HappyToBeADuck

Jordan, thsnk you for this amazing, thorough and in depth article about tomorrows game. You provided stats and facts, some series history and your personal take. I doubt any beat writer or blogger will put in the research and effort for this game, as you have. This is truly an A plus presentation. Thank you! Leading this old Duck fan to the conclusion that this game will be hard fought, filled with passion and a side order of hate. OBD's need to start fast, put points on the board, thus taking the husky fans out of the game.. Then don't take their foot off the throttle. A close game is not in the Ducks best interest. These little puppies are well coached and they defend their kennel very well. However, after a fierce first half fIght, tOSU made adjustments and in the 2nd half destroyed the puppies on their home field. This Duck fan expects OBD's to dominate this game and put down the horde of rabid, leg-lifters. Go Ducks.......

Ducks 31-13 2 2 324

Fun read, Darren..... A few thoughts on the Beavers now residing in a low-grade conference. Darren, you are being so kind to even rate the conference that high. Showing the holiday spirit? I agree with you that Kiffin has come along ways and he really should stay in his own "lane". Well done...... Washington as our new little brother? That's definitely rich! It sends warm fuzzies to my Duck heart the angst that my 4 lifelong friends (met in 1958) will feel when i share that label with them. Still haven't heard the end of the 70 spot they put on OBD's at Autzen. As if that wiped out 12 straight losses or the infamy of a 2008 winless season. A fricken winless season for gosh sakes! As for your score prediction. This Duck fan would be estatic if the Ducks put 40 plus points on the board against the huskies Those little dogs can play defense! Scoring points may very well depend on who starts on the Duck O Line. The Duck D should throttle the husky offense. Afterall, Whisky held them to 10 points, Wolverines held them to 7 points and tOSU allowed the dogs to score only 6. I expect the Duck D to dominate this game. As long as all the Duck ends hold the edge, we should see alot of 3 and outs. Looking for a 31-13 Duck win. In the true spirit of husky week...huck em, huck em good! GO DUCKS! Happy Thanksgiving

Actually, TT deserves to be ranked above Oregon: They lost on the road to #20 ASU in a close game. They thashed all their other opponents on their schedule. Including #14 Utah at Rice Eccles and #11 BYU at home. We lost at home to #2 IU and of course we just beat a ranked USC at home. That's our resume. Their were teams like Whisky and Iowa that we won but did not thrash. As we know the Ducks SOS is much higher than TT! But scoreboard tells the story and TT just squeaks past us. I don't expect TT to lose in their last 2 games. Which is fine, we need the buffer between us and the top 4. But I dont want to get ahead of myself. OBD's must beat the huskies. GO DUCKS......

Well now.....all OBD's can control is beating the huskies. The bastard huskies. If Jon Josephs CHAOS occurs, then OBD's could land in the top 4. Texas Tech and Texas A&M could both lose in the next 2 weeks. Beating the huskies would be another quality win for OBD's. If by some chance tOSU lost to Michigan, i don't think the Buckeyes would fall below the Ducks in the rankings.We will know that by our kick off against the huskies. None of this matters if OBD's loses on Daturday. Go Ducks......

My X-Factor is OBD's offensive line to dominate the puppies up north this Saturday. Regardless of who can play! Granted the run game slowed down a little as the Ducks went deep down the depth chart to field the O Line. There were no bad snaps and except for one play they kept the pocket clean. This allowed Dante to operate within the pocket. This game was won because a makeshift O Line went on a 6 minute plus drive to eat clock, score a touchdown and build a 14 point lead. And regardless of past games, this time the Duck D did not let SC get back into it. They helped close out this game. I expect more of the same this Saturday....... About the Duck D...... This may have been their best game since the IU game. The Duck D played IU very well.They even put points on the board. 20-20 in the 4th quarter was because of the D. For some reason WS, instead of going on a 6 minute drive to take the lead tried for a quick score and gave IU an easy 10 points. Against SC the Ducks D completely took away the run game and minimized the short pass. Forcing the Trojans to a one play option, the 50/50 ball. In rewatching the game twice, i could not find a play where the receiver was open deep for a clean TD pass. The Duck secondary covered tight! On 3 passes, you can clearly see the push off by the SC receivers to gain separation. The refs swallowed their whistle and kept the flag in their pockets. Those plays accounted for over 100 yards. How did the refs miss those push offs? If the Duck Defender put hands on then it was pass interference. BS. Call it both ways. Best of all the front 7 did not let the QB have time to wait for the deep route to break open. The pressure forced SC QB to just throw in the general direction or else be sacked. That's good defense. More of the same please. All the pressure will be on the Ducks against the huskies. Let's hope the walking wounded can rule the day. Happy Thanksgiving to Fish Duck nation...... Go Ducks......

