After having looked at the twelve Big Ten teams that did not make my “Top Five” list, let’s look at the teams I think are about to make life harder for our Duckies. I have listed them here in order of degree of difficulty as I see it starting with least to most. Even Mr. FishDuck paused from his gaming …
The Big Ten has quietly dethroned the SEC in four surprising ways. These include superior recent College Football Playoff advancement, narrowing the geographic recruiting gap, securing dominant multi-network media rights, and accelerating premium offensive and defensive line development. For nearly two decades, Southeastern Conference programs collected national championships and served as the sport’s undisputed cultural center. However, shifting financial infrastructures, …
In arguably, what is the toughest conference in college football, the Big Ten, life is about to get even harder for OBD. In a future article I will make the case that there are five teams that will be responsible for this, but first, let’s look at the 12 teams that did not make my list. I would love your …
At its core, football isn’t just about athleticism, it’s about decisions. Every snap presents a choice: run or pass, bring pressure or sit back, attack the perimeter or test the interior gaps. Coaches make them, players execute them, and fans spend the entire game reacting. For Oregon fans, especially in the modern era under Dan Lanning, those decisions feel even …
The Foundation of Collegiate Rivalries The heart of Oregon’s athletic identity beats strongest on university campuses. For decades, the rivalry between the University of Oregon in Eugene and Oregon State University in Corvallis has defined the local sports environment. This competition, often referred to as the “Civil War” historically, represents more than just a game; it is a yearly gathering …
We enter NFL Draft season with a LOADED 2025 roster of former Ducks chasing their dreams at the pro level, offering Oregon football a massive boost to recruiting and verified aspirations for pro development to incoming freshmen. Dillon Thieneman had a lights-out NFL Combine, running a stunning 4.35 40-yard dash, while Freakly Leeky (Malik Benson) was no slouch either (4.37, good enough for …
I trust I speak for most of us here in support of Oregon QB Dante Moore’s willingness to share publicly his experience transitioning from Five-Star recruit to D-1 college football. Moore briefly chronicled his journey in a letter to Oregon Gov Tina Kotek where he urged the Governor to consider providing more funding for mental health services. I have always …
A football game is a sequence of collisions, but also a sequence of choices. A quarterback commits to a throw before he knows the window will hold. A coordinator decides whether to accept a light box or chase explosives. Analytics helps teams name those choices and price their risks. The Numbers Moved into the Huddle Front offices now talk about …
The name alone carries weight in Eugene. Akili Smith Jr. — 6-foot-5, 231 pounds, a consensus four-star recruit and one of the nation’s top 20 quarterbacks in the 2025 class — arrived at Oregon with pedigree, production and enormous upside. Ducks fans remember his father, Akili Smith, who starred at Oregon in 1998, throwing for 3,307 yards and 30 touchdowns …
Lost time is never found again – Benjamin Franklin “Playoff games should be played in sequential order, and finish sooner than now” Daniel Arthur Lanning If Saint Nick Saban were the Commissioner of College Football (CFB), instead of Every Conference For Itself, the focus could and hopefully would be on The Good of the Game. (Our Mr. FishDuck took a pause …
As the Oregon Ducks take the field for the 2026 Spring sessions, the buzz around Eugene isn’t just about the explosive new offence under Drew Mehringer or the arrival of blue-chip transfers. Instead, the coaching staff and the “analytical junkies” at FishDuck are obsessed with a technicality buried deep in the 2026 NCAA rulebook: the reinstatement and refinement of the …
Many thanks to those who gave freely of their thoughts in the thread titled: “Is ‘Flexible Symmetry’ the Answer to Big-10 Scheduling?” This rainy Sunday morning in Eugene I asked Charles to lock that thread. As requested, you have given me a load to sort through and I will consider some of that below. As anticipated, you provided information I …