Does anyone else feel strange seeing OSU get so much attention? SI, WSJ, ESPN…I mean, don't get me wrong, it is cool and way better than the alternative, but at the same time it feels weird. Best analogy I can think of is an ugly nerd who gets plastic surgery or a growth spurt and all the sudden he's prom king. That nerd would probably feel awesome on one hand, but also like a poseur on the other.
Also feels weird because we're one loss away from nobody caring.
I'm sure everyone will argue with me and say they don't feel that way because that's what you cantankerous jerks do. ;) But that's what I feel like discussing today. How I feel awesome and dread all at once. It's like nothing I've experienced following sports.
Oh, there is a new site, created by a member who posts here, that is trying to rebrand OSU and sell some gear. Check out beavsarmy.com if you're in the market for a shirt. I personally think the look is too edgy and modern for our fan base, but the guy clearly has ambition and a vision so best wishes to him. He said the site won't accept payment for a few days, so if you're interested bookmark it and check back next week.
I agree that it odd to be able to get Beaver info from a National Site. I’ve read a few post here about how ESPN didn’t include us in an article about the second half but my thought was over the last 2/3 weeks I’ve seen more OSU information on ESPN then the previous 3 years combined (excl Pac 12 Blog)
Also it isn’t just the national sites on the bandwagon, I live in Salem and seem to see more beaver gear around town.
Totally agree with the sentiment of this post. I’m still trying to keep my expectations low. The attention is fun as shit though. Where were these results last year? Damn that “Pankey Hangover”.
I hope the apparel site does well. I could see myself ordering some edgy OSU gear. But good luck battling Kraft Foods lawyers’ for the rights to sell the Beaver Juice shirt.
Sure hope the Gamecocks don’t decide to challenge the Kraft Foods lawyers.
But they probably won’t because Game Juice just doesn’t have that edginess to it.
Hummmm
W.R.T. OSU’s win loss record I’m feeling like I’ve slipped into a parallel universe. Not that I’m complaining but it sure feels foreign.
Now If I could just slip into a parallel universe where the Beavs were winning AND all politicians were honest decent people.
Glad there are others who share the passion for creating a loud and intimidating environment at our venues from start to finish. The Beavers Army is fine by me. Maybe they can make fewer places where you can sit for most of the game once those folks become fewer and fewer. Our best seats should be filled with those dedicated to making the atmosphere totally electric.
There are still 184 tickets left for the Utah game. Let’s get these sold out and have 46+K again!
http://www.tiqiq.com/Tiqiq/SingleEvent.aspx?BrandID=fansided&EventID=4406279932&PublisherID=1123278&WidgetID=0
I feel the same dread as well. I believe its because like you I realize we are one loss from dropping off everyone’s radar. other feelings of dread are coming from the big holes at safety and linebacker that seem to be getting worse every game. Its just a matter of time before a good qb picks apart our d.
I still have the notion that the media loves us as an alternative to the huge egos from Eugene. They look at this state and are not forced to talk DUCKS.
But in general it really IS a great story, and various angles have contrived to keep it alive and vital.
The recruiting plane, the down home visits to In and Out, the aw shucks head coach, the ugly 3-9 season last year, the string of wins with no creampuffs, starting QB out, backup with no experience does great, ….
There is something going on this year, …one of those huge turnarounds … the media loves it. …..Its “feel-good” in many ways.
Keep it rolling, BEAVERS!
Is that gonna be the new logo?
No, it’s not official. Just a fan created rebrand.
i like it
This national vibe for “real” for me yesterday when Paul Finebaum on his SEC show on Sirius XM said that if OSU and UO go into the Civil War undefeated he would be at Reser.
It is unfortunate that Finebaum show is a sounding board for hillbillies.
I think there are two types of football programs, the ones where it’s big news when they win and the ones where it’s big news when they lose.
Another example OSU just had there own segiment on ESPN’s CFB live
“…weird because we’re one loss away from nobody caring.”
That’s what hurts me the most. I want to be excited about all that we’ve done, but feel like the media tells me I only get to care under certain circumstances. I hate to believe it, but a single loss this season could almost be a worse bubble burst than the pain we’ve experienced the last couple cumulatively.
1. The Beavs Army
Not a bad idea, and while I’m not a huge fan of the “New” rebranded logo, it certainly is distinctive, so that’s good. Really big fan of the faded-flag look, and the Kool-Aid Man shirt is just awesome.
2. National Attention
It is a bit bizarre, and that “Ugly nerd” metaphor is pretty accurate. However, as much as I’m loving this season, I don’t dread losing(unless it’s about 4 in a row). I was way more optimistic about this season than most (predicted 8-4) and even though we’re setting up to blow past that, losing at this point wouldn’t take us out of the spotlight.
First, we could easily end up in the Rose Bowl, even with a pair of losses, as long as USC loses another game and doesn’t win the Pac12 Championship. Finishing even second or third in the Pac12 could deliver that; they can, and probably should, decline to invite UO for a third time, should UO not make the National Title game.
Second, considering all of the publicity we’ve received this year, recruiting should pick up a bit even if we finish just, say, 8-3; that’s a top-15 finish and a pretty good bowl. That would make this season a massive success. Also, without a massive collapse, Riley basically has a lock on the Coach of the Year award; more great pub.
Third, our Nike re-brand is coming next year. I honestly don’t know what to expect from them(If they give us more bra jerseys I’ll burn them to the ground). But considering how bland our current uniforms and icons are right now, almost anything will be a step-up. And you know, with Nike will come more publicity and advertising to show-off their new gear. Adding that to a great season, even IF it disappoints from here out, will be a ton of momentum to carry into next year.
Finally, speaking of next year: we’re pretty stacked. Among the players we’re losing, Poyer and Wheaton really hurt the most, with Castro, Watkins, Kelly, Fernando, and Prince being varying degrees of good but replaceable.
But in counter-point, we return 4 offensive linemen, which is a massive boon, a potential first-team Pac12 QB, a deep backfield, a deep receiving corp lead by Cooks, who is amazing, all our linebackers who will have another year to develop, a great punter, 3/4 of a good secondary, and the league’s best defensive end. That is a LOT of tools coming back. Then add in a year of development and young players replacing decent veterans, and I’d say next year looks to be potentially as good as this.
