OREGON DUCKS vs COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S BIGGEST LOSERS

Any team the Oregon Ducks lost big games to qualify for this homer.

 

Oregon Ducks vs Auburn, 2010.

All these years later it feels like it’s time to move on from 2010, to get on with new teams and new eras.

Not for this Duck fan.

Like the alleged Russian hack of the 2016 Presidential elections, and the advice from smart guys to move on, the smell of sneaky acts linger.

It was the Oregon Ducks first Natty, their first huge game in history, and they won? No.

But they would have won if not for the vision of an SEC team to bend the rules enough to bring in a one and done superstar for a title run.

Was there extra dirt on Cam Newton, the Auburn signal caller. Did he respond with honesty when asked those pointed questions about his daddy shopping his talents?

The story then was getting money to build churches, improve churches, do something with churches.

You won’t hear anti-church talk around these parts.

Any word on Newton senior’s church program, because we’ve seen Cam light up the NFL since then. By now any church talk is over and done.

Except the Oregon Ducks lost that game when they could have won on a level field, and the Auburn Tigers slipped in their last game against Oklahoma.

Next:

Oregon Ducks vs Oklahoma, 2004

Oregon got waxed in Norman.

Oregon Ducks vs Oklahoma, 2006

The Sooners came to Eugene and got homered so bad their fans took to issuing death threats.

This year’s Sugar Bowl Game Deluxe had Auburn and Oklahoma face off.

Every sports fan knows both teams can’t lose, but that was a rooting interest.

Short of that, can someone tie Bob Stoops down and keep him off the field?

Oregon Ducks vs Ohio State, 2015

In the modern version of ‘Time Flies’ the second time Oregon got to the finals feels like a hundred years ago. Maybe more.

After the Buckeyes cleaned house from the Jim Tressel’s tenure, they skipped a beat with Luke Fickell, then hired Urban Meyer.

Coach Meyer’s greatness is undeniable with two Tim Tebow titles in Florida before he quit for health reasons.

Either Ohio State was just the tonic he needed, or was it leaving a team in Florida where he coached a murderer.

He was a big upgrade in Columbus, but still took a hard fall against Clemson.

At least he isn’t recruiting hit men.

Penn State Going Forward

For all the funk of Ohio State, the less than thorough investigations of Auburn, and Oklahoma’s failure to gracefully accept getting robbed in Eugene, Penn State is the hardest team to watch.

All the academic violations, illegal recruiting, and pay to play schemes fade in the light of Penn State’s recent history.

For all the SMU death penalties, suspensions, and fines levied against NCAA cheaters, none reach the sordidness of Penn State.

No one says the Nittany Lions should abandon football, forfeit all wins and records, or burn down Beaver Stadium and all football facilities in University Park, Pennsylvania.

In some corners not even that would be enough to calm fans since the Sandusky conviction.

In a 35-page letter, the Education Department itemized Penn State’s failures, including not issuing “an emergency notification to its students and employees” after school officials learned there were sex abuse charges coming against Sandusky.

“Penn State officials knew that a man who was about to be charged with more than 50 felonies … had unfettered access to campus buildings and facilities,” said the letter.

Unfettered? Light the fire.

Penn State’s response also included their own unfettered.

Penn State said in a statement that it had provided federal investigators with “unfettered access,” and that the resulting review was “unprecedented” in scope and duration.

“While regrettably we cannot change the past,” said the statement, “today the University has been recognized for significantly strengthening our programs since 2011. The safety and security of our University community is a top priority and we are dedicated to full compliance with the Clery Act and the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act. Today, Penn State has robust Clery training and collection processes in place.”

I didn’t like the response or the fine, and still don’t. Penn State PR is pathetic. “Cannot change the past?”

Even worse, every time Penn State football shows up on television I get the errps.

My response is an unfettered reaction to the name Penn State Football.

They skated past the worst example of sportsmanship in the history of the word, and still have more to answer for.

If the Oregon Ducks never played teams like Penn State, Auburn, Ohio State, and Oklahoma it still wouldn’t be enough to settle my gut.

Time to petition the NCAA to create a new conference for chronic rule breakers?

Oh, that settles things down.