248 COMMENTS

  1. Riley Rot is a pervasive, difficult to treat condition. Like gangrene, it will likely require extreme measures to eradicate it.

    • I would agree when people waste their time watching NU, their fans, etc. I didn’t bother even paying attention to their game since I knew the result would be announced here… and watching parts of their previous games was just some painful watching in football terms.

      This, however, speaks to the mindset we have railed against for seven years now. There are some fans at OSU who swallowed enough line to be eating slack. I thought the players had bought in just because that softness can’t be tolerated anywhere else. Can it? Certainly they didn’t become successful in HS because those coaches were participation trophy types. GA is obviously not one. It all sounded like our kids were finally going to get to play and succeed because they chose to do so.

      Apparently that is not the case. The thumb sucking I saw on Saturday is systemic. It was nice to see those players get benched when it looked like they were going to give up. It put players on the field who couldn’t win, but they still didn’t give up. So that’s nice.

      I think the rosy outlook depended on there being no great schism in current coaching and the legacy remaining. That might be more of a problem than we thought.

      Going back to Riley, NU faces the same problems. They are more public and seemingly out of control because Riley’s ship is only leak-proof in dry dock. And I don’t know if he benched his captain O-lineman who is leading that schism. But at least I know GA doesn’t have time for it and is up front about it with us, his players, his staff… with everyone.

    • I don’t necessarily disagree, but what do you want to talk about? The punting? As GA said, that was the one bright spot.

      If there was anything interesting enough to talk about in regards to the Beavers, I think we would. Things aren’t too hot this year. A lot of that can be attributed to Riley, IMO. If things stay like this for a couple more years, that won’t be an excuse anymore… and I will go back to ignoring Beaver football.

    • @Bill: As I recall there are some folks who post here who think Riley is a great guy, a great coach and wish him nothing but the best at Nebraska. Are you one of those folks who feel that way?

      Just wondering.

      • I don’t get why people are so hung up on him. He left like most people wanted and Andersen was hired. A win win for everyone. Yet that’s not enough?

        And I thought Riley was a good guy but his time here had passed. I have no ill will toward him. He’s in my rear view mirror. I’m looking to the future.

        • You’re mistaken. We’re not hung up on Riley. We’re hung up on the Corvallis bashing/blaming and excuses that Riley brought and encouraged, and seeing how those pan out. Nobody gives a crap about Riley himself.

          • And for me, I got sick of being hammered by the “faithful” whenever I questioned what was going on during his reign.

            FWIW, except for making note of whether they win or lose I don’t give a rip about what’s going on w.r.t. the huskers. And I do feel pity for the husker fans w.r.t. what Riley and his staff bring to NU.

            BUT I AM THANKFUL THAT RILEY IS GONE.

          • Yeah… the lazy ho-hum aw shucks attitude is apparent not only when we lose. It’s apparent when we lose a single play. Our players don’t see it as a challenge they need to be upset about and overcome. They act as if that play was okay, and the next might be the one that works instead of making it work for themselves.

            GA is actually pretty positive in this thought. He says we are up against it every week. But he also says that we still have the ability to buy in, come together as a team and win if we choose to do all the little things together.

            If you think losing is okay, then you will do what’s okay. When you realize losing is more about your own attitude and effort than it is about recruiting rankings on the other sideline, then you can rain hell on the other team.

            That’s the “ah ha” moment I’m waiting for. Win ugly. Win big. Make the other team earn their stripes and soak in the cold tub for three days straight after a win. But don’t think that giving an inch isn’t giving a mile.

        • What Riley created at OSU is now part of the issue, and has a concrete place in the analysis of what GA is now doing and working with. So speaking of that is ABSOLUTELY valid right now. Nuff said.

          • Riley talk is relevant and part of the Beaver landscape for the time being. What the fuck else are you going to talk about after the Beavers score 7 points?

  2. Wow!

    He and they are just slapping “Aw shucks” upside the head repeatedly. I never thought I would hear that from an OSU football coach.

    • I wouldn’t call it slapping, I just think he is being matter of fact about the current situation. And if he wasn’t then he would be covering for the old staff, which he certainly doesn’t have the stomach for.

    • I didn’t like the guy but I would never wish the personal demons he’s facing on anyone. I wanted him to lose like any other coach I disliked, but you don’t want to see them destroy themselves.

    • That was inevitable the day he was hired. Never mind he’s a drunk, but he was a bad coach. He had Lane Kiffen syndrome in that people thought he was good for some reason. USC fell for both of those clowns.

        • They should hire Mark Richt. Imagine what that guy could do if he could just get a string of good to great QBs.

          Then I would look at Matt Rhule. I like that guy.

          • He would continue to lose big games. Talent is never an issue at Georgia. Bad luck injuries to star tailbacks does seem to be a systemic problem, however.

