Addicted To Quack - 2015 College Football Championship Game coverage and schedule: Oregon vs. Ohio StateAn Oregon Ducks Blog: Often Imitated, Never Duplicated, Always Fashionablehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46661/atqfavicon.png2015-01-12T23:09:08-08:00http://www.addictedtoquack.com/rss/stream/72711702015-01-12T23:09:08-08:002015-01-12T23:09:08-08:00IRRATIONAL, WILL BE DELETED IN THE MORNING
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<figcaption>Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>UGH</p> <p>The original title of this post was "Tako Tuesdays Can't Even", where my ability to even breaks and I get pissy like a white girl who is handed a vanilla latte when she CLEARLY ORDERED A FUCKING CARAMEL MACCHIATO.</p>
<p>But then I decided that would be petty.</p>
<p>Instead, I will just put my biased, emotional nonsense in the ether, and like the Dread Pirate Roberts, most likely kill it in the morning.</p>
<p>- The game was over when <span>Dwayne Stanford</span> dropped that third down pass. It was probably over when <span>Charles Nelson</span> dropped that third down pass. But it was definitely over when Dwayne Stanford dropped that third down pass. The opening Oregon drive was crisp. It's the best opening drive Oregon had all season. Their second drive, after an Oregon stop, started the exact same way. The Nelson drop killed a drive that, had it continued, could have made it 14-0 Ducks. The Stanford drop came after Ohio State answered Oregon's opening score. The Stanford drop was the last time Oregon had the ball when tied or in the lead. I'm convinced in my emotional, drunken brain that both those drives lead to touchdowns. That was it, right there. The rest was just posturing.</p>
<p>- One play, over and over again. That's how Ohio State destroyed Oregon. That one counter play, with the H-back delivering a punishing block, the pulling guard crushing someone, and <span>Ezekiel Elliott</span> making two cuts and getting a <span>Reggie Daniels</span> arm-tackle from a 70 yard touchdown. They ran it when they needed yards, when they needed to make it hurt, and when they knew Oregon was looking for it and knew it would work anyway. That counter play was a hammer, and Ohio State bashed Oregon over the head with it repeatedly, until they stopped moving.</p>
<p>- Urban Meyer can get fucked for that last touchdown. Yes, Oregon had timeouts left. Were they going to use them? Probably not. Did you kneel once to find out? No. I get it, you wanted to get <span>Cardale Jones</span> a touchdown to troll the world, and I respect the long con, you vicious wizard-man. Your players will love you for that move, as will the recruits you'll continue to get in order to replenish your death-machine. But still, that stung in a way it didn't need to sting, and I'd like to believe that Mark Helfrich has his guys kneel if he's in that situation. So you can go get fucked.</p>
<p>- Oregon did so many un-Oregon things. They didn't run the ball with any fire. They weren't very fast. They got tired. And they punted in the fourth quarter of the GOD DAMN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME while down FIFTEEN POINTS WITH SEVEN MINUTES LEFT. That was the most Oregon time to go for it on 4th and 7, and they sent out a half-assed fake, followed by a punt, all while the FUCKING HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER STOOD ON THE SIDELINE. THAT WAS THE SEASON, AND MARCUS MARIOTA STOOD AROUND WHILE IAN WHEELER WAVED THE WHITE FLAG.</p>
<p>- I can't help but feel we're on the backside of this era. In 2011, I knew we'd be back. I knew that Oregon was building something that was more than a national championship appearance built on a innovative offense run by capable-enough players. But this year. This was it. This was the title shot programs dream about. We had the Heisman winner. We were coming off an absolute evisceration of the defending champs, in the most picturesque of all football settings. We were gifted four turnovers by a team that didn't need to give us four turnovers. CARDALE WENT FULL JAMEIS FOR FUCK'S SAKE. AND WE LOST BY A THOUSAND. And now I just can't shake the feeling that we'll be an 8-10 win-a-year program for the rest of all our lives, and we'll never get a better look at the trophy. And if we do win a national championship, we'll sit there afterwards going, "How the hell did we do that?" Had we won tonight, we'd know exactly how we did it.</p>
<p>- Fuck. This sucks.</p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2015/1/12/7536317/irrational-natty-thoughts-will-be-deleted-in-the-morningMatt Takimoto2015-01-12T14:57:24-08:002015-01-12T14:57:24-08:00National Championship Motivational Video<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/116379127" width="500" height="281" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Oregon Football "Nothing is Given" from OregonVideo on Vimeo.
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Oregon Football Motivational for the National Championship</p></p></div>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2015/1/12/7534603/national-championship-motivational-videojtlight2015-01-12T12:31:12-08:002015-01-12T12:31:12-08:00Quack Fix: National Championship Gameday
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>GO DUCKS!</p> <h3>Links</h3>
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<li><span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/12/sports/ncaafootball/on-national-stage-coach-mark-helfrich-lets-oregon-roots-show.html?_r=1">The NY Times has an article on Mark Helfrich</a>, and how he's not afraid to show his Oregon roots.</span></li>
<li><span>Speaking of Helfrich, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2015/01/oregon_ducks_intent_on_helping.html">some of the seniors want to win this to him</a>, to help him step out from under Chip's shadow.</span></li>
<li><span>Andrew Greif <a target="_blank" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2015/01/the_secret_of_oregons_success.html#incart_maj-story-1">writes on how the Oregon culture helped bring them to this point</a>.</span></li>
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<h3>Video Of The Day</h3>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ptorli2CY6I" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/morning-quack-fix/2015/1/12/7533261/quack-fix-national-championship-gamedayjtlight2015-01-12T10:43:25-08:002015-01-12T10:43:25-08:00National Championship Game Info and Final Thoughts
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The big day is finally here. The Ducks are in Dallas to take on Ohio State in the national championship game.</p> <p><b>Time and Place:</b> 5:30pm Pacific, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas</p>
<p><b>TV: </b>ESPN for the main coverage. But the ESPN Networks (both on TV and online) will have a ton of options for how you want to watch the game, including a "Film Room" broadcast and audio with Jerry Allen. <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/114196/12-ways-to-watch-the-cfp-national-championship-megacast" target="_blank">Check out their full options here</a>.</p>
<p><b>Radio:</b> In Oregon, you can listen on the <a href="http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=68136" target="_blank">Oregon Ducks Radio Network</a>. Without a radio, listen on the <a href="http://tunein.com/radio/Oregon-IMG-Sports-Network-s206509/" target="_blank">TuneIn Radio Oregon IMG Network</a>.</p>
<p><b>Streaming: </b><a href="http://espn.go.com/watchespn/" target="_blank">WatchESPN</a>. You'll be able to listen to Jerry Allen synced with the game here, so this might be a great option.</p>
<p>Note that WatchESPN had troubles keeping up with the demand, so you may want to look to alternatives if they are supplied by your ISP. For example, Comcast's stream for <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/live/network/espn" target="_blank">ESPN is located here</a>. Uvsere subscribers <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://uverse.com/live" target="_blank">should be able to stream ESPN here</a>. Time Warner also has a <a href="https://video2.timewarnercable.com/" target="_blank">streaming app that may work also</a>.</p>
<p><b>Odds: </b>Oregon opened as 7-point favorite. It fluctuated a bit, with it dropping to -5.5 after the <span>Darren Carrington</span> suspension. However, late money pushed the line back to -6.5 or -6 in the major books.</p>
<p><b>Final Thoughts: </b>This is it. One more game, this one with a chance to reach the mountaintop we just missed in 2011. What is interesting about that game, however, is it was the main game that pushed forward the narrative that Oregon can't handle big physical defenses (though the 2010 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/rose-bowl">Rose Bowl</a> started that narrative). And once again, Oregon gets a chance to shut those narratives down, at least until the next time the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.addictedtoquack.com/">Ducks</a> lose to a big, physical team.</p>
<p>But this team has proven itself to be different. The offensive line is the most physical we've seen in the "Chip Kelly Era." Every near-elite defense they've faced (and there are no elite defenses this season) has been left wondering how they allowed 40+ to be put on the scoreboard.</p>
<p>And that is the key to this game. If Oregon controls the line of scrimmage and moves the ball consistently, they will win the game. I don't particularly care what Ohio State's offense does. We know this Oregon team, and <span>Marcus Mariota</span> does not lose games when he scores over 30 points. Now, the 30-point mark is a bit arbitrary, and some of the wins where Oregon scores over 30 have been pretty non-Oregon like. This year against Washignton State, last year's Civil War, last year's Alamo Bowl are all examples.</p>
<p>But this year, since the Arizona loss, we've seen this team do what it does best. Score points, force the opposition to try and keep up, and then pounce. And that's what they'll need to do today. If they are scoring points, it is almost an inevitability that Ohio State will slip up (Oregon is significantly better at not turning the ball over). And when that happens, Oregon will need to do what it does best.</p>
<p>For Ohio State to win, they must use their talented defensive front to slow down the Oregon attack. They are capable of doing that, and have as good a chance as any team in the country.</p>
<p>But I think Oregon is going to move the ball, and move it well. And I think they're going to win. This is the best offense we've seen in school history. The defense is designed to match perfectly to what the offense wants to do. Now it's time for the team to go out there and execute.</p>
<p>GO DUCKS! WIN THE DAY! We'll have full coverage of the game here at ATQ today. So stick around, pass the time, and hopefully celebrate with other Duck fans.</p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/college-football-playoff-championship-game-2015/2015/1/12/7532483/2015-national-championship-game-tv-streaming-radio-odds-finaljtlight2015-01-12T07:14:47-08:002015-01-12T07:14:47-08:00Of All Days, Win This Day
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>I'm freaking out, man.</p> <p>It's here.</p>
<p>It's the day we've been waiting for since January 11, 2011. Another crack. A shot at redemption. A new opportunity to summit the mountain.</p>
<p>Sports is a weird obsession. We put so much emotion into people we don't know playing a game over which we have no control.</p>
<p>Any Duck fan who tells you they are calm and at peace right now is a liar. We've been here before. We've experienced losing this day. It would still be an incredible season. A conference title. A Heisman trophy. A <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/rose-bowl">Rose Bowl</a> victory. But there would always be that unfinished feeling. A what if one more play had broken our way? A will we ever get another crack? A loss is a real possibility. And it would be no less crushing than it was four years ago in Glendale. It may even be more so.</p>
<p>But a win. That's a real possibility, too. It would be incredible. Oregon football has been around for 120 years, and we may be mere hours away from experiencing what no Duck fan has ever experienced. When you become a fan as a little kid, you dream of your team winning a title. When I was a kid in the early '90s, the thought of Oregon ever winning was was the most unrealistic of dreams.</p>
<p>I want this for the players on this team. I want this for the University that I love so much. And, quite frankly, I want it for myself.</p>
<p>The summit is within reach. Win this day, and the party won't stop until August.</p>
<p>QUACK QUACK!</p>
<p>GO DUCKS!</p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2015/1/12/7531419/of-all-days-win-this-dayDavid Piper2015-01-11T09:00:02-08:002015-01-11T09:00:02-08:00Merry Natty Eve
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<p>Here is how I ripped off the rings of our Duck advent calendar this year as we headed toward the first College Football Playoff Championship</p>
<p>Game 1, South Dakota State - Huh, who knew Byron Marshall could play wide receiver?</p>
<p>Game 2.1, Michigan State (halftime) - I knew Helfrich was over his head. Back to the days of celebrating Holiday Bowl victories</p>
<p>Game 2.2, Michigan State (end) - Wow, that's some halftime adjustment by the offense, but I'm still not sold on the D</p>
<p>Game 3, Wyoming - Why the fuck did Helf promote Pellum? Good god our D is bad, I mean that was Wyoming</p>
<p>Game 4, WSU - No way we go through this season unscathed with that O-line and this defense</p>