If winning this much makes you all nervous, prepare to be jittery again next year, because, as the first song in the Arizona Highlight Video said, “Welcome to the new age.”
In chat for the Duck game.
Ducks down 7-0 after 1 minute. Turnover and TD.
http://angrybeavs.com/chat
Yeah I don’t know how I feel about being the media darlings, but I do like winning. So if we keep winning I will find a way to deal with it.
Should Beavs go with the Matte black hats like ASU has? I like it.
I like it a lot too. I wish they would have stuck with them after those pro combat uniforms. Now it’ll look like they’re copying everyone.
Agree on all points.
A matte black helmet with players number on one side and whatever new logo on the other is the way I’d like to see the Beavs go. Maybe a narrow/medium orange stripe down the center.
Ducks making ASU look slow and VERY poorly coached.
Ducks are impressive.
The first time I’ve really had a chance to sit and watch them from the start of a game.
Freakin….scarey! They are at an entirely different level! Beav’s couldn’t hang with them, no one can. JB
Wrong you are Bonehead. Beavs defense is faster than anyone in the Pac-12 which gives us the advantage. Home field fans go crazy in CW game with Roses on the line. Beavs go to Pasadena for the first time in over 50 years and win over whoever comes out of the crappy Little-10.
“Home field fans go crazy in CW game with Roses on the line.”
2008. Civil War. Reser Stadium. Roses on the line. 68-35 Ducks. Educate yourself, bonehead.
That 2008 team was a “Bad good team” aka played way above their skill for the entire season, then got blown out by a superior opponent.
Also, what did the final score have to do with the home crowd’s reaction? I was actually AT the game, and the crowd was in it, very loud, for the entire first half, even when our flag runners fell down after we scored a TD; surely a bad omen.
It was 65-38, you educate yourself, GOBEAVS.
You’re nitpicking, gobeavs90. And Oneyedking, that’s my point. Kennybeaver thinks the raucous crowd will be a difference maker and I was pointing out that even though the crowd in 2008 was crazy (I was also there) at least for a half, we still got blown out of the water.
You know, that’s a smaller margin than the OSU 50-21 blowout of UO where Anderson and Haas looked like a couple of sixth graders beating up on the 4th graders in some school yard football. I think they also narrowly missed on two other potential td’s and Anderson remarked he thought they might score 70 that day.
But 65-38 just sounds SO bad….
Oh wait I can’t remember…was the rose bowl on the line? Get out of here with your straw-mans arguments.
That’s not a straw man. That’s a false analogy.
A straw man would be when the other person puts words in your mouth then counters those words as if s/he were responding to your argument, when in fact s/he’s responding to his or her own BS.
I wasn’t really attempting to make an analogy, just pointing out that OSU has had a larger margin of victory in the CW. And no, Rose Bowl was not on the line.
Then it would be a non sequitur.
I think because it was related to the argument being had he thought you were trying to reason in some way.
Dux had the week off before the 08 game while the Beavs were playing Zona, and lost Quiz to injury. Riley compounded these disadvantages by starting Lyle rather than Canfield, who had rallied to win the Zona game.
And they’ve not played the starters for four quarters have they? In seems in most of their games, they’ve pulled the starters to get other players development time (which is great for their future).
If Kelly had kept his foot on the gas for at least three full quarters of every game, the point differentials would look even more ridiculous.
Commentators say ASU wins were over less than impressive teams with backup QBs.
ASU will only beat Colorado and finish 6-6 and be in the Kraft Hunger Bowl.
Beavs win big against ASU!
I disagree. I foresee ASU embarrassing OSU in Reser (pains me to even think it). Maybe I suffer from some the same issues that Angry does, but ASU has exactly the kind of offense that gives Banker fits. I think OSU will be undefeated going into that game, and Kelly will shred the OSU defense for some ungodly numbers. Someone talk me off the ledge…I’d be happy to be wrong.
Off topic: Any one else see that fucking duck mascot laying in a lawn chair next to a Justin Bieber cutout, throwing stuff at it? Veiled reference to OSU? SOB!
Funny
ASU embarrassing OSU? Hilarious.
ASU’s defense gave up 42 at the half; I’m not exactly scared of them.
Yeah, their offense is the same style we generally struggle with, but that’s why it’s a great thing we get to play against it early, at home; tune our play against it. And while ASU may be dangerous(like most Pac12 teams) they aren’t going to be favorites to beat us.
Like we proved on the road at Arizona, even if the opposing team puts up points, we can put up more.
31-20 Beavers, calling it now.
Devil’s Advocate: ASU’s D-line will be back in full force for the game in Corvallis, in particular Will Sutton (I don’t know that for a fact; I’m simply guessing). Would he have influenced the score tonight? I think so.
I hope you’re right, by the way.
Bad press is good press as they say it may; Hype the Civil war i kid i kid or do I?
“They” usually say ANY press is good press, but your point stands.
concur. I would have been more worried going forward if ASU had won, because then both the ASU and Civil War games would have been in doubt, and now only the CW should.
I cant believe I am seeing this sort of theme …. Disturbed by media attention?!?!
You have got to be kidding.
The alternative is NO media attention (because we are mediocre) and so recruiting stays hard, the coaches sleep walk thru a season, we remain a losing program, and mediocrity reigns.
You would have been happy back in the 28 yr losing skid. Ranked in the 10 worst at times. No worries about the media losing interest…lol.
Sure a loss turns off the media…. so what?? The recruiting got a boost, the wins show it can be done, the coaches are energized, the players, too.
Winning is addictive. You do it a bit and you want it more. You think like a winner, work hard to make it happen again.. No polyannas allowed…
Reading comprehension, RS.
I think i comprendo ok….. Lets see–
” feel strange seeing OSU get so much attention”
” it feels weird.”
” I feel awesome and dread all at once”
” feels weird because we’re one loss away from nobody caring.”
You are clearly not enjoying the huge lift this media attention is giving the program. Its like you have the name Angrybeav, so there has to be something wrong with success. Oh, god, we are on a win streak….oh, woe…. ..this sucks….as we will eventually lose….
