ARLINGTON, Texas – Tucked away in the back corner of the Oregon locker room last night at AT&T Stadium were the offensive lineman. The light was dimmed, and like a dark alley, reporters avoided going there to discuss Oregon’s 42-20 loss to Ohio State in the national championship.
Most of the linemen were going through the process of packing their bags and getting ready to leave. Doug Brenner had already finished and was sitting – staring ahead, elbows on knees with a focus incapable of being broken.
Brenner – who’ll most likely step in next season for long-time starter Hroniss Grasu at center – broke his concentration to answer a couple questions of mine.
“When will you be able to appreciate what you guys did this season?” I asked.
“Not right now,” Brenner was quick to reply, “but soon.”
Eighteen hours after a disappointing, heart-breaking performance, the Oregon football team is back in Eugene. Over the course of that period, maybe Brenner has allowed the reality of the situation to sink in. Maybe he’s accepted it. Maybe his “soon” as come and he can appreciate the memorable season he just participated in.
Thirteen months ago, Marcus Mariota and Grasu announced that they would return to Oregon for another shot at a title. Along the way, Oregon saw injuries to many major key components, an early seven-point loss to Arizona at home and a weekly nerve-rattling battle to remain one of the top-four teams in college football. Still, they ended up with a Heisman trophy winning quarterback, Pac-12 and Rose Bowl championships and a trip to the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Driving straight through those low points and coming back stronger is something Grasu, a senior captain for Oregon, holds in high regard about his teammates.
“We just came together this year with all the adversity,” Grasu said. “We just kept fighting and fight and sticking together no matter what.
“The two losses we had, this team will learn from it and get healthy,” he stops analyzing and reiterates his appreciation for the team. “It’s been a historic year and I’m so proud of these guys.”
The appreciation process for Grasu began soon after the writing – that Oregon wouldn’t win the national championship – became visibly apparent on the wall.
After Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot scored his fourth touchdown to make the score 42-20, senior safety Erick Dargan took his helmet off and walked somberly to the sideline. The first person to reach him, with an extended hand awaiting a shake, was Grasu.
Then on their final possession, with 27 seconds remaining, Grasu and Mariota agreed that – even though the game was decided – they would “go down swinging.”
“We’re just so proud of this team and so proud of this whole community at the University of Oregon,” Grasu said. “We knew for us seniors that it was going to be our last collegiate snap. So, we wanted to end on a positive note. I’m just proud of being a duck, and I’ll always be a duck. “
“Keep fighting till the end,” he finished softly.
This season is finished. But next season preparation is right around the corner. Winter lifting starts soon and the returners are using the feeling after the loss to Ohio State as motivation.
“I don’t think the page is ever going to be turned,” Royce Freeman said, thinking about this season. “As a freshman, this one is going to hurt a little bit.”
And as always, they’re a lot of players leaving that will need to be replaced.
“A lot of us younger guys have to step up – and that starts now,” Brenner said. “It starts during the winter, in the offseason, lifting and working out. Obviously we’ve lost a lot of key guys on the team with huge leadership roles: Hroniss, Marcus. Guys like that are just irreplaceable. We’ll live”
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt