Addicted To Quack: All Posts by Matt TakimotoAn Oregon Ducks Blog: Often Imitated, Never Duplicated, Always Fashionablehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46661/atqfavicon.png2018-08-17T08:00:03-07:00https://www.addictedtoquack.com/authors/matt-takimoto/rss2018-08-17T08:00:03-07:002018-08-17T08:00:03-07:00THE LAST UNIFORM OPINION I EVER HAVE
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<p>Just when Tako thought he was out, they pull him back in...</p> <p id="qYH4jX"></p>
<p id="xxlOII"><em>SETTING: A rundown shack deep in the Cascade Mountains. A wrecked dirigible sits adjacent at the foot of a pine tree, its tattered keel covered in emerald-green lichen. </em></p>
<p id="sN7pFh"><strong>Joseph Yun:</strong> ...are you sure this is the place?</p>
<p id="TLr8WG"><strong>Mariotasmustache:</strong> Dave, Jared, and Sean said if we ever needed him, this is where we’d find him. </p>
<p id="59JB4X">Yun: You don’t actually believe all the stories about this guy, do you? I mean, watching and taking notes on every single PAT Oregon attempted during the Chip Kelly era for an article that only got 1300 page views? Buying and refurbishing an old Dell desktop just because the Windows 95 version of MSPaint was superior? Stealing notes from an NBA scout on press row and writing in his own comments about Arselan Kazemi?</p>
<p id="eCelhu">Stache: That isn’t the half of it. I heard he wrote 2500 words on <span>Nate Costa</span> using his dick to type, because that was “part of his process”. The point is, his methods may be unorthodox, but he always gets the job done. And Oregon’s had its first large-scale uniform reveal in years. We need him now, more than ever. </p>
<p id="1aY4AC"><em>They enter the cabin. Dr. Pepper cans, Sunny Delight bottles, and Red Vines wrappers litter the floor. The walls are covered with hundreds of the same photocopied picture of former Oregon punter Josh Syria. There is no furniture, save for a single metal folding chair, currently occupied by a grizzled-looking man with a long gray beard. He is wearing a </em><span><em>Charles Nelson</em></span><em> jersey, and is nude from the waist down. </em></p>
<p id="gfit2l"><strong>Tako:</strong><em><strong> </strong></em>I always knew this day would come. </p>
<p id="fzknb2">Stache: It’s good to see you sir. We’ve heard so much about you. </p>
<p id="Vw26Qm">Tako: Those old tales they tell about me. They’re all true. Tell me, where is Matt Daddy?</p>
<p id="AZMcTO">Stache: Dead sir, Berkowitz finally got him.</p>
<p id="IRgqxv">Tako: Will Rubin?</p>
<p id="OdH38o">Stache: Choked on a Twizzler.</p>
<p id="G6x9an">Tako: He always was a damn fool, messing around with that junk. And my Daisy, does she still speak of me?</p>
<p id="mbQZ4l">Yun: Often, sir.</p>
<p id="RXr2kn">Tako: What a woman. Did you know she can do this thing where she puts her legs-</p>
<p id="EI4rll">Stache: Sir, I hate to interrupt, but time is of the essence. We need you back.</p>
<p id="8N4Koy">Tako: ...Can’t do it. That’s a young man’s game. </p>
<p id="6tI0mH">Yun: I was going to ask you about that, didn’t you graduate in like 2010? You aren’t looking so good.</p>
<p id="3ZxOgc">Stache: He didn’t mean that.</p>
<p id="6pMK6R">Tako: No, no, he’s right. This life here? It changes you. Takes years off your life. You can’t imagine the things I’ve seen, the places I’ve been. I was deep cover for ATQ, full method. I had to travel down the rabbit hole and meet some of the most twisted characters in the Pac-12 Conference. I’ve been inside the mind of Butch the Cougar, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT’S LIKE?!? I can’t go back there, man. There’s no guarantees I could find my way out again. </p>
<p id="rv9z1e">Yun: But sir, it’s the Ducks.</p>
<p id="Su36Eg">Tako: It’s always the Ducks, sonny boy! You sit there in your three-piece suit and your patent leather shoes and try and tell me what it’s like to be in the trenches. </p>
<p id="4RgGeQ"><em>Joseph Yun is decidedly NOT wearing a three-piece suit and patent leather shoes. </em></p>
<p id="kbyx94">Tako: This life took the best of me! Now I’m just an old has-been trying to salvage what’s left of this shell of an existence. </p>
<p id="KvS1lM">Stache: But sir! The Ducks have new uniforms!</p>
<p id="DSxc7j">Tako: ...</p>
<p id="2xlP7H">Yun: We know you’re the man for the-oh God is he peeing?!?</p>
<p id="7SB1i8">Stache: We’ll just leave you alone, sir. Godspeed.</p>
<p id="CwA0L9">Tako: Wait!</p>
<p id="0nvRWP"><em>Stache and Yun pause and turn, careful to move out of the way of the puddle of urine running across the cabin floor. </em></p>
<p id="PDAU6F">Tako: ...God damnit. Get me to a computer. </p>
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<p id="TSaVZe">Back in the glory days, when Oregon football was merely a young upstart trying to break into the upper echelon of college football, the Ducks held proper uniform reveals. There were <a href="http://media.oregonlive.com/john_canzano_impact/photo/scivilfb-be-03-11-19-05jpg-67bea12a90a9e601.jpg">Civil War surprises</a>, <a href="https://championsportsviews.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/az-uo-mahel.jpg">blackout games</a>, and <a href="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ff3bed855f1f347bdff4de99a98610eb63688536/c=22-0-2017-1500/local/-/media/2014/12/29/USATODAY/USATODAY/635554647418836149-AP-NANCY-ARMOUR-UNIFORMS-COLLEGE-FOOTBALL.jpg?width=540&height=405&fit=crop">offseason photoshoots</a> that <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/uoregon.sidearmsports.com/images/2009/6/23/DZXWPNQUGMEXPVV.20090623222255.JPG">went viral</a> back when it was <a href="http://uniformcritics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Oregon_Uniform_FA12_Image_FINAL_original-675x380.jpg">legitimately difficult to go viral</a>. </p>
<p id="pzU1D3">But late in 2013, things began to shift. The Ducks strayed away from the style guide and started to lose their, well, uniformity with multiple jerseys that didn’t quite sync up with each other. It began with the <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/icg12jO5NMHInmfszj6JldcVOQg=/0x35:4000x2702/1200x800/filters:focal(0x35:4000x2702)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26000577/459781613.0.jpg">two-tone wings uniforms</a> that Oregon debuted in the 2013 Alamo Bowl. Rather than adopting the uniform model in all colorways, Oregon used the white/green and black/yellow jerseys alongside the previous set. Additionally, in 2014 Oregon also debuted the albiet-beautiful <a href="https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/ap_washington_oregon_football_t25_68109506.jpg?w=1000&h=666">Kenny Wheaton throwbacks</a>, the<a href="http://media.graytvinc.com/images/Florida+State+Oregon+Rose+Bowl.jpg"> apple green uniforms </a>worn in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/rose-bowl">Rose Bowl</a>, and the <a href="https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/472731_011215-kabc-ap-playoff-championship-ohio-vs-oregon-img.jpg?w=630&r=16:9">white/gray CFP title game uniforms </a>that had neither the two-tone wings nor the <a href="http://uniformcritics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/2013-new-oregon-football-helmet-675x380.jpg">wings from the previous style set</a>. 2014 Oregon was the sartorial equivalent of using too many fonts and making your document borderline-unreadable. </p>
<p id="P30jC9">Things got much murkier over the next three years. 2015 was a mess. Sometimes there was a <a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.dailyemerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/15.10.03.tw_.emg_.oregonvcu.0541.jpg">Duck on the sleeves</a>; <a href="https://i2.wp.com/media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/2015/10/29/19082786-standard.jpg">sometimes there wasn’t</a>. Sometimes the <a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.dailyemerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ADE-82.jpg">wings had two colors</a>; sometimes there <a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.dailyemerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2016.01.02.EMG_.ADE_.UO_.FB_.Vs_.TCU-4-2-1024x682.jpg">weren’t any wings at all</a>. Some uniforms were <a href="https://i2.wp.com/image.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/width960/img/oregonian/photo/2015/11/27/-4d9ab4b85346c17b.jpg">silly</a>; others were <a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.dailyemerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/kyle1.jpg">massively pointless and boring</a>. 2016 was even worse, with the <a href="http://www.dailyemerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016.09.03.EMG_.EC_.UO_.FB_.Vs_.UC-Davis006-1024x660.jpg">blue collar uniforms</a>, the <a href="https://static.seattletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/10082016-UWWin_039-780x520.jpg">Webfoots</a>, and the <a href="https://www.jjbirden.com/assets/components/phpthumbof/cache/Oregon%20Ducks%20in%20mascot%20uniforms.d626cb637e9e18febb1fb87226566bc5315.jpg">mascot cosplays</a>. 2017 tried to tone it down, but there was still a distinct lack of cohesion due to that <a href="https://athlonsports.com/sites/athlonsports.com/files/styles/article_top_img/public/RoyceFreeman_2016_3.jpg?itok=xEBvRI2F">yellow jersey with melted crayon all over the shoulders.</a> Throw in the <a href="http://static-38.sinclairstoryline.com/resources/media/ddd6be56-820c-4a95-8275-20ca080317a0-large16x9_OregonVsNebraska1.jpg">Doernbecher one-offs,</a> and Oregon still ended up with a season that felt less like “your favorite team’s favorite team” and more “please please oh please can we be your favorite team?” After Chip Kelly left town, Oregon tried so hard to keep the identity of the “cool kids”, they managed to end up with no identity whatsoever. </p>
<p id="AhKUu4">Oregon has found a new identity with this new era of uniforms. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Flying toward tradition. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoDucks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoDucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/hGD7FHuVEn">pic.twitter.com/hGD7FHuVEn</a></p>— GoDucks (@GoDucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoDucks/status/1029900559925436416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Traveling storm. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoDucks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoDucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/LWpPrttiXe">pic.twitter.com/LWpPrttiXe</a></p>— GoDucks (@GoDucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoDucks/status/1029903603362758657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reimagine your identity. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoDucks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoDucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/YhGZrpGenk">pic.twitter.com/YhGZrpGenk</a></p>— GoDucks (@GoDucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoDucks/status/1029901844154212352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oregon Football 2.0. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoDucks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoDucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/TN5JJjdlXF">pic.twitter.com/TN5JJjdlXF</a></p>— GoDucks (@GoDucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoDucks/status/1029904350829666305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2018</a>
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<p id="FHTCqI">Unified. Cohesive. Strong. In short, it’s one uniform in a bunch of different colors, instead of a bunch of jumbled nonsense. It’s already a win. But do they look good? Let’s take a deep dive.</p>
<p id="EikyrS"><strong>Helmets: </strong>The wings are back, and they’re looking great. The MirrorDomes are Oregon icons, they were never going anywhere. The yellow/silvers are a welcome return after multiple versions of a yellow helmet with an O or a Pirate Duck on the side of them that just didn’t have that same wow factor. The green-on-green is a first for this current matte apple iteration, drawing from the <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a9/c8/de/a9c8de832e3c2a7c9fafeb0a435af63f.jpg">shiny green helmets</a> we’ve already seen. The real news here is the glossy black-on-matte black, a helmet that I’ve been pining after for literally a decade. This is literally a dream come true.</p>
<p id="jM0CMb"><strong>Jerseys: </strong>One thing that I love about Oregon’s early Wings uniforms was that despite the aura of flash, they were really quite simple in design. There was no random <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ydW-qfD-3VqWWn7cCdK5avLmghE=/1200x0/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/213566/20131019_jla_ay3_041.0_standard_783.0.0.jpg">piping</a> or <a href="https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/0706/campus.ugly.uniforms/images/Rice__04.jpg">striping</a> or <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/By8BjeEHgQIRK7PSUkytTMtJl8c=/0x133:4000x2800/1200x800/filters:focal(0x133:4000x2800)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23815251/451598077.0.jpg">gradient</a> or anything like that. There was <a href="http://extra.oregonlive.com/code/media/games/9.3.09_at_Boise_State.jpg">jersey, number, swoosh, shoulder wings</a>. That was basically it as far as design elements. These new jerseys get back to that bare-bones tradition. Yes, the numbers are hella big. But they aren’t that much bigger than normal, really. Compare <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/northwest/sites/csnnw/files/2017/01/10/usatsi_9671902_0.jpg">this</a> to<a href="https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/538/579/8579538.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=240:320,offset-y0.50&width=240&height=320"> this</a>. They’re what, four inches bigger? The change becomes more stark because the team name has moved from center to the patch above the swoosh, which incidentally is my only gripe with the uniforms because that extra piece of flair feels clunky. I almost wish Nike would have just swung big and left the school branding off the jersey altogether. The world will know it’s Oregon, trust me. </p>
<p id="lHIauH"><strong>Nameplates: </strong>The jerseys look to feature a bolder nameplate that contrasts with the rest of the jersey. From the promo tweets, we only get a good look at the <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkryQ3iU8AAUewz.jpg">yellow/black version</a>, with just a taste of a <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkrzZJCVsAUbRWt.jpg">gray nameplate</a> on the white jersey. I’m interested to see what, I’m assuming, is a yellow nameplate on the green jersey, and a margarita-colored nameplate on the black jersey; seeing as those will pop much more vividly, it could be a hit or a miss. Personally, I like the look; I’ve always liked the <a href="http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Bridgestone+Winter+Classic+Philadelphia+Flyers+Q8GITXsumwgl.jpg">Philadelphia Flyers</a>’ version of this style. It’s a simple way of standing out. </p>
<p id="slIaSQ"><strong>Number Font: </strong>All size jokes aside, the new “Mighty Oregon” font feels very on-brand for the Ducks. Ever since the very bubbly <a href="http://static.flickr.com/66/171301185_5e6af4e861_o.jpg">Belotti Bold</a> and the <a href="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/jR4AAOSwuMFUfAAP/s-l300.jpg">rounder font that preceded it,</a> Oregon’s fonts have been moving back toward boxy. The numbers immediately reminded me of the number font from <a href="https://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productimages/_2971000/ff_2971937_full.jpg&w=600">Mexico’s national soccer team</a>, and I particularly like how the iridescence of the <a href="https://cdn.fishduck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/sjoey-harrington-089e50f59576f208-e1432604068824.jpg">“mallard-head”</a> Oregon helmet shows up in the <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkrzZJFVAAAoTkY.jpg">inline of the numbers on the white jersey. </a></p>
<p id="eAujHJ"><strong>Any drawbacks? </strong></p>
<p id="u7uo4x"><a href="http://shop.goducks.com/Oregon_Ducks_Jerseys/?_s=bm-ducksathleticsite&utm_medium=referral">They make for a really boring-looking fan jersey</a>, but considering how many different jerseys Oregon has put out over the last three years, potential merch-buyers have some options. </p>
<p id="i1Qf6d"><strong>Tako is already getting excited for...</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="x6aYkB">The black helmet with the white uniform</li>
<li id="LUe9s9">The MirrorDomes with the yellow uniform, a la Michigan State 2014</li>
<li id="nr0yZZ">The blackout night game</li>
<li id="AVYwEM">Yellow-White-Yellow as a combo that might actually look good for once</li>
<li id="b5a8qm">That black helmet thooooooooooooough</li>
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<p id="JPOuXE">There, I’m back out of retirement, you happy? Now, if we can only convince Daisy to come out of retirement and do that thing with the peanut butter, the tennis racket, and the 20,000 jellybeans. Then we’ll really be having fun. </p>
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https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2018/8/17/17698892/oregon-football-uniforms-2018-cristobal-hotness-bigass-numbersMatt Takimoto2017-11-14T11:00:02-08:002017-11-14T11:00:02-08:00Tako Tuesdays Rates Khalil Tate
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<img alt="Oregon State v Arizona" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EQcaeBly59IF5EYExTPdP2Yd9eI=/0x0:3294x2196/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57594341/873414464.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Using advanced metrics, I will attempt to find Khalil Tate’s place among the greats of history. </p> <p id="vm4KF4">You could put any superlative next to Arizona QB <span>Khalil Tate</span> and it fits. Dynamic. Unstoppable. Dazzling. Breathtaking. He’s been THE must-watch quarterback in college football this year, and it’s not like <span>Lamar Jackson</span> got any less brilliant. It was just six weeks ago when Tate announced his presence to the world by setting the NCAA record for rushing yards by a QB, 327 yards on only 14 carries. Since that week, there has been the prevailing opinion of, “Yeah, that’s amazing. But he can’t keep doing that...can he?”</p>
<p id="4OlWNM">He’s proven by now that yes, he can keep doing that. </p>
<p id="sMHTei">Since taking the starting job against Colorado, the FEWEST yards rushing he has had in a game is 137. He’s rushed for 200+ yards three times. He’s had a run of 50 yards or more in every game. He’s otherworldly. Mind-boggling. Untouchable. </p>
<p id="3J3RhF">I know it’s early. But the Internet is no place for patient, measured commentary. Let’s figure out where Khalil Tate stands in the annals of universal greatness right now, using some easily-recognizable and familiar places of comparison, starting with:</p>
<p id="3YQASd"><strong>Who’s better: Khalil Tate, or </strong><span><strong>Johnny Manziel</strong></span><strong>?</strong></p>
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<img alt="Mississippi State v Texas A&M" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dcqK2o0NsrKI9JuycbAXx1rvbIw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9666839/187503623.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="m6rod5">The case for Manziel: He won a Heisman, he beat Bama, he <a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iGnSOJswnK8/maxresdefault.jpg">had a signature hand signal</a>, and he answered the question, “what if a can of Keystone Light was an elite athlete?”</p>
<p id="4sU2EC">The case for Tate: Has never lost his starting job to Josh McCown.</p>
<p id="zhSu0D"><strong>Khalil Tate is better. </strong></p>
<p id="yf5gc7"><strong>***</strong></p>
<p id="ZIuJID"><strong>Who’s better: Khalil Tate, or Steve Young? </strong></p>
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<img alt="Steve Young" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bGPFrsC6JRuvMpI-ufUyFumETsY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9666841/358545.jpg.jpg">
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<p id="yqxlWV">The case for Young: Super Bowl MVP, Hall of Famer, 3rd-leading rushing QB in NFL history, did this: </p>
<div id="cXusOr"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LbPwwmEcws0?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="gnIcYK">The case for Tate: Pac-12 player of the week in 4 straight games, single-handedly saved Rich Rodriguez’ job, is amazing despite not having Jerry Rice to throw to, did this: </p>
<div id="wANA2L"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/baj7PlYdAmA?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="rPFmJg"><strong>Khalil Tate is better.</strong></p>
<p id="Mxq6cR"><strong>***</strong></p>
<p id="BAzjdI"><strong>Who’s better: Khalil Tate, or Meryl Streep?</strong></p>
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<img alt="News: Democratic National Convention" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EPco8N7y5Q04y0taTjvASb8ky_4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9666849/usa_today_9404749.jpg">
<cite>Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY</cite>
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<p id="C8NTrq">The case for Streep: 3 Academy Awards, the greatest actor alive not named James Van Der Beek, Miranda goddamn Priestly.</p>
<p id="4ZgrbS">The case for Tate: Averaging 11.6 yards per carry <em>this season, </em>had nothing to do with Mamma Mia.</p>
<p id="9bXpzw"><strong>Khalil Tate is better.</strong></p>
<p id="3hR928"><strong>***</strong></p>
<p id="ZAG8vC"><strong>Who’s better: Khalil Tate, or an Allosaurus?</strong></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6p9QcnCgm3-qOUMX6I4LH_bK1jc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9666917/Allosaurus_Life_Restoration.jpg">
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<p id="wG7AUx">The case for Allosaurus: apex predator of the Jurassic period, could run over 20 mph, Utah’s state fossil due to the abundance of Allosaurus fossils found in the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry located two hours outside Provo.</p>
<p id="MiQ3ft">The case for Tate: May also be able to run over 20 mph, has Arizona ahead of Utah in the Pac-12 South standings, is not extinct.</p>
<p id="HQ1Ei6"><strong>Khalil Tate is better.</strong></p>
<p id="2V4joK"><strong>***</strong></p>
<p id="RSLm0I"><strong>Who’s better: Khalil Tate, or Jesus?</strong></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Football: Nevada at Notre Dame" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/L0xxKZtiv9XHJdKP9WdAeIh4xkg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9666935/usa_today_9530774.jpg">
<cite>Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="PRicHB">The case for Jesus: Son of God, can walk on water, otherworldly abs.</p>
<p id="YCJZkT">The case for Tate: 3rd in the Pac-12 in rushing this season, behind only <span>Bryce Love</span> and <span>Phillip Lindsay</span>, has over 800 rushing yards more than any other Pac-12 QB, has his friends sit on both sides of the table when they go out for supper. </p>
<p id="TK4zM1"><strong>Khalil Tate is better. </strong></p>
<p id="aNdfVF"><strong>***</strong></p>
<p id="Tj0RO0"><strong>Who’s better: Khalil Tate, or a Sourdough Jack?</strong></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-MRFtJQSZs0sLeVmiFToufY1uAU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9669583/8032222077_4e05e99b0d_b.jpg">
</figure>
<p id="Nv54VS">The case for a Sourdough Jack: greasy, delicious, available 24 hours a day, will meet your expectations every single time without fail. </p>
<p id="4hbuPB">The case for Tate: Thanks to the Pac-12’s TV contract, is also available 24 hours a day, has also never failed to meet expectations. He’s a Sourdough Jack in shoulder pads.</p>
<p id="wFA4Yx"><strong>Khalil Tate is better</strong></p>
<p id="SajmNM"><strong>***</strong></p>
<p id="fh1TIC"><strong>Who’s better: Khalil Tate, or Michael Vick?</strong></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Buccaneers v Falcons" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9MKNSXXrUK_los3Wn3n0R-lB9cE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9669625/2824860.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="xW7cMI">The case for Vick: Unquestionably the greatest running quarterback of all time, the 2nd-greatest video game football player of all time, the only QB ever rush for 1000 yards in an NFL season.</p>
<p id="ualf3B">The case for Tate: His 2017 rushing total is six yards shy of Vick’s <em>career</em> college rushing total. Still though...</p>
<p id="iBqiIF"><strong>Michael Vick is better. </strong></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="slOcaU">
<p id="xovuiJ">There you have it. Khalil Tate is better than everything except Michael Vick. If you were curious about the full rankings, they look like this:</p>
<ol>
<li id="SXwE7K">Michael Vick</li>
<li id="YR1XNS">Khalil Tate</li>
<li id="sF66ML">Meryl Streep</li>
<li id="ixiYKG">Jesus</li>
<li id="TOlBNj">An Allosaurus</li>
<li id="jgyzQv">Steve Young</li>
<li id="Bnh1dw">Sourdough Jack</li>
<li id="Yu3riJ">Johnny Manziel</li>
</ol>
<p id="gDfrmC">This is the most scientific article I’ve ever written. Facts are exhausting, I don’t think I’ll continue to use them in the future. </p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/11/14/16642350/tako-tuesdays-khalil-tate-michael-vick-steve-young-jesus-allosaurus-sourdough-jack-meryl-streepMatt Takimoto2017-11-03T09:00:03-07:002017-11-03T09:00:03-07:00Fraternizing with the Enemy: UW Dawg Pound Q&A
<figure>
<img alt="Oregon v Washington" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ffvsWuh3qJdsWPaW1OlhPyAuOoQ=/0x0:3424x2283/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57445771/131730217.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>I may just use a picture of Keith Price getting sacked with every Oregon-Washington post for all eternity. | Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>John Sayler from UWDP joins us to add fuel to our hatefire.</p> <p id="680eBF"><em>I don’t know about you, but I don’t often find myself voluntarily learning about Washington football. So thanks to John Sayler, who despite his poor life decision in choosing to be a Washington fan appears to be an otherwise kind and knowledgeable human being, for getting us caught up on the 2017 Huskies, and what we can expect to see on the field Saturday. </em></p>
<p id="PNsh6S"><em>If you’d like to read my answers to his questions, you can find them at UW Dawg Pound </em><a href="https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2017/11/2/16592472/opponent-q-a-talking-oregon-ducks-football"><em>HERE</em></a><em>. It’s really, really purple over there, but as long as you’re only exposing yourself in small doses there shouldn’t be any permanent effects. </em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="S86tHu">
<p id="BU3inW"><strong>Catch us up to speed on Washington football: what has changed since last year's College Football Playoff appearance? </strong></p>
<p id="eqNFOT">John: The change is that fans have gone from hoping to win to expecting to win. I think getting into the final four gave the coaches and players validation of how far they had come since Chris Petersen arrived. Alabama gave them a sense of how far they still have to go to become a true power.</p>
<p id="kGhDVb"> It feels good to be a Husky fan again, and the bandwagon is fully loaded with new faces.</p>
<p id="izthI5"><strong>What the hell happened against Arizona State, and could Oregon potentially match that performance?</strong> </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Washington v Arizona State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CAwHkuB5rBeuvsce2cBXoRTASY4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9597237/861487780.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="QNzPV4">Potentially, anybody can beat anybody in this conference, so hell yes. Here’s what ASU did:</p>
<ul>
<li id="Io3D6b">Did not turn the ball over or really make any major mistakes on offense.</li>
<li id="R9miPD">Confused <span>Jake Browning</span> with something he had not seen on film</li>
<li id="dxMXwC">Outplayed the UW offensive line with their front seven</li>
</ul>
<p id="VUZwh3"> There’s your blueprint, give it to Taggart.</p>
<p id="SjOCXI"><strong>What else do you need to see from Jake Browning before we can entertain the conversation of him supplanting </strong><span><strong>Jake Locker</strong></span><strong> as Washington's greatest quarterback?</strong> </p>
<p id="eAaCW4">I’d like to see him play a really good game, because it’s been a while. Browning has been super-hesitant, a product of the entire passing game being off.</p>
<p id="UZMnfd"> Locker is a good comparison in the sense that he showed a lot early in his career, then next thing you know he is the greatest thing ever and a Heisman Trophy candidate. How a QB performs has so much to do with the players around him. Locker had a better supporting cast as a junior than he did his ‘hyped’ senior season, and the same is true for Browning this season versus last.</p>
<p id="Lcdvzf"><strong>Of the 70 points Washington scored against Oregon last year, which one was your favorite?</strong> </p>
<p id="ld13SP">I gotta go with that third extra point; started it right, slight draw back to the left. A thing of beauty.</p>
<p id="Hy0UDD"><em>Editor’s Note: Went back and watched, and he’s not kidding. Great extra point, just nailed it. </em></p>
<p id="dxCbdT"><strong>What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Washington defense, and does Oregon's one-dimensional offense have any chance for success?</strong> </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Montana v Washington" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SHJi3FKb_VJ7tUKgi_blWjdwHWg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9597241/845797260.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="MrKEmh">If it’s one-dimensional, I can’t imagine Oregon having much success. But I doubt it will be. The Oregon gameplan will certainly involve trying to get the running game going, but if you don’t have balance the UW defense is pretty tough to score on. I’m sure Oregon will have some creative plans on offense.</p>
<p id="EmhyLk">The strength is right up the middle with DTs Greg Gaines and Vita Vea. Those guys are tough to block and defenses can generally only double team one, or else LBs Azeem Victor and Ben Burr Kirven will be in the opponents backfield all day. The secondary is also surprisingly great this season. We were told there wouldn’t be a dropoff with three of last years’ DBs moving on to the NFL. That held true. What’s even more surprising is how they have continued to play really well even after the top two corners went down with long-term injuries. Next guys in… they’ve look good too.</p>
<p id="6QsbKD">Weakness? Probably the edge players. <span>Benning Potoa'e</span> was a prized recruit and we all keep waiting for him to be amazing. A lot of opponents’ successful plays are his fault.</p>
<p id="D27zIh"><strong>Now that Washington has snapped the streak, how are Husky fans feeling about the Oregon-Washington rivalry? What rivalry means more to you, Oregon or Washington State?</strong> </p>
<p id="6ENsOb">The rivalry is what it is, and Washington winning last year doesn’t change that. These schools have been playing football for a long time, and each has rolled the other for periods of time.</p>
<p id="ZRtt95">Personally, I’m more of a “I hate WSU guy.” Probably has to do with my age (old) and that I live in close proximity to so many Cougs. My least favorite topic of debate on our site is the “who you hate more, who you SHOULD hate more.”</p>
<p id="8p6WHp">I hate them both, and when they play each other it’s a good day because someone will lose. Oh shit, someone wins too. I just ignore that part.</p>
<p id="igR35k"><strong>What's the long term prognosis for Washington football? Oregon fans are already looking ahead to 2019 when all these young talented freshmen are now upperclassmen; could that be the year Oregon regains a hold of the rivalry?</strong> </p>
<p id="brhN8Q">It’s hard not to feel good about what Chris Petersen is doing at Washington. We’d love to have more 4 and 5 star recruits, but Petersen and his staff seem to find the 2 and 3 star guys that everyone else overlooked; guys who become All-Conference players. Who knows how good the two teams will be in a couple years. We feel very good about the direction of the program. Sounds like you guys are pretty happy with what you have going forward as well.</p>
<p id="NQdIQb"><strong>I'll dispense with the game prediction and ask an over/under instead: O/U Oregon points scored: 13.5. What are you taking? </strong></p>
<p id="ZCUX2q">With my own money, I wouldn’t touch that. Who knows who the QB will be for Oregon, and if there is garbage time in the game that can dramatically change things. UCLA finished with 23 points and didn’t do shit all day except for one drive. If I had to pick I’d take the over.</p>
<p id="Yc5AHy"></p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/11/3/16600580/oregon-football-washington-football-uw-dawg-pound-jake-browning-jake-locker-jake-from-state-farmMatt Takimoto2017-10-31T11:00:02-07:002017-10-31T11:00:02-07:00Tako Tuesdays is Filing a Complaint
<figure>
<img alt="84th MLB All-Star Game" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZFZSH2ndumOgXrgwMbw7m0Xz4Q0=/4x0:4924x3280/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57379825/173705097.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I don’t want to have to disown you, so please help me out with this. </p> <p id="Ji2VnF"></p>
<p id="MCTWFm">On Saturday afternoon, all the familiar sounds of Oregon football echoed throughout Autzen Stadium: the screams of 55,000+ fans, the Oregon Marching Band taking <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA_tm5M-RVI">the best part of Star Wars Episode I</a> and jamming it into your brains with glee, Don Essig’s sensual baritone. But there was one piece of last week’s Autzen experience that stood out.</p>
<p id="C9o42H">Neil Diamond’s scourge upon humanity, “Sweet Caroline”, began to play. </p>
<p id="tDhEyU">Here’s my initial reaction:</p>
<div id="n0xl72">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ARE THEY PLAYING SWEET CAROLINE AT AUTZEN FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK NO WAIT HERE GONNA GO LIGHT MY DEGREE ON FIRE</p>— Matt Takimoto (@takimoto23x) <a href="https://twitter.com/takimoto23x/status/924405286034538496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="3soXhE">Now, I’m not one of those fans who thinks that Oregon athletics should refrain from trying to add new things to the football atmosphere. But Sweet Caroline is not a new thing. It’s a bad song from almost 50 years ago, and one of the most tired sports tropes in the universe. It’s so dumb that it’s featured in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl2r--oAPBI&disable_polymer=true">single worst commercial of 2017</a>. Perhaps most importantly from a sports standpoint, it’s one of those things where one team has clear rights to it being “their thing”. To better illustrate this, here is:</p>
<p id="qZRugH"><strong>A quick list of the least creative sports fan things, and who gets to use them</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="EDoJuw">Sweet Caroline - The Boston Red Sox have full and unquestioned rights to this dumb song. It’s their eighth inning tradition, Neil Diamond’s sung it Any other fan base that tries it is a cheap imitator.</li>
<li id="wgKude">The “I Believe That We Will Win” chant - Primary rights go to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=055_hzpHtm8">Naval Academy,</a> who created it. Secondary rights go to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufPXaWpT6pc">US Soccer</a>, who co-opted it first and most prominently. Tertiary rights go to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi_HiInBipc">Utah State</a>, who went viral with their version of it and really sit it afire in the college sports scene. Any other fan base that tries it is a cheap imitator. </li>
<li id="jQb2fV">“Don’t Stop Believing” - The Chicago White Sox fully committed to this as their anthem on the way to a world championship in 2005, the San Francisco Giants co-opted it in 2010 by getting Journey’s lead singer Steve Perry - a Giants fan - leading the crowd in a sing-along during playoff games. The Detroit Red Wings also heavily use it at games due to the “born and raised in south Detroit” line. I think three sports teams is plenty, so let’s cap it there. Any other fan base that tries it is a cheap imitator. </li>
<li id="GpVFEI">“Rock and Roll, Part 2” - According to Wikipedia, it started in the NHL and branched out from there, most notably to the NFL, who banned it after songwriter Gary Glitter was convicted of downloading child porn. Oregon’s been doing it for a while, so we can keep doing it. Still, it’s not that original and kind of skeevy.</li>
<li id="KO60jU">“Seven Nation Army” - <a href="https://deadspin.com/5875933/how-the-song-seven-nation-army-conquered-the-sports-world">Deadspin’s already recapped the history of this one</a>, and according to them Penn State was the first college football team to use it in 2006. It’s now absolutely everywhere. It didn’t show up at Oregon until at least 2011, so we’re really late to the game on this one. At this point, anyone can use it, but it isn’t particularly interesting, so there’s gotta be a more unique song we can jump and yell OOOOO to, right?</li>
<li id="xTnkdf">The Wave - The Wave belongs first and foremost to Krazy George Henderson and the Oakland A’s, in a playoff game against the Yankees in 1981. This happened before a wave took place on Halloween of 1981 at Husky Stadium. This is important, because the Huskies claim they invented the Wave. In fact, they did not. So just to be clear: THE WASHINGTON HUSKIES DID NOT INVENT THE WAVE. Thank you. Anyway, everyone does the Wave, and generally I hate it because people try and start it while the game is going on, and not during a stoppage in action when there’s time to do silly crap like the Wave. It isn’t original, but looks really cool when well executed. So anyone can do the Wave, just do it at an appropriate time, and do it well. </li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="qHtg7y">
<p id="Cw3K1v">Here’s really the crux of my problem with Sweet Caroline, apart from the fact that it’s a terrible song written by a grown man, about a child. Oregon doesn’t need to go around stealing somebody else’s signature traditions. We’ve got our own.</p>
<div id="T3vJpF"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vtFw3tADh3c?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="4H0ZGy">So, please, I’m begging you. Take Sweet Caroline, and get a little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now. A little bit softer now...</p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/10/31/16565266/oregon-football-get-sweet-caroline-the-hell-out-of-hereMatt Takimoto2017-10-24T11:00:03-07:002017-10-24T11:00:03-07:00Tako Tuesdays is Playing Through Adversity
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Oregon at UCLA" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x1UxJ20Tozdmor0IBxy46ErcOVo=/0x0:2856x1904/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57286303/usa_today_10359506.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Much like the Oregon offense, I do not have the health necessary to get the job done. </p> <p id="tRW404">Gonna be honest with you. </p>
<p id="GgnlBr">I don’t feel great. </p>
<p id="47NJ7C">Hot. Cold. Dizzy. Phlegmy. Gross.</p>
<p id="XX7iRO">I just want to sleep all day tomorrow. Stay inside, drink orange juice, eat soup.</p>
<p id="cKaLiE">But I can’t. No one to cover my class at school. So, I’m going in. </p>
<p id="J0b33F">It won’t be pretty. I’m gonna drag ass all day. I’ll feel like shit at the end of it. But as long as I take care of myself as best I can and don’t try and push things too hard, I’ll get better faster. </p>
<p id="eaoG17">In other words, I am Oregon’s ailing offense. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wRMYgY">
<p id="EdK7Vh">Until Justin Herbert is back on the field at full strength, Oregon’s offense has the flu. <span>Braxton Burmeister</span> is out there trying his best, but watching one of the better QB recruits in the 2017 class struggle mightily like this should make us all appreciate when true freshmen quarterbacks can be impact players immediately. He’ll continue to improve, but to expect the kid to all of a sudden start slinging the ball around and putting a bunch of points on the board is a touch unrealistic at this point. As dissonant as it is for an Oregon football fan who has known nothing but dynamic offenses for the last decade, Oregon is going to pursue long-term development over short-term successes. Because I’ll remind you of something:</p>
<p id="zRjTKJ">Willie Taggart does not really give a damn about how many games he wins in Year 1. </p>
<p id="yLLex5">Oregon’s 4 wins this season has already doubled the win totals he had in his first years at Western Kentucky and South Florida. Yes, those were bigger rebuilds, but they were also smaller conferences with a shallower talent pool. Taggart has known all along that Year 1 sets the foundation, and we’ve already seen what that foundation looks like: a commitment to running the ball and controlling the tempo to set up deep shots, and an aggressive defense that puts DBs on an island. That’s what this team is working on. So who cares if it’s the fourth quarter and Oregon is down 27-14? This offense needs to work on running the ball to set up the pass, so that’s what it’s gonna do. In the minds of Oregon’s coaches, airing it out and running low-percentage plays is a waste of reps, even if it means abandoning the slim hope of winning the game. In 2019, the point differential of our losses in 2017 won’t matter one bit. But the reps our freshmen and sophomores got in our foundational offense will matter. Willie Taggart knows this. Braxton Burmeister’s going to continue to get the ball because <span>Taylor Alie</span> isn’t in the program’s future. <span>Nick Pickett</span>, <span>Deommodore Lenoir</span>, <span>Darrian Felix</span>, and <span>Jacob Capra</span> are a part of Oregon’s long-term plans, so the reps they’re getting this year - as unpolished as they are - are important. </p>
<p id="rZfBpx">So when you watch this Saturday’s game against Utah, should Oregon struggle - and they probably will - know that Oregon didn’t hire Willie Taggart to win 7-8 games every year and not build anything substantial. They could have had that; Steve Sarkisian was available. Oregon hired Taggart because they saw the plan for a total program rebuild: strip everything down to the foundation in Year 1, and then build from there. Western Kentucky went from also-ran to a perennial bowl team; South Florida is in contention for a New Year’s Six bowl this year with the program Taggart built. Oregon has a bigger name, a bigger conference footprint, and a lot more money. Think what Taggart can build here. </p>
<p id="fd6Jh8">Give it time to get better. </p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/10/24/16532810/tako-tuesdays-oregon-football-needs-fluids-and-bedrestMatt Takimoto2017-10-17T11:23:02-07:002017-10-17T11:23:02-07:00Tako Tuesdays Can Prove Oregon Football is Elite Wait Where Are You Going Come Back
<figure>
<img alt="Oregon v Arizona State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1m6vicZ4CXunjapvZ7Lln3V_4MM=/62x0:4559x2998/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57178571/852677058.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="uNNlon">For the first time all season, Oregon gave us a cold reminder of what this team resembled under Mark Helfrich: apathetic, inconsistent, and completely lost without a quarterback. We weren’t kidding at the beginning of the year when we said that any record between 3-9 and 9-3 was in play. The 9-3 Oregon showed up against Nebraska and Wyoming; the 6-6 Oregon played Southern Utah, Arizona State, Cal, and even Washington State, (btw, Oregon was the canary in the coal mine for the Cougars. Did you see that shit in Berkeley last Friday night? Holy crap, they stunk up the joint). Last week’s game was that 3-9 Oregon team, where half the guys on the field are freshmen, and the whole team is playing like they’ve only been in this system for a couple months. Against Wazzu, the Ducks were outmatched, only it looked like no one told them they were outmatched, so they went out and ground down the Cougars for three quarters or so before letting the game get away. Against Stanford? It was as if the flight attendant on the plane down to SFO said, “There are emergency exits located at the front, middle and rear of the cabin, and the in-flight movie is “There’s No Chance in Hell You’re Stopping Bryce Love, So Why Even Try?” It was a bad game that made everyone feel bad. </p>
<p id="tdgooU">That bunny was cute though, right?</p>
<p id="ve3TcX">You might be feeling abject despair about Oregon football right now. <span>Justin Herbert</span> is broken, the offensive line is sloppy and bad, and now the defense is trash too. But wait. What if I told you that performance just proves Oregon’s place among college football’s elite?</p>
<p id="GVNJkV">Let’s think about what happened in Week 7 in college football. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="KFbTKB">Clemson lost their quarterback, and then lost a Friday night thriller against Syracuse.</p>
