Watching the Oregon Ducks play these past two weeks has left me dealing with a wide range of emotions. Throughout that roller-coaster ride, there was one phrase that kept repeatedly popping into my head. Although, depending on the exact moment, it was often accompanied by dramatically different emotions.
“Welcome back …”
Yes, it’s been a déjà vu-y couple of week for myself and many Duck fans. For a team that has built its brand on the here and now rather than an esteemed tradition of excellence, that can be a dangerous road to traverse. Of course, repeating history (even if you learned it well) is part of the process in college football, even for the supposed “big boys” of the sport.
With that in mind come re-take this journey of self-rediscovery with me as I make my way through what has been quite an interesting past few days as a Ducks fan.
Saturday, September 26th, about 5:15pm – “Welcome back … to last year’s Utah game.”
For the second year in a row, the Utes jumped out to a two-score first half-lead on the Ducks. Only this time, they didn’t drop the ball before the goal line and give it all right back. There was no giant momentum shift, no doubt creeping into the minds of the underdogs. Sure, just like last year, there’s still plenty of time to make a comeback. Right? RIGHT?!!
Saturday, September 26th, about 7:15pm – “Welcome back … to the 1996 Cotton Bowl.”
Up 48-13 late in the 3rd quarter, Utah still apparently felt it hadn’t done enough to seal the deal quite yet, and pulled off a rare fake punt return. While it was a slick play that effectively sealed the upset beyond even the most unreasonable of doubts, it definitely struck some salty chords with longtime Duck fans who remember the ’96 Cotton Bowl. Then Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel called maybe the most hated play in Duck opponent history when he called a fake punt on 4th and 14 while up 32-6 with about 5 minutes left in the ballgame. That single play started Duck fans burning hatred for the not-so-playfully nicknamed “Neu-weasal”, of which the flames were only fanned more once he took over the rival Huskies a few years later. In the years since that infamous fake Oregon has gleefully exacted their revenge on both Neuheisel and Colorado. This play may not have yet caused Duck fans (and players and coaches) to unleash the same venom as the Neuheisel fake, but, it’s still dangerous to give any team any extra motivation heading into the next matchup. It should be interesting to see if it comes up again in the next few years.
Saturday, September 26th, about 9:15pm– “Welcome back … to 1977.”
Yep, we’re time traveling tonight. (And that’s not just from the booze.) We started in 2014, took a quick pit stop in the mid-90’s and now we’re all the way back to the dark ages of both skinny jeans an Duck football. Not since 1977 had the Ducks lost a home game in such decided fashion. Not even the demoralizing Sports Illustrated jinx induced domination by Washington State in 2003 could match this behind-the-woodshed beating. Long time Duck fans likely had some PTSD-esque flashbacks to the 2 and 3 win seasons that were the staple of the late 70’s. Yeah, some therapy just might be in order.
Sunday, September 27th, about noon– “Welcome back … to Earth.”
Yep, after nearly 6 years of dominance that saw the Ducks become a staple atop the college football world (and the polls), the Ducks are officially unranked in the AP poll for the first time since early in the 2009 season. For the first time since 2010, fans aren’t dreaming of a Natty, their simply hoping and praying for another win. For the first time in nearly a decade, wins over the Huskies and Beavers can no longer be written in pen at the start of each season. There is no more “66-3” predictions to be made, no matter who the opponent is. That immortal feeling you get when flying high over the sport is suddenly gone, as our feathered friends fall from the sky and unceremoniously crash back to cold, hard ground.
Saturday, October 3rd, about 6:45pm– “Welcome back … to the Pac (12 dogfight).”
What was once looked at as the “gimme” part of the Ducks schedule (Colorado, WSU, Washington, and Cal) is now a land-mine infested pathway towards bowl eligibility. Suddenly, Oregon finds themselves in an unfamiliar position: right back in the slog of a brutally tough middle of the Pac-12, where anyone can win or lose 8 games with a couple wonky bounces. Sure, seasons can be destroyed in the middle of the Pac, but, they can be fun, too. It’s this middle-tier of teams that has spawned #Pac12AfterDark and all the drama, heartbreak and elation that comes with it. Sitting mere moments from kickoff in Boulder and we may finally get to see how the Ducks handle themselves in that wacky and wild fray that is Pac-12 (slightly better than) mediocrity.
Saturday, October 3rd, about 8:45pm– “Welcome back … to post-Dennis Dixon 2007.”
After seeing Jeff Lockie just flat out miss a wide open receiver in the endzone, followed by throwing a inexcusable interception moments later, only to have him replaced by the 4th year walk-on Taylor Alie, an old adage started creeping its way back into the mind of Duck fans everywhere. “If you have two quarterbacks, you actually have none.” Yes, the sight of two equally ineffective QBs sent shivers down the spine of fans everywhere who remember the eyeballing gouging atrocities committed by the impotent QB duo of Justin Roper and Cody Kempt late in the 2007 season, after Dixon, the Heisman frontrunner went down with a torn ACL. Watching the once great Ducks offense sputter early on against a not-very-good Colorado team was shockingly reminiscent of the shutout loss to UCLA and the OT loss to a mediocre Beavers team that ended what was a once very promising season.
Saturday, October 3rd, about 11:15pm– “Welcome back … to the win column!”
It may not have been pretty, or particularly inspiring, and, it certainly didn’t erase the memory of the Utah implosion a week prior, but, gall-darnit it was a win! There was a lot to still be worried about after watching the Ducks slowly (but surely) pull away from Colorado in the 2nd half, but, they got that much needed win and maybe, just maybe, got a little bit of the confidence back in the process. We’ll surely find out more this week against a struggling, but dangerous, Washington State team, but, for now, it feels good to be back on the right side of the ledger. Was this return to the win column a start to salvaging a season teetering on the brink of collapse, or one last flicker of light before going out for good? We’ll find out soon enough.
Welcome back to the insanity and unpredictability that is college football, Duck fans. Hold on to your butts.
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