Quack! That said, let’s have a good, clean game, fellas. I haven’t followed either team closely, but on paper, they seem pretty damned evenly matched, Vegas be damned.
Both have lost to second-rate teams and come back from that slough of despond to contend on the grandest possible stage. And both are to be congratulated for it.
Of course, being a college ball game, it’s likely one team or the other will get the upper hand early and present us with a blow-out. Who will that be? FUCKIFINO.
One of the beauties of college ball is the emotion that is so inextricably a part of it — the wild card factor that lets a rival with a shortage of marquee players prevail over a superior (on paper!) opponent by dint of guts and pride and opportunism. To paraphrase Rod Tidwell in “Jerry Maguire,” in college ball, they’re all heart, motherfucker!
So let the hoopla begin. And may the best team — this night — win.
PsiFighter37
Don’t really care about college football, but taking pleasure that the overrated SEC isn’t being represented at all.
burnspbesq
Well, I suppose I should be rooting for the Quackers, since I have a degree from a Pac-12 member institution.
But it’s the organized infliction of brain damage here. Gotta draw a line.
Will be watching Coastal Carolina and Campbell play hoopies instead.
Linkmeister
The Arizona Wildcats were 10-2 going into their rematch with Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game, having beaten the Ducks once (the only loss they had all year). They were not a second-rate team.
Corner Stone
Go Team Mitt!
Corner Stone
And his wife Anne said, “hey if you want to be president there’s only one way to do it.”
Missionary!
burnspbesq
@efgoldman:
Someday, an NCAA championship will be decided by an alley fight between Phil Knight and Kevin Plank. Plank has a size advantage, but my money would be on Knight; age and treachery have a good record against youth and skill.
Betty Cracker
@Linkmeister: Sorry I misrepresented them — like I said, I haven’t followed either team closely, but the impression I got from reading the coverage was that Oregon was expected to win the game handily and the loss was an upset, much as OSU’s loss to VTech was.
PsiFighter37
@efgoldman: Shit, I wouldn’t make any predictions about college football; I have zero patience for watching 4-hour blowouts on Saturday afternoons.
raven
@Betty Cracker:
Tech lost a ton of running backs and there offense was awful as the year progressed.
raven
@raven: their
burnspbesq
ETA: Go Camels (but only because Chanticleers doesn’t roll off the tongue).
Betty Cracker
@raven: I can’t get anyone to make a prediction. Got one? I truly haven’t a clue. Hoping the Ducks prevail.
tybee
Ohow i hate Ohio State.
raven
@efgoldman: There are a bunch of viewing options.
raven
@Betty Cracker: Bucks.
raven
@efgoldman: Jay Bilas knows sports, I don’t know who the others are.
khead
@raven:
What. The. Hell.
22 talking heads covering the game across 4 channels?
Betty Cracker
@efgoldman: Well, that settles it, then. Corso is usually Opposite Day Cassandra. Hadn’t thought about the Cracker-Quacker connection, but that’s a good point. I’m honestly not all that invested. In my book, Meyer is on one side of the scales and the “B1G” enthusiasts on the other. Plenty of folks down here still resent the way he left us, but I remember the good times. As is my wont.
raven
@efgoldman: So the only people that can do any kind of analysis are people that played that sport? You don’t even believe that,
raven
@khead: ESPN 3 is online and I think you can choose from a number of options. But what do I know I’m just an authoritarian prick.
burnspbesq
@raven:
What color are your street-crossing flags?
Elmo
Boss is an OH St alum, and my Ivy League alma mater barely registers in the football universe (Fight Fiercely!), so I’m shamelessly sucking up and rooting for the boss’s team.
burnspbesq
Is football season too long? I take no position, other than to note that college lacrosse starts in 19 days and college baseball isn’t far behind.
raven
@burnspbesq: Here’s my boy sniffin them this mornin.
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker: Quacks.
All OSU alums are assholes. Never met a bad Oregon alum.
Corner Stone
@Elmo: I would say that’s closer to “shameful”.
Linnaeus
Having attended the archrivals of both schools playing tonight, let’s just say I’d like…a good game.
Corner Stone
He is clearly down.
