I was looking at the Ducks' schedule earlier trying to guess where they'd slip up. While scrolling through the games, it hit me that Beaver fans have had an excuse for every Duck victory. Maybe excuse isn't the right word. They just find a way to abate Duck victories. I thought it would be interesting to ponder Beaver fans' mindset playing the same schedule. Correct me if and when I'm wrong.

That's how I see it. Am I off my rocker?

I don't think so. Beaver fans are quick to dismiss what the Ducks do, yet their team could not accomplish the same feats. It's a second rate mindset that reeks of bitterness. The reality is the Ducks are not only better than the Beavs; they are better than everyone. There is no room for criticism. That is the weight a #1 ranking carries.

One final point: I contend the Ducks' success is good for the Beavers. As a Duck fan astutely noted earlier, it means more revenue and respect for the conference as a whole, but more importantly, the Ducks dominance (and a 3rd consecutive Civil War) puts pressure squarely on the Beavers program. Put another way: the larger the Ducks' footprint, the less patient Beaver fans will be with the status quo.

It's hard to imagine a less impressive 35-7 win than the Beavers' "thrashing" of California yesterday afternoon. There was one clear improvement–the defensive intensity. How much that intensity had to do with the outcome is debatable. I think the Beavers still win the game even if Kevin Riley played, but a lot of the positive defensive stats were the byproduct of Brock Mansion playing quarterback.

The glaring issue yesterday was once again team attitude or swagger. After taking an early lead, the Beavs let off the throttle, managing just one score in the second half. To say this team "lacks killer instinct" would be putting it kindly. Under Riley, they have never finished teams off, but that doesn't mean fans should learn to accept it or make excuses. What makes Riley's approach doubly frustrating is watching the team in Eugene run over their road kill until it ceases to exist.

Run blocking is another area that showed no improvement. Sure, on the surface Quizz's rushing statistics looked good, but the reality of the situation is that his blocking was horrendous. Cameron Jordan, defensive end for Cal, essentially made fun of the offensive line after the game, calling them soft and not up to par with prior vintages. He is dead on. Rodgers' better runs came when he looked at the point of attack, disliked what he saw, and cut outside. He improvised his way to big gains. If he followed his blocks, many of those better efforts would have instead been 1 to 3 yard dives. What happens when teams realize this, contain the outside, and he actually has to follow those blocks?

Finally, what is Riley thinking putting his starters in with 6 minutes left and a 4 touchdown lead? Not only does this kill team moral and curb future development, it puts the entire season at risk–if Rodgers, Katz, or Wheaton went down early in the 4th there would be outrage. I don't understand it, and think it warrants an explanation. As of this evening, I haven't heard anyone in the media ask the question, though. In fact, they're all writing that the team is now fixed and poised for a Rose Bowl run. It's amazing what those orange glasses can do…

Yawn.

It's too early. Too early for football. And too early to be counting marine mammals at the beach, which is what I'll be doing come kickoff.

Ugh.

Working on a Saturday should be a felony. Since it isn't, I'm going to miss the first half hour of this game, which is always a scary proposition. You know what I mean. You rush home, throw your gear on the floor, hit the "on" button not knowing what to expect. You see a "14-0" score but it doesn't register; your eyes dart back and forth in a panic trying to figure out if it's the good guys. It all happens within nanoseconds. You look for cues. Why is the crowd so quite? Why is Riley shaking his head? Is that…Katz…in a sling? Finally, you settle down; you compute.

"*^U&G^&H#!@! Fire Banker!"

Nah, things are going to be alright (*insert HOUSE OF HORRORS cliche*)

Speaking of Halloween, what are you all dressing up as tonight? Around 5pm tonight I'll be Mark Mothersbaugh, energy dome and all.

Off to work.

Cheers, Beavlettes.