Good Luck Ducks, Week 9: How Far We Have Come

I was 14 years old when the Oregon Ducks made a bowl game for the first time in 26 years. In fact, it was the first time that either Oregon or Oregon State had done anything worth talking about on the football field in my lifetime. Bill Musgrave had taken over at quarterback for Chris Miller, whose promising NFL career was cut short by concussion-seeking missiles full of concussions, and all of a sudden Oregon was in a bowl game. It was 1989. Head coach Rich Brooks would eventually lead the underdog, defensive minded Ducks team all the way to the Rose Bowl and the cusp of national respectability on New Year's Day in 1995. The Ducks were stomped by Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions' perfect season.

The following season, a new head coach brought new bowl game experiences and the expectation of winning season to the program. Year after year, Oregon was picked to finish in the upper crust of the Pac-10 Conference, and usually did. But there were many setbacks along the way. Seasons were derailed by the inability to defend a pass. Larger programs had their way with the Ducks. Simply making it to a bowl game was hardly enough anymore, and it often showed in the players performances under Mike Bellotti's watch if Oregon found itself in a lower-tiered bowl. Ever since Chip Kelly arrived in 2007, however, things have been remarkably different. Only a horrific knee injury to Dennis Dixon kept the Ducks out of the national title picture in Kelly's first season as offensive coordinator. Kelly's offense was able to take a 5th string QB to the Holiday Bowl in 2008, capped off by a victory over Oklahoma State. And when Kelly fully took over the program last season, Oregon found itself back in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 15 years.

And now, they stand as the #1 team in the country, unless you don't have a pulse. Tonight they face USC, who are underdogs at home for the first time since 2001. Every game will be nerve-wracking from here on out, but Oregon faces a Trojans team that realizes they are playing the best team they will face all season. There is no bowl game for USC this year. However, every team Oregon will face from here on out will be saying the same thing. This is the premiere team in the conference and one of the best - if not the best - in the entire country. Every opponent should be bringing everything they've got to these games.

Game time is 5:00 PDT at the LA Coliseum. ABC is providing regional coverage, because apparently teams on probation these days are still allowed on TV.

Good Luck Ducks, Week 6

The Ducks are 4-1 and move on to Los Angeles to take on USC for their second consecutive road game. USC was dethroned last week by a relentless ground attack by a fairly pedestrian, but improving Oregon State team. (Doesn't that always seem to describe them?) USC will be expecting more of the same from Oregon, and they've even made changes up the middle to stop the run. I feel the Ducks are going to need a much more balanced game to keep USC on its toes. I'm strangely confident about this game, even facing all of the supposed NFL-bound talent that USC has and the fact that the Trojans are likely very angry and embarrassed after last week - which is pretty much the same feeling Oregon had coming into last week's 63-14 stomping of WSU.

I'm taking a break this week from the team-issued cards from the Rose Bowl season. Here's Bill Musgrave's Star Pics card from 1991. For some reason I always liked the really cheesy borders with piles of footballs all around (ditto for the basketball set.) Musgrave took over for Chris Miller at the helm of the Ducks in the late 80s and helped start the run of bowl appearances which was previously uncharted territory for a Ducks team. He didn't get much playing time in his six NFL seasons, but has gone on to coach for a number of teams. He's currently the QB coach for the Falcons.

I wonder if any of these players ever looked at these cards and got upset about the "WEAKNESSES" listed on the back.