Corner Stone
@Linnaeus: You went to Michigan and OR ST U ?
Linnaeus
@Corner Stone:
Yep. And the University of Washington too. This is a tough game for me to watch.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Corner Stone: Could be UW as well.
raven
@efgoldman: When I went over there from Champaign in the 70’s they had guys dressed from goal line to goal line.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Corner Stone: I know 2, count ’em 2, OSU alums who are not assholes. And I am probably acquainted with 200 or so. So I’ll argue that it’s slightly (albeit very) more than zero.
Corner Stone
Ducksters!
MomSense
@raven:
People are supposed to carry those? What if they are pushing a baby stroller or carrying groceries?
Corner Stone
@Linnaeus: Did you, at any point, date the future ex-Gov of Alaska?
raven
@efgoldman: It was Archie,Cornelius, Pete and Brian!
raven
@MomSense: Pretty funny huh?
Linnaeus
@Corner Stone:
No, thank goodness for that. Though she might have actually been fun to be around back then. Maybe.
JPL
Without cable, the only streaming option seams to be a spider cam. The good news is that you don’t have to hear the announcers. The bad news is the camera angle sucks.
raven
Dude’s a hoss.
Corner Stone
That is one beast of a QB for OSU.
Corner Stone
Sit down, son!
Tree With Water
Do Oregon fans start quacking when the Ducks score? Because if they don’t, they should.
Elmo
@Corner Stone: nope. I feel absolutely no shame.
Go Buckeyes!
Linnaeus
@Corner Stone:
And that’s OSU’s third string QB.
raven
@Tree With Water: They have that piped in shit at their home stadium. I like the Hokies but that goddamn turkey gobble shit sucks. Same with amplified quacks.
raven
Rut ro, this may be a dvr game.
Corner Stone
Nasty!
burnspbesq
And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, courtesy of an ultra-Orthodox Israeli newspaper … (drumroll, please)
The Amazing Disappearing Merkel!
http://www.mediaite.com/online/ultra-orthodox-jewish-newspaper-edits-female-world-leaders-out-of-charlie-hebdo-march/
JPL
@Tree With Water: Since espn is allowing me to watch the spidercam without the benefit of announcers, I feel qualified to answer your question. They cheer. In fact they sound just like osu supporters but with more cheers.
raven
@Linnaeus: And he’s throwing like it.
Corner Stone
How did that guy make it through there?
Keith G
Yay Zeke
Schlemazel
I thought it was interesting that the fashion nightmares benched 2 players for testing positive for weed. Since it’s not illegal in OR I wondered if they had a lawsuit or is there some sort of contract with a ‘morals’ clause?
Linnaeus
@raven:
Well, he made a couple of big throws on that drive…
raven
@efgoldman:
raven
@Linnaeus: He did and he made a couple of awful throws too.
Corner Stone
@Schlemazel: Umm, more likely it’s against NCAA rules.
Schlemazel
@Corner Stone: But booze (assuming they are over 21) is OK? Its not like the ganga is a PED . . . unless you are a professional eater.
When I rad the story & they didn’t mention the drug I assumed steroids or so – was seriously surprised it was a legal drug with out those special results.
raven
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@raven: May I mention that you are my favorite authoritarian asshole, tough guy? (WTF?) Does the Bodhi carry the crossing flags? You know he wants to.
Corner Stone
Holy Fuck!!
How do you drop that shit?!
Keith G
@raven: it’s his third start as quarterback and I’m not sure he’s had more than he dozen snaps at QB before he became a starter
Villago Delenda Est
@burnspbesq: Those assholes are no different than the Wahhabists.
Fuck them all.
Corner Stone
@Schlemazel: I’m not sure what your argument is?
Linnaeus
@raven:
He was a pretty solid 18 of 35 against Alabama. Oregon might be able to disrupt him better than Alabama did – he has a gun of an arm, so they have to keep getting to him.
Keith G
Flag
Villago Delenda Est
@efgoldman: It’s still illegal in OR until 1 July, when the ballot measure goes into effect.