<p id="ptT6xx">Previously-undefeated Washington State was absolutely demolished by Cal.</p>
<p id="cWzifF">Auburn blew a 20-point lead to LSU, and thus suffered a transitive loss to Howard. </p>
<p id="JeMt1j">Washington was shut out for like 55 minutes by Arizona State, a defense that previously was allowing 36 points per game. </p>
<p id="gJgpf0">Louisville gave up 42 points to Boston College. Forty-two. To Boston College. </p>
<p id="xeRWid">Oregon lost to Stanford 49-7. Oregon QB <span>Braxton Burmeister</span> finished the game with a QBR of 3.0. Stanford QB <span>Keller Chryst</span> finished the game with a QBR of 95.0.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="mgQZfE">Up there are good football teams, who played inexplicably and unfathomably bad and dumb games. Oregon’s loss doesn’t look out of place on this list. The only conclusion I can draw - and keep in mind, I am tremendously smart - is that Oregon is, in fact, a good team, and last week was simply Good Teams Are Dumb and Bad for No Reason Week. There are other narratives out there, but can they be trusted? The most prominent is the 2007 Redux storyline, where no one is good and everything is full of termites. Please, that couldn’t possibly happen again, that would require the likes of South Florida and West Virginia to be good.</p>
<aside id="94fLne"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"West Virginia Mountaineers Re-Enter The Polls (Again)","url":"https://www.smokingmusket.com/2017/10/15/16479040/west-virginia-mountaineers-wvu-football-ap-coaches-poll-top-25-week-7"},{"title":"2017 College Football Polls: USF Moves Up to #13 in Coaches Poll, #16 in AP Poll","url":"https://www.thedailystampede.com/2017/10/15/16478968/2017-college-football-polls-usf-moves-up-to-13-coaches-poll-16-ap-poll-charlie-strong-aac-usc"}]}'></div></aside><p id="HNAGot"> Ignore those links, obviously a Skynet plot. Your Smart Meter spying on you in the bedroom or something. Let’s stick to the narrative that we like the best, which is “Oregon is very good, and just had a bad, dumb game in a week where other teams had bad, dumb games”</p>
<p id="dGeBu1">By this metric, let’s look at next week’s opponent, the <a href="https://www.bruinsnation.com/">UCLA Bruins</a>, and see if they played a bad, dumb game and are therefore a Good Team.</p>
<blockquote><p id="sYfrkT">UCLA faced Arizona and <span>Khalil Tate</span>, who a week prior set the NCAA record for rushing yards by a QB (327 yards on only 14 carries). Rather than make sure he doesn’t do that again, they let him do that again (230 yards on only 15 carries) in a 47-30 loss. </p></blockquote>
<p id="ixMWZR">That’s an extremely dumb and bad game. Shit, Oregon might have its work cut out for it this weekend with what is clearly a very, very good UCLA team. </p>
<p id="pbJH8o">Now, you might be asking yourself, “So, if the good teams are losing games in dumb and bad ways, do we actually want UCLA to win this Saturday in order to remain a Good Team?” Great question, and I’m glad you asked it. The universe will tell us whether this week is a Good Teams Are Dumb and Bad for No Reason Week, or just a regular week where the good teams win and the bad teams lose. Should we see some dumb and bad things happen earlier in the day, then it’ll be a clear sign that Oregon should also be bad and dumb to maintain its status as a Good Team. For instance, when Oregon-UCLA kicks off at 4, let’s say Oklahoma State has scored 10 points in a loss to Texas, Wisconsin has lost at home to Maryland, and Virginia Tech is down 21-0 early to 1-6 North Carolina. These would all be clear signs that Oregon needs to lose to remain a Good Team. If nothing bad and dumb is happening, that means Oregon should win if it wants to stay Good. Does that make sense? If so, please explain it back to me because I’ve talked myself into a knot. </p>
<p id="SWHFxu">Additionally, this was pointed out to me on Twitter by the incomparable Cyrus Smith of SBN sister blog <a href="http://underdogdynasty.com">Underdog Dynasty.</a> </p>
<div id="piQELi">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/takimoto23x?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@takimoto23x</a> I'm hoping Tako Tuesday involves some sort of theory where Oregon fans should root for UCLA so Mora doesn't get fired lol</p>— Cyrus Smith (@CoolCyWrites) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoolCyWrites/status/920099714447675392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="dtZg0R">This is an excellent point, and a cause worth sacrificing the season for. Jim Mora, Jr. is very bad at his job, but it’s best for the rest of the conference that UCLA continues underachieving. After dropping three out of their last four, and road games to Washington and Utah looming, this might be UCLA’s last good shot at a win until November 11th. Oregon already single-handedly turned Arizona State’s season around by handing them a win, and thereby keeping Todd “My Hair Puts the ‘Meh’ in Mesa” Graham around; Oregon would be doing everyone a favor by giving Mora juuuuuuust enough credibility to weasel a two-year extension out of the UCLA athletic department. And that, much like college football’s great tradition of having good teams to bad and dumb things for no reason, is really the gift that keeps on giving. </p>
<p id="QlhJOY"></p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/10/17/16481106/tako-tuesdays-oregon-football-might-be-bad-but-just-ignore-it-and-maintain-your-bravadoMatt Takimoto2017-10-10T11:20:02-07:002017-10-10T11:20:02-07:00Tako Tuesdays Wants to be Sexy Iowa
<figure>
<img alt="Nebraska v Oregon" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xJlV9zrYBE_DrDyXFf9pIKYa7z4=/0x0:2988x1992/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57079197/845055342.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Defense is exciting again! Let’s do the least Oregon thing of all, and embrace it.</p> <p id="kRArGb">Sooooooo, that Washington State game wasn’t super fun. The offensive line was dominated by WSU’s D-line, the offense couldn’t convert on third-down, there were, by my estimation, 37 false start penalties, and <span>Braxton Burmeister</span> looked positively Kemptian at times (ironic, considering earlier that day <span>Kyle Kempt</span> - Cody’s little brother - torched Oklahoma in his first career start). Now, all this is completely understandable - WSU’s defensive front might be the best in the conference, and Burmeister went from wearing a baseball hat and taking notes to playing a top-15 team in the span of a week - but it doesn’t give me a lot of hope for offensive fireworks in the coming weeks, particularly against generally-stout defenses like Stanford, Utah, and Washington. </p>
<p id="5pba3V">However, there is plenty to be hopeful about on the defensive side of the ball. Even with the offensive struggles, the defense kept Oregon in the game until the fourth quarter and made a good WSU offense look lost and out of sync. The Cougars had only two drives of longer than 50 yards all night, and scored 20 of their 33 points following Oregon turnovers. The Ducks D racked up four sacks, deflected six passes, and held WSU to 2-14 on third down. </p>
<p id="27EHBT">This is so very...un-Oregon. </p>
<p id="KCQgwA">For years it’s been all offense, all the time, to the point where the many truly good defenses under Nick Aliotti were undervalued and underrated. And now that the rest of college football has caught up to the Ducks in terms of speed, deception, tempo, and explosiveness on offense, wouldn’t the truly Oregon thing be to swing wildly away from the norm, and continue to innovate and lead college football from the front?</p>
<p id="u0Jyv0">That’s right. It’s time for Oregon to embrace a defense-first mentality, and start the next college football revolution. And Oregon’s next opponent, the <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com/">Stanford Cardinal</a>, is the perfect foil against which to debut the defensive Ducks. What better place to start the ascent to the top of the boring and bruising than the home of punting from your opponent’s 29 yard line? I still have to imagine that Stanford’s idea of a perfect game was their 2012 win in Autzen, a 17-14 overtime win that perhaps ruined Oregon’s best chance at a national title. Wouldn’t it be just remarkable if these defense-first Ducks could go down to the Farm, bottle up <span>Bryce Love</span>, harass whichever dollar-store <span>Kevin Hogan</span> they have starting at quarterback, and win 13-10? It would be absolutely disgusting and unwatchable, and I’d giggle through every second of the mess. </p>
<p id="1VizpB">Looking beyond this season, the Ducks are set up well to turn themselves into a defensive behemoth that wins every game 20-10; if we can somehow convince Jim Leavitt to not take the OSU job, he and DL coach Joe Salave’a make a frightening tandem in both playcalling and recruiting (5 4-star defensive players already committed for 2018). And in an offensive world, the trendy school that goes after all the top defensive recruits is a niche that no one is filling at the moment. Oregon’s made its name off doing what no one else is doing, and no one is trying to be Sexy Iowa. Oregon could be Sexy Iowa. Oregon SHOULD be Sexy Iowa. I can picture it now:</p>