          • One of my best friends is a UGA alum, and he can’t figure out why Richt can’t win big games. I don’t have an answer for him. UGA gets all the players and then drops a deuce each year. Seems like one challenge with getting all the high star recruits is keeping them (mentally) up for each game. UGA seems to fall asleep a few times each year, probably thinking they can skate by on talent, then lack confidence in big games. That’s my outside observation, but I don’t watch them too much.

            I think I’d take a high 3 star guy who is uber competitive with a chip on his shoulder over a 4 or 5 star guy who coasts on talent.

          • I’m thinking the guys he does get are highly rated but not as good as they’re rated. He’s had one good QB and a couple who were serviceable. But people fawn all over them as if they’re all world because they’re SEC baybeeee. He gets good RBs and O-linemen. But his D is all hype. And I can’t remember the last WR who was any good for them (who actually played and produced there).

            USC is a built in two deep situation with all the best of every position on tap. That they lose at all is all coaching… and the occasional luck/effort game sprinkled in here and there that every team has every now and then. Any coach who comes in will always have the best of the skill positions, the best of the O-line and D-line and backers and DBs.

            Maybe Rhule is the better pick. He is football savvy and D minded. And he’s a great great talent evaluator. I’ve been watching his Temple players, and there are some no-stars and walk-ons who will play on Sundays on that team. Imagine what he can do with the weight of USC behind him.

      • he’s a guy that got all fucked up in an LA Denny’s once and ate a napkin. Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it

      • Mike Parker, the lead radio play-by-play commentator for Oregon State (football/basketball/baseball) and co-host of the Joe Beaver Show in Corvallis on weekdays.

    • Parker’s gotta be trolling everyone even thinking Riley to USC. Either that or he heard a hot tip from one of Lindsay’s mouths

      (Yes I went there, I am ashamed)

    • It’s all great, but my favorite nugget:

      “Oregon is a little like a Medieval Kingdom in our opinion which is funded by serfs…think people making slave wages across Asia…making Nike products and when Chip Kelly hit the road to take the Philadelphia Eagles job the last Damn thing that was going to happen at Oregon was an open coaching search because to bring in someone from outside the medieval kingdom that didn’t know where all the landmines are located and who you just CANNOT piss off under any circumstance would have been too Damn risky and thus why Mark Helfrich is the head coach at Oregon today.”

      • Pac-12 teams are like buzzards circling a dying lion’s corpse when they play Oregon.
        Oregon used to be a great beast, but time and luck run out. They are not completely dead, but almost. Vernon Adams stinks, and is not the answer.

        What did someone call the Harbaugh thing at Stanford? A halo effect? It’s been happening at Oregon, too, but running out sooner. Stanford somehow has kept going. It’s one of the biggest surprises because Shaw isn’t that good. I guess the nerds know how to motivate themselves.

          • Maybe.

            His resume is impressive, but I don’t see a great teacher or motivator in that guy, so I’m not sure what is up. He must be a quiet assassin. I think those Stanford nerds coach themselves to a degree, too. Pretty easy job to have 4-stars who are smart.

          • The biggest thing in Shaw’s favor is that Stanford’s power running identity will never go out of style. It will always succeed if given the right players and strategy, and will always attract a certain breed of footballer. When you’re given such a timeless identity, it’s easy to build and sell it.

            Oregon’s identity, on the other hand, is much less proven. It’s already changed with Helfrich’s take over, and who knows how long Chip’s offense will last before the next big trend in football takes over.

          • was just throwing it out there. I, much like you, didn’t believe Shaw could maintain what Harbs built but he seems to be doing just fine. I’m not so sure anymore.

      • If they’re a medieval kingdom, does that mean the Chipster is just off across the continent fighting a crusade, and he’ll be back to toss his little brother off the throne?

          • That would be both weird and incredibly irritating. I would very much enjoy watching the hole fans peeking over the fence at CK while he takes another moneybags program to the promised land.

          • I can see him going to Rutgers and taking the NY market by storm. One thing’s for sure, his QB would never spike the ball on a fourth down.

          • I think CK is happier on the East Coast, primarily in the NE area. And Rutgers has to have a boost in funds with the move to the B1G. I’m sure enough of their boosters have cash to burn and would like to spend their Saturdays cheering on their favorite Jersey team, just like they do on Sundays. I’m thinking tailgating at a school older than the country itself might be a time when some business is done with handshakes and nods of approval while winning.

            I also think they are in a state of disapproval right now.

            This is, of course, contingent on what CK wants to do and what his employers want him to do. I think he has a lot of rope to be given yet and won’t leave Philly for a couple years.

            I think the ideal spot for him would likely be BC. As Tom Brady enters his final couple years, Beantown would shift their attentions to a program who could keep the good times rolling. And he’s that much closer to home and the people who understand his smirky grumpiness.