However, the NCAA is far more concerned about recreational drugs damaging their product than performance enhancing or mitigating drugs, obviously.
raven
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Nah, we’d horrify the Prince Ave Brigade. We don’t use the crosswalks or any of that mess. Of course it’s 6:30 in the morning!
Keith G
Fun
raven
@Linnaeus: I like him I just think it’s tough to throw for a young’n in this game.
Linnaeus
@efgoldman:
They did at first, but OSU has adjusted.
Linnaeus
@raven:
Oh, absolutely. That’s a lot to put on a guy with only 2 starts.
Schlemazel
@Corner Stone: That the players were not doing anything against the law. If they were tested positive for beer & bourbon they would not have been benched. Since what they did was legal where they live and is not going to enhance their ability like HGH or steroids how does the NCAA get to make this call?
EDIT:
Villago Delenda Est: However, the NCAA is far more concerned about recreational drugs damaging their product than performance enhancing or mitigating drugs, obviously.
OH! SO OBVIOUS, NOW I GET IT – THANKS.
Also, I thought it became legal on the first of the year.
JenJen
O-H-I-O Let’s Go Bucks!!
Tree With Water
@JPL: Well, it would be cooler if they quacked. That’s all I’m saying. Just like it would have been cooler if Stanford had indeed renamed their teams the Thunder Chickens when they dumped the Indian as a mascot (circa 1972). That’s the moniker the student body voted to call them, which unfortuntely was overruled by a stodgy alumni. That name would have reflected immortal glory on the university..
Keith G
@Schlemazel: An athlete’s association with the NCAA is voluntary. It isn’t that type of compact between an agency and a voluntary participaticipant able to enforce a wide variety of stipulations?
raven
@Schlemazel: Ha, you need to look into the Georgia reefer policy.
“UGA’s penalties for positive drug tests are significantly tougher than those of every other public school in the SEC, save for Kentucky. Georgia and Kentucky are the only two public schools that have policies requiring suspensions for first offenses.”
Schlemazel
@raven:
I assume ‘reefer’ in GA would be a semi trailer with a cooling unit!
Villago Delenda Est
@Tree With Water: There were some who wanted to call the team the Robber Barons, but of course the Board of Regents wasn’t about to let that happen.
The truth hurts, after all.
raven
@Tree With Water: God it was 72?
Davebo
Go Ducks! (Just because I met a nice couple rooting for them in a hotel bar during their last game in SF.)
That and I really dislike the Bucknuts!
Corner Stone
Ohhhh…Kayyyy…
WTF is Tebow doing on the OSU sideline?
raven
@efgoldman: No, that’s the symbol, The Cardinal is their handle.
Keith G
@Schlemazel: What evidence do you have that the NCAA does not care about policing the use of performance enhancing drugs? I’m serious, because I think such actions would be beyond despicable. So I would like to know if I need to be even more pissed off at the NCAA than I am now
Keith G
@Corner Stone: a close friend of the coach
Oh fuck
Corner Stone
BOOM! Goes the dynamite!
Villago Delenda Est
@raven: I still call them the Trees. “Cardinal” is so stupid as a name for a team. “Cardinals” makes much more sense.
Schlemazel
@Keith G:
I was going on Villago Delenda Est’s comment and my own (justifiable I believe) opinion that the only thing the NCAA cares about is moola. I have no other info.
Betty Cracker
So once again, Dr. Jones…
Corner Stone
This pace is mind blowing.
Betty Cracker
@Corner Stone: It truly is impressive.
Corner Stone
What a ballsy call by the Ducks.
raven
Aw man, don’t need that.
Schlemazel
@Villago Delenda Est:
Stupid seems to be one of the new criteria:
Wild, Avalanche, Florida Launch (!?!), Ohio Machine (?)
It’s a new phase I guess. Maybe all the good animals have been taken I don’t know
GO BANANA SLUGS!
Keith G
@Schlemazel: While Villago Delenda Est seems to be up on methods of 18th century capital punishment, I am uncertain about his expertise on the regulation of PEDs.
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker: If ORE receivers had actually caught either of those big drops there’s no telling what the score would be right now.
Alas, they did not so they get to eat it until they get back on top.
Keith G
Zeke
raven
Looks like Gurley.
Corner Stone
DUCKS!!
