It’s official: the shiny glow of Oregon’s No. 3 preseason ranking has been smudged away, and the national media has been unsparing in its criticism of the Ducks’ performance on Saturday. A few choice links in the aftermath of the Dallas showdown:
-The Register-Guard’s George Schroeder writes that Oregon has a ways to go before becoming a truly elite team. Can’t say I disagree, and even Chip Kelly admits as much. In what proved to be a fascinating exchange after the game Saturday, Schroeder asked Kelly if there was a step Oregon had to take to win games of this magnitude. Kelly was quick in his response:
“Yeah…yes.”
“Do you feel like you haven’t reached quite that tier, then?”
“Yes.”
Understand, Kelly doesn’t usually respond to such “big picture” questions. The LSU game changed that policy, if briefly.
-Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel led off his Monday column with some choice words about the Ducks and the Pac-12 as a whole. “Defenses like LSU’s on Saturday and Auburn’s last January simply have better players than the ones Chip Kelly’s Ducks have shredded for two straight seasons,” he writes. “And that doesn’t speak well for PAc-12 defenses.”
-ESPN’s Ted Miller now projects Oregon to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl. How quickly things change.
-Finally, though Kelly had no official word on the injury status of Kenjon Barner, The Register-Guard’s Adam Jude tweeted that he was in a boot and on crutches after practice. It is also unknown when cornerback Cliff Harris and linebacker Kiko Alonso will be allowed to return from suspension.