I can say that it is indeed VERY DIFFERENT, but I can find no adverse feelings at all. Of course the attention goes away if we start losing– what planet are you from. The season builds toward crowning the uber teams at the end of the season. Losers are supposed to fall by the way in regard to coverage. Unless of course they were picked to do well, … then they are still meat for media comment. If we fall back into the ashes, well, thats where we were supposed to be…..no notable event.
I think if we lose one or two, we will not drop totally out of notice, as we are still a big success story. The media will still “care”. Lighten up.
You are trying to create a point for critical discussion when there isnt one. Hold yer water until the coaches screw up a win into a loss. Or players do it… or the refs do it.
We are going to embarrass Utah, mark my words.
:)
The Civil War seems like it will be a David/Goliath type deal. It looks like it will take a miracle to just hang with the *ucks (based on what we’ve seen).
Who thought ASU was going to win that game? LOL
I am not sure any team in the conference has the athletes to disrupt that offense other than SC. The ducks are the real deal.
yeah no one in the pac 12 has athletes like uo except usc. i think usc wil lose to uo because they have depth problems. however any sec team in the title will destroy the ducks
I always keep in mind the 2000 Civil War when the ducks were so good with baby “Joey” and now I keep a photo I took of him on the sideline bench crying after the last Cookas interception. Priceless! If we improve over the next weeks, I believe we can roast duck in Reser.
A miracle? No way. You need a defense that can force turnovers. Check. An offense that can move the ball, get touchdowns and give their defense a rest. Check. Beavers will have to play extremely well to win, yes, but it won’t take a miracle.
let me elaborate on that. You need an offense that can run the ball effectively and control the clock. Yes the ducks can score quickly but if you shorten the game by controlling the clock you are eliminating chances for them to score. Long sustained drives keeps the defense off the field and resting. Every game so far their they have ran away from almost every team in the first half. Can’t let them do that. Minimize mistakes and don’t beat yourselves with stupid penalties and turnovers. I’d like to see the ducks have to play like that on offense for 4 quarters sometime. They crow that they wear other teams out. But the first team offense hasn’t been in a close game yet and had to play for 4 quarters. Mariota also makes a ton of mistakes which is expected of a RS frosh qb. Do the above and force them into mistakes. That is how someone is going to beat them. Even if no one on the Pac-12 can an SEC team would take them to the woodshed. Bama would butt rape them into next year.
I love it when you talk dirty like that.
What is needed is the scheming and speed to stop the big plays……the 80 yd td’s. UO is good in a drive but a drive with many plays gives you a shot at stopping them. For a while now, only teams with elite talent has been able to do that. USC, Auburn, Boise State, tOSU….
They are definitely on a very high level. with several players having the ability to score from onywhere on the field in one play. That speed advantage.
For me, if we can just play them close, keep the score respectable, we have shown huge improvement, and might be able to show we are at least the second best team in the conference. Just blow that 3-9 season out of the water.
And in a year or so the NCAA will do the rest. ..lol.
Did you see the ducks try to pass… ha… stop the run and Beavers win. Thats it… that is the key. Stopping the run when you have the QB being one of their best running backs.. thats an issue. DAT was ineffective last night. Much happier about our chances in Reser after last nights performance. Their D is better than average, but their QB is not. Also if we don’t turn the ball over.. How many duck points last night were off turnover… I think almost all.
though turnovers and time of possession get the usual publicity, in fact the single greatest indicator of a victory is the amount of big plays you give up vs. the number of big plays you make. If we can make the Ducks grind out their scores while at the same time we have some defensive scores or big yardage plays OSU can win.
43-7.
Such read the scoreline a mere 18 minutes into the UO-ASU game.
The other 14? They were more or less a gift.
Sure, we can read that ASU will be a win. We can also read that the CW will be a loss.
The differential between these teams is too great. I am 100% sure that not only that the total score, but that the margin of defeat would have been over 100 if the ducks had aimed that high.
A disaster for ASU? hardly. they played as they have. I suspect that the Beavs lie in the middle of these two teams. As does 45% of the FBS.
You cannot say the Beavers will lose the Civil War based off of tonight. I didn’t think ASU would play this badly, but this is also the same ASU team that lost to Missouri and MU was playing with their backup QB and are getting killed in the SEC. Let’s just wait and see what happens.
I am obviously not saying this in a vacuum. Oregon has beaten all of the other cupcakes it has been given.
It has now made ASU look like a cupcake.
Questions about how their performance scales are still present, but greatly mitigated.
if you ask
not that one would want to but,
I think that the Beavers will play this game like they have all of the rest of the games so far.
Sure it will be close at the half either a tied score or beavers up 7 or 3. Beaver go into the third score 7 points on the first or second time they get the ball back. The they pull head by 10. The score goes back and forth for a while. 8 min to go in the fourth and the beavers put the game away up by two maybe three scores. 35-24 beavers or 27-16
Oregon has been taking advantage of the Pac-10/12’s weakest position group year after year….d-line. The first team in this conference to develop an elite SEC level d-line (and front 7 in general) will be the first team to stop hole dead in its tracks.
Until then, forget about it.
No one in this conference, or anywhere outside the SEC for that matter, can develop that kind of talent. That’s why the SEC wins national titles every year.
Re: The attention;
I agree, one loss and the Beavs will be perceived as posers who never had it. That’s the cost of not having a strong program. LSU loses a game, and they don’t lose attention or respect. Same with Alabama or USC. OSU is having a great season, winning on the road, and not having played a single true cream puff. But they are not a great program, and will be treated as flash in the pan until they get higher than the Sun Bowl and produce at a high level with some consistency. I don’t care though, this 2012 team deserves the attention its getting, and they should enjoy it while striving to remain humble and focused.
I think it may be challenging to take advantage of this season in this recruiting cycle, because so many players recruited early and OSU was way behind the rest of the Pac. Compounding that problem is Riley’s inability, or disdain of, poaching recruits. I am hoping that the next recruiting cycle has substantial benefits. Still hoping for blue chip DTs and CBs in this one, but I am skeptical.