<p id="MPSF3r">November, 2019. Oregon is 8-0, despite never scoring more than 30 points in any game this season. They lead the country in sacks, third-down conversions percentage allowed, and opponent points per game. The Oregon offense is now the single-wing, in order to control the clock and keep field position in their favor. They have established a pipeline of Spanish punters, kids with big legs who weren’t good enough to catch on with a futbol club. They average 9 pass attempts per game, games last less than three hours, and every game is at noon because Oregon is now immune to #Pac12AfterDark. Willie Taggart and the Ducks ride a monstrous front seven and Ray Guy Award winner Sergio Villalobos to the program’s first national championship.</p>
<p id="fwY5gH">Sexy Iowa. Get into it. </p>
<p id="H1yfgS"></p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/10/10/16448020/tako-tuesdays-oregon-football-defense-loses-games-by-20-instead-of-40Matt Takimoto2017-10-03T11:00:02-07:002017-10-03T11:00:02-07:00Un-Break Tako Tuesdays
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: California at Oregon" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TfY3_KdqK5lHt91dBq_0HEN9KhA=/6x0:4070x2709/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56964919/usa_today_10319493.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Say you love me again</p> <p id="dUM4Mc">Hit play, and read along.</p>
<p id="WHmEZ1">You’re welcome.</p>
<div id="L7lOt0"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p2Rch6WvPJE?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="HDexfi"><strong>Un-Break My Heart</strong><br>by Toni Braxton Burmeister</p>
<p id="ywLdNs">***</p>
<p id="4UQizA">Left Autzen in all this pain,</p>
<p id="FCiLBd">even though it didn’t rain</p>
<p id="R8DA28">We may have beaten the Bears,</p>
<p id="PMP5uL">but you took Herbie away.</p>
<p id="WqFu4u">He needs his arms, to throw the ball,</p>
<p id="J2WZlY">Cal was so unkind,</p>
<p id="sFabal">Bring back those nights when he threw all the TDs</p>
<p id="RUPfJp"></p>
<p id="gjXMy7">Un-break my heart</p>
<p id="9B3RfZ">And his collarbone</p>
<p id="TPLQIm">Undo this hurt you caused</p>
<p id="gYyVh6">When he stretched for the goal</p>
<p id="fTKi7s">And got knocked on his ass</p>
<p id="NGktrB">Un-drink these beers</p>
<p id="yUaaO1">I drank the other night</p>
<p id="gkSaUi">Un-break my heart</p>
<p id="Q5OCpW">My heart</p>
<p id="onGrM7"></p>
<p id="Z2Aaz4">Oregon now plays Wazzu</p>
<p id="F2AhyS">Without Kaulana Apelu</p>
<p id="iSToch">I don’t know if we can win,</p>
<p id="vn1urP">‘less they Coug the game away</p>
<p id="RN9AZK">Who will it be? <span>Taylor Alie</span>.</p>
<p id="dhh6y9">His ceiling isn’t high</p>
<p id="3T1RB4">But is the true freshman elite? It’s unlikely.</p>
<p id="HQg9qn"></p>
<p id="PIiGHB">Un-break my heart</p>
<p id="hDAu4T">And his collarbone</p>
<p id="TEVAWe">Undo this hurt you caused</p>
<p id="9GhiDf">When he stretched for the goal</p>
<p id="YGOofO">And got knocked on his ass</p>
<p id="7f5X0K">Un-drink these beers</p>
<p id="qTZKAq">I drank the other night</p>
<p id="mX3Opt">Un-break my heart</p>
<p id="lHjlLf">My heart</p>
<p id="bB5kkB">(play during instrumental interlude)</p>
<div id="MQNlqm"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XR5LinGj-68?rel=0&amp;start=17" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="AVgl8U">Don't leave me in all this pain</p>
<p id="hsmPg6">Don't leave me out in the rain</p>
<p id="a7Stc1">Bring back the nights when he threw all he TDs</p>
<p id="toYItw">Un-break my heart</p>
<p id="8HMpdX">And his collarbone</p>
<p id="TWHjO6">Undo this hurt you caused</p>
<p id="Ns6jJO">When he stretched for the goal</p>
<p id="8cskDr">And got knocked on his ass</p>
<p id="Yi6AjD">Un-drink these beers</p>
<p id="BVubPK">I drank the other night</p>
<p id="yu972F">Un-break my </p>
<p id="CAOO38">Un-break my heart, oh Herbie</p>
<p id="RsMIak">Come back and say you’re okay</p>
<p id="b5SjQL">Un-break my heart, sweet Herbie,</p>
<p id="u9oDdm">Without you the Ducks won’t make a bowl</p>
<p id="ee95g0"></p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/10/3/16404140/tako-tuesdays-toni-braxton-burmeister-justin-herbert-injuryMatt Takimoto2017-09-26T11:00:01-07:002017-09-26T11:00:01-07:00Tako Tuesdays: Schrodinger’s Football Game
<figure>
<img alt="Oregon v California" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QsaSMYItMXgXk-oK7VlxqZ7604A=/0x0:2128x1419/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56853893/616152584.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cal-Oregon is this Saturday night, and literally anything is possible. </p> <p id="ZLE6eT">At a glance, The <a href="https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/">California Golden Bears</a> and the <a href="https://www.addictedtoquack.com/">Oregon Ducks</a> look very similar. Both teams were big unknowns back in August, entering the season with new coaching staffs and a lot of youth on both sides of the ball. Both teams got off to 3-0 starts, which felt like surprises. Both lost last week, albeit in very different ways. And for both teams, this Saturday night’s game will be a real measuring stick for the rest of the season. The winner will take a 4-1 record into an October 7th test (Cal @ Washington, Oregon vs. WSU), and the loser will need to pull an upset to avoid a three-game losing streak. </p>
<p id="y0h0mU">Virtually any outcome is in play here. If the Oregon team that boatraced Nebraska and Wyoming shows up to play the Cal team that struggled to put away Weber State, it’ll be a 30-point Oregon win. If the Oregon team that shot itself in the legs over and over again in Tempe last week plays the Cal team that won at North Carolina, pitched a second-half shutout against Ole Miss, and played USC to a draw for three quarters, it’ll be a blowout win for the Bears. In the middle of all that are a multitude of possible games. A multiple-OT shootout? Sure, especially if <span>Demetris Robertson</span> is back on the field for Cal. A defensive struggle? Totally! Both these defenses are looking for turnovers and playing with energy and desire. A sloppy mess where the winner feels like they deserved to lose? Hell yes! Cal’s already played one of these this year, and Oregon tried real hard to hand a win to Nebraska. The only person who knows for sure is a dead Austrian physicist. </p>
<p id="0U3CiP">Erwin Schrodinger’s famous thought experiment about quantum superpositions poses that a hypothetical cat in a hypothetical box is simultaneously alive and dead until an outside observer “opens the box” and sees one of the two outcomes. Other theoretical physicists have taken this to posit that perhaps this proves the existence of an infinite number of universes that are created anytime one of these atomic limbos is resolved. What I am posing to you, dear reader, is that this year’s Oregon-Cal game is simultaneously a win and a loss, and we won’t know the result until we watch the game, thereby creating an infinite number of universes where each observer see a slightly different outcome. In some of these universes, Oregon eventually wins a national championship; in others, it’s Cal who wins the title; and in a few of these universes, dolphins from around the world unite to overthrow humanity while we are preoccupied with the hateful ramblings of insecure white men. There is an overwhelming chance you and I will no longer be in the same universe on Saturday night at 7:01 PM, at least not “you” and “I” in our current quantum states. So what? Do we just not open the box, unlocking a completely separate path through space-time where the Ducks and Bears stay 3-1 in perpetuity, and those damn dirty cetaceans stay in the ocean where they belong? No, that’s the coward’s universe. We open the damn box, and see what’s inside. It might be an Oregon win, springing the Ducks to an 8 or 9 win season. Or, it could be a second frustrating loss in a row in a season filled with frustrating losses. Willie Taggart might be the program savior, or he might be just another Pac-12 coach who lands recruits and can’t get wins with them. </p>
<p id="PQfCpL">This Saturday, we’ll open the box, and welcome our bottlenosed overlords. </p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/9/26/16364336/tako-tuesdays-cal-oregon-2017-dolphins-overthrow-humans-unless-demetris-robertson-is-healthyMatt Takimoto2017-09-18T11:50:00-07:002017-09-18T11:50:00-07:00Tako Tuesdays’ Pac-12 Out-of-Conference Recap
<figure>