          • I think Chip is happy not having to deal with college boosters anymore.

            If he returns to Oregon, I might just quit watching college football altogether. It would all be just too hopeless.

          • I’m with everyone else here. CK is not a west coast guy and I don’t see him coming back out here. If he does head back to the college game it will be somewhere east. He high tailed it out of Eugene. He’s not coming back. Wet pipe dream for duckies

          • I don’t think he likes people in general. Very defensive and is annoyed that the logic behind his enigmatic ways is not self-evident to everyone. He hated boosters, hated recruiting, and didn’t seem to like anything but his staff and players.

            If he comes back to college I think either the NE, like others have said. Or, a spot where the recruits fall in your lap (e.g. Georgia). He wants to be able to run the show like a micro-managing dictator without getting feedback, which is conducive to college. But, he doesn’t want the demeaning bullshit of kissing high schoolers’ asses. Aside from the cultural differences, Georgia seems perfect as he has first dibs at the buttload of talent in Georgia, without much coaxing. And the program would welcome someone to come in, takeover, and get wins.

          • Where did he almost go first? Was it Philadelphia? Wasn’t there an NFL team with whom he was going to sign, then he changed his mind and was staying at Oregon, then he left for Philadelphia?

            I don’t think he’s coming back to Oregon. Not unless Knight wants to make him the highest paid NCAA coach in America. Which he might be willing to do, Knight is so desperate to buy a championship….

            Makes me wonder what kind of endowment Knight will leave for the Athletic Department before his near-corpse is placed in a suspended animation chamber replete with Nike logo, Oregon “O,” and feathers, “Combat Duck,” “Lewis n Clark n Puddles” and..wait this is just starting to sound ridiculous now…

          • He initially interviewed with Cleveland and then Buffalo iirc. He turned down Cleveland then interviewed with Philly. Philly offered and he declined. Then did an about face several days later

      • No, that is not a description of Riley. Not drunken, not souless… Bumbling and rather …uninvolved or uncommitted, maybe is better.

        I must say, I am amazed at Riley at NU. He is not a bad coach, imo, but just stopped applying himself. He could do much better with the talent at NU, but continues to cruise. Thus he heads toward coaching career disaster. He built a good coach, good ol boy image, and is going to destroy that. He is his own worst enemy.

    • 15:30 GA addresses Seth and does say he has to throw the ball better. A the 27 minute mark he makes the comment above.

      Overall an impressively honest assessment of the state of affairs.

      • GA starts a QB that can’t throw and throws him under the bus for being a poor passer. Coach him to play better or put somebody else in. That’s my honest opinion anyway.

        • he doesn’t have anyone better. What is he going to do? Coaching includes letting someone play the game, and then kickin his ass when he screws up, that’s part of the coaching process!

        • I would agree. What’s wrong is pretty apparent to us all. There’s no need for us to be told what we see unless it’s in a context where he’s just recounting what he says to SC as he does coach him to play better.

          I haven’t yet listened, but I get the idea that’s not how he formed the statement?

    • I REALLY like how GA talks. Its such a refreshing change. I have bought in to his program. I believe hes the right guy for the job. Its just like he alluded to, the problem is there is a culture of “its ok” that he needs to change. I believe he will change that. I’m willing to be patient.

    • holy shit! What’s that saying? A broken clock is right twice a day? I posted this last night

      whiskey soaked napkins says:
      October 11, 2015 at 11:48 pm
      Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

      possibly due to the Riley stink left in the program? I don’t see too many play makers out there at all. And the ones that are can easily be neutralized by a good offense or defense. Think of it this way. Peko can easily be double teamed and negated because the other 2 D lineman aren’t D1 caliber players or they lack enough experience. Thus he is negated out of most plays. Why throw to Treston DeCoud’s side of the field when you can torch Larry Scott all day? I’m not saying this is the case every play, but a good coach can see this and will game plan accordingly.

      1:40 mark of the GA interview. Suck it ABers! I’ll try not to throw out my shoulder patting myself on the back

  3. Tired of football yet? Need a break?

    Starting tonight on FX the second season of Fargo. The first season was great and available, for a fee, on Demand. The second season is reported to be even better. JB

    PS: Thanks BG for suggesting me as a candidate for the SC job. Could be, stranger things have happened.

  4. Public Service Announcement: I was paying $115/mo for Dish (Top 200) but called customer service and got my rate down to $65/mo. and got them to also throw in the sports package and movie channels for 3 months. If you have Dish, give it a try.

        • Yep, I hardly had to use the “I’m going to Comcast” card. Just say you want your rate closer to the new customer offer which is $49.99/mo for 2 years. You may have to go through a Supervisor level but it’s worth it.

