors in the college football preview including a fun hypothetical featuring the Oregon and Boise State game. My Civil War effort is at the bottom of the page. Enjoy.

1. Revenge. I normally don’t get too hyped on the revenge angle. It has failed to matter so many times before, but this is different. From everything I’ve read this preseason (and it’s a lot), I get the sense Oregon has been locked in on Boise for a long time. They’ve been a little loose with the lips which, given Oregon’s usual reserved nature, tells me this really means something to them.
2. Jeremiah Masoli. As much as Kellen Moore can be a catalyst to a Boise win, his Oregon counterpart at QB will have a bigger impact. Given Masoli’s rather well-mentioned absence from quarters 2-4 last year, he has a chance to be the biggest difference in this year’s game for the Ducks. The fact that Oregon is guaranteed to complete at least one pass in quarters 2 and 3 should help.
3. The home factor for Boise isn’t that big of a deal. Oregon has played in bigger, more intimidating venues and done fine. Sure, the Ducks may not face a more rabid set of fans per person, but there’s only so much 30,000 people can do.  You can’t tell me Reser Stadium in all its processed foods glory isn’t a tougher venue with a Rose Bowl on the line.
4. Oregon’s Offense. This offense is really going to click this year. I know that’s saying a lot after the previous two record-setting seasons, but the talent across the board is amazing. They have a vertical passing threat in Jamere Holland and multiple playmakers that will line up all over the field whether it’s LeGarrette Blount, Ed Dickson, LaMichael James or even Kenjon Barner. I’m not in the camp that is concerned about Oregon’s offensive line. Steve Greatwood is a proven coach that will have his big uglies operating at a high level.
5. Defensively capable (I think, but I probably shouldn’t have said so…I’m sure to regret this). I’m not going to say Oregon has a defense you can count on to win a game. There’s just no proof of that. However, if practice means anything, it’s possible the Ducks are bringing a defense that can get after it. It’ll be interesting to see if Boise State can tax the Oregon defense as efficiently as they did last year despite major losses at wide receiver and running back. (EDIT: Giving this some more thought, I’m not sure I trust Oregon’s defense to handle all the misdirection and motion of the Boise offense. I’m certainly not expecting Oregon’s defense to be the cause of victory. More likely, it will do just enough to let the offense take control.)

Given that coach Eddie Cochems, known as the “father of the forward pass,”  had Brad Robinson attempt the first legal forward pass in 1906, one might expect Oregon to have had a better grasp on the concept in the first three quarters of last September’s ill-fated game.

Brad Robinson attempted the first legal pass, then watched in horror as Oregon went all 1905 and ran the ball over and over again.

Yet, there they were, attempting a total of seven passes in the first three quarters of play. In that same span, they ran the ball 51 times (if my attempt to read the drive charts at ESPN is correct). Let’s see a 51 to 7 run/pass ratio…yeah, that probably shouldn’t work. And if you think it’s all because Boise landed a cheap knock-out blow to Jeremiah Masoli (see, I told you I could do this all week), consider that the lone touchdown drive of the first half for Oregon consisted of 13 running plays and one pass (the pass, consequently, being the one where Ellis Powers flagrantly…well, you get the idea).

The score in this time frame was 37-13, Boise.

At the start of the 4th quarter, Eddie Cochems started calling plays with Darron Thomas under center and the passing bonanza (25 passes, 3 rushes) yielded a 19-0 4th quarter rout of the Broncos.

Operating under the assumption that Boise will employ the late hit play at least twice (man, I can’t stop!), Oregon should still prevail because it has the luxury of four throwing quarterbacks on scholarship. Therefore, we can conclude that Oregon will easily win this game.

Of course, there is no evidence that Oregon’s defense has learned how to stop the play-action pass, but I’ll leave that to Nick Aliotti.

Note: Forward pass info is according to Wikipedia, which in academic circles is thought of as the ultimate truthful resource for knowledge.

Apparently, Duck fans are supposed to be afraid of this 30,000 seat stadium with turf picked out by Mr. Rodgers (he was color blind, ok? Ah, forget it.).

Much is made of the Broncos 44 game home winning streak that dates to 2001 when they lost to Washington State (surprise, one of two BCS schools to play there in the same time frame). Let me ask. How would your school do if your home schedule looked like Boise’s? Most of these games on a BCS-caliber schedule would be considered a bye in between bouts with, say, Michigan and Cal.

It’s not all Boise’s fault. They have played some good teams (cowards) on the road that didn’t reciprocate with a return trip and I’m guessing they’d love to welcome some higher-caliber foes onto “The Blue.” Just the same, this is what the home record is built on and it’s hard to get anything out of that other than the Broncos do a very good job of beating teams they are supposed to defeat.

Of course, this is the very reason it’s a dangerous game for Oregon. These fans have had about all they can take of Aggies, Vandals and Wolfpack. The team itself gets to play one of these games a year. Combine the fans starvation for quality football and the team’s desire to prove themselves and the game becomes pretty much the biggest thing to ever hit the City of Trees (yeah, even bigger than WinCo Foods).

Even so, the environment won’t be anything Oregon hasn’t seen before and if they struggle in this game, it’ll have less to do with the stadium and more to do with some cheap shot from a Boise defensive player (yep, said it again. Probably gonna’ keep doing that all week. Still kinda’ bitter. ).