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Go Beavs!

Some want them to get demolished today to speed up a Riley retirement. I can’t go there yet, but I can view that as a silver lining should we get destroyed.

I have this game at 52-27, but could see it being closer if the Ducks have another mental hangover (and QB issues). The Beavs might be viewing a win today as redemption, their swan song, for a poor season. So, those two things combined could make it closer. Even in that best case scenario, I think the spread has to be -10 Ducks.

If the Beavs somehow win this game, I do fear everyone will forgive Ranker (/Biley), and it will setback this growing push for change. That would be the typical Luck o’ the Beavs.

 

222 COMMENTS

  1. Pettibone would be 5 times more likely to get the win than Riley. I place Riley’s chances at 1% at best. He is sub mediocre at this point of his career and will not lead today. Just will go through his usual pass happy motions and Sean will get picked atleast twice. This faceplant to the season at minimum deserves BDC fired for his dumb as rocks contract and both coordinators to be replaced. My preference is also definitely for Riley to go and to get Wilcox at the optimal moment. We won’y get a better chance even though I do think Riley will have as bad a season next year and possibly worse. Can’t tolerate six straight losses to your rival. With a loss today BDC better feel scorching heat.

  2. I’m going to say that we’re down 20-7 in the middle of the second when Brown is forced onto the field for some reason. He promptly leads a TD drive down the field and we go into the half down 20-14. When we come out in the second, Brown breaks one for 60+, and the rout is on.
    Beavs 38 – 23.

    Or we just lose 45-17.

  3. Expect something like this:

    http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=253232483

    Though Mannion’s numbers wont’ be as poor as Gunderson’s.

    Even Cooks’ numbers may be similar to Hass’s (whom the article mentions as a potential 2nd round pick).

    Anyone think Mannion could get pulled after two INTs, especially if he has that same depressed “i-wish-i-were-anywhere-else” look he wore against UW? Man, that was not the look of a captain who provides leadership….that was a captain reflecting his coach.

  4. The only way OSU could win this game: play the four “best” run blockers as the front four. Three tight ends. Wynn at fullback. Anderson/Brown/Ward at RB. Mostly Anderson. Cooks at WR in fly sweep motion. Whoever at QB. Or nobody at QB and go direct snap.

    Power run. They’d never see it coming.

  5. I figure I’ll survive the game by taking a shot every time Victor Boldin gets dropped inside the 20 on a kickoff return – considering that the Ducks are going to drop 60 on us I might be passed out by halftime.

  6. Please resign Riley. You had a couple OK years but are going downhill fast. Have some dignity and realize its time to hand off the reigns for the good of OSU. Enough is enough!

    • at this point in the game I actually dont have a problem with it. Although the ducks d looks as weak as the beavs. take the points and keep it within a score.

  7. Well Angry, there’s your 3 Duck turnovers. Neither team wants this game. Will be nice to see a compeitive 2nd half. I like that our D is fresh, having barely sniffed the field in this game.

  8. Of course, Riley didn’t see the way Wynn was being held; good chance to work the zebras, gone.

    If Riley, with his “nice guy” rep, would go ballistic I believe he’d be guaranteed at least one make up call.

  9. Oregon is in decline. They were always a soft team, but they were scared of Chip and ran on fear/adrenaline each week.

    Beavs look pretty good on D and the run game. Mannion not so much.

  10. Shocked to still have the TV on at halftime. Did not see this coming, although I fully expect the Ducks to dominate the next two quarters.

  11. If the Beavs lose a close one, I would argue that Riley has left points on the board through the play calling that may make the difference. Run, run and run again until the Quacks prove they can control the line of scrimmage (which they still have not done yet).

    Of course, even if it’s a close loss all we will here about is the turnaround from last week from our friends at the Oregonian.

  12. USUALLY when the team with lesser talent misses scoring opportunities it comes back to bite them and they lose.

    So we have that possibility to look forward to. Here’s hoping this is an exception.

  13. Duck TD after bad contain on Mariota extends their drive. We’ll see if Riley can march the team or if he starts to crack. Don’t think we win this but really want that Platypus Trophy!

  14. Fire BDC. This staff just can’t function. They do the big stuff but miss the little stuff. They do the little stuff but miss the big stuff. Classic example of an unbalanced coaching staff, going on for years now. Fire BDC and break up the buddy buddy staff, create balance and the staff could get things done.

    • I always think of John Madden in those situations……yah know, you always take certain points when you have them, you should never base a decision on what you think might happen later in the game.

  15. Ward is playing lights out and Riley goes with hesitant Woods from the 1.5 yard line on the 2 point conversion. Dumb. Ward was in beast mode!