          • You can get HBO for a lifetime price of $10 per month as well. The one caveat is that you don’t drop it and pick it up again. Showtime and Multi-Sport you can get for free for three months once every year, or you can hammer them to drop it to half price for six months then call back in six months and do it again. At least, that’s what I could wiggle out of them. Others may do better with leverage. I’m stuck in another two-year contract (one year left) because I upgraded the whole house to wireless and calculated the service call and equipment upgrade would cost more than the monthly charges. But I also did that after the original contract was up and a couple days after I got the monthly rates reduced as well.

          • For the sake of argument only did I mention Comcast and DTV. I would stop watching TV altogether instead of go back to Comcast, and DTV doesn’t have the PTN.

            Anyone looking into set box tops? I’ve been looking at Boxxo.tv and can’t find pricing info on apps. They say they can stream any live sporting event, but I have a hard time believing the PTN is that advanced yet.

          • We watch 99% of our tv/movies on an app called kodi that my super nerd brother in law loaded on to a kindle tv box. It feels like a new version of the old news groups. Pick a server and stream. Still no answer for live sports.

        • Keyword is “WERE.” They might be the most disappointing team in the country this year in terms of expectations. Expected to contend for a title, and have lost every game, a decent amount of them as sizable favorites.

      • O’Leary took over as interim AD at UCF, in addition to being football coach. It’s no wonder he’s floundering. Chasing two rabbits, catching none.

      • O’Leary is only stepping down as the interim AD for now. Apparently he took over when Stansbury left and didn’t do such a good job while also not doing well at his primary job. There’s some brilliant management there.

    • Riley was seen as the savior of our football program. GA is replacing that savior. Not an easy path. One would assume coaches are hardened to such stuff, as its the name of the game.

      • I sometimes think Riley is liked primarily for what he’s NOT, and not judged fairly on what he is.

        At OSU, he’s NOT a 28-year losing streak, and at NU, he’s NOT Pelini.

        Many of OSU’s fans were willing to accept absolute mediocrity with the occasional upset (USC, Wiscy) and one of a hundred bowl games over what had preceded Riley.

    • Sounds to me he is laying the groundwork for creating more spots on next years class. Either you come to play or you will be leaving to be filled by somebody who will give the effort necessary.

    • Sounds like he’s channeling some old Riley interviews:

      “Not sure if that happens this season. But the Beavers and their coaches have to do their darndest to try.”

      Oh my gosh, their darndest? No more fudging up!

    • I don’t know if he was ever critical of Riley. He was objective in his writing. And I think he’s just saying that GA covering for the players’ faults will eventually be perceived as a truth that Pollyanna will latch onto and make reality in their heads if repeated enough. Pollyanna easily buys the “blame labor” argument Riley threw out there every week. So maybe the suggestion of “be careful perception doesn’t become reality” wasn’t necessary with him. Maybe Kerry’s just giving GA a heads up.

      Riley’s excuses could cover the constant lack of discipline, the pass-to-set-up-the-run mentality, the poorest of poor defensive schemes and the team just giving up every now and then. But I don’t recall Eggers ever questioning the constant time management flubs under Riley.

    • That’s my concern as well. Seemed like a quick decision to come to OSU, and he might not have fully researched it. He might just say fuck it and try to find a better gig.

        • I’m not saying he’s a quitter by any means. But, I don’t know that he wants to be a martyr either for a program that he has no connections with. He walked away from a challenge in Madison.

          • He had a challenge finding speed at the skill positions. He had a challenged finding a QB. He had a challenge battling programs in the conference with equal or greater resources like tOSU, UM, PSU, MSU, and NU – not to mention the SEC. He had a challenge finding playmakers that could meet their academic eligibility requirements. And, he had a challenge in working with an authoritative boss.

            Wisconsin football has more advantages than OSU, but it is not a premier position.

          • The thing is, he can easily make a connection to Corvallis. All he has to do is go to a bowl game, any bowl game, and people will think he’s better than mom’s apple pie. What’s nice is that he won’t accept that low bar. But that’s the bar that has been set.

    • I don’t think so. I think you said before he likes rebuild projects, and I think that’s accurate.

      I like the idea of him increasing the pressure and creating more roster spots.

  5. Dennis Dodd wrote up an evaluation of coaches at the end of 2014, looking for hot seat candidates. He gave Helfrich a zero, meaning he considered him bombproof. My, how things have changed…lol.

    • Not that impressed that he decides to abandon ship in the middle of the season with one of his shitiest South Carolina teams. Tough it out, you old goat, it’s what you’ve been asking your players to do for years.

      • Rumors for a while have been possible Alzheimer’s or a like form of dementia, and the assistants have been covering for him out of loyalty. The Sark incident was likely the trigger that told said assistants loyalty does not include enabling poor health decisions and possible program (and personal) liabilities.

