Walking out of Autzen Stadium on Saturday, you would have thought the existence of Duck Football as we know it was over. The faces of true shock were met with an eerie silence that swooped over the crowd. Every now and then you would hear the voices of couples who were canceling plans to go up and watch the Ducks play in Pullman next weekend. Students were already talking about next season. Then there was the young boy who was crying into his pint-sized Joey Harrington jersey.
Some will blame the offensive line for the blocked punts; others may place it on the defense for not coming up with the big play. There might even be those who place blame on play calls that seemed to move the ball more across the field then down it. A dancing-tree conspiracy may be sought by a few, and criticism will be put on the call to pass the ball on 3rd and 1. But there should be no blame.
The only reason Oregon Football fans feel disappointed is because Oregon Football has gotten too good too fast. If you told an Oregon fan during the years of perennial losing seasons that the 2001 edition of Oregon Football would be undefeated and ranked fifth in the nation by the Associated Press heading into its seventh game of the year, you would have been considered a probable patient for the state mental hospital. It wasn’t too long ago when Oregon Football had moral victories, but now even those are unacceptable.
Sure, the Ducks have enjoyed tremendous success over the past few years. The Rose Bowl after the 1994 season, another nine-win season in 1995 with a trip to the Cotton Bowl and the Holiday Bowl win last year over Texas. Oregon’s football resumé, though, still remains relatively short. It is short enough that even a loss that ends a 23-game home winning streak should be taken in stride. We should be grateful for what Oregon Football has brought us and not be disappointed in what could have been.
To the delight of several members of the media, many who just happen to live on the East Coast, many people will be jumping off the Oregon bandwagon after the loss. This is fine though, because as a friend once told me, the biggest cause of death along the Oregon Trail was from people jumping on and off wagons. The true Oregon Football fan cheers for the Ducks when they win, and also when they lose. Sports torment the soul because somebody always has to lose. If you’re a front-runner, be prepared to be run over by reality.
Mistakes will be learned and lessons will be learned, but Saturday’s seven-point loss to Stanford should do much more. There is more to life than the Bowl Championship Series, polls and a national championship trophy. If these come, great, but if they don’t, it is not the end of the world.
The University of Oregon is about more than just college football. It is about meeting new people, having some fun and finding yourself. So if after Saturday’s game you find yourself blaming the referees, the coaches or the players, maybe you should be somewhere else. After all, the Ducks will be back on the field next week. I’ll be watching with the same enthusiasm and pride, and I hope you will, too.