Football: No Cleanup, Just A Mess

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A mess that before may have been cleaned up with a broom and mop now will likely take a whole crew of maids thanks to Oregon’s performance against Oklahoma State.

I had mentioned after the opener that the Ducks had mistakes to clean up, as they beat Boise State, but narrowly. 

Clearly, no cleaning whatsoever was done. 

Oregon lost to Oklahoma State, which, a few years ago, probably wouldn’t have been that much of a shocker.

But these Cowboys were on a 12 game losing streak, and Oregon was supposedly a Top 10 team. 

Pundits in the Associated Press somehow still have Oregon in the Top 25.

They’re not.

Not even close. 

In fact, the Ducks look, pound for pound right now, like a bad team. 

Not an untalented team, not a team with no potential or a team that couldn’t still be a contender by season’s end, but right now…yes, a bad team. 

Oregon’s “Heisman Candidate” quarterback was under duress from an eight man zone defense. No, you heard that right, an eight man drop. Three were rushing. That’s all it took. 

Oregon’s defensive line, supposedly the “best in the country”, was systematically picked apart by a quarterback who, until this month, had never even started a game in a power conference. 

There are times that top tier teams have a crappy outing against an inferior opponent. It happens. But often, they’re still able to pull away due strictly to the talent disparity.

With the ridiculous amount of talent Oregon has, it seems improbable they couldn’t have pulled this off simply because they are far more skilled man for man. 

Nope.

And that’s when you start looking at the coaching. Lanning and his staff did a piss poor job of prepping the team clearly, but then proceeded to make absolutely baffling decisions during the game. 

None more prevalent than when Oregon went for it on fourth and long two different times rather than pinning the Cowboys deep with a punt. 

You’re telling me with the amount of talent the Ducks have on the defensive side of the ball they couldn’t stop OSU from marching all the way down the field?

Apparently, Lanning didn’t think so. Instead, he somehow put more trust in an offensive line that was gutted like a fish all day long. 

And not once…but TWICE.

What…the…(insert expletive here)?

Oregon faces Portland State Friday night at home. I don’t even see a universe where Oregon can’t win that matchup on skill alone.

But I’ll tell you what, they won’t get by USC that way. Or perhaps any other Big Ten team.

Oklahoma State proved that.

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