        • Second sentence is absolutely incorrect. Apparently this decision was wholly Spurrier’s (not being forced out in any way), and he made that decision known to his AD and Pres. last week.

  6. Unofficially, oregon state has offered a Georgia are 4* LB Elysee Mbem-Bosse, and he might be planning a visit. Not sure if he would piggy back it on his Oregon visit. Should have more info in the morning

  7. Ga is starting to strike me as an 80% rhetoric guy. He says all the right things and is a stark contrast to Riley in terms of speaking with conviction and purpose. But his results just aren’t there lately.

    If you take into account the beard own Ohio State laid on him at Wisky coupled with our 3 no shows in big games GA has been outscored 121-38! In his last 4 big games.

    Riley seemed to have just lost it all of a sudden as well albeit was more a result of systemic issues we all saw coming. Perhaps the same has happen with GA? The jury is still out. Saying the right things which he has clearly mastered is one thing but going out there and putting a product on the field that matches the tough guy rhetoric is entirely another. We should start to see progress soon or its cause for alarm as a trend appears to be forming.

    • You thought they’d be better than 2-3?

      That’s a you problem. Take off the rose colored glasses. 2-3 is exactly what was expected.
      The disappointing part is no growth game to game.

      • Nope fully expected them to be 2-3. But I also expected this team to have some fight and grit to it. Based on Ga’s rhetoric. I saw some for the first half of Stanford and I saw a lot when I flew to Ann Arbor. For 1 offensive possession and about 3 defensive possessions. Other than that I’ve been severely underwhelmed by our preperation, scheme, execution and most importantly our effort level.

        That’s all been unexpected.

        • I have a feeling you’re going to hear a lot more of that rhetoric this year until something clicks. I can’t blame GA for Riley leaving the QB situation like this. The QB position is the weakest link…if a QB could get the ball to guys consistently we’d have an offense, and if we had an offense, we wouldn’t have a worn out and mentally deflated defense. Should they be tougher? Yes, but it’s hard when you’re out there so much and the O isn’t doing their job.

          GA is clearly souring on Collins making critical comments that he can’t have a QB who looks at 1WR and then runs. I mean, that is spot on. It might be time to see if Mitchell can play. He might be a “gamer” who can get the ball to WRs when the lights are on, and just a bad practice player. It’s worth a shot since 1a and 1b are doing zero. I will never be fooled by Collin’s athleticism. A QB must be able to throw and do it consistently, and that will never change.

          • Maybe it’s just me but I was disappointed when Collins came back on the field to start the second half. I was happy to see he was ok, but he obviously wasn’t getting the job done that Saturday. I really wanted to see MM get a whole quarter to see what he could do. He was definitely doing a better job of going through his progressions, and delivered some nice balls. He gets sacked more, but he also did a good job throwing the ball away.

            Another unspoken issue with Collins as a passer: when he does see a receiver he can hit (pretty much just Villamin) unless it’s a fade he puts the ball in a place where the receiver has a good chance of getting lit up. That was the first time it’s happened, but there have been other close calls.

          • Yeah when Collins hits a guy he doesn’t hit him in stride so he can run after the catch. It’s always behind the guy. He threw like 5 nice deep balls in terms of accuracy (awful spirals, tho). The rest of his completions have been high, behind guys, etc. And people are complaining about drops and the WRs. Same WRs as last year, and they didn’t have this many problems under Mannion, at least not from what I remember. I’d like to see the drop and YAC figures this year vs last through five games.

          • Those are called hospital passes. He passes to a receiver who will then have to go to the hospital. Some have been saved because he has a tendency to throw low and behind over the middle, causing drops or stops that keep the receiver from getting hit.

          • It’s not just you, Dwill. But, listen to Andersen around 17:10ff in the half hour interview posted by angry above; he doesn’t give McM any love AT ALL. As someone mentioned, maybe giving Mitchell some snaps would show him to be a gamer……..we may never find out. Or, we may, but only if the injury situation forces it.

          • True, that is what has been said. However, doesn’t life experience and human nature show that philosophy to have it’s limits?
            Another possibility: GA basing his remarks on the report Baldwin has given him wrt QB play.

          • Physical attributes are nice and all, but give me Jonathan Smith or Matt Moore any day over the classic “Can run, can’t throw” QB spreads often have.

          • I can see why people offered Seth as a WR. The way he went from 0-60 on the td run was impressive.

            Could maybe make a really nice DAT type hybrid running back/receiver. Seems like it would also be a better chance to have a shot at the league?

            Then again he is just a true frosh. Maybe he’ll learn how to pass.

          • Jerry Rice sure as heck learned speed. B Cooks learned speed as well. If you look at Cooks’ times indoors at Seattle track meets, they were excellent but he was usually second or third. The NFL Combine results were not predictable based on his track times. Cooks learned speed. No other explanation.

