I encourage people to look through Mannion’s numbers here; the guy just isn’t clutch in big games. He seems to put up the best numbers in games that mean nothing. The biggest games last year were probably Washington and Oregon, and in both he threw 4 INTs. This year, Stanford and USC are the biggest games, and he laid an egg tonight, and underperformed vs Stanford.

We’ll see if this trend continues.

Riley laid another egg tonight, too. To get out-athleted is one thing, but to come out flat is another. Beaver football is hilarious. Every time I buy in and think I my overarching hypothesis might be wrong, Riley is there to reel it back in and make me look good. Thanks, coach. That’s probably the only thanks you’re getting tonight.

The questions are : how long can this go on? Do donors ever get tired of this obvious pattern? Are they too dumb to see it?

Arizona State is one of the worst matchups on the schedule. The Beavs could get blown out in each of the next three games. I had Washington at 50/50 a few weeks ago, but that was after I fell into the trap (again!) and had a bout of optimism.

Early kickoff Friday at 6pm for those who don’t know.
Game is on ESPN2.

Go Beavs

I’ve got nothing this week. Too busy today.

But I did read the most hilarious sports bit ever: Ed Orgeron had chainsaws playing during practice. Seriously!!? He fears the chainsaw? So funny.
The only USC I’ve seen this year was a quarter vs ASU and Notre Dame. ASU’s speed dominated them. Notre Dame is more similar to OSU, so I expect a game closer to that one. Some weird matchups in that USC has a very good run D, but OSU passes every down.

Anyway, give your take on the game, and I’ll read the comments later. Curious to hear from those who have watched more USC than I have.

Home team has won 9 of the last 10 meetings, so history favors the Beavs. I don’t have a pick, but gun to my head, I think USC gives a scare in the first half, but the Beavs pull it away at the end.

Per this letter from Canzano. Anyone know who the player is?

One thing we know is that life moves in cycles. The Ducks will be bad one day; the only question is how it happens. I assumed scandal, but maybe the players wake up and realize they’re playing for ESPN/Disney + shitty fans, and they just stop signing LOIs…

Click this link to watch the final two plays: Stanford

A discussion SS and I had about the plays.

SilverStream:

Sure seems to me that Mullaney was wide open near the goal line on the second-to-last play. Mullaney lines up split wide to the left. He runs a soft curl, and camps out on the one-yard line, with a defender about 3 yards behind him. Seems to me that if Mannion had thrown the ball to Mullaney’s inside shoulder, Mullaney would very likely have caught the ball and scored. I like OSU’s odds a lot better throwing a short pass to an open Mullaney rather than throwing a longer pass to the back of the end zone to a double-covered Tyler Perry. Seems to me it was simply a bad read and a mistake by Mannion on this play that likely cost the Beavs a TD that could have led to OT. If the Beavs had gotten to OT, OSU would have had the advantage, since Stanford was relying on an inexperienced substitute placekicker. Coulda, woulda, shoulda….

Angry:

I agree with your assessment of those two plays. Mostly. I do think Mullaney was open on the last play, but I see what you mean that the defender might have jumped the Cummings route (I’d have to see a different angle, because from the one shown it looks like he arrived at Cummings too quickly to be near Mullaney, too). I wish we had an overhead. If that route developed quicker, Mannion could have pump faked to draw that safety, then hit Mullaney. But Cummings came across the entire formation, which took forever.