    • I know it’s nitpicking but Zimmerman had a split second to try to knock the ball out of Huff’s hands and he was clueless to even try that. So much for being coached by someone with NFL experience.

  16. It seems that Riley got cute. Two point tries, 4th and goal and not taking points when we could have on FG’s. I used to be a hater of this site. I now see the light. We need a change and that change starts at the top. Been a good ride Riley, but know when to hang em up bud.

    Such a frustrating game. No moral victories.

    • Sorry that we were ugly when that light came on for you. Change needs to start by removing BDC, and a few select coordinators. I’d give Riley another try, considering his contract, but only if his staff is rebalanced. He won’t do it himself though.

  17. Thanks for the memories Mike. Fitting way to retire at OSU though IMO. Sums up Riley. Close doesn’t really matter and there will only be teases not accomplishments. This is a Riley high note amongst his losses but this is all there really ever is so go out knowing you tried but came up short. Maybe the next coach just has better luck and we can move past what ifs.

    • OSU had about 97 ways out of 100 to win that since wiyh just a couple yards it was a very makeable FG and they could have run the clock down. Bolden should have taken a knee at the one half yardline. Too bad coaches don’t prep for such scenarios. This is Oregon so it is a consideration you should foresee as possible. So many ways to win it and too eagerly took one of the few ways we could lose. Tough for anyone to resist but classic Riley loss.

  18. The Ducks should have won by 40, so I can’t be that disappointed. Anyway, the Ducks defense is terrible, they’ll get blown out in the Holiday bowl.

  19. “At least it wasn’t a blowout.” – I hear this from one of my close Beaver buddy. This is the exact reason why need a change. This is our mindset when we play our arch rival now a days. As long as this is our thinking we are a broken football team. You don’t enter into any type of competition “Hoping it’s not a blowout” you enter in thinking how much YOU ARE GOING TO BLOW THEM OUT BY! Mediocracy has seeped it’s way deeply into our psychology and we are blind sheep being sold a piss-poor product. I’m done. Change is needed.

    Beyond Frustrated.

  20. We didn’t need a touchdown. We needed a FG and to run out the clock. Had Riley instructed his players to slide at the fifteen or so. We could have run the clock out with a first down. That may be the unorthodox call but would have won the game.

    You had to know the Ducks score in the two minute scenario with all their timeouts.

    That one bit of coaching and strategy would have won the game.

    • That may work in Madden but you can’t do that in an actual football game. Too many things that could go wrong. Take the points. Always take the points. Even if it’s a FG when it’s 4th and goal at the 1. Take the points.

    • Was the Bolden fly sweep on 1st down (I can’t remember)? Romaine is a wild card, but I think you have to milk the clock by running up the middle or at least force the Ducks to use up their timeouts.

      Fly sweep is kind of a reckless call at that juncture because it can go for a loss or the runner could get knocked out bounds (stopping the clock). Of course this time it worked perfectly and the cut back was wide open.

      I’d rather lose on a Romaine missed FG with 20 or 30 seconds on the clock then watch the secondary flail around on the game winning Duck drive.

  21. I’m actually really happy with that game.

    We kept it close and showed we can still compete with Oregon. On the flip side, Beavers also lost because of Mike Riley. We should use the opportunity to turn the pressure up on the athletic department even further, and to not settle for “we kept it close”.

      • We may not get Riley removed (love the guy personally, but I think it’s time we got some new blood at head coach), but we should at least set our sights on Banker, whose defense no longer works against spread teams. Y’know, teams that are the majority of the PAC-12 now.

        At the bare minimum, let’s get DeCareless to fire Langsdorf, who has been Offensive Coordinator for five years too many.

          • Agreed about DeCareless going. Should’ve mentioned his head going on the chopping block first, in fact. Then, I hope we can persuade Mike Riley to retire and raise his grandchildren. Heck, we could even put a statue of him out front or something to sweeten the deal (or, if he really wants it, name the stadium after his family).

            As for Robinson, any new AD should give him an ultimatum to get to the NIT or better in that AD’s first year. Anything below that, and you’re fired.

  22. The great thing about having given up on the Beavs several games ago, I could watch this game and just simply enjoy it. The “Angry” in me would be pissed that we missed opportunities and left points on the field. That person would be pissed that our star receiver lets a deep ball slip through his fingers on the last drive…

    The “Polly” in me was just glad to see us not get completely embarassed and I got to watch a very entertaining game.

    Fuck Biley, but we’re stuck with him. Might as well just accept that. All my negativity wasnt doing my health any good. I feel better already.

    • Same, I was a little edgy because the game was close, but I really am detached a bit from the team.. actually is probably better for my health in the long run.

    • Honestly Riley going out like that is as good as he is going to go out. I think that this is an ideal time to be able to say thanks but still change it up and start a new chapter. I can accept this as closure on Riley as it embodied his ecforts but why we should turn a new leaf also.

