University of Oregon - chokers?

This past Thursday night another Pac Ten team failed to show it had the mental makeup of a champion, and passed up a tremendous opportunity to rise up from middling bowl team to be a national player.  That school was the University of Oregon, which had three games left on its schedule, none of which vs. a team with a better than .500 record.  They sat in an enviable position as the #2 overall BCS team in the country, all they had to do was win out to represent the Pac Ten in the BCS title game and show the country that the Pac Ten isn't just a one team conference. 

What happened - well, Oregon went out like a bitch at the hands of the previously 3-6 University of Arizona's hands.  Yes Oregon lost their, supposed, heisman trophy candidate QB Dennis Dixon at the end of the 1st quarter, and yes they were playing on the road in a hostile environment.  But this was typical Oregon football, one week they look like a top 5 national power only to look like they'd struggle against Linfield college up the road in Oregon, an NAIA school, the following week. 

Oregon has a GREAT team this year, one that could have won a national title but they didn't have the mental makeup, or better said, they simply choked.  This was a game where they turned the ball over 4 times and failed to adjust their game plan to a backup QB (Brady Leaf - yes Ryan's little brother) ill prepared to play in a spread type of offense.  It was a shame, especially during the 2nd half when it became apparent that the team didn't have the energy to win the game and nearly every commercial timeout showed a Phil Knight sponsored Nike heisman commercial for the torn ACL, done for the year, Dennis Dixon.   

The Oregon faithful will say that had Dixon not gotten hurt they would have won this game going away but revisionist history is only good in rationalizing painful experiences.  The reality is the team let slip away a golden opportunity to be considered among the country's elite, that opportunity has passed and it could be years before they get another. 

Comments

[Beavercat]

BTW - my intent with this post is not to upset any Oregon fans, I'm just as upset as any Oregon fan as I want the Pac Ten to gain national respect, this is just one of the ways I vent.

[BleedGreen&Yellow]

Go fuck yourself.

[Chris S]

First of all, Oregon didn't choke. The loss of Dennis Dixon would crush any team and it came at a time when the momentum was clearly in Oregon's favor.
Second, there was only one Heisman commercial for Dixon played during the entire telecast, not one every timeout.
Third, your article is a mess because you clearly just ranted instead of doing research and actually knowing a thing or two about what you are writing.

[Sean F]

This post is completely irrational. You have to be delusional to think that the loss of Dennis Dixon didn't change that game. Do you think Florida would be a decent team without Tebow or West Virginia without White? Not to mention that Oregon is arguably the most injury ravaged team in the nation and they still manage to be ranked 9th in the country. Look at the play makers who are missing;

Dennis Dixon (QB, Out for season, Torn ACL)

Jeremiah Johnson (breaking up one of the best 1-2 punch RB tandums, out for season torn ACL)

Cameron Colven (Number Slot WR, Out for season Broken Ankle)

Brian Paysinger (Best and most reliable WR, Out for season torn MCL)

Nathan Costa (3rd string QB who would have replaced Leaf after ankle sprain if healthy, Out for season torn ACL & MCL)

Aj Tuitele (Starting big play LB, May be back for civil war, out since Cal game, Broken foot)

John Bacon (Starting MLB, Defensive Leader, Out for season, Torn ACL)

Aaron Pflugrad (Slot reciever replacing Colven, May miss UCLA w/ sprained Ankle)

I challenge you to name another team in the nation, let alone the top 25, that has sustained as many injuries to key players. Oregon is miss 5 key players on the offense and two senior starting linebackers. Against Arizona Oregon started two freshman linebackers and still held them to only 3 second have points. I'm proud of the effort and heart that this team is showing and no matter what bowl this team goes to I will be happy with this season. Additionally, you are failing to realize that if Oregon wins out they still have a legit chance of going to the Rose Bowl holding the tie-breaker against both ASU and USC or even the Fiesta Bowl with an at large berth.

[Todd]

I have to agree with the commenters here, your post is blatantly uninformed about Oregon Football. I'm not sure if it's a character flaw you have, or simply that you didn't do your homework... especially the line about Linfield College... they are now a NCAA Division III school, no longer NAIA. Nice work, Beavercat.

[Rob T]

To Sean F -

Ok, I'll name 4 teams all with more or as many injuries to key players: Stanford, Oregon State, UCLA and USC.
Oregon's propaganda machine is just a little more prolific at flooding the PR around their injuries. EVERYBODY IS DEALING WITH INJURIES!!! Oregon is now learning what its like to lost their starting QB......just like 2/3rds of the Pac 10 already has learned.

[Joe Smith]

YOU ARE AN IDIOT! You have absolutely no idea what the hell you are writing about. How about you go blog about proctology...something you are familiar with, because you obviously have you head up your ass!

[clint nixon]

re: Oregon is now learning what its like to lost their starting QB......

