OREGON DUCKS NEAR THE TOP: TIME TO FLY

Make Room For A New Award in Eugene. via buckyville.yuku.com

By the end of each college football season it’s easy to say the last team standing was the clear pick.

Choose Alabama early and it’s hard to go wrong.

Florida State? They’re the returning national champ and the returning Heisman Trophy winner.

And here comes Oregon.

Around here we’ve expected the Ducks to go all the way since their first and only trip to the big game.

They’ve been close enough over the ensuing years to make it a BCS bowl game regularly, but not the natty. Something big has to happen to open that door.

This might be the year of The Ducks where everyone across the country throws an O and it means Oregon, not Ohio or Oklahoma.

As always, the truth is in the recruiting efforts. Let’s take a look at the top three, Florida State, Alabama, and Oregon.

First the Seminoles.

How To Tell If Your State Likes Football

Florida State brings 64 players to the field from Florida, or more than half their team from their home state.

Coming from Florida and playing in Florida has to be a huge advantage. They know the territory, the temperature, and how to avoid trouble. With a number one preseason ranking coming off a national championship season, it’s hard to bet against Florida State.

But not if you’re Alabama.

The Crimson Tide carries about a third of their players from the home state, with others from Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana.

The strong local presence on the top two teams means the fan base will be as engaged as ever. There’s nothing like cheering for the hometown, except when you get to cheer for the hometown guys on a college powerhouse team a short drive away.

Then there’s Oregon. How many Oregonians on the Ducks? A little more than a quarter of the players come from here. And it’s enough.

Why Go Out Of State To Play

Players with local ties have added pressure to perform in front of their peers. Not so much with the Ducks. Bringing in top players from across the nation amps up the competition for playing time.

What would you say to a player from Florida who shows up in Eugene with an entitlement attitude? Or a player from Texas who gives all they’ve got in every workout, whether on the field, in the gym, or in class?

They’ve got to play into the first team like anyone else. No free tickets, no pressure to play someone from their friendly high school coach.

The guys who come to Oregon are different. More independent, more confident, and they realize they’ve got a chance to put their name on a program aiming for the top.

Why Stay Home

At Alabama players join the long red line of greats like Bart Starr, Joe Namath, and year after year of great linemen who put a dent in the NFL when they turn pro.

Florida State is a different story. They’ve only played big boy football since 1947. The school was once named Florida State College For Women, so that explains why they didn’t field teams earlier.

With so many football players in Florida, it’s easy to see why new colleges on the football scene pick it up so quickly. Three Florida colleges started playing in 2013, including Florida Tech, Stetson University, and Warner University.

The big Florida schools sort the best players, at least the ones who don’t go out of state, and more schools line up for the rest. Since football is such a money maker, you can’t blame administrators for building programs.

How can we be sure this is the year for Oregon? Back to the roster for another look.

A Team Is Stronger With Out Of State Players

With players from Florida, Alabama, Texas, and California, all football hotbeds, along with Louisiana and Georgia, the Ducks have tapped into the best of the best.

How many Oregon high school players on the Alabama roster? None. How many Oregonians on #1 Florida State? Zero.

The Ducks draw players from any and everywhere. That was the idea when Joey Harrington showed up ten stories tall in Times Square. The brand is growing stronger every year.

Move to Alabama to play football and you’re carrying the burden of tradition. And it’s heavy. Unpack your bags at Florida State and face the pressure of going back to back.

Those teams might be as loaded as any teams ranked # and #2, but Oregon has the magic. Duck players know they have a chance at history, the same chance the Tall Firs of Oregon basketball lore had in 1938-39: the school’s first and only basketball national title.

This is the year they add a football to the trophy case.

(written for oregonsportsnews.com)