Oregon Ducks....

[ruppertflywheel]

Anybody watch them dismantle a pretty decent Arizona State team? I switched to SMU and Houston when the Ducks were up 43-7 at halftime. As I was watching the game, I thought back to the Sun Bowl in EL Paso ( 1999 ) when we beat the Ducks
coached by Mike Bellotti on a last second tipped FG by Rheys Loyd. Bellotti from 95 to 2008 had the most wins of any PAC 10 coach prior to the spring of 2009 ( 116-55 ) when OC Chip Kelly to over. Kelly has been 34-6 since that time, appearing in the BCS championship game and 2 Rose Bowls, plus a 2008 appearance in the Holiday Bowl. It is alarming to see where the 2 programs have gone since 1999.
Folks, This is Eugene, Oregon. The City Hall is the size of a Dairy Queen. Oregon
ain't California. It rains 60% of the time. I know, I was born in Portland and also had Oregon and Washington for a sales territory. I know they've Nike in their back
pocket, and a California recruiting base. Still, I find it ironic we're the dregs of the
B1G and the Ducks have risen to national prominence. Who ever coined the phrase
"Life is not fair" had to look at the last 50 years of Gopher football

 

[MNVCGUY]

Oregon is not alone in this. Look at the teams we have beaten in bowl games, Oregon, Alabama, Arkansas for starters. Progams that were down some whe we played them but have since risen to the uper echelon of college football (refers more to Oregon and Alababma but you get the point).

For one reason or another these schools were able to make the leap from mid/lower tier bowl team to National Power House while we continued to remain at the same level or even drop lower. It could be any number of factors but it is pretty depressing to see where they have gone compared to where we have gone when it was not all that long ago we were on an even level with them.

 

[FreakyDeke]

Anybody watch them dismantle a pretty decent Arizona State team? I switched to SMU and Houston when the Ducks were up 43-7 at halftime. As I was watching the game, I thought back to the Sun Bowl in EL Paso ( 1999 ) when we beat the Ducks
coached by Mike Bellotti on a last second tipped FG by Rheys Loyd. Bellotti from 95 to 2008 had the most wins of any PAC 10 coach prior to the spring of 2009 ( 116-55 ) when OC Chip Kelly to over. Kelly has been 34-6 since that time, appearing in the BCS championship game and 2 Rose Bowls, plus a 2008 appearance in the Holiday Bowl. It is alarming to see where the 2 programs have gone since 1999.
Folks, This is Eugene, Oregon. The City Hall is the size of a Dairy Queen. Oregon
ain't California. It rains 60% of the time. I know, I was born in Portland and also had Oregon and Washington for a sales territory. I know they've Nike in their back
pocket, and a California recruiting base. Still, I find it ironic we're the dregs of the
B1G and the Ducks have risen to national prominence. Who ever coined the phrase
"Life is not fair" had to look at the last 50 years of Gopher football

Lloyd wasn't the kicker in 1999, that would have been our second bowl game against Oregon that you're thinking of.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

All I have to say is the Oregon Ducks are FUN TO WATCH. De'Anthony Thomas has 15 touches for 29 yards last night and they still roll. That 43 points they put up in 17 minutes was pretty darn impressive. I like watching Duck games because it is one of the few times Mrs. Stan will watch football with me. She loves the pace at which Oregon plays, the fact that they go for it on lots of 4th downs and of course the fashion element of the uniforms.

 

[Go Gophers Rah]

I always look at Oregon this way too. They were our peers in 1999 and 2003. They weren't longterm powerhouses like Alabama. The biggest differences in my opinion are; 1) hiring good coaches, and 2) having a sugar daddy. We don't have #2 and I doubt we ever will. I do envy the Oklahoma States and Oregons of the world (UND has this to a lesser degree and St. Thomas has it to a much lesser degree - with Dick Schultz and Jerry Rondhorst), it would sure be nice to have a ginormous donor to the program.

Another comparable, however, might be Colorado, who won the 1990 Nat'l Championship and finished in the top-25 for 8 consecutive years from 89-96. These same CU Buffaloes are now in MUCH worse shape than the Gophers (the CU athletic budget is in shambles).

In the end, I really think the Gophers situation is very unique. I can't think of another football program to compare it to historically. Maybe Indiana and North Carolina.

I am proud that we have such a large and passionate fanbase given the historical performance of the program. Go us!

 

[FreakyDeke]

I always look at Oregon this way too. They were our peers in 1999 and 2003. They weren't longterm powerhouses like Alabama. The biggest differences in my opinion are; 1) hiring good coaches, and 2) having a sugar daddy. We don't have #2 and I doubt we ever will. I do envy the Oklahoma States and Oregons of the world (UND has this to a lesser degree and St. Thomas has it to a much lesser degree - with Dick Schultz and Jerry Rondhorst), it would sure be nice to have a ginormous donor to the program.

