Anyone remember the prophet Bellotti saying the Ducks weren’t ready? Looks like he was right. Go figure.
Granted, nobody expected 2-0. The Ducks couldn’t possibly go into Norman, Okla., and knock off one of the most powerful programs in the country, which on a normal day averages 50 points per game and possesses a defense so fast and so easy it looks like instant oatmeal — just add players.
The thing is, and this is the frustrating part, the Ducks absolutely had a chance to beat the Sooners. I’m not talking in the bigger sense, “Yeah everyone technically has a chance to win at any time.” I mean that the Ducks were a few plays away from one of the biggest upsets in school history. The defense played better than expected for most of the game, giving the offense opportunities to keep the game close. Capitalize on the mistakes, finish a few drives, and who knows?
The Ducks are that close to putting it together and living up to expectations for this year.
A few fortunate bounces in the Indiana game and Oregon would be
1-1. Right where we thought them to be ever since Oklahoma was added to the schedule. Instead,
Oregon became a comedy of football errors. By the time the second punt return was fumbled, I was expecting clown cars and circus music.
I was looking for the black cat.
I was trying to figure out who washed their lucky socks. It certainly would have made Oregon’s performance more understandable.
I don’t know if it was nerves or the fact that the players were looking over their shoulders 1,000 miles to the east, but it seemed like the Ducks were expecting to flip the switch and give the shocked Duck fans some relief. Kenny Washington’s touchdown was just a goof or a gag. The Ducks squandering gift after gift that Indiana gave them in the fourth quarter was just a tease, a little spice added to the game.
But credit is due where credit is deserved. The defense did its job in both of those games. Now the onus is on the offense to find itself and to do so quickly. There is the skill at every position; it just hasn’t clicked yet. I’m sure that all Duck fans wish they could find a genie in a bottle, so that Oregon could be 2-0 and somewhere in the top ten.
Conversely, here’s the flip side of 0-2 — they’re only 0-2. There are still nine games left to play.
We would have been happy with 1-1. That’s what we were expecting.
But since the Ducks have gotten off to notoriously fast starts the past few years, it is uncomfortable to watch right now. We expect this slump to happen in the middle of the season. Maybe this year that won’t happen. Maybe that slump is now and now the Ducks can start sneaking up on opponents.
They have to. There is just too much talent on this team.
Luckily, the season is still young and this week the Ducks get another chance to start up the offensive juggernaut and to start gathering steam.
Sorry, little brother of Joey
Harrington.
I still hold out hope that a share of the Pacific-10 Conference title is still reachable — that Clemens, Demetrius Williams, Garren Strong, and Marcus Maxwell can become a dynamic pass and catch quartet, and that Haloti Ngata will require constant triple teams.
I still hold out hope that
Jared Siegel will boot a 50-yard game winner against Cal because that’s just the type of kicker he is, or that the much maligned secondary can step up and make the Pac-10 take notice.
I still hold out hope because there is hope to be had, and I refuse to believe that this is a 5-6 team.
Finally, I still hold out hope because the Ducks can’t go 0-11… right? Right?

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