  23. It’s “luck o’ the beavs” also that Cooks could have made that catch that would have at least given them a FG attempt at the end and he fumbled inside the 5 earlier. I know, I know, but why can’t the best player come up HUGE in a rivalry game sometime this decade?

    • I hate when people use “luck o’ the beavs”. As if no other team in the history of college football has had bad breaks, has had a player not make a play he usually makes, has had a string of ridiculously bad breaks, or has had injuries happen at exactly the wrong moment. It’s a poor excuse for bad decisions (whether by coaches or players). No matter what bad things may happen, you find a way to win.

      Riley not taking a field goal or two on some of those fourth down plays cost us dearly.

        • It’s not “luck o’ the beavs” if it happens to, oh I don’t know, every other college football team in history now and then. There’s nothing “special” about the Beavers that make them especially unlucky.

          • Give us a little credit in here, I think we are all savvy enough to understand that football is a fickle game. You know that we say it in jest….but you are not going to find many other major college programs who had 28 straight losing seasons either. We don’t need to be lectured on the lexicon that we like use among “the Angry”.

          • Ran, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’ve fired 47 employees due to the LOTB saying around here. People love it for some reason. I think it’s a way of avoiding responsibility for our failures. We fail because we don’t accept responsibility, not because of luck. But claiming LOTB absolves Riley and keeps him cashing fat paychecks.

          • Again, don’t read too much into it. It’s a fun thing, I say it because if you actually watched the Beavs play in the 70’s, 80’s and most of the 90’s, it’s the only plausible explanation. Take Cooks, excellent receiver, lets the one pass he has to catch go through his hands. I don’t think Cooks is avoiding responsbility, do you? And you really don’t get the gist if you think LOTB absolves Riley or BDC of anything.

            I’d also say that if you’ve had to fire 47 employees you have a little “luck o’ the beavs” going on in your hiring/candidate selection process my friend!

  24. Entertaining game, but the outcome always seemed inevitable. Too bad.

    If anything, this game signals the return to mediocrity for Oregon. They didn’t look good, and without Huff catching every ball thrown his way, this would have been another Duck loss. Will be nice to see him gone next year. Mariota was definitely not willing to run like he did earlier in the year. Saw plenty of plays where the seas parted in front of him and he held back and waited to throw the ball. If healthy, this game isn’t close. I hope he goes to the NFL.

    Riley outsmarted himself again with the gutsy/stupid play calling on 4th down and going for 2 instead of 1 on multiple occasions. I thought the Stanford game taught us to TAKE THE POINTS when they’re presented. You don’t gamble that early in the game. Oh well, I can’t act surprised.

    • I’m pissed at Riley for the leaving points on the board in this game and Stanford, but college football has gotten stupid in general with all of the “cheat sheets” telling the coaches to go for two. It’s based on the assumption that defenses are so bad that the other team is going to score.

      I kind of like the old AFL coaches like Madden and Stram who only went for two when they were behind late in a game and had to have it to tie the game.

    • Yeah … guess 10-2 is the sign of mediocrity for the Ducks now. But keep that optimism up for hoping the good players head to the NFL – that’s certainly going to help the Beaver program win some games!

      Granted the Ducks have looked like garbage the past 4 games on both sides of the ball so they have their issues. However, the key stat you don’t mention is the gift wrapped points the Ducks tried to give the Beavers in the first half … could of would of should of, doesn’t matter in the end.

      • You obviously missed the gist of my post, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about that either, coming from a guy who couldn’t get into the UofO.

        By the way, yes, Oregon has looked mediocre of late. 2-2 to finish the season against 1 good and 3 other mediocre teams (one without their qb even) Do you feel confident going into the Alamo Bowl vs Oklahoma?

        • To answer your question … nope, don’t feel confident.

          However, I’m sure I could come up with all the BS excuses about Mariota being hurt and not 100% in just about all of those games, but in the end the team was clearly not ready to play in 3 of those games. That falls on the coaches … can’t have guys saying they don’t want to play in the Rose Bowl or other stuff when there’s 3 games left. Who knows, maybe they’ll actually show up in the bowl game.

          Good game Beavs.

  25. I am proud of how pump our guys were and how they came to compete. The problem with this team is the coaching staff. We obviously have the talent to compete but talent alone doesn’t cut it. Look at USC under Kiffin and then look at them now. They definitely have talent but looked horrible under Kiffin. I used to think it was we didn’t recruit enough talented players, and we probably don’t, but it has really become clear to me it is mostly all about the coaching. We need some changes in our coaching. Man I would even be upset if Ericson was brought back. And Pat Casey… Well Pat Casey for president is all I got to say.

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