  8. NO TEAM CHEMISTRY!!

    Maintaining team chemistry as a coach may be more important than X’s & O’s this is needed to keep your team operating as a single unit. Doing things off the field as players & coaches helps to build strong bonds between everyone. DEFENSE & OFFENSE are done as a TEAM, ALL players must work together on the field to accomplish goals set by the coach. At the end of the day the better your TEAM CHEMISTRY is the more likely the TEAM will succeed. Reaching this point should be the goal of every coach in any sport. Coaches MUST lead by example on & off the field. A coaches ability to build TEAM CHEMISTRY throughout the season should be priority.

    • You kind of have to be a Media Whore/Smooth with the press type to wanna take on a high profile job in one of the largest markets like USC.

      Whitt seems more like a hard nose, no-nonsense leave me alone and let me take care of business type to me. He has a good thing going right now, and I imagine if he wanted more cash Utah would find it.

      Doesn’t seem like a good move.

      • True. Whitt and USC are like oil and water. But, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t necessarily be interested. Him and the AD don’t seem to be on the best terms.

    • I think it’s poor speculation. Whitt’s roots run deep in Utah and involve family and history with his father. The only connections he has to SoCal are that he was born there, and his father was a coach there for a while. I don’t think he’s an easy money kind of guy… meaning he’s not the type to step away from a program he helped build just for a bigger paycheck. After all, how much money does one person need in the end?

      Besides, I’m thinking this is written by a BYU honk. Nice of them to send USC Whitt’s resume, don’t you think?

      Whiskey bets on JDR. I say no. He’s first year in Oakland… and without Al around. I would say the coach they face next is a likely candidate. I also think Jeff Fisher is the most likely of current NFL coaches to move to LA. If they want USC and a Pete Carroll adherent, Kris Richard would take the job. I would take a chance on Matt Rhule or Tom Herman.

      What will not happen will be a hire where a coach will bring in some gadget offense. USC fans would revolt if they didn’t see their team beat down the opposition by playing real football.

          • Gruden has ancient history ( far removed from nuts and bolts of running a football organization), a successful resume, and a low iq. He would be great at shmoozing alumni and he has a pretty mug. He does not have the fire to compete for kids and kiss up to them nor the desire to play away games in Pullman.

      • The first 3 names that came to mind were Del Rio, Jeff Fisher (both USC alums) and Boise coach Bryan Harsin. Not sure Harsin’s offense is really what USC wants to do. I think they want a hire that gets them back to their ground and pound roots and away from the spread. That isn’t USC football

        • Yeah… they’re going to hire the guy who replaced the guy they didn’t hire last time when that guy went to replace the guy they did hire.

          • it wasn’t like they didn’t try. There aren’t many jobs that would have lured Petersen away from BSU. Many tried before UW, and all failed

  9. Does WSU beating UO bode well for OSU? Cougs are known to Coug It and this weekend would fit the bill losing to a not-so-good Beaver team. Overconfidence could be at play plus I think OSU is due to break out of its offensive slump. Not sure I’m ready to predict a road win for the Beavs but it wouldn’t be entirely shocking.

    • I didn’t watch the Arizona game, but saw plenty of comments about our DBs leaving guys wide open on passing plays?

      If that’s true, I have little reason to think we can slow down WSU’s air raid.

      • I wonder how much different it is preparing for a solid air raid offense, vs. Arizona where it’s more true spread with the pass/run ratio. Almost seems like this could be a good offense to prepare against.

  10. Louisville basketball allegedly hired escorts to sex up their recruits during official visits to campus. Apparently an “Escort Queen” (Katina Powell) wsa paid $10K by former staff member Andre McGee to provide escorts for recruits over a 5 year period. Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who led the school to a national title in 2013, has had his own issues with sex scandals (while married, he got the wife of his equipment manager pregnant and then paid for her abortion). Pitino claims to have no knowledge of the escorts being used to woo recruits.

    • Marv Albert chides Rick Pitino for “not letting him in on the action. Didn’t somebody need their back bitten?!? I could have called play-by-play!””

    • I know the digital world moves fast and all, but don’t they proof-read past the first few sentences before they publish stories anymore?

      With the Beavers have giving up over 1,100 yards and 80 points

    • “Eliminating”, “dumbing it down”, “pissed”. Interesting how simple is the D? Are the players lacking that much skill level? I thought Sitake was the wizard of D… I am impressed with his honesty!

      • maybe some of them just aren’t very bright between the ears? They’ve hit a wall learning wise?

        Another thought. Maybe they are doing it in practice successfully because of the skill level of the opposition?

        Honestly I don’t have the answers (with the exception being having more skilled players. Thanks Riley, dick.) but if it means some guys not playing, I am ok with it.