Keith G
hang on to the fucking ball
raven
Looks like Lil Bit!
Schlemazel
@Keith G:
Hang on, I have to get a pen & paper so I can make a not of that for future reference.
Keith G
@Corner Stone: Have you heard of the Stag’s Head pub?
Corner Stone
@Keith G: Sure, been there 100 times. In Shepherd Square off 59.
Corner Stone
That was holding on OSU offensive line. Oh well.
Keith G
this is where I am watching the game as I nibble on quesadillas and down pints of Elissa.
I live just 5 blocks away
the up scale pace of this damn game has led me to drink accordingly I may have to head home at halftime
god that was a beautiful pass
Corner Stone
Cardale Jones is one big sumbitch of a QB.
raven
@Keith G: That’s Huston?????
Keith G
His. Knee. Was. Not. Down.
Keith G
alas the ref don’t agree
Keith G
@raven: yes sir, but it’s spelled with an O
Schlemazel
HA! you guys thought I was joking about a 16 team playoff for the BCS?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/briangoff/2015/01/12/college-football-losing-out-on-250-million-with-4-team-playoff-setup/
Linnaeus
@Keith G:
Wasn’t the knee. It was the elbow.
raven
@Keith G: I googled the pictures, not what I thought Houston was.
Keith G
@Linnaeus: wrong joint, I guess
Corner Stone
@Keith G: Yeah, I thought you said you were in the Montrose area, which I love.
A few people I do business with like meeting at Stag’s to blow some steam off and discuss next steps off the record. I used to live off Memorial so went to all those places around there when I was young and single.
I’m also a big fan of Kam’s Fine Chinese.
raven
Have a nice second half.
Keith G
the Ducks have such speed and talented, that they’re scary when they don’t make mistakes
Keith G
@efgoldman: I am an Ohio State alumni , so I’m just voicing necessary trepidation.
Heliopause
If the Ducks pull this out it will be 100% because of one guy. The RBs are nowhere near the quality of the recent past, neither are any of the receivers, and the D is about the same fast-but-weak group as always. Mariota is going to have to do this all by himself.
Schlemazel
@efgoldman:
No, because Forbes speaks for all thing MONEY, you know the NCAAs mother tongue.
Still joking.
Keith G
@efgoldman: And any extended playoff scenario would require that college presidents be willing to give up the revenue of a reduced regular season.
Corner Stone
Can someone please tackle this mofo?
Corner Stone
@efgoldman: Nope, looks like ORE doesn’t actually want to play in this game.
Keith G
@Corner Stone: ZEKE
Corner Stone
If I were OSU, I’d just keep giving it to #15.
Keith G
hang on to the fucking ball!
Corner Stone
Can the fucking Ducks finally do something with this freakin’ TO?
God’s sake.
Keith G
@efgoldman: I hate talking about this because it’s looking ahead with a crucial game in front of us, but spring camp at Ohio State next year will be interesting with three quarterbacks who could play from most other teams in the country. But first of all we’ve got to get through the next 25 minutes of football without hanging ourselves
Corner Stone
@efgoldman:
Another JaMarcus Russell without the purple drank.
Good luck in the NFL.
Corner Stone
“They will not catch him!”
Corner Stone
What a dumb son of a bitch. Hand the fucking ball to the ref, you fucking idiot.
Linnaeus
Ducks almost blew a TD there.
Corner Stone
WHAT!?!
Keith G
well, that makes it interesting
Violet
Wow. That was some turnover.
Gene108
@Corner Stone:
Make sure you are well into the end zone then drop it or hand it to the ref.
Don’t get why you have to drop the ball until you are well into the end zone? You are a big strong athlete. The football ain’t that heavy.
Corner Stone
Do the Ducks not have even one decent TE to throw to?
Corner Stone
@Gene108: It’s some kind of ego BS. Like, “Oh, you were ‘this’ close to me.”
I’d run out the back of the end zone and flip the ball to the ref.
Corner Stone
I don’t think either Mariota or Winston are NFL QB prospects.
BruceFromOhio
The OSU alumni are mainlining the Tums by now. Lots of hand egg left to play…
Corner Stone
That dude is just a fucking brute. Can someone consider tackling him, meh?