“How I feel awesome and dread all at once. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced following sports.” I think that’s because as a fan, you feel like you have something to lose. That’s not been the case for quite a while.
Re: Beavs Army, I like:
1) The explicit acknowledgement this is a re-branding for the fanbase, and it’s not a desperate effort put out there by someone hoping the university takes notice;
2) The quality of the design and look of product – the block “O” as with sergeant stripes is well thought out and well done; and
3) The initiative to be create and offer a thoughtful solution to the mediocrity currently offered by OSU.
What I don’t like:
1) “army” is a bit too late. Just as “Beaver Nation” was too late. There’s one sports army in Oregon that I can think of, “Timbers Army.” This would be viewed as copying the Portland Timbers. They’re who I thought of first when I saw the term “Beavers Army.”
2) I don’t like the Kool-Aid guy, even though it’s better than the thoughtless beaver juice t-shirts OSU sold. I’d rather see a Beaver (mammal. Mascot. Well, that kind too…);
3) Rebranding for the fan base is unlikely to create a strong association with the university and team.
Overall though, I like the effort, results, the think its a great start. I hope they are getting the word out to the students.
Teams with a history of top rung play arent dropped by the media when they lose. So if we lose, we fucking deserve to lose media attention. Generate years of success and they wont drop you as fast. You earn respect.
That said, I do not agree about this season. I think the media has accepted us as a deserving cinderella story, and we will get attention up to the Civil War game..
In any case, after a 3-9 season, how in HELL can anyone dread us losing a game???? We are EXPECTED to lose.. You dread losing a game, better switch to being a fan of UO. You will sleep better. This season has been fantastic so far….lol
“Compounding that problem is Riley’s inability, or disdain of, poaching recruits.” —- Mike Riley said this week that they don’t stop recruiting their targets until they have signed their LOI. He said you have to recruit them as if they have not committed. This was a comment in relation to Tyner. Mike Riley has no problem “stealing” a recruit. He just won’t do it dishonestly.
He might not have a problem “stealing” a recruit but imo he has a problem with having the ability to steal a recruit.
Rodgers bros in town, hanging out at practice, going to the game this Saturday:
http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2012/10/james_rodgers_jacquizz_rodgers.html#incart_river
It all seems a little “cinderella-ish” to me, one screw up and the clock strikes midnight. All of Riley’s teams have messed up against an inferior opponent at some point during a season. Can this year be an exception? I hope so.
.
Looks like Will Sutton will be out for the rest of the season.
Pretty impressive to dominate the first 20 minutes of a game so much so that the 40 minutes following don’t even matter. I still want to see what Oregon does against a USC team that has NFL players all over the field. I think depth will win Oregon that game but it will be interesting to see whether USC pushes them for four quarters. The Ducks really haven’t had a game this year where they’ve been under real pressure for the entire game. That could end up being an overlooked facet of the Civil War. The Beavs have been in pressure situations before so if the game comes down to that we might have an advantage. I might just be grasping at straws because that Ducks teams was scary good tonight.
Others teams just never seem to be able to execute against the Ducks when they need it and the Ducks make 3rd and 4 situations look like a cakewalk. I think ASU was overhyped a little because the media has to make these games interesting, but the Ducks are scarier this year in my mind because their defense appears so much better. The Arizona game? Find another example at that level where the opponent was in the red zone six times and scored zero points?.Nobody has been able to score with them anymore and that makes a big difference.
They have some impressive kids on D. They are a much more complete team.
uncanny, yup, you’re grasping at straws. That’s not at all a bad thing, it’s obvious that this years Beavs have a much better chance in the CW than did the teams of recent years, so those “straws” are much stronger.
Aside from the speed/conditioning/talent/play calling, the Ucks would seem to have the advantage in the mental aspect of the game as well. They have earned the right to fully expect to win while the Beavs are now just beginning to develop that attitude; a loss to SC would help even up that area if the Beavs can stay undefeated. Those other areas? Well, the Beavs won’t be clearly superior in them this year. However, if the two teams played 5 times I’d wager the Beavs to come out on top at least once…………….one is all it takes if the cards fall right. On any given……etc.
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/47373/who-will-transform-tomorrow-7
Looks like Seumalo will have his hands full tomorrow. I think he’ll be fine. Definitely going to be some good battles.
I think the Beavers can afford to lose 1 without losing too much national attention. We should beat Utah this weekend, then the talk will be about a 6-0 Beaver Squad that is ranked 6th or 7th and has their starting QB returning to face a decent looking Washington team. Going to Stanford at 8-0 and maybe a top 5 ranking, this game could potentially be an ESPN Game Day event – unless of course we lose a game before that. I just don’t think it will happen unless the team gets complacent, and I think those other story lines prevent that from happening.
Regardless, even if the Beavs lose a game before the Civil War, the winner still plays for the Rose Bowl and it will bring a lot of national attention.
Regarding ASU, before last night this looked like one of the more challenging games left on our schedule. I think they were exposed confirming what everyone sort of suspected. They have not done well against good competition this season. Plus, that blackout was not very intimidating. Maybe it was the effect of the cameras, but the stadium did not seem loud or intimidating. I think Mariota faces a more rowdy crowd at Reser.
On losing a game prior to the CW, as said above, I think it will make a very positive difference in the mental attitude of the team if they can stay undefeated right up to the CW. Close games, yes, they build character and resolve; but a loss might just put that little doubt in the back of the mind. Not a deciding factor, just one of many aspects to the game.
Regardless, ONE AT A TIME!
Not looking too far ahead, but regarding the Ducks: I think Banker’s been building the D around stopping them. The beavs just haven’t had the athletes to do so the last couple of years. If you look at the past few games against them, with some sub-par talent on the field, we’ve held it close for the most part into the 3rd quarter and the defense wears down because the offense has been so bad. In 2012 we have: 2 lock down corners that can handle their average receiving core on an island, hole clogging DT’s/MLB, speedy/ferocious ends, and 2 OLB’s with blazing speed to spy. Combine that with an offense leading the FBS in TOP, and it looks like a fun matchup. Just need to be nails in the redzone. I’m not confident enough to predict a win right now, but I feel better each week.