<img alt="Stanford v San Diego State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A8IYnlHFxnBtmq8exGhZcs_ZbEE=/0x0:3686x2457/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56726043/848167462.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Who’s still standing tall, and who fell flat on their faces to open the 2017 season?</p> <p id="UfstPA">The Pac-12 has all but wrapped up their out-of-conference slate (WSU plays Nevada this weekend, USC and Stanford play Notre Dame later in the season), and it was a mix of saw-it-coming (Washington hasn’t been tested, Oregon State is trash) and wait-what-now (3-0 Cal, Stanford loses to SDSU, WSU beats an FCS team). The non-conference schedule means different things to different teams: title contenders need to make a statement by either beating a marquee opponent or beating the hell out of everyone, young teams need to get quality game reps, coaches on the hot seat need to not step in it. So which teams accomplished their goals, and which teams need to put the hustle on entering Pac-12 play. </p>
<h2 id="8FSEil"><strong>Oregon</strong></h2>
<p id="rjvhQY"><strong>Schedule:</strong> Southern Utah, Nebraska, @Wyoming</p>
<p id="P785LR"><strong>Goal:</strong> Get reps, show defensive improvement, stay healthy, go 2-1 or better</p>
<p id="pK7Njy"><strong>Accomplished?</strong> Yes, and then some. The offense looks fierce, and the defense has energy for the first time since Nick Alliotti retired. </p>
<h2 id="ZmaJ5Q"><strong>Oregon State</strong></h2>
<p id="WjlVqJ"><strong>Schedule: </strong>@Colorado State, Portland State, Minnesota</p>
<p id="z3Klah"><strong>Goal: </strong>Build off a good finish to 2016, don’t get blown out</p>
<p id="F9AAXh"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>LOL no. When beating PSU by a FG is the highlight to your season, you’re in the doldrums. And with a scary opening conference slate (@WSU, Washington, USC, Colorado), they might not win again until playing Arizona or ASU in November. Gary Andersen might not make it that long.</p>
<h1 id="OAxR2G">Cal</h1>
<p id="De5qad"><strong>Schedule: </strong>@North Carolina, Weber State, Ole Miss</p>
<p id="z76hoO"><strong>Goal: </strong>Find identity under a new head coach, get reps, beat Weber State</p>
<p id="ystWpN"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>Oh yeah. I had Cal pegged as a 2-win team this year, and they’ve already blown by that mark. The biggest surprise has been the quick ascension of the defense, who shut out Ole Miss in the second half to lock down the win. Justin Wilcox is making moves, and that 9/30 game in Eugene no longer feels like a gimme. </p>
<h2 id="lfVTYX">Stanford</h2>
<p id="2zDdNk"><strong>Schedule: </strong>Rice, @San Diego State, Notre Dame (Week 13)</p>
<p id="wKcVfh"><strong>Goal: </strong>Take care of business, find a QB, look like the Stanford we’re all used to.</p>
<p id="eojqnf"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>Oh, goodness no. The offense is <span>Bryce Love</span> and a bunch of not-good-enough, and the Cardinal mixed in a blowout loss to USC for good measure. Stanford has stumbled early under David Shaw before, only to recover and still contend for a conference title; can they do it again this year?</p>
<h2 id="Swne2q">Washington</h2>
<p id="t9cxgU"><strong>Schedule: </strong>@Rutgers, Montana, Fresno State</p>
<p id="Bkk8ZS"><strong>Goal: </strong>Beat the hell out of three bad teams, stick around in the top 10 and in the national title picture.</p>
<p id="GecwQ1"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>Eh, kinda. The Rutgers game was sleepy and uninspired, but they took care of business at home. With a conference schedule that misses USC, Washington’s eyes are still on 12-0 heading to the Pac-12 title game. </p>
<h2 id="klN0dd">Washington State</h2>
<p id="3LVVmZ"><strong>Schedule: </strong>Montana State, Boise State, Nevada (Week 4)</p>
<p id="deuWkl"><strong>Goal: </strong>Don’t lose to an FCS team again, try and avoid the Boise State trap, keep <span>Luke Falk</span> upright</p>
<p id="Tuki9t"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>Yes, but not for a lack of trying. Boise State was so kind to hand that win to the Cougs when they really, really didn’t want to take it. And while Luke Falk sat out some of the BSU game, he came back nicely against the Beavers last week. WSU finishes their non-con against Nevada this Saturday. </p>
<h2 id="KFyngJ"><strong>Arizona</strong></h2>
<p id="7smNl5"><strong>Schedule: </strong>Northern Arizona, Houston, @UTEP</p>
<p id="lNc4JB"><strong>Goal: </strong>Look competitive against Houston, win the other two games, look like you won’t be a complete walkover this season.</p>
<p id="M5ORQi"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>Sure. The Houston game was ugly, but Houston’s a talented team, particularly on defense. The other two games were blowouts. We’ll know more about the Wildcats this weekend when they play Utah in their Pac-12 opener. </p>
<h2 id="Kx4ci6">Arizona State</h2>
<p id="crVbPm"><strong>Schedule: </strong>New Mexico State, San Diego State, @Texas Tech</p>
<p id="lOxnw7"><strong>Goal: </strong>Show signs of life on defense, go 2-1 or better, look decent</p>
<p id="RIa5ql"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>Not really, no. The Sun Devils barely beat NMSU in the opener, looked feckless against SDSU, and then got caught in a shootout with Texas Tech, which never ends well. ASU’s first five conference games are Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Utah, and USC. There’s a very real chance Todd Graham is unemployed before November. </p>
<h2 id="UFCer6">Colorado</h2>
<p id="7IWwbO"><strong>Schedule: </strong>Colorado State, Texas State, Northern Colorado</p>
<p id="hJ7vMZ"><strong>Goal: </strong>Beat up bad teams, stay healthy</p>
<p id="6Kw6AY"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>Yes. This non-conference schedule is real stinky, so anything less than three easy wins would have been concerning. The only close game was against Colorado State, and the Buffs held serve in preparation for their conference openers against Washington and UCLA. </p>
<h2 id="4aPfCv">UCLA</h2>
<p id="ZsGzxh"><strong>Schedule: </strong>Texas A&M, Hawaii, @Memphis</p>
<p id="e9KE3I"><strong>Goal: </strong>Win all three games and announce your presence as a conference contender. You’ve got one of the ten best QBs in college football, and a roster oozing with talent. No excuses. </p>
<p id="h1Uor5"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>The epic comeback against Texas A&M boosted the Bruins - and <span>Josh Rosen</span> - into the national conversation immediately, which made the loss to Memphis both shocking and predictable at the same time, shocking because UCLA was playing so well, and predictable because this is UCLA we’re talking about.</p>
<h2 id="jqnNA8">USC</h2>
<p id="CDfmIL"><strong>Schedule: </strong>Western Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame (Week 8)</p>
<p id="o8x7q7"><strong>Goal: </strong>Insert yourself into the national title conversation.</p>
<p id="N7OArY"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>It doesn’t feel like it, but maybe their wins will age better as the season plays out, including the 42-14 win over Stanford. If WMU and Texas show out in their respective conferences - and Stanford rebounds to its normal place in the Pac-12 pecking order - then maybe the playoff committee will look more favorably upon this non-conference schedule. A big win in South Bend would help, too.</p>
<h2 id="1XGkTj">Utah</h2>
<p id="u2GHJI"><strong>Schedule: </strong>North Dakota, @BYU, San Jose State</p>
<p id="3G14rT"><strong>Goal: </strong>Go 3-0 against two bad teams and BYU</p>
<p id="J5GfuE"><strong>Accomplished? </strong>Yes, though a 6-point road win against BYU looks worse due to the Cougars also getting blown out by Wisconsin and LSU. Still, Utah looks like Utah, and should be favored in its first two conference games (@Arizona, Stanford). </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ETGHVe">
<p id="tKfiSb">So we know who accomplished their goals, and who fell short. But what did we learn from the non-conference slate that we didn’t already know? Utah is Utah, UCLA is UCLA, <span>Sam Darnold</span>, <span>Royce Freeman</span>, and <span>Dante Pettis</span> are very good, and Arizona State has no defense. We knew all these things in March, and they’re still true. However, we do have a few new truths about Pac-12 football in 2017:</p>
<ul>
<li id="bVDWmp">Cal is playing defense, and might be sneaky decent. </li>
<li id="S563Ti">Oregon is playing defense, and might be sneaky good.</li>
<li id="FRFJ8b">Until a QB at Stanford stands up and takes the starting job, the Cardinal are beatable even with Bryce Love averaging 12 yards per carry. </li>
<li id="izqf8z">No one is invincible, and there might not be a Playoff-caliber team this year.</li>
<li id="UYMU8J">Oregon State is the worst team in the conference, but Arizona State isn’t that far behind. </li>
<li id="8gBhg2">Washington State changed up their deal with the devil this offseason, from “lose to an FCS team, but win 9 games” to “cause Boise State to choke, but ________________________”. We’ll see what Mike Leach had to trade to get that win. </li>
</ul>
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<p id="ndoIAJ">Any other new truths about the Pac-12 that we know heading into conference play? Leave them in the comments!</p>
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https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2017/9/18/16324872/tako-tuesdays-pac-12-football-2017-stanford-oregon-cal-uclaMatt Takimoto