<p>Game 5, Arizona - Told you.</p>
<p>Game 6, Ucla - Nice win, but the defense is still struggling when it shouldn't</p>
<p>Game 7, Washington - Difference between you and me is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZcqkTIOZRU">I make this look good</a></p>
<p>Game 8, Cal - I'm going to drink a pint of whiskey cause our D is so bad and we're going to give up threeve jillion points to Stanford's anemic offense</p>
<p>Game 9, Stanford - Huh, maybe Pellum knew what he was talking about this off season</p>
<p>Game 10, Utah - Did we just make a really good defense look stupid?</p>
<p>Game 11, Colorado - ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz</p>
<p>Game 12, Oregon State - Mariota is just something special</p>
<p>Game 13, Arizona - Maybe our D is pretty good?</p>
<p>Game 14, Florida State - THAT is what Oregon looks like hitting on all cylinders</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Game 15, Ohio State - I'm at peace. Here we come Ohio State and I trust Helf, this staff, and Mariota to put the best product on the field they can.</p>
<p>Go Ducks</p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2015/1/11/7527143/merry-natty-eveMatt Daddy2015-01-09T16:40:58-08:002015-01-09T16:40:58-08:00Carrington Fails Drug Test, Not On Trip To Dallas
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<figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Carrington isn't on the trip to Dallas after failing a drug test.</p> <p>Welp.</p>
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<p>Sources: Oregon WR Darren Carrington failed drug test, not on trip to Dallas, suspended for national title game <a href="http://t.co/aSrNdjEOeW">http://t.co/aSrNdjEOeW</a></p>
— Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronJFentress/status/553709192587247616">January 10, 2015</a>
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<p>DuckTerritory's Matt Prehm has since corroborated Fentress' report.</p>
<p>Carrington was a star in the Rose Bowl, catching seven passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon's other big play receiver, track star Devon Allen, injured his knee returning the opening kickoff of the Rose Bowl and will also sit out the national championship game.</p>
<p>Oregon now has depth issues among the receiving corps, a position that was Oregon's deepest all season. Charles Nelson probably best replicates Carrington's big play ability, while Dwayne Stanford and Keanon Lowe have also played a lot this season. It will be interesting to see if the statuses of Allen and Carrington press Johnathan Loyd or BJ Kelley into action, or if they could mean that we see Bralon Addison make an appearance.</p>
<p>There is never a good time for this news. This may be the worst time. Already lacking Pharaoh Brown, Tyler Johnstone, Allen, Addison, and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, this is just another starter who won't be on the field.</p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2015/1/9/7523045/fentress-wr-darren-carrington-fails-drug-test-suspended-for-nationalDavid Piper2015-01-09T15:30:54-08:002015-01-09T15:30:54-08:00 Ohio State's fate rests in Ezekiel Elliott
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<figcaption>Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Everyone's been talking about third string quarterback Cardale Jones, but it's Ezekiel Elliott who holds the keys to the machine that is the Ohio State offense. </p> <p>Imagine if the Ducks were faced with a scenario where heading into the homestretch of the season, needing big wins, they needed to turn to Jeff Lockie. Makes you a little uneasy, right? Now imagine if before one of the biggest games in school history and they were forced to start Taylor Allie. That's essentially what the Buckeyes have had to deal with at quarterback and third stringer <span>Cardale Jones</span>. But while Jones has done a tremendous job in his first two career starts, he's not the reason the Buckeyes are playing for a national championship.</p>
<p>Meet <span>Ezekiel Elliott</span>. This season, the sophomore running back has carried the ball 237 times for 1,632 yards and 14 touchdowns. Elliott also has 27 receptions for 221 yards, averaging 8.2 yards per catch. While he put up some impressive performances this season, such as 23 carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns against No. 8 Michigan State, none have been more impressive than his last two games.</p>