JJ, may your Chaos predictions reign supreme this Saturday. As long as OBD's take care of the horde of leg-lifters then your Chaos wishes will land the Ducks a 5 spot. The conmittee has back pedaled and changed their metrics at everyturn to please espn/abc! Cow towwing to their puppet masters for ratings. This will be a great weekend as long as OBD's take care of business. GO DUCKS! GO SEC CHAOS!

David, great article. This game had a different feel and meaning than all the rest of this seasons games. And the game against the huskies will have even more meaning and feelings. Watching OBD's dominate the LOS against the sneak around your back, stab you in the back, self righteous, self entitled, spoiled children of Troy can only be topped this weekend! For this fan, those that shall not be named up North, the ultimate rivalry is beating the leg lifters. Beating them never gets old. Beating the Trojans raised are national awareness but it is wasted without beating the leg-lifting dogs. Go Ducks, you are playing for the Natty again this weekend......

They covered a lot of ground in that session. None more important than recognizing Dante's recognizing the Trojans defensive alignment, calling an audible that isolated Sadiq one on one with a linebacker. Then making a perfect NFL throw for a touchdown to Sadiq. Dantes' growth in this area will make a hugh difference next week and in the CFP. The line protection has improved weekly! Give Dante enough protection to go thru his progressions and opposing defenses will be in trouble. Go Ducks! The next Natty opponent is Washington.

IMHO, the Natty runs thru tOSU and IU. Would truly prefer IU than tOSU in a quarter or semifinal game. However, no Natty without beating those 2 teams. The committee will be in a tough spot on Tuesday because there foot is in their mouth. They have expounded how Oregon's schedule was not impressive. They said, get some wins against better opponents and change our perception. While the overrated SEC teams played the little sisters of the poor conference the Duck played a top 15 opponent and won. Man up you poor excuse for CF experts...... The Ducks earned the right to at least jump ole miss. Go Ducks.......

OBD's, since the loss to IU have done a very good job of matching or exceeding our opponents physicality. I felt that the Trojans didnt have much fight left in them after they scored their last touchdown. OBD's pounded the rock and moved downfield to score again to extend the lead back to 14. It must have been discouraging to the defense and the entire nation of Troy that the Ducks had their 3rd, 4th and 5th players just plug and play. Next man up destroyed USC. Hats off to all these players for stepping up to win this game. And to DL and staff for coaching them up to meet the challenge! The ancient grey beards on this Forum know first hand how an injury to just 1 starter could derail a game or season. Well done OBD's. let's get after the dreaded pack up north. GO Ducks! And welcome DuckDuckTruth.

So many great comments and thoughts on this thread. Love this fun forum! I hope OBD's does not make the title game. If the end goal is to win the Natty then the Ducks need to make the CFP, first....... So, lets beat the huskies first. Depending on O line injuries the task may be a little more difficult. The Ducks have depth and depth with talent, so OBD's needs to keep the huskies D off balance. Dominate the trenches for sure and win. The Buckeyes defense just slammed the door on the huskies offense when they played.. I expect the Duck D to do the same and take the pressure off the O. Then we need rest and healing for all the players before the 19th or 20th. We do not need an added game! Let' meet IU in the playoffs.......... The committee needs another statement game by OBD's to give them a reason to have 3 BIG teams in the playoff. So tOSU and IU need to win out and battle for the title. That game is in the best interest of the BIG, the final rankings and seedings and OBD's. Handle the puppies and OBD's gets home cooked meals until they leave for the 2nd round games on New Years. Go Ducks....it's all on the line this Saturday!

For this fan, i never sat back in the recliner. Sat right on the edge of that seat through out the game. Just like against Minnesota OBD's moved the ball with ease. This is back to back games of 42 points. Nice to see Dante keep the opponents Defense off balance. Depth, depth and more depth. Prior years, injuries to starters would have crippled one or more segments of the offense. Not this Duck team. Many of the Ducks injuries are to players who will play on Sundays. In a game like this the players are wired up and ready to perform. However,,going forward, the careless personal fouls need to stop. Cannot give your opponent 130 plus yards of free turf. Let's clean those plays up, get healed up and get after the bastardo huskies. One more convincing victory and a Texas A&M loss to the Longhorns and we can get the number 6 spot. Go Ducks........