        • So our scout team is an FCS level team at best. That doesn’t bode well for the future, really hope recruiting gets better! We are going to have a lot freshman playing each year. Could be 3 years before we are competitive. Unless Anderson get some Juco’s to step in.

          • But in what way?

            I agree. The players targeted and joining the fold are better. Bu they’re not formula players. And they’re not kids who expect to redshirt and grow across the board. Robinett intrigues me. He’s got the frame to put on another hundred pounds and still be an athlete, if not better. But he’s being fed by parents who can only hope someone takes the kid off their food budget. What happens when that gallon of milk per day becomes an open tap at the training table?

            Length and speed are where we are going. I can relate to this because those are the attributes worthy in the hoops world. Maybe so and so is a little short. But maybe he has an immense wingspan for his height which he uses to his advantage. Maybe so and so has great numbers as a low level HS player at the RB position. But maybe he can just join the program and find his fit at any position because he’s just a baller and never got to prove himself against the best.

            For the most recent example I will turn to Jeff Hendrix. I don’t know why I saw greatness in him before he became great. I saw effort and a love of the game he played and ability… and the length and speed required. Silver immediately confirmed what I thought I saw, and the rest is history. But there is an intangible that the current recruits have that past recruits did not.

            Like I said, it’s hard to explain.

  11. Holy fuck! Cubbies oust the Cards today. First postseason series clinching win at Wrigley for the Cubs since….. EVER! Wrigley field opened in 1914!

    • I wonder if he ever fully recovered from the leg injury he received during that dreadful USC game. I haven’t heard or read much about either Peko or Seumalo.

      There is a disconnect between this staff and these players. Even on terrible teams, there is usually a player or two who goes outside the terribleness and does well, even exceptionally well. I don’t see even that with this team.

        • Everything makes me wonder. But his players taking cheap shots are not indicative of substance abuse. A person is ethically different between manipulation and honesty. But that set of ethics doesn’t change just because manipulation disappears. His players hurt people intentionally. And it’s ridiculous because they’re supposed to be the best players in college football. The best of the best does not injure others… ever.

          Max Tuerk and Sark can rightfully suck my useless tits for that bullshit. I’m not happy that Max is hurt. But he can still suck my prehensile tits.

          • Another player had the same thing happen in that game. I don’t recall his name. I think he was a senior and that was the end of football for him, period. Credit Mark Banker, for once, who called out Sarkasian who then said he’d left a voicemail for MB but Sark said he couldn’t really be bothered with assistant coaches.

          • The Tago cheap shot was worse. He was looking at the knee before the snap then went to maim him immediately. That was just sickness… a psychopathy worthy of extreme criticism. I don’t know why nobody says anything about it other than we live in a world where football players get hurt, and that’s a part of life. And really really really cheap shots are rewarded because of “scoreboard baybeeee.”

            I already have a love-hate relationship with football. I want it to go away. But the brutalism is what makes it popular.

            Start showing the fucking coffins of our young coming home from needless wars, and I think this infatuation with some pretend toughness dissipates. I will never forget the post-game interview with Kellen Winslow Jr. where he admitted (albeit as a stupid person) that he was trying to maim someone. But the uproar was that he likened a game to battle… to war… to something totally inappropriate. What was forgotten was that he tried to maim someone and explicitly said so in that stupid rant.

            Football is just so stupid in so many ways. Why do I still watch it?

        • I’m seeing what GA tells me. Some players are still in the excuse mode that Riley favored. They can sit until they forget that method.

          You are correct to a point. The team showed progress until this last week. Most have bought in. But a team is only as strong as the weakest link. Our weakest link was plural on Saturday.

          • re: disconnect. I can only base my comment on games,The Drive, interviews, media, various sites. It seems the players and coaches, for the most part, like each other – perhaps it’s lack of talent no coaching staff can overcome. It’s almost as if the players can’t quite believe what the staff wants them to do. I realize that’s a vague rambling – I admit the disconnect opinion isn’t based on particular facts, just a feeling.

          • Yeah… but media will only paint rosy pictures in order to curry favor. They (incorrectly) think favor is the only way to gain access and truth. That immediately makes the source biased.

            GA himself says there is a schism. He himself says he will not stand for it. He himself says he hates losing, but he will squash dissent first.

            It’s quite interesting. These kids are on the verge of becoming men. And for the first time they are finding out what that means. It’s a pretty cool drama considering what was expected of them before this year. I like this discussion.

  12. Ducks leaking news blaming injuries again on their loss to WSU. AD Rob Mullens rumored to have had a concussion when promoting Mark Helfrich.

  13. Watching the replay of the AZ game, the refs sure picked a lot flags up. Decoud looks good on D. McM a much better passer than Collins, he actually leads his receivers. Collins should only throw to the outside of the field. How about some wheel routes?