Corner Stone
To have all those turnovers and still be losing isn’t really a great sign for your ballclub.
Goodnight, Ducks.
Keith G
I realize that I am NOT an objective judge on this but that was a freakin awesome drive
Corner Stone
#15 for OSU has over 200 yards rushing before the 4th quarter starts.
That has nothing to do with Mariota. But he’s got to do something pretty quickly.
Corner Stone
You can’t give OSU the ball back in 2 minutes. This fucking game is over.
BruceFromOhio
@Corner Stone: The tree nuts defensive squad must prove their worth or the water fowl may yet prevail. Despite being an ultra-hyped contest with multi-channel yutz factor, it remains compelling.
ETA, or perhaps not.
Corner Stone
@BruceFromOhio: Yeah.
Corner Stone
Wow. The BCS must be sick to their stomach at this point.
Corner Stone
That dude is just too much for them. Good Christ.
cckids
I concur that the Ducks should have worn some of their WTF uniforms. They seem confounded by the fact that their appearance isn’t laughable, so their playing has become so.
Corner Stone
I think I’m going to switch to watching some Gravity Falls on DVR. This is a fucking joke of a game.
Linnaeus
Oregon can score very quickly. This one’s not over.
Corner Stone
Implosion.
Corner Stone
If they punt this ball it is over. They can’t stop the rush by OSU.
Linnaeus
@efgoldman:
Heh. Honestly, I’m not cheering for either team.
Cacti
All of Phil Knight’s dirty Nike money still can’t buy Oregon a seat at the head of the table.
But on the other hand, f**k THE Ohio State University and their coach Oscar Meyer.
Yeah, I’m indifferent about the outcome of this one.
Keith G
I am wondering if it’s time for the Downtown Athletic Club to start rethinking what the Heisman Trophy is awarded for and when it is awarded..
Can one really give a player a trophy as the best player in college football for achievements in a rather parochial intra league season?
Keith G
@Cacti: yeah fuck us for reasons that you have but I can’t understand
but nice job annunciating the nebulous
Cacti
This game makes me think of that cliche…
Offense wins games, defense wins…what was it again?
Lurking Canadian
That kid Zeke Elliot is a frickin Clydesdale. Holy shit, that dude can just straight up run over people.
Omnes Omnibus
Classless move by OSU in going for that final touchdown.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Omnes Omnibus: I believe it’s tOSU, at least from what they say.
Keith G
@Omnes Omnibus: yeah, I was wondering about that call. but I also understand someone in the coaches ear saying we need to remove all final statistical chance ofhaving them score two touchdowns and two conversions in the final minute.
I will note that I was in a bar which was slightly majority non Ohio State supporters and nobody question the call that I heard.
Linnaeus
@Omnes Omnibus:
Trust me, I’m no Ohio State fan at all, but you can’t give an offense like Oregon’s any chance with time on the clock and timeouts remaining. They weren’t running up the score.
Unsympathetic
Oregon’s offense is to be feared? That’s the same nonsense that was run the last time OSU and OU played.. and the result was the same as tonight. OSU is 9-0 lifetime against Oregon for good reason.. and tonight isn’t the first time OSU’s 3rd string QB beat the Fighting Fashion Nightmares.
OU’s offense was shut down tonight – because nearly all of OSU’s front 7 will play on Sunday, and OU just couldn’t match the beef.
Speed is no longer a differentiator at the top. Now, it’s the Big10 once again with the strength and power on the lines [in combination with the speed] that the SEC and Pac10 can’t match.
Go Bucks!
BillinGlendaleCA
@Unsympathetic: It’s the PAC-12, we can count.
raven
Nice!
Paul in KY
@Unsympathetic: OSU has a lot of speed too. In the defensive front 7 as well.
Great job, Buckeyes!
Jon Rockoford
From a diehard Buckeye and resident of awesome Columbus, to all the meanies who loathe OSU, especially the otherwise lovely Ms. Betty: I say unto you, Ha! Ha! Ha! I hereby gloat in glory and our team reigns supreme!
A great research university with a great medical presence and a fantastic football team. Hell, we’re still THE.