Another comparable, however, might be Colorado, who won the 1990 Nat'l Championship and finished in the top-25 for 8 consecutive years from 89-96. These same CU Buffaloes are now in MUCH worse shape than the Gophers (the CU athletic budget is in shambles).

In the end, I really think the Gophers situation is very unique. I can't think of another football program to compare it to historically. Maybe Indiana and North Carolina.

I am proud that we have such a large and passionate fanbase given the historical performance of the program. Go us!

In what way are we similar to Indiana and North Carolina?

 

[ruppertflywheel]

All I have to say is the Oregon Ducks are FUN TO WATCH. De'Anthony Thomas has 15 touches for 29 yards last night and they still roll. That 43 points they put up in 17 minutes was pretty darn impressive. I like watching Duck games because it is one of the few times Mrs. Stan will watch football with me. She loves the pace at which Oregon plays, the fact that they go for it on lots of 4th downs and of course the fashion element of the uniforms.

Wife is the same way. Other than the Gopher's, she'll sit down and watch the Ducks.
In her words: "They get after it and don't screw around"

 

[disco]

In what way are we similar to Indiana and North Carolina?

Indiana and UNC are historically bad to mediocre programs that have never really had a golden period for football.
Minnesota is a long-ago powerhouse that has been bad to mediocre for 45 years.

I do agree, the sugar daddy thing helps a lot. It's the main reason that Oregon and Oklahoma State have risen to such prominence.
I just don't see that even happening here, and even if it did, I'd guess that basketball and hockey would be the beneficiaries over football.

 

[Dr.Don]

Indiana and UNC are historically bad to mediocre programs that have never really had a golden period for football.
Minnesota is a long-ago powerhouse that has been bad to mediocre for 45 years.

I do agree, the sugar daddy thing helps a lot. It's the main reason that Oregon and Oklahoma State have risen to such prominence.
I just don't see that even happening here, and even if it did, I'd guess that basketball and hockey would be the beneficiaries over football.

Try Googling T. Denny Sanford, a U of M alumnus, and you would find a lot of info about a possible sugar daddy, a billionaire who wants to die broke.

 

[Go Gophers Rah]

In what way are we similar to Indiana and North Carolina?

They are both large and highly regarded universities in major conferences who have not won a conference championship in decades. The comparison seems pretty clear to me.

 

[ruppertflywheel]

They are both large and highly regarded universities in major conferences who have not won a conference championship in decades. The comparison seems pretty clear to me.

Yep, The North Carolina situation is really a head scratcher.
Great recruiting area, beautiful campus, and ideal weather.
Interesting enough, both Indiana and North Carolina are considered
" basketball schools "

 

[GophersInIowa]

Wife is the same way. Other than the Gopher's, she'll sit down and watch the Ducks.
In her words: "They get after it and don't screw around"

Are you sure she was talking about football?

As for Oregon, it will be interesting to see if what they are doing is just a fad and defenses will figure them out or if it will be around for a long time. There are also rumors that Chip Kelly may leave for the NFL soon.

The Nike thing has been a huge reason for their rise. It's not the only thing, but no doubt it has been a factor.

 

[Gopherdrummer]

Try Googling T. Denny Sanford, a U of M alumnus, and you would find a lot of info about a possible sugar daddy, a billionaire who wants to die broke.

Sanford's net worth is now estimated at $400 Million as of this year. This is probably due to various gifts to charitable causes. But yeah, no where near the funding power of Nike/Phil Knight. Now if we could only get Target to change their colors to Maroon and Gold, and open their revenue stream......hmmmmmm.......

 

[Tom Dace]

Oregon is not alone in this. Look at the teams we have beaten in bowl games, Oregon, Alabama, Arkansas for starters. Progams that were down some whe we played them but have since risen to the uper echelon of college football (refers more to Oregon and Alababma but you get the point).

For one reason or another these schools were able to make the leap from mid/lower tier bowl team to National Power House while we continued to remain at the same level or even drop lower. It could be any number of factors but it is pretty depressing to see where they have gone compared to where we have gone when it was not all that long ago we were on an even level with them.

You really have to think about why that has happened? Open your eyes. Financial investment into those programs has been ridiculous. Two are in the SEC. All three of those have had "shady" (to put it nicely) coaches in Saban, Nutt, Petrino, Belotti, and Kelly. If you think any of those guys run programs that are pure as the driven snow you are a complete and total moron.

 

[tikited]

Quote Originally Posted by FreakyDeke View Post
In what way are we similar to Indiana and North Carolina?
They are both large and highly regarded universities in major conferences who have not won a conference championship in decades. The comparison seems pretty clear to me.



What? That can't be possible. It's been proven with statistics that North Carolina is a football powerhouse.