Jordan, well written, well thought thru, well presented deep dive into this game and the teams. Basically, well done. You covered all the aspects needed for a Duck victory. If WS hadn't lost his mind, lost his direction and lost OBD's offensive identity in the 4th quarter against IU, well OBD's may very well be undeafeated. Since that painful loss WS has run the dang ball to wear down our opponents front 7 and open up the passing game. There is very little Troy can do to stop the run game. The trenches and clean play will settle this issue and leave no doubt in the minds of the CFP outdated and not needed committee! Go Ducks

Ducks win 31-28 2 2 198 Go Ducks

Darren thank you for shining a spot light on our opponent whose fans annually claim a Natty before the season starts. And annually tgey cry; it was Oregons fault and PK's money that denied them their title. (Spoiler alert Trojan fans: Don't move into a conference with tOSU and Michigan, if you want titles) Now that OBD's are in the BIG, your trifecta of disappointment is complete! The self appointed title holders limped into the BIG with an inaugrual 7-6 season that included 3 straight losses to Minnesota, PSU and Maryland. Now thats how you win titles. (OBD's, I think won the BIG title, however I need to ask a great friend who is a die hard Trojan fan, just to confirm.) Scoreboard since joining the BIG: USC 15-8 Ducks 22-2 None of this matters. Smack talk is useless unless OBD's wins this Saturday. Let's hope the Ducks come out on fire, smack Troy in the mouth and put on a show. The road to the Natty started right after the loss to IU. SC is not IU but is a better opponent than anyone we have faced since. Let's make it a very sad flight back to LA for the truly spoiled children GO DUCKS! I have butterflies in my stomach already for this game.

USC's defense, except in the 2nd half of the Iowa game has not showed that they can fully stop the run throughout the 2025 season. And the Ducks have a very good rushing attack. One that should dominate the Trojans this Saturday. If the Trojans stack the box then DM should shred them apart with all the talent at TE and WR on the field. Even with all the injuries As long as the team plays clean, mistake free football and the refs swallow the whistle and let them play. This is the biggest game of the CF weekend and the refs need to bring their A+ effort. The Duck defense snd overall team balance will be the reason the game is not close. Should be a 17 to 21 point victory for OBD's. Fragile my butt! I feel that tOSU will handle the Wolverines in their last game. Undefeated IU against undefeated tOSU in the BIG title game. Both teams will take care of their business. Texas needs to handle their business and show the CF world that A&M is just a little overrated. OBD's needs to take care of their business, too! Move up to #6 with the CFP biased committee...... Go Ducks.....

There didn't seem to be much, if any, support info to Mal's arguement or point of view. I would ask her if she actually watched any of the Duck games or the 3 she commented on? Most likely she did......or she would have seen, for example the 3's and 4's playing in many 4th quarters. What weak butt commenting....... As an avid Duck for what feels like centuries, I admit I was disappointed that the team let PSU and Iowa back in the game. CLOSE THESE TEAMS OUT! However, if anyone watched those games, the word fragile would not come up. PSU, Iowa and Oregon all showed grit, fight and determination. Fortuneately, OBD's prevailed. The Ducks and IU were tied at 20-20 midway in the 4th. WS had a brain fart 4th quarter on play calling and let his team down. Nothing fragile about that! Just impatience on Steins part. Lame comes to mind! On this thread the only thing that was fragile was her homework on her comments and my comments. That fragile article and premise should be on the bulletin board in and out of the Duck locker room. Go Ducks.....

JJ thanks for the info and your witty thoughts and remarks. It is frustrating that the bias against rhe BIG and OBD's is rearing its ugly head with the committee, talking heads and pollsters. However, and most won't like my take on this, OBD's has not helped themselves on some big stages. The massacre at the hands of Georgia. Does anybody on the Forum think SEC fans and honks have forgotten this game? OBD's shite the bed against tOSU in the quarterfinals and against IU this year. And they havent annihilated teams they should have, like Whisky. Performance builds perception and those poor performances leave an impression that lasts. ODB's don't measure up to how tOSU and IU have destroyed most of their BIG opponents. Remember I said most! There is no room for another loss. None! As much as we love our Ducks, that love is not receprocated anywhere else. The Ducks control their own destiny. Go Ducks.........

The Trojans showed alot of grit and determination in the 2nd half against the Hawkeyes. Their D pitched a shutout and their offense did just enough to put points on the board to pull out a come from behind victory. I feel the Trojan offense was hindered by the weather. Just like our Duck O was restricted against Whisky and the Hawkeyes. OBD's utilized their powerful ground attack to win those games. It appears the game Saturday may have inclement weather. USC does not have a powerful ground attack, they score thru the air. Hope it pours rain and is windy. USC's defense does not match up well to stop the Ducks rush attack. Besides, if the weather is okay, USC has to go up against the best Duck Defense to take the field in along time. The order of the week is to rest, heal up and then remind this talented Trojan team how they are not welcome at Autzen. And support why they wanted to get in a different conference away from Oregon. Go Ducks......Take care of business these last 2 games.....

