Red flags are up.
Yep, after last Saturday’s 19-point win over FCS Eastern Washington, fans and local pundits have their hand firmly on the eject handle of an Oregon airliner in a flat-spin out to sea.
Maybe it’s the expectation level as a result of an unprecedented 6-year run. The humanistic need by so many, to tear-down what those same many tirelessly built up. Or, some combination of the aforementioned coupled with an inarguable lackluster effort from a team equipped to do better. But eyes will be squarely on East Lansing, Michigan this weekend, not simply to see a match-up of 2 playoff hopefuls, but more so to define the alarmingly poor performance which left honest Duck fans fearful of the season that will inevitably come.
That season: Disappointment.
Oregon has won 4 of the last 6 Pac-12 Championships, hasn’t lost more than 2 games in a season the last 5, and has played for 2 National Titles. But while winning and competing for championships has become old-hat for Phil Knight’s pride and joy, all good things eventually come to an end, and it’s simply a matter of time before mediocrity takes root at the University of Oregon; if merely for a season or two.
I’m not “that guy”: The one who thinks the 42 points given up to the Big Sky’s Eagles was a sign of impending doom. But it would be naïve to think that what I suffered through for the better part of 3 hours last Saturday night wasn’t worth at least considering this could be the year the Ducks fall back to Earth.
Yes, I preface by acknowledging that base defense was a theme in an effort to limit film for Michigan State. And yes again, youth at the back-end was a known during the offseason and Fall camp, hence struggles versus the pass were somewhat expected by those in and around the know. But in spite of both, the effort was a concern, proper preparation seemed to be lacking, and the perceived strength in the front-7 inconceivably lost the battle in the trenches, to an offensive unit consisting of incomparable personnel on paper.
What does it all mean? Possibly nothing. After all, Oregon is as stacked as anyone in the country offensively. Royce Freeman is without question the real deal, his back-ups offer an elite level of explosiveness, and they go – by their own admission – 7 to 10 deep at the receiver position. Add to that a quarterback who appears dynamic enough to make it all function at the level intended, and you boast a unit capable of scoring with anyone in the country. Yet, in spite of said ability and a wealth of talent on the defensive side of the ball, the inexperience in the defensive backfield was glaring and the talented front-7 appeared anything but.
It was the first game of the year and the first game period for a handful of soon-to-be regular contributors, plus Oregon has had a way of playing similarly early-on in years in which they’ve pulled it together. But while possibly a rough beginning for a capable unit on the rise, it should also be considered that maybe this isn’t merely a bump in the road en route to another Oregon success, but rather an overdue exception to the rule of the last 6 years of Oregon domination.
Only time will tell, and time will be telling a lot Saturday evening in East Lansing, Michigan.
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