I remember interviews with Crichton and Wynn in preseason and they both talked about playing smarter and not over pursuing. This is key to stopping u of o.
Those two were definitely staying home and sticking to their assignments in the BYU game.
The Beavers don’t get an opportunity like this very often. If we go 6 – 0 into the Huskies I believe we can win in Seattle giving the Beavs 7 – 0 record. Then the one team in the way (I believe) is Stanford which is going to be tough at their house. I would say this is a game which could prepare us for playing the ducks.
I realize that Riley and company states “we play and prepare for one game at a time” but the one very important thing Riley can do is make sure his team, especially the defense, is in the best physical shape going into the Civil War. Our defense has to be strong, aggressive and fast. Extra physical training at this point would not hurt.
ASU last night didn’t only look slow, they were slow. They missed key tackles and defensive plays because the ducks were faster on their feet. It’s also time for Riley to open up that play book and give the offense game practice on new plays. The team has proven it has tons of talent, now is the time to bring them up to their full potential. I just hope Riley and coaching staff is caught up in the excitement to win and continue winning. It’s their job to motivate the team, sustain confidence and give them the will to win…..and to improve both sides of the ball each game.
This is a very exciting time for Beaver football. I don’t see any reason we have to slide into national oblivion. We can do this.
Get your Stanford tickets early! Several thousand available, prices on stub hub starting under $5
I am always astonished at how many times Oregon lineman hold defensive players and get away with it. That alone was obviously not going to make any differnce in the ASU game it is more of general observation. The misdirection on offense and subtle technique make this pretty effective; once a defender is out of position he gets grabbed. Having to make tackles while dragging an offensive lineman really wears down a defense.
The ducks also get away with linemen downfield on passing plays and the refs never call it.
Arizona State’s record was just like BYU’s defense: they’ve taken advantage of poor competition and have a statistic or two that was hyped up by the media so people watch the game on TV. The best team ASU has beaten is 3-4 Cal.
Of course ESPN is going to make a big deal out of 5-1 ASU when they’re playing the lone Thursday night game. No one would watch if they expected it to be a blow out.
I think it killed ASU’s psyche when Sutton went out on crutches. And the ASU front 7 who were left had no discipline (poor coaching?), they were totally fooled by the option.
Then their QB made terrible decisions throwing way too late on short out routes (Twice!) for easy picks for the quacks which crushed ASUs spirit and the rest was a meaningless scrimmage.
http://m.gazettetimes.com/mobile-touch-2/?disableTNStatsTracker=1&asset=047b75a8-189d-11e2-92d3-0019bb2963f4#article_047b75a8-189d-11e2-92d3-0019bb2963f4.html
Here you go Angry. Don’t say I never did anything for you!
Who are our officials this weekend? I see LJ Moore is on his way. Who else?
Tatum Taylor (of 4.2 40 fame)
Damien Haskins (RB from TX who is a soft verbal to Memphis)
Damien Haskins plays 2A ball in a town of 5,000 people. After 4 games (weeks ago), he had 14 TD’s and averaged 14 ypc. Nice numbers!
Why would it feel strange? Oregon State has, what, 10 winning seasons in the last 14? Been in the rankings in at least 6 different years since 2000. How many bowl games? What do you think we are, Vanderbilt, Northwestern? Why the insecurity?
Look at Michigan State. MSU is not modern or edgy. Their uniforms are boring. They will never be as glamorous as Michigan but so what? They don’t go around thinking they are nerds thinking they need plastic surgery! They don’t care that Denard Robinson is on ESPN the magazine, they just beat his ass anyways.
We are not anybody’s little brother and we shouldn’t think that way. We have a good program that is respected. We came off a 3-9 season and won only 2 games and were inserted into the poll at #18. Not many teams enter the poll at #18. Especially at 2-0 off a 3-9 season.
Even if the Beavs lost they would not fall out of the poll. Northwestern, Rutgers, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, even Texas A&M and Mississippi State…yes they would fall out if they lost, but not the Beavs. We are respected, our team is for real and everybody knows it.
Hmmm… Damien Haskins… strong like bull. I don’t see 4.4 speed, but I do see great vision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afbTKVNMa_A
Maybe a possible FB convert? We can start running more I-formation and mix up the standard tailback hand-offs with more FB carries. I wonder how well he blocks.
Could also work as a change of pace back.
What I like about our RB’s as they mature is that all of them are similar but different. All of them can run the offense for a series when called upon to spell the others. It’s what a RBBC should look like. It’s not RB by situation, which is what many teams do.
It looks like Riley is looking for a power back to compliment the stable. Anderson does this now, so maybe he sees the value of someone like Tyler coming in to break a defense’s back for a series before going back to the others. It’s just a nice mix to go along with the nice mix of play calls.
Did you watch the Haskins videos from this season? He runs right past everyone. Granted it’s 2A Texas HS football, but still. He barely needs to use his 215 lbs because he just blows past the whole defense.
I found the other tapes. They’re not as good in quality, but I can see what you’re talking about. The most apropos comparison would be MJD.
Note: this embed will likely be disabled since it looks like the producer wants you to give him hits on youtube. Just hit the youtube button on the bottom right to see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7WpNMIolIs
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf–mike-riley-s-wild-coaching-ride-has-orgeon-state-cruising-up-the-bcs-standings-19420509.html
More national publicity for Riley.
I didn’t get to see the game last night. Did I hear that Oregon was playing Brian Bennet and Mariota together? That would make for a pretty interesting offense.
Saw one play where they were both on the field. Mariota was a wideout and Bennett took the snap, scrambled and was going down for a sack when we flipped the ball the Mariota for a 2 yard TD catch. One of them luck o’ the Ducks things.
That was a bad decision, but it worked. Interesting that Mariota tried the exact same thing earlier in the game, and nearly turned it over.
Taylor, on the other hand, can jog a 4.4… probably on his hands if he wants.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opi8U2cIYgI
He just runs right past guys! He defiantly has break away speed.
Not only fast but does a great job using his blockers and then changes gears, impressive.
And Moore is a friggin’ ball hawk. I like this kid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quAHbY3cczE&feature=related
That guy can jump, and has great closing speed.