I was not surprised by the Ducks winning the game at home. Covering the spread against a team that has no fight on the road was no surprise, either. My surprises: A non raining Duck football game! Who knew........ Taking the opening kickoff and driving down the field to score. It has been awhile! Sadiq and Johnson getting 12 catches for 153 yards. Some of those were big catches on 3rd down for 1st downs. Where has that been most of this year? Benson and McClellan stepping up to get open and make some great catches. With Moore and Bryant out those wanting to prove themselves capable, did just that. And for the secong game in a row, DM is actively reading the D and calling successful audibles. These are areas that needed improving by the Ducks! And the results show that improvement. It does not bode well for the Trojans that the Ducks are improving and have an extra day to heal, plan and practice. Go Ducks. For this Duck fan beating the Trojans and then the bastard leg-lifters is the cherry on top......

Ducks win 38-3 3 Turnovers 3 Sacks 215 passing yards Go Ducks

Sir Charles thank you for accumulating these revealing numbers. If this team can discipline themselves and complete drives that end up in points then the defense will do the job needed to win out and beyond..... Bring the DOMERS to Eugene for a first round playoff game. Hopefully the BIG will tone down the bias and put a leasch on the refs. Saturday's crew needs a 1 game suspension. Now is the time for more improvement and statement games. GO DUCKS!

David, great assessment of OBD's BIG situation. It does not matter what the broadcasting mouth pieces, BIG beat writers, podcasters and fans think of OBD's physicality! I don't think our conference foes feel that way, however, if they do then it is their mistake. On both sides of the ball, with IU the exceptiom, OBD's have dominated our BIG opponents. Numerous Duck mistakes and timely and costly penalties have kept the scores lower. Against Whisky a foolish Matayo hold kept 7 off the board on the fake punt TD. And DL with 2 minutes to go and the ball at or inside the Whisky 10 yard line chose to take a knee to run out the clock. Final score could have easily been 35-7. IU, tOSU, USC and every SEC team would have run up the score We all just witnessed the points OBD's left off the board against Iowa. David what matters to me about perception is the CFP perception. Does playing physical, in back to back rain and wind storms matter? Or is it blow out wins? It seems we must play to a certain level of their expectations. Does this ESPN, store bought committee feel if OBD's don't win by 21 points or more that they underpormed and now are undervalued? Does the person on the committee who is responsible for watching the Duck game just report another lackluster performance by the Duck O? That is what matters. DL and the Ducks will take care of 95% of the BIG opponents. We cannot do anything about the CFP candles in the wind commmittee members. At this point, this Duck fan does not feel welcome in the BIG. Espdcially when we beat tOSU, UM and PSU. UPSTART INTERLOPERS! But i am not in this for a friendship ring. This fan supports OBD's for wins and titles and Natty rings. GO Ducks! It's whack a gopher time. Bring the A+ game, settle the issue by halftime and give the #3's more playing time.

Aside from tOSU, OBD's can beat anyone. Anyone! This teams has grit, a power running game, top five oline and a rock solid defense. And quality depth! I put the Buckeyes in a different level. Texas was a train wreck when they played the Buckeyes. Other than that tOSU has dominated In the CFP either bracket wont matter because we will need to play IU or tOSU along the way. A great chance to avenge our only 2 losses in 23 games. Best of all our coaches are coaching better. Some may not notice but DL and his staff out coached Whisky and the Hawkeyes. If you rewatch the games you can see the offense running basic plays to see how the opponents D reacts. Then later on out of the same formation the O ran counters or mis-direction plays for chunk plays. Some may not understand that those early plays that only got a yard or 2, set up other successful plays later. Nothing is done by chance, it's done by design as part of a chess match. It is no coincedence that when Iowa subbed their starting edge plays with 2 freshman that WS attacked the edges. This happened in the last 2 minutes of the first half. Those 3 points were critical. Those same 2 freshman played 5 plays in the 3rd quarter and the Duck O moved down the field. After those 5 plays those 2 did not play again. When DM ran for 46 yards, It was one of those basic play formations. Knowing how Iowa would react allowed the TE Johnson to seal the DE. The safety and linebackers quessed wrong. And DM ran untouched. OBDF members, to this old Duck thats coaching. On the D side of the ball the Duck D keeps getting better. Holding Iowa to 2.7 yards per rush. Well below their average. Look at how many times the Duck D has given the Duck O the ball at mid-field or better. Sadly the O got nothing from that. If that result changes then the Ducks will pile on the points in the final 3 games. FYI: In the last 3 quarters the Hawkeyes had 5 offensive possessions. Let that sink in. If the Ducks play clean and the refs are neutral then this team can accomplish great things. Go Ducks