It’s truly inevitable.
What goes up, always comes down. Whether you’re Florida, Texas, Notre Dame, or even Alabama pre-Saban, even the best college football programs are subject to periods of mediocrity. The Oregon Ducks – minus a national championship – have been amongst the elite of the elite of college football over the last 7 years. They’ve played in 3 Rose Bowls, 2 national championship games, and a Fiesta Bowl in that time. They also accumulated an 80-14 record, including post-season games, and had prior to this week been ranked in the top-25 every week since 2009.
Not anymore.
That streak ended Sunday, and with it likely the most successful run in school history. But far more alarming then the apparent down-season which was always on the horizon, was the manner in which last Saturday night’s rout played out. It’s not that they lost, but how they did it that left me wondering what’s next for a proud program fresh from one of its least prideful moments.
Some are pointing to the loss of Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. But the Ducks won prior to Mariota with journeyman Jeremiah Masoli, and experienced their only undefeated regular season with Darron Thomas, a good player and leader at the college level, but a shell of what Mariota represented for the Ducks.
Others are pointing to a defense that’s always been a tad suspect, but has taken porous to a new level through 4 games this year. Yet, closely behind the defensive ineptitude was the near equally inept offensive line play, sub-par quarterback performances, and special team woes embarrassing to say the least.
And additionally, the coaching. However, the same coaches on the sidelines and in the press box for the rout that was the Utah game, were the same coaches who led Oregon to a Rose Bowl win over defending champion Florida State, a national title appearance against Ohio State, and a 24-4 record over the last 2 years.
So, while certainly contributing factors, it’s hard to pinpoint just what went wrong and who was responsible for a 62-20 home defeat to a good, but not great Utah football team.
But what I can tell you is that the Oregon Ducks are lost.
What I saw Saturday night was a team lacking leadership, discipline, and a means for fixing whatever it is that ails them.
If you follow recruiting, you know they have talent. The system is a proven commodity. And the coaches – many of whom have been there for more than 2 decades – have a track record of success. But it didn’t take a trained eye to see this teams lacks identity, and more concerning is they don’t seem to have any answers for the complete implosion that led to the most excruciating watch these eyes have seen in the 25 years I’ve been watching Oregon football.
There was certainly a “deer in headlights” look to Coach Mark Helfrich during the game, and an equally troubling tone from his assistants following it. I got the sense deep-down they felt this struggle coming based on the youth and inexperience at some very important positions, but at the same time underestimated just how intense those struggles would be. And as a result, they’re in the midst of a frustrating and somewhat befuddling predicament.
And that shouldn’t happen. Not to the extent it did against Utah.
That team was completely overmatched, made mistakes no team of their caliber should make … repeatedly, and was – as sports-talk radio host Dave “Softy” Mahler said on Twitter – clowned in their home stadium, on a field widely considered by many to be one of the hardest places for visiting teams to play. And that’s what is truly troubling about it all; the shear depth of the fail and the apparent lack of confidence in a means of fixing it.
The Ducks travel to Colorado this weekend and will be hoping to right a fast-sinking ship in the process. If you’re a fan, you should be hoping to see an ability to move the ball offensively, some ability to stop the ball defensively, and a level of confidence that comes from improvement. Normally, the Buffaloes would be the perfect opponent to accomplish each of the aforementioned goals, but based on everything we did – or didn’t – see last Saturday against the Utes, a loss is on the table in Boulder, and nothing is off of it regarding the enigma that has become the Oregon players and coaches swimming in a sea of uncertainty.
It should be interesting.
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