If you’re a rankings person, Moore would be our best commitment in this class. He’s the highest ranked uncommitted guy that we still have a shot with (after that GA QB committed to Mizzou).
We have some pretty stiff competition in Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and UCLA, but shoot, we’re #8! Anything’s possible!
OK, I’ve read this entire thread up to this point. I have a few thoughts (this may be a long post, sorry about that in advance):
1. I think we as Beaver fans maybe are the ones that need a sports psychologist this year. This Beaver team is real, they have turned a corner this year. Unfortunately, it is hard for their fanbase to see past 3-9, or even worse those of us that still can’t let go of the 28 years of futility. I’m not holding myself out as being above anyone on this site, I’m struggling myself not to look for the shoe to drop. Next year, they may not come out with the same leadership and may slip back.
2. Negativity is a much stronger force than positivity. When you hear you aren’t good over and over it is hard to keep that out of your thinking. I have seen this year how much the Duck fans have really been able to change the OSU fan base’s life perception. It was not long ago that OSU and UofO were really battling every year and the majority of Beaver fans fully expected the Beavs to win the Civil War. We had 2 straight Civil Wars that could have seen us go to Pasadena and then two years of hangover after those devastating losses. Angry has often postulated that the ’09 loss caused Riley go into depression and lose his edge for the ’10-’11 seasons. Maybe, but it seems that the whole fanbase (other than the most ardent pollyannas), has internalized the crap that Duckfans statewide have been selling. We have embraced the “little brother” status and are OK with it.
3. This year is different. The team is a unit that is executing the game plan and the result is that they are winning. I believe that Riley is a very good coach. I will qualify that statement though, he does not seem to be a coach that can plug just anyone into the system and be successful. He needs a team that fully embraces his system and is willing to work hard to be technically sound. This team has done just that, they have worked hard since the end of last year to be in the right place with the right technique to make the plays. Riley’s teams are extremely hard to predict because of this, they always seem to do much better when they are counted out early. They truly are a product that past performance does not predict future results.
Take a deep breath Beaver Nation, this is one of those years. Enjoy it. Don’t buy into the negativity. This year is shaping up to be that year that most on here has been calling for – Holiday or better. Don’t miss the joy that is this year because you fear it may slip away at any moment. Don’t be the gold miner that hits the motherlode and dies hiding in a cave clutching all of his gold because he is afraid someone is going to steal it all. I, for one, have decided I’m going to take back that confidence that has been taken from me by a bunch of bandwagon losers (almost lost me down a rabbit hole as I started to write about the crappy fanbase that follows the Ducks). This year’s team has had a tremendous attitude and confidence and they deserve a fanbase that is confident in them. GO BEAVS!!
And since I’m on a roll, I predict that the Basketball team is going to come out and follow the same path this year, 2012-2013 is the year of the Beaver.
I think you miss the over-arching theme on this blog.
Bringing up the 28 years would be one thing we’ve discussed. It’s irrelevant.
Looking at the last two years and asking if Riley “has lost it” is another. I think Riley is answering that himself.
Taking this team to the next level is another topic. And that’s where this topic is headed. Riley has survived on the second level. We’ve been top 20/25 before. But nobody pays attention because that’s not top 10/15. And going from top 20/25 to dregs to projected dregs to top 5/10 is just surreal. It’s not disturbing. It’s not a state of angst. It’s just surreal.
It’s weird, and it’s cool.
Maybe I do miss the over-arching theme of this blog. I thought it was a bunch of Beaver fans that share information and insights, all the while wanting to see OSU be the best it can be.
I think alot of people believe that being critical is a synonym of negative. I don’t look at it that way, and I haven’t thought that was the theme of this blog. So, if I missed the point, so be it.
To your specific reply to my extremely long post:
I thought in the context of my point (point being that we as Beaver fans have a mindset that probably needs to change to be healthy) the 28 years mention was very relevant as to what has driven us to our unhealthy mental state.
I think you missed the over-arching theme of my post. My point was not that it wasn’t right to question Riley the past two years as I think the results on the field merited much questioning. However, my 2nd point was that if we get lost in the negativity just for the sake of being negative we are the ones that lose out. And I had a second sub-point that I hate Duck fans and am mad that they have gotten into our heads (in general not specific, no telling whats gotten into your head, Jack).
My final point, because again I think you may have missed it, is that Beaver football is supposed to be entertaining. As we know on this site, it is often not as entertaining as it should be because of how frustrating Beaver sports can be. But, this is one of those special times that it is purely entertaining. We should win this weekend. That will be the best start in 100+ years. Enjoy it. I’m not even saying that we shouldn’t be critical of the coaches if they don’t use this year to bust down some recruiting walls. All I’m saying is don’t miss the beauty of this season because you’ve conditioned your mind to be negative. I’m sure that negativity is pavlovian when it comes to Beaver Football.
I agree with Sparky I think…
Thats why I took exception to the theme post. To feel actually disturbed by our success and the media attention, shows something wrong with the poster, net the situation. I think the rise of Chip Kelley into an unbeatable coach driving the in-state rival to OSU and our obvious inferiority to them *(in the recent past) has created a psytchological problem. So now Beaver fans cant accept that we are again a good, winning program. They expect the percieved house of cards to come tumbling down. Or something like that — I am not a psychologist.
Sure it is different from the past two years, us winning and looking confident doing it. But it shouldnt feel weird or strange…..it should feel RIGHT. Things are back on track, not weird.
Anyway, that is the way I feel.
The 28 years is irrelevant because Riley/Erickson/Riley have already conquered that life. To go back to it for any argument is to disrespect what the Beavs have done for the last 15 years. We’re talking about the current state of affairs.
The current coach can’t get out of September with a winning record.
The current coach and his staff tell us they’re waiting for the team to find some weird identity which is floating out there somewhere.
The current staff blames the players they recruited for not being able to execute the scheme they implement.
The current staff doesn’t recruit and close on players good enough to play at this level, let alone players good enough to succeed in their very complicated schemes.
The “Mayberry” tag is annoying.
