Wow. What a game. And what a season. The University of Oregon football team went 13-0, capping it off with a nail biter of a Big Ten championship game against Penn State that the Ducks won 45-37 tonight.
It was a highly entertaining game. Somehow I remained calm through most of it. Probably that had a lot to do with my memories of the preceding twelve games, some of which -- like Boise State and Ohio State -- were won extremely narrowly.
But somehow Oregon found a way to win. That's the mark of a great team with great coaching. They manufacture their own breaks, though I readily admit that in a game of inches, Penn State came very close to beating the Ducks.
For most of the game the Oregon secondary looked pretty weak. They kept giving up a lot of yardage on pass plays where the Penn State receiver was wide open with no defender in the vicinity. However, when it mattered most, the secondary came through, as an Oregonian story says.
The Ducks were unable to move the ball on offense, giving it back to Penn State with 2:11 left and a conference title hanging in the balance.
Nikko Reed would then write himself into Ducks lore.
The senior corner picked off Allar on a deep ball to cut Penn State’s comeback attempt short, with Oregon fans taking a beat before realizing what had happened. The Ducks offense ran the ball with success — including a key first down run on third down by Gabriel to wrap up the victory.
Now the Ducks get some well-deserved rest before playing in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day against the #8 vs. #9 winner in the 12-team national championship playoff. Naturally Oregon will be the #1 seed, since they've been the top-ranked team for quite a few weeks and just defeated the #3 team.
I've loved not only watching Oregon play this season, but feeling that the style of the team is a wonderful reflection of our state.
Their uniforms are bright and flashy. They combine toughness with speed and finesse. Coach Lanning and his defensive coordinator are expressive and enthusiastic. The team plays cohesively, not panicking when things aren't going well, not becoming overly confident when they've got a large lead.
Win three more games, and the Ducks are national champions. It'd be terrific if that happens. If it doesn't, that won't take away from Oregon's unforgettable season.
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