  14. Elysee Mbem-Bosse

    I’m thinking this is one of the prettiest names I’ve seen, let alone heard. And I’ve never heard it. I’d like to hear it just so I don’t sound like some fucker from out east trying to pronounce Oregon.

    But it looks pretty nonetheless.

    • Over the weekend I heard an ESPN talking head joke about the Wazzu tweet about the Oregon Trail dysentery. She made mention of the game correctly pronouncing Oregon twice. But then she leaves it on the fucked up Or-uh-gone pronunciation on the third try.

      It’s about as annoying as when people say “Washington state” instead of Washington. Sorry, but Washington DC has a designation. Use it, and I’ll tink you know some of what you’re talking about.

    • I just can’t get over that name. It’s so pretty to look at.

      Blazer, I need to know how to pronounce it. Get the word from the kid himself… please.

      • Until I get it right in my head, all I can imagine is a mediocre Matt Damon sci-fi effort and a bad 80’s tune involving the Brat Pack.

        Save me.

    • Ward is getting quality time. He’s most likely in on third down and blocking, because he’s really good at that. But he’s getting quality time.

      He’s only getting garbage time carries in terms of sustained and dedicated drives. But don’t think he’s not getting on the field and doing good things when the game means something.

        • Mine too. I remember my rants about him not being offered in the wake of his record breaking high school career… in the highest levels of California HS football.

          That vacuum of an offer list mystifies me to this day. He was obviously a player. But I was the only person who saw it? Me? Some peasant on some blog? I railed hard. I like to think that effort got him in. The blog was not the only avenue I took at that time. So maybe something happened because of my efforts.

          But I always loved Ward as a person and a player. He’s a good kid with a great heart and abilities he knows how to use. I just don’t know why he wasn’t given the keys to the kingdom from the outset.

          • But that’s just us. Ward deserved many many many FBS offers yet got none.

            But then there’s always the argument that coaches who get paid millions of dollars must be getting paid that money because they know better than I do.

            I chose the wrong profession.

          • Yeah… breaking down tape is hard.

            Oh… being a manager is worth money.

            Yeah… there’s a major disconnect there.

            And… Mike Bellotti is still in the top ten income pay-outs for the state of Oregon.

            Yeah… my taxes (which are vastly nonexistent) are being spent on someone who gets paid bucks for just talking.

            It kills me that Nikegon fans think the legislature is at fault for diminished spending on post-secondary education. Fucking morons! I’m being redundant.

            Measure 105 guaranteed what you are seeing now. It was stated at the time by “crazy liberals.” But you went ahead and fucked up the state because you were selfish shits.

            Get over yourselves, and grow the fuck up.

  15. I just cannot understand many conversations about NCAA football occurring right now.

    I just heard some dude who is apparently from Stanford, getting on the radio because why, admitting that he was a moron before the season started. And now he’s supposed to be an expert because he went to Stanford?

    If there’s anything wrong with our country, that might be it. Look it up for yourself. Who runs the country, and where did they train?

    Ftr… I will vote Sanders because he is just right, correct and right. I know he’s not viable… because he’s right… and because he’s trying to work from within a corrupt institution… something he despises… thus his candidacy.

    If Jesse Ventura runs, I will vote for him. If he brings Sanders on as the VP I will hit the blogs hard and sway opinion.

    Sanders is above bribery. I know that. But becoming a part of the machine can not be the answer unless he’s just getting in the mix in order to expose it… which would be a Bernie thing to do… and should be celebrated.

    I also heard Ventura talk about Trump and how he’s not susceptible to bribery because he’s just a rich fuck. That makes sense. But then it also makes sense that he has interests in his own empire.

    I heard a comedian, a black man, who said poignantly that anyone making more than X amount should not be a Republican… that they were just a shame on their family and friends.

    Duh?

    But why do you have to turn into a psychopath if you suddenly (or not so suddenly) make money?

    • Starcraft… you need to monetize your algorithm stat. It doesn’t matter that you have any differentiations. It only matters, apparently, that you just spout off and show some numbers to back your spew.

      That’s not to say what you do is spew. I’m always critical of numbers because that’s what I know. It’s to say that irrational spew is the mean, and you’re better than the mean, so you should make money off it.

    • We can vote in someone who’s one step away from being a saint but if we don’t have a majority of saints in both the house and senate nothing will change.

      Bottom line imo: We’re fucked.

      • Something might change if the prez uses the bully pulpit to sway the people to make change. We’ll never know as long as we only have party hacks being elected.

        • Imo the prez wouldn’t be allowed to use the bully pulpit and if “they” caught wind that he was going to do so they’d stop him. One way or the other.

          “They” are in control.

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