_____________________________
I like the last one so long as everything else clicks. I’m readily eschewing any thoughts of “tough appearances are everything” so long as the good guys win. I like that it’s being so readily accepted by the national media and being shoved down everyone’s throat. It’s different. We’re different. I like that.
The others speak for themselves. It’s almost as if our coaches have been reading this blog all along and finally said, “What the hell. Let’s try some of this garbage.”
Recruiting is the last hurdle if this year is expected to continue. Only the Pollyanna thinks criticism is negativity. The realist takes stock in his weaknesses in order to play to his strengths.
Duh?
This is what separates us from the true believers. True believers are not believers in the least. They forgo responsibility for mumbo jumbo. They give themselves over to something other than themselves and make excuses for everything that they willfully allow to occur in their lives. And they scorn those who wont for better as if words were not the foundation of action.
You start with words. You make a list. You set goals. You take it upon yourself to be who you want to be.
You don’t say, “My manager wouldn’t be in that position if he weren’t competent, so all I have to do is show up for work.”
Although, I have known plenty of people who feel this way… minus the infallibility of the manager.
When the weakest link is exposed, the team is exposed. Trying to remove those weak links should never be viewed as negative.
I don’t disagree with what you say. My point is there is a fine line of being critical in thought so as to continuously improve and just being a pessimist. When you get used to seeing poor performance it is easy to miss the good ones.
Talk about recruiting violation….Nike Football’s official twitter account is tweeting directly with Thomas Tyner? How is this allowed?
https://twitter.com/usnikefootball
Nike Football ?@usnikefootball
Bring it out. Then bring it home. RT @thomas_tyner: Should I bring out the pink tonight?! @usnikefootball
That would be the third spotted NCAA violation on him so far
Nike is certainly a booster. But they are a booster of many teams. So while I think the NCAA should do something about this in more than a slap-on-the-wrist way because of the influence agents have in college sports already, it’s not a Duck violation.
I find it rather odd given the timing of his actions this last week and the rumors of him being highly interested in an Adidas school. I wasn’t buying the conspiracy theories. But this certainly falls in the “don’t even give the perception” category.
Here’s a response I received from a local radio show:
Actually it is not. If you look at the Nike Football Twitter account, interaction with high school athletes around the country, via re-tweet and response, is very common. They re-tweeted him as they do several other athletes that wear Nike products.
Dusty Harrah
ESPN Radio 1080 the Fan
Portland, Ore.
Ahhh… the old “everyone’s doing it” line of reasoning.
I will say this. He did tag them first, so their response should be fine. But he was seriously thinking about going to an Adidas school for a visit not two days ago. Now he’s selling Nike?
It might be something as innocent as someone telling him that UCLA was an Adidas school. And maybe he’s sold on Nike crap, even if it is functionally lesser than Adidas crap… which is functionally lesser than a lot of other brands.
“NCAA legislation prohibits representatives of athletic interests (boosters) from making in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting contacts, or written or telephonic communications with a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or legal guardians.”
I think the loophole is that Nike Football isn’t technically associated with Oregon even though it’s fairly obvious they go hand in hand.
I would love to know what went down between Nike, Oregon, and Tyner during his 24 hour decommitment. I would like to think that nothing shady was happening but that whole episode had a bad smell to it.
Nike is a booster of any school to whom they give money or represent their athletic interests. There might be a loophole because it’s a business relationship, but they certainly go out of their way to promote Nikegon when they can.
That’s why I call them Nikegon. They have spent years nurturing an amorphous entity which they are proud and now blatantly displaying.
The Tweet Nike posted immediately after the Tyner tweet:
Nike Football ?@usnikefootball
Road tested. Mighty Oregon approved. Limited Edition Vapor Talons. Available 10.25. #fastisfaster pic.twitter.com/TilslYR3
https://twitter.com/usnikefootball
Still, with Phil owning Nike, and Phil a known duck booster…
If I am a known supporter of OSU and I have my business contact a recruit and discuss my great car line, tattoo artists, shoe, doesn’t that fly in the face of everything the NCAA tries to discourage?
1+1=?
I get what you’re saying. And I was disgusted by Jaynes’ article suggesting such a motive on Wednesday. And even this might be nothing even rising to a violation.
What I’m saying is twofold.
Nike is a booster/agent. They deal with many many schools. Influencing a kid (and we all know you don’t have to say the words “go to ____” to steer someone) to go to one of your schools for your own business interests is shady in its most innocent form.
What you never do is give the perception that something which is a violation is occurring. So while this may be totally fine with the rules, it makes people like me who thought there was no smell to test start sniffing around. And it makes those who were thinking conspiracy go wild.
If I as a middle aged white man lose my dog at a park, the one thing I will never do is ask a child to come help me find him. Perception could get me beaten to death.
And…..the NCAA doesnt have to prove a violation, they just have to believe one has been committed.
Here’s an oddity.
This article is well written, concise and thoughtful. It’s almost like this writer went to some school to be a reporter. I was floored to read actual English in a sports column. It seems like it’s been years since I’ve done so.
http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-10-19/oregon-state-vs-utah-sean-mannion-cody-vaz-pac-12-mike-riley-beavers-undefeated
OTL today on ESPN has a segment on players and coaches in the late 90’s paying each other for big hits in the NFL. The interesting component is though, all players and teams have a concept known as “the beaver” where everyone refers to it as “the most diligent, hardest working animal in the animal kingdom”.
They then use it as a motivational technique to reward guys who are recognized as doing the best. I love that this concept is/was so pervasive in football. Something our guys should definitely take pride and belief in.
Wow… we’re surprised schools like CIT and MIT also have the beaver as a mascot?
Beavers: go to work quietly, grind, unassuming, non-flashy
Ducks: fly fast, make a lot of noise, preen, flashy
Never really put much thought into the teams respective mascots and how the teams have seemingly mirrored them.
Don’t forget that one provides a more than suitable habitat for the other to live a happy and free life.
I could go into the “guns or butter” argument from here. But I think you all know what I’m saying.