<p>Against Wisconsin in the Big 10 Championship Game, Elliott carried the ball 20 times for 220 yards and two touchdowns, helping propel the Buckeyes into the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a>. He followed up that performance with another huge game against No. 1 Alabama in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/sugar-bowl">Sugar Bowl</a>, carrying the ball 20 times for 230 yards and two touchdowns, including an 85-yard touchdown run late in the 4th quarter to help lift the Buckeyes into the championship game against Oregon.</p>
<p>If Ohio State hopes to clinch a national title on Monday night, they'll need one more performance like that from Elliott. That's not to say Cardale Jones isn't a talented quarterback. He's certainly had an impressive start to his career, but he's not why the Buckeyes beat Alabama to get where they are today. Against the Crimson Tide, Jones completed 18-of-35 passes for 243 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a QBR of 56.0. While Jones did hit <span>Devin Smith</span> for a go-ahead 47-yard touchdown pass to start the second half, that was the only time Jones was responsible for a score. Two of Ohio State's four offensive touchdowns came from Ezekiel Elliott, while a third came from a trick play where wide receiver <span>Evan Spencer</span> threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to <span>Michael Thomas</span>.</p>
<p>Ohio State has often relied on needing to simply outgun their opponents on offense. The Buckeyes defense has looked vulnerable at times. In their only loss of the season, the Buckeyes gave up 35 points to a Virginia Tech offense that finished 96th in the nation in points per game. They needed two overtimes to beat a Penn State team that ranked 113th in the nation in points per game. Ohio State hasn't seen an offense like Oregon's. This game has all the makings of a shootout between two of the most impressive offenses in the nation. But in what could be a night where the scoreboard operator gets paid time and a half, Cardale Jones isn't the key to Ohio State's offense on Monday, Ezekiel Elliott is.</p>
<p>If Ezekiel Elliott didn't deliver another dominating performance against Alabama, the Ducks would likely be playing the Crimson Tide on Monday, and that town in Ohio would've never had to change its name for the week. Cardale Jones had his moments, but it was Elliott that really shone. What this game will come down to is if Elliott can deliver one last epic performance to lead his team to a national title.</p>
<p>While Jones has two huge wins to start his career, he'll have to be mistake free on Monday. Oregon is one of the best teams in the nation when it comes to the turnover margin, something they displayed in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/rose-bowl">Rose Bowl</a> against Florida State. At halftime, it looked to be anyone's game between the Ducks and Seminoles. Then, in the 3rd quarter, the Ducks forced turnover after turnover as the Seminoles completely collapsed. If the Ducks can contain Elliott and force the Buckeyes to rely on Cardale Jones, Oregon can perhaps force the inexperienced quarterback to make a mistake. And when teams make mistakes against the Ducks, they pounce and go full throttle. Just ask Florida State.</p>
<p>That starts with Oregon's defensive line, a group that has consistently improved as the season wore on. <span>Arik Armstead</span> and <span>DeForest Buckner</span> will be the first line of defense. Behind them, guys like <span>Tony Washington</span> and Derrick Malone Jr. will be looking to stuff Elliott before he breaks into <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/british-open">the open</a> field. Because if he does, well, we've seen what can happen.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the outcome of this game rests on the shoulders of Ezekiel Elliott. If he can bust out another big game like he did against the Badgers and Crimson Tide, the Buckeyes come out on top. If Oregon finds a way to contain him and force the game into the hands of Cardale Jones, it'll be the Ducks claiming their first national title in school history on Mondy night.</p>
https://www.addictedtoquack.com/2015/1/9/7522709/2015-college-football-championship-game-ezekiel-elliottSean Larson