Week Two

Notes on the football weekend past:

He has the best name in college football this year, but Munchie Legaux went down with a season-ending injury in Cincinnati's loss to Illinois.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to play to keep his best-name title because the other guy with a dazzling handle isn't playing either--Jadeveon Clowney is simply going through the motions while criticizing his coaches, two of whom appear to dislike each other.

Or is that just heat-of-battle stuff?

UCLA lost a player to a horrible accident unrelated to football Sunday morning. How will his teammates respond as they prepare for this weekend's big game with Nebraska?  Sad story.

UCLA and Washington had the weekend off; they're to be scrutinized closely this week because both appear to be legitimate threats to Stanford and Oregon dominance in Pac-12 play.

Ha! Ha! Ha!...USC lost at home to Washington State and tumbled out of the Top 25.  Ha! Ha! Ha!

I graded Oregon's new coaches up and down with equal vigor Saturday.  Like the team itself, they were inconsistent.  Mariota's QB draw was brilliantly conceived and executed, but...but...

Despite the trendy status quo Oregon popularized in college ball, which dictates a go go go offense all the time, the Ducks needed to slow things down and evaluate what was in front of them at times Saturday.

Virginia's defense was ready for the fast stuff.  Oregon's uber-talent won that game but the offense hurried itself out of a couple of good first-half drives and at least one touchdown.

Am I sinning by saying so?

Three-and-out is not the Oregon way, and Dooley doesn't want to see it happen very often, citing a history of irritable bowel syndrome caused by stubborn, ineffective play-calling.

The looming question of the week--will Thomas Tyner play early in the game Saturday vs. Tennessee?

The kid appears to be slicker than the snot on a lunatic's nose, so give him a few carries in the first quarter and see what happens.

My Vikings...my lovable, heart-breaking, deeply unappreciated neighborhood Vikings--you had a chance. You did good, but came up just short.  

I won't quit on you, though.  I think you'll make a statement in the Big Sky this year.  Portland is yours if you want her.


TS