The more and more I think about this game, I think the beavs still have the underdog mentality because it is true that they are one loss from obscurity. I get the feeling that the experts see us a cute story but won’t last playing against the big boys. A nice coach having success. That’s why I don’t see a let down. (Side note – Ronnie Lott seemed to really enjoy the hip hip hoorays more than any other post game celebration). If the beavs win, hopefully the recruits get the experience that even if it is cheesy.
If I’m Coach Riley, I am telling the players that this is a statement game. Another chance to prove the doubters wrong.
A lot of football traditions are cheesy.
Riley leading a cheer is still better than game day ‘traditions’ like milk commercials and driving directions.
Bring on the Cheese, baby.
I doubt the players are worried about media attention and ranking.
And, we are not one loss from obscurity. We would drop in the rankings but not drop out.
Assuming we win at least a couple more games, we are a solid success story.
Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood ….
When you are undefeated, nothing is cheesy. Funny how that works.
More than a statement game, it’s a payback game after the Ute beatdown last year.
Piggybacking off of jackbeavs article:
http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-10-17/college-football-midseason-all-americans-2012-geno-smith-jadeveon-clowney/slide/28
Poyer gets some love but more interesting is who the all-american punter is…
The guy that wasn’t good enough to beat out Johnny “-7” Hekker.
-4 sorry. My mistake. Still he was terribad.
You mean Johnny “more NFL TD passes than Sean Canfield” Hekker?
That is also the Sean “playing behind one of the best current NFL QBS” Canfield. Yeah. Him.
Not a shot at Sean (or his Tom Brady-like flowing locks). It was a joke. Chill.
Haha, I’m chill. I was just firing right back at you.
http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/osuprof/2012/10/19/two-beaver-football-teams-this-season/
I don’t think the sample size is large enough to compare road Beavs vs. home Beavs. I think the differences are a result of opponent strength and weaknesses mixed with the team developing over time.
I agree with the sample size argument. But the season ends once we have a sample large enough.
It’s a good snapshot though.
I would not be surprised to see a shutout this week. I really think the D and Banker were really embarrassed after last year’s loss (if not during). And I don’t mind if our D is better at home.
I just want them to zero in on being ridiculously stubborn by the end of the year.
I’m not going to argue on the home vs. away stats but I believe it has to be a better all around environment for the team to play home games. There are so many factors which can effect team players like the altitude at BYU, or weather.
The differences pointed out relating to Beavers offense/ defense between the 2012 team and 2000 team are difficult to justify since we are talking about two different coaches.
I watched my taped games of 2000 recently and I believe our defense was faster and more aggressive then. As far as offense goes one trait Riley has is getting conservative at times which might reflect lower total scoring. I hope he can reduce this habit somewhat over the next weeks of play. Not that I want to stack points but do enough that we don’t have coronary games…..my doctor does like those.
I like the idea of a shutout tomorrow. Go Beavs!
I’m this close |_| to calling it a lock.
I just think either Utah will get a fluke score or we’ll let up late with the third string in.
Down to 47 tickets left. This will be another sellout. Game night attendance will be right around 46K I suspect. Hopefully a little over. Don’t quite think we beat the 46,579 OSU all time record.
http://www.tiqiq.com/Tiqiq/SingleEvent.aspx?BrandID=fansided&EventID=4406279932&PublisherID=1123278&WidgetID=0
If anyone is watching football right now, change it overto ESPNU to see the high school game they’re showing right now. The team in black, Ensworth, has unis I would love to have for the Beavs. I would probably like the pant stripe to be a solid orange. But it’s precisely what I want for the old school Beavs.
And I’m pointing to that matte black helmet with no logo and the nice simple black unis.
Holy crap!
UCONN can’t stop the Syracuse D from just running at the QB. I think it’s been five straight plays now.
Hey Fashionistas… Last year at this point we were begging for a pulse….much less a win. Now the conversation shifts to matte black helmets versus shiny helmets. I still don’t think we or this program have yet earned the right to dilly-dally in irrelevant topics.
I don’t care if they wear pink tutus and ballet slippers as long as I see some good old-fashioned fundamental football. In other words… what’s working. Good grief… JB
PS: Utah is in disarray. This will be a dull game, like the Ducks last night, it was interesting for 20 minutes then a spring scrimmage broke out. Beavs win big.
You weren’t here this time last year?
I could have sworn you were.
How could you make yourself look so silly?
Agree on the fundamentals, can’t quite buy into the tutu thing.
I am not suprised that it feels weird. There has been a long investment here in the notion of imcompetance, in buying high and selling low.
I do like the critical look at sport here, but at the same time it is often harsh to the point of being unfair, even unfair to the complaintant. For example, “we’re one loss away from nobody caring,” is extreme–and extremely inaccurate.
Um… buyng high and selling ow would be the epitome of competence.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here.
We have been an elite team forever? We should sell now?
Please reset and try again.
To those who are too fucking lazy to read angry’s whole post:
You are who we thought you are.
That is all.
I got Oregon State beating Utah by almost 2 TDs Saturday night. I think they lead most of the game between 10 and 14 points and close it out with over 30 points and the victory to equal the all time best start in OSU history. I think that will be good enough to get OSU to #7 in both the AP and BCS polls come Sunday. Vaz just has to play smart and as long as the line provides good protection we should be able to sustain drives and throw in a few knockout big plays. OSU’s defense should be able to pressure and attack Utah’s freshman QB and fluster him into a couple of interceptions and 3-and-outs on multiple series.
Oregon State 31, Utah 20
#8 Oregon State vs. Utah:
http://beaverbyte.com
Come on man!
I had to go out and buy edible undies because I promised to eat my shorts if BYU scored more than 10 points. I never wore them, and I’ll never tell what happened to them other than I ate them.
That aside… Utah will not score.
A peek into the mind of a true 5 star winner, as tweeted by Brandon Sprague:
“OSU mentality game by game: “Just another chance to go 1-0 against the best team in the nation cause its the only team we play” – I. Seumalo.”
That attitude will take this kid a long way, both on and off the field!
Just a random note…I was watching a CFL game tonight BC vs.Edmonton and BC’s QB is named “Mike Reilly” and he was starting his first game ever after three years as a back up. He lit up the Eskimos and the Lions won 39-19. Maybe this will be a magic year for the Beavers?
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