What? This was Dennis Dixon were talking about, not some average run of the mill QB. You can't just plug someone in to replace him and expect to play like the #2 team in the country. Maybe that was our fault that when you have the talent of Dixon you can't replace him. And without him, we are just an average PAC-10 team. If we at least had JJ we could still do well just running the ball, but you know, he's got a blown knee, and Dixon's successor which is Costa, well he has a blown knee too.

[Sean F]

Are you honestly trying to tell me that you think that the injuries experienced by those 4 Pac-10 teams compares with the Ducks?
1] Dennis Dixon was playing better than any other QB in the nation. Non of the injuries on any of those roster compare to that single injury.
2] 3 out of our top 4 WR are out. Do any of those teams have 3 injured players at any one position? Paysinger and Colven are reliable big play receivers. This becomes an even bigger deal with a backup quarterback starting.
3] I would take Brady Leaf over Sean Canfield any day of the week and it is much easier to replace offensive lineman then skill positions, that why they are called "skill positions". So you can take OSU off of that list. And don't even try to say Sammie Straughter, the guy missed all the preseason practices and the first few games due to mental issues. OSU went into this season not expecting him to play, he didn't go down during a bowl run.
4] The only team that is close is UCLA with the injuries to their quarterbacks but that is only one position that has been effect not 4.

Do honestly believe that these teams have more substantial injuries then Oregon or are just arguing to argue?

[Beavercat]

Ok, I'll readily admit that I didn't know the 3rd team QB had already been lost for the season or to the extent Oregon had lost other scholarship guys. Injuries are unfortunately part of football, so that's not an excuse. Neither is not adapting the game plan to what their #2 QB can and can't do, which was clear that the coaching staff didn't do as they continued to run read option plays w/ the flat footed, drop back Brady Leaf.

Look I was rooting for Oregon and wanted them to win. The reason I voiced my opinion was that I didn't see the Oregon team wanting to win this game. Outside of Dennis Dixon on the sideline urging his teammates on, most of the team and coaches were looking like they had the game in hand down 2 scores in the 4th. The ESPN announcers were all over this and while I wanted to dispute it, I couldn't b/c this wasn't an SEC team where the players leave their hearts on the field, no this was a team that was fumbling away a golden opportunity.

I feel for those of you who love Oregon football (Todd, BleedGreen&Gold, SeanF & others), and I hope you can make it back to the Rose Bowl but that's a consolation when Oregon could have been in the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP game in a major sport. As a Pac-Ten fan who lived in the eastern time zone, I'm always rooting for Pac-Ten teams to disprove the east coast bias - unfortunately Oregon didn't do anything to break that this year.

[todd2006]

Did Oregon choke? Yes.

Why did Oregon choke? I don't care. They choked. I'm not going to waste my time talking about teams that choke.

[Rob T]

To Sean F.

No......I'm arguing because you're wrong. You're obviously another dilusional duck fan....thinking your players are more valuable than the injured players on the other teams I listed. I'm a Trojan fan, Booty was the leading Heisman candidate before he went down. He's back now, but USC lost twice during his absense. USC was also missing 3 starting linemen and 3 starting defensive players for the 1st half of the season.
And as for OSU, Stoughter played this year if you were paying attention. He is OSU's best playmaker......and they LOST HIM for the season. You are also wrong about linemen being easier to replace that skill players. You clearly have never played the game to make that statement. Offensive linemen take wayyyyyyy longer to develop than skill players. You never see true freshman linemen but you see true frosh receivers and RB's all the time. Besides, Jeremy Perry was one,if not the best, guard in the country. Tavita Thompson was a beast. That's the whole left side of the ball they had to replace. OSU's best Defensive End is out with a knee injury and best cornerback and starting strong safety. Not to mention their punter and one of their best playmakers from last year Coye Francis (who would start at Oregon).
Try removing your green and yellow sunglasses for a week and see what is happening with teams not based in Eugene. You might just learn something.

[mike]

Booty has a snow balls chance in hell at winning the heisman!! thats a fact.....before he went down.....blah blah blah!!! He didnt do crap before jamming his finger in petes ass and he hasnt done anything since!!!

[at least we beat standford.....did usc do that?]

Oregon is still the best team in the pac-10....thats a no brainer!! We beat USC AND ASU. And those losers will meet on Thursday!!! Trojans will win but not by much!!! Ducks win out and are in the Rose Bowl!! USC will be in the toilet bowl and asu will be at the doctors getting yet another STD test performed!!

[at least we beat stanford.....did usc do that?]

Oregon is still the best team in the pac-10....thats a no brainer!! We beat USC AND ASU. And those losers will meet on Thursday!!! Trojans will win but not by much!!! Ducks win out and are in the Rose Bowl!! USC will be in the toilet bowl and asu will be at the doctors getting yet another STD test performed!!

[Jibaholic]

Just wanted to send a shotout to the Oregon faith. I'm for one looking forward to are hoops team and NEW baseball team standing tall in the deep Pac-10.

Sean F - maybe I see you in